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Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1 Chapter1

2010-03-31T05:10:50Z

96.51.213.231: Grammar and tense

===Chapter 1===
__NOTOC__
==1==
The lunch break on that day wasn't any different from the usual lunch breaks.

I was eating lunch and chatting with a few classmates whom I am close to (Nagai, Takenami, and Ogawa, more commonly known as the three idiots) in the 2-1 classroom of the private high school Hakujo Academy. The topic of conversation would probably induce suicidal thoughts in other people.

"That's why I think that the female sports uniform should have bloomers, anyone who wears [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_shorts Bermuda shorts] that reach down to the knees isn't human. Anyone who's opposed to this motion isn't a citizen of Japan."

"That's right, I think so too."

"You're absolutely right."

Ogawa and Takenami nodded their heads vigorously in agreement with Nagai's opinion.

"Yuuto, what do you think?"

"Hmm? Well, I'm alright with anything I guess."

I was really alright with anything that the girls wore, which was why I answered the way I did.

"Alright with anything? It's because of your sitting-on-the-fence attitude that Japan has been brought to its current state of affairs. You're always like this, not taking sides on anything."

"Ayase, that's what you are. You don't have your own opinion on anything, you always cross the bridge only when you bump into it. You'll be sorry one day if you continue like this."

"That's right, you can't carry on like this!"

The three of them took turns to take shots at me, but they were merely meddling in other people's affairs. I don't deny that I'm an irresponsible and insensitive guy (though it's rather embarrassing that I say that about myself), but even I don't want to hear such criticism from three guys who discuss about bloomers with perfectly straight faces.

"Alright, let's do this! You can listen to our respective arguments before deciding which side you're on. We'll start with the visual impact of bloomers."

Gosh, they really are the 'three idiots'.

I sighed soundlessly while casually looking around the classroom. Everything was normal, students were eating their lunch while chatting with their friends, making up the familiar lunchtime scenery.

The spot in the classroom that attracted me the most was that seat next to the corridor. Because in the classroom that is so messy that it would make even the monkey closure look tidy, only that particular spot had a soothing and comforting aura around it.

Seated in that place, was a beautiful girl endowed with the nickname "Nuit Étoile".

She's my classmate, Nogizaka Haruka.

She had probably finished lunch already, as she leaned slightly backward and was concentrating on the book that she held in her left hand. The way she flipped the pages of her book with her fingers looked like a scene straight out of a painting. Colloquially, it means that she's too cute to be described. Or perhaps I should say that she's the very embodiment of a perfect and beautiful lady. Anyway, it seems as though all traces of corruption could be washed away just by looking at her.

[[Image:NHnH vol01 021.jpg|thumb]]

I stared, mesmerized, at Nogizaka Haruka with my mouth stuffed with bread (while completely ignoring the discussion between Nagai and the others). Yes, the psychological wound received a few moments ago had already been healed. The feeling of pure bliss would probably be something like this, right?

I immersed myself in the joy of watching her while fantasizing.

But after a few short minutes, this feeling of bliss was abruptly ended.

I heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the corridor. It wasn't a very loud voice, but it would probably take up a lot of my time, since it's probably Nobunaga. I sighed soundlessly again; here comes another idiot.

"Is Yuuto here?"

Just as I expected, a familiar face appeared at the entrance of the classroom. He's a petite pretty boy with light brown hair whom others would mistake as a girl from afar. This fellow started shouting the moment he saw me.

"Ah! There you are! Yuuto, did you catch the anime that aired late last night? I recorded it as I watched because I feel that that's the best way to appreciate it."

The volume of his voice attracted some attention from the other students in class, but after everyone saw that it was from Nobunaga, they resumed whatever it was they were doing before immediately. I don't know how to put it, but anyway, my classmates have gotten used to his presence after he's been coming over to talk to me since the start of the school year.

"You didn't watch it? Yesterday's 「The Shy Triangle」 will air its last episode next week, and the climax of the entire series is when the good friend of the protagonist...Ah, the DVD seems to be going on sale soon, I'll definitely go and buy it, since it's going to be a limited edition and will come with a figurine of the protagonist 'Clumsy girl Aki-chan'..."

The guy who ran into my classroom and started talking about a topic that one would find it hard to associate with his appearance is Asakura Nobunaga. I've known him since kindergarten, which is why you could use the phrase 'hellish bonds of friendship' to describe our relationship, though he's still a good friend of mine, since he doesn't get me into any trouble. Honestly speaking, he's still quite a cheerful and sociable person, which is why he can strike up a conversation with almost anyone. His academic results are extremely good, with Physics and Mathematics being his best subjects. From his earlier actions, you can tell that his hobby is a rather extreme one, a form of otaku-ism...which is what we all know as the 'Akihabara clan'. The man whose name is a combination of the names of two imperial generals has a weak looking exterior and a hobby which neither fit the names of a warring general nor his appearance. In conclusion, he's a guy with complicated characteristics and is hard to place into any category.

"Yuuto, you've really missed out by not watching. This anime series was adapted from a manga, but its something like a tale prior to the story, explaining why the protagonist and his best friend turned against each other......"

"Ah------ I got that already!"

I had to do something to shut him up or he'll eat up my entire lunch break. I took this course of action precisely based on past experiences.

"It's not nice of you to be such a wet blanket when I was just getting into my rhythm!"

"It's not nice of you to suddenly run into someone else's classroom to spam him with your personal hobby!"

"Is that so? But doesn't everyone like to talk about these kind of things?"

"Please do not think that everyone is like you!"

"Hmm, but, you like these kind of things, don't you?"

"Don't I always say that I don't have any special inclination?"

I don't like it, but I don't hate it either. I don't agree with it, but I don't disagree with it either. This is my stance regarding this fellow, and the rest of the Akihabara clan. No, to be more precise, it's more of 'I don't really understand them'. In short, I'm still quite mystified regarding the age-old question of 'why are people at this age still so interested in cartoons', and even more surprisingly, I'm actually good friends with someone like this.

"Hmm...But I've always thought that you have the right attributes."

What kind of attributes?

"That's the highest level of praise that I'll give to anyone, you know. Hmm...let's not talk about this anymore. Yuuto, I've got big news for you!"

"Big news?"

I felt that what this fellow was going to say probably won't be anything serious and wholesome, but...

"I've been looking for a certain magazine all this while, haven't I? Our school's library finally bought this old issue! Our library's the best, I can import in any rare book that I want by just filling in an application form. The school can afford to buy all these books because of the extremely generous donations that they have been receiving. Their funds seem limitless. Money really makes the world go round indeed, yah~"

Nobunaga grinned widely as he babbled on and on about this big news.

Magazine? I seem to remember him asking me to help look for a magazine with an extremely strange name a while back. Looks like the school had approved his application form.

"......Wait a minute, did you fake an application form?"

I looked at him suspiciously.

"That's rude, I would never do something like that."

Nobunaga shook his head as he gave a "you're totally wrong" expression, and then answered with a perfectly straight face, "I merely threatened them."

That's even worse.

But that fellow completely ignored my reaction.

"「INNOCENT SMILE」 is an extremely famous magazine! The original manga of the anime that aired yesterday night was serialized in this magazine. It wasn't too long ago, so you probably should have some memory of it. It caused quite a stir when its first edition came out."

Just as Nobunaga went into his extremely long-winded debate mode, there was a huge noise in the classroom.

Our position was in the middle of the classroom, while the sound came from the opposite direction. To be more precise, it came from the second-last seat from the corridor, which was the place that held my attention before Nobunaga came in. From a certain perspective, that was the one place in class that would never be associated with loud and jarring noises.

But right now, Nogizaka-san was standing there with her eyes trained on the two of us, with a chair lying face-down, the source of that loud noise, beside her feet.

The classroom suddenly became extremely quiet. Nogizaka-san, who always wore an expression of peaceful serenity, now had a disturbed expression on her face.

"No...Nogizaka-san, what happened?"

"I...I don't know, we didn't do anything weird did we?"

"She seems to be looking at Ayase-kun..."

Murmurings were heard in the classroom.

Did we do something wrong?

Even though I felt that we hadn't done anything, the sharp gaze that Nogizaka-san threw at us was that of a policewoman who has just caught a molester in the act on a crowded train. Under a gaze of that nature, Nobunaga and I really looked like we had done something against the welfare of society, and the looks from the rest of the class seemed to ask the exact same question, 'What did the two of you do?'.

"Yuuto, what do we do? Everyone's looking at us."

"Ye......Yeah......"

I thought that the most probable reason would be that Nobunaga's voice was way too loud, disturbing Nogizaka-san's reading. Even though I was already used to it, Nobunaga's voice would naturally become extremely loud when he talked about his hobby. It wouldn't come as much of a surprise if that had disturbed Nogizaka-san.

Which would mean that we had really done something wrong. So we should probably apologize.

Under the watchful eyes of the rest of the class, I walked towards Nogizaka-san's seat.

"Erm......I'm sorry for disturbing you with our loud conversation."

I bowed deeply as an apology, Nogizaka-san then seemed to regain her usual expression.

"Ah, that's not it, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to blame the two of you or anything, so you don't have to apologize to me."

"?"

But, weren't you glaring at the two of us just a few moments ago?

"It's nothing, so, it's nothing......I'm sorry for troubling everyone."

After saying that, Nogizaka-san politely bowed to the rest of the class as she righted her chair and sat down as though nothing had happened.

However, this left us extremely confused.

"What just happened?"

"I don't know...... Wasn't it because of the noise you were making?"

"I'm not noisy!"

I ignored Nobunaga's contradictary loud shout to defend his stand that he's not loud, but instead I stared at Nogizaka-san like someone who had been played around with by a fox spirit. On the regal face of the "Nuit Étoile", a trace of uneasiness could still be seen... there has to be some reason for that.

Deviating from the topic at hand, from the time when Nobunaga rushed into the classroom to when Nogizaka stared at us, Nagai and the other two were still heatedly debating on the topic of bloomers. Was that due to concentration, or just plain stupidity?

I think the correct answer should be the latter.

Actually, I didn't really care if they're idiots or not.

The fifth and sixth periods ended without incident. After class had ended, I walked towards the library only because that Nobunaga told me......

"Yuuto, I'm really sorry, but could you help me return this book to the library? Since you're free after school anyway, while I have to rush back to finish the map for WonFes--"

......Geez! I don't know what Wan Wan Fes. (Could it be a festival for dogs? But I recall that guy having a cat instead...). If it's like this, then he should have just returned it yesterday! But thoughts are just thoughts, and I agreed to help him, as he had often helped me out before (like him lending me textbooks when I forgot mine: helping me to repair my computer when it broke down......etc), oh well, I really had nothing to do after school anyway.

And this was why I came to the library, a place where I would normally almost never set foot in.

It was said that the rate of usage for our library was unbelievably low, because, the number of people, including yours truly, who've actually used the library could be counted on one hand. To increase the rate of usage of the library, the school even set up an electronic lending system, renovated the library to be an extremely comfortable place for reading, and had bought books of all genres. But to the modern generation of children who're far disposed from printed products, all these measures were for naught, as nothing had changed. But I have not used the library for anything other than for afternoon naps, so who am I to really say anything.

Anyway, because of the pitiful number of users, I shouldn't need much time to return a book.

I walked towards the computer terminal and started to tap the keyboard. One has to use the computer to borrow or return books, which was rather tedious (Nobunaga said that once you get used to it, computers would definitely be faster than human processing). Oh well, if I felt that something as simple as this was tedious, then I probably won't be able to survive in modern society. The man who doesn't work does not get to eat. I entered the reference code of the book and my student identification number......OK, that's it. I only have to return the book to its place on the shelf. (By the way, the title of the book is 「Pretty Girl Models Collection III --- The History of Ball Joints」. Our school really does buy everything). Mission accomplished, I can go home now.

Just as I was about to walk towards the exit.

"..."

I spotted a suspicious character.

How should I put this? Mm, it is an extremely suspicious character indeed.

Because this person is hiding her face with her schoolbag while attempting to move stealthily behind the bookshelves like a ninja or assassin, and its a female student to boot. Thus if this is not strange, then what is (sarcasm)... What is with that person? She seems to want to conceal her movements, but isn't this making it worse, and attracting more attention instead? Or, could it be that she actually wanted attention instead?

In any case, it would be better not to come into contact with someone like that. Troubles come about from the mouth, as long as you are not overly curious, even the cat could suffer an unexplained death. Just as I decided to pretend not to see anything and tried to get out of the library---

I saw the face of the suspicious character behind the bookshelf.

At that moment, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I thought I was hallucinating due to my brain's rejection reaction towards this library that I almost never step into.

"......"

Why would I think that way?

Because I was extremely familiar with that face.

"That's......"

Nogizaka-san?

As unbelievable as it sounds, that suspicious person really was Nogizaka Haruka. I would never miss that beautiful face of hers even if I was a mile away. But, why was she behaving so strangely?

I was bursting with questions, but Nogizaka-san didn't notice me as she ambled up to the computer terminal beside me, with the air of a 15-year old girl who's preparing to steal a motorcycle in the middle of the night, and began to type. I saw a magazine beside her, so she was probably planning to borrow it.

Tap, tap, I heard the sound of fingers on the keyboard.

She had probably finished borrowing the book, as Nogizaka-san lifted her head from the terminal with the smile of a German expert. Just as she prepared to walk towards the exit......

Our eyes met.

"..."

"..."

At that moment, time stopped.

"..."

"..."

"...Erm...What brings you here?"

That was what I wanted to ask her, but it wasn't surprising that Nogizaka-san would look at me as though she was looking at that legendary giant monster Uma, because the probability of meeting me in the library was lower than meeting a yeti.

"Since when have you been standing here?"

"For a while now."

"You...You saw it?"

"?"

Saw what?

"You...You saw the book that I borrowed..."

"No, I didn't see it..."

"Oh, is that so? Hoo!"

Nogizaka-san's expression was reminiscent of a middle-aged manager who just found out that he wasn't on the list of retrenched personnel. What's happening?

"?"

"Ah! It...It's nothing, Ayase-kun, please don't think about it, I'll be going now."

Nogizaka-san hurriedly nodded to me as she strode towards the exit. Maybe because she was disturbed by my presence, but she totally didn't notice that she was walking towards a reading table and chair set.

"Ah...Nogizaka-san, that's......"

"Hiiee!?"

And then!

Smash!

In the midst of the noise of falling furniture, Nogizaka-san, who'd tripped over a chair, fell onto her back. This was a breathtaking set of actions that one would be hard-pressed to produce.

"Ou...Ouch! Why would there be a chair here..."

Things were becoming stranger, those chairs have always been there, and the serenely-peaceful Nogizaka-san would actually do something out of character. Just what was happening? Perhaps this was what "even the most complete strategy could fail" was referring to?

Whatever the case, I couldn't possibly just leave her there, so I helped Nogizaka-san up. From a certain perspective, Nogizaka-san probably brought it upon herself! But it would have been ungentlemanly of me not to help a girl who has just fallen down in front of you (especially if that girl is Nogizaka Haruka), and I have a National Gentlemanly Conduct Grade 2 certificate......Even though I just made that up myself.

"Ah......Thank you! I'm so sorry!"

After helping up the almond-eyed Nogizaka-san, I turned my eyes to her personal belongings that were scattered all over the place.

It was really a mess, but just as I was going to help her pick up her things...

"No...You can't!"

That scream was unbelievably loud, the kind that you hear when a bedroom scene suddenly shows on the T.V. when you're eating with your family. I can't? What does she mean? Is she saying that I'm not allowed to touch her personal things with my dirty hands......? No, I don't think Nogizaka-san would think that way.

"?"

Although I didn't know why Nogizaka-san wanted to stop me, I still reached out to help her pick up the magazine.

"No, don't do it!"

Nogizaka-san reached out towards the magazine at my feet like a depraved bandit.

But...

"Ah?"

On the path of her trajectory, there was a mathematics notebook!

"Ah? This...!?"

She stepped onto that notebook with one hundred percent accuracy!!

"Ehhhhhhh!?"

The foot that had all the force of her body weight behind it, was set free from its contact with the ground by virtue of the friction (or lack thereof) between the notebook and the floor of the library!

"Kyaaaaaa!"

And then, her body flew into the air, while directly in front of her......was a bookshelf.

Smash! Boom!

In the midst of an even louder crash, the bookshelf toppled over from Nogizaka-san's spinning attack. And then, the toppled shelf hit the one beside it, and the one beside it toppled over onto another shelf......the bookshelves toppled one by one like dominoes.

In the space of a few short seconds, all the bookshelves had toppled over.

"..."

In a mere instant, the library had become ground zero.

Erm......

What just happened? I frantically tried to piece together the chronology of events.

What I see now is a library floor that's completely covered with books, making it look like a library from hell, and Nogizaka-san, who's never gotten into a fight her whole life, but had boldly smashed her way towards the bookshelf, plus her personal belongings that were spread out all over the floor.

What am I doing here?

Though I had blanked out for a moment there, I suddenly remembered what I was doing when I looked at all the things on the floor. That's right, I was trying to help Nogizaka-san pick up her personal belongings.

Nogizaka-san didn't seem to be hurt, so I wanted to help her pick everything up. And the first book that I picked up was that magazine by my feet!!!

---I finally found out the reason behind Nogizaka-san's panic.

"..."

"..."

There was an anime-style picture with a girl who had hair the color of the sky, something that could never be achieved through natural genetic inheritance, and a pair of biologically impossible large and sparkling eyes. The girl was smiling as she grabbed the hem of her skirt lightly with her fingers.

Below the picture was an overly photoshopped caption which read 「INNOCENT SMILE」 in bold and think yellow letters.

"This..."

I was speechless for a moment. This...was definitely the magazine that Nobunaga was talking about. But, why would Nogizaka-san want to borrow this book...

I had no time to continue my line of thought before a surprising voice entered my ears.

"Sob...sob...I've been seen, I've been seen!"

I only realized that the situation was serious when I saw that it was the sound of Nogizaka-san crying.

Due to the commotion, a few students from the art room had already gathered at the library.

"It's all over......sob..."

Nogizaka-san was still crying.

Actually, in this kind of situation, I felt that I should be the one that it was 'all over' for.

The stares from the surrounding students were sharp and piercing, turning the library into a much more dangerous place. Though there were only four or five students from the art room at the scene, their looks made me feel like I was the kind of contemptible man who extorted money from his girlfriend until she couldn't take it anymore and wanted a break-up, whereupon I bullied her until she cried. That kind of look was extremely uncomfortable to bear.

"What's happening? Aren't those two dating? -whisper whisper-"

"They are? But the guy looks like he doesn't really care about what's happening? -whisper whisper-"

"Was he the one who pushed down all the bookshelves? -whisper whisper-"

"Isn't he Ayase-kun of class 1? -whisper whisper-"

Listening to the contents of the whisperings, the only bright spot was that they hadn't realized that the crying girl was Nogizaka Haruka.

"The girl must have been begging him not to abandon her when he pushed her into the bookshelves."

"How could he! That's despicable!"

"Enemy of all women!"

"Detestable man!"

They were really going overboard here.

But from an objective point of view, it really did look like I had made Nogizaka-san cry, because that was practically the only possibility that could be inferred from the situation in the library, so I couldn't really blame the whispering students either.

In a nutshell, one thing was certain.

And that was, if I continued to stay at the scene of the crime, my bad reputation would be the talk of the entire school by tomorrow morning.

That's why...

With reference to the wisdom passed down by our ancestors, it was time to make a retreat! Therefore I picked up the stuff scattered all over the floor at breakneck speed, grabbed the hand of Nogizaka-san, who was still crying, and ran for our dear lives!! In truth...

We really were running for our lives!! From the library that is. From behind us...

"Ah! They've escaped!"

"He's kidnapping her?"

"They're eloping?"

"It should be the former, it's obvious that it's the former."

Those few lines were slightly better. But, why must they see me as the villain? I haven't done anything wrong.

Even I felt like crying, but when compared to a woman's tears that are like pearls, a man's tears are merely salt water. Other than the ability to melt slugs, salt water was practically useless.

But...why did it turn out like this?

I sighed deeply as I tried to look for a place where we wouldn't be seen. My feelings right now were heavier than a meat-cow that was being sent to the slaughterhouse.

Because of this...

I, who had been accused of breaking the law and of being a detestable man, finally made it out of the library with Nogizaka-san in tow, coming to a stop on the roof of the school. To someone without an exceptional  brain like me, this was the only place I could think of which could let us talk in peace and not be seen.

Nogizaka-san had already stopped crying...but right now, she still wore a blank expression as her shoulders continued to shiver, giving an impression that was completely different from the perfect 'Nuit Étoile', as she appeared to be infinitely delicate. I had never noticed that Nogizaka-san was actually so petite.

There was only one reason behind Nogizaka-san's panic.

And that was the copy of 「INNOCENT SMILE」 that I held in my left hand.

Because everything happened so fast, I had no time to organize my thoughts. But after calming down and thinking about it, I understood why she was in such a panic.

Which is to say...

"Nogizaka-san...You're an otaku..."

Nogizaka-san gave a start at my words. Bingo! Looks like I was right!

Which means that the incident at lunch break was only her reaction to Nobunaga's reference to 「INNOCENT SMILE」. But no, now is not the time to be analyzing her actions calmly.

Nogizaka-san was extremely depressed.

Looks like Nogizaka-san was extremely bothered by the fact that someone knew that she was an otaku, but it was indeed extremely surprising.

Normal people would be more condemning with regards to the different hobbies of a small group of people, but there were so many of such things in Nobunaga's room that it made you want to vomit (literally), so I don't really mind these kind of things.

"Erm, Nogizaka-san..."

I decided to move on.

"...Mm?"

A flash of fear suddenly cut across Nogizaka-san's dull-looking eyes.

"Erm...I've already forgotten everything that I saw today."

"Huh?"

Nogizaka-san, who was looking like a wilted flower, finally perked up a little.

"I'm not saying that I don't care about you......but you seem to be extremely disturbed about this incident, right? So I'll forget everything that has happened today, I won't tell anyone about this, and I won't mention it in front of you either, so you don't need to worry."

"..."

After listening to my long sentence, Nogizaka-san had a stunned expression on her face, looking like a deer that was going to be shot by a hunter. Did I say anything weird?

"..."

For a while, Nogizaka-san stopped moving. Hmm...this looks bad, and it could become even worse if I don't try to cheer her up. Just as I started to think of ways to do that...

"Ayase-kun, please do not take me for an idiot, and please do not look at me with such a strange gaze."

Nogizaka-san spoke.

"Strange gaze? What do you mean?"

"Well......Because......most people are openly disapproving of this kind of hobby. So..."

Maybe she had thought of something, which was why Nogizaka-san would say this kind of thing. Openly disapproving? Though there was some truth in that, but...

"I understand what you're trying to say, but...even if you have that kind of hobby, a normal person is still a normal person, a strange person is still a strange person. That's why I don't believe in judging a person by their hobbies."

Nobunaga is the best example. He's the perfect embodiment of an otaku, and though he is a bit...strange, he's definitely not a bad person, or I wouldn't have been his best friend for more than ten years.

"But...But..."

Nogizaka-san still had a worried look on her face. Hmm...How should I explain this?

"What I mean is, even if you have this kind of hobby, you're still you, right? That won't change, so you don't have to think about it so much."

"I'm...still myself?"

Nogizaka-san stuttered a reply.

"That's right! To be honest, being an otaku is just another hobby. In the end, I just think that it's an accompanying gift of a person's character. Because the nature of that gift differs from one person to the next, it's merely a small part of a person's character. A person's most important part shouldn't be here, should it? And..."

"...And what?"

"Hmm...I don't really know how to say this. But when I found out that you have a side that no one else knows about, I felt that it was really interesting..."

"Huh..."

"Or maybe I should say that I feel that I've gotten a little closer to you, so I'm happy..."

Nogizaka-san's face was beet-red.

Although my words seemed to be nonchalant, it was a true reflection of my feelings.

But Nogizaka-san seemed to be seriously listening to my words.

"You're probably the first person to say this to me."

Probably? If not for this chance encounter, I didn't think I'd say something like this to the 'Nuit Étoile' either.

"Anyway, that's how it is, so I don't think you need to be too bothered by it."

Seeing that Nogizaka-san had calmed down, I passed the magazine to her, patted her lightly on the shoulder, and left the roof of the school building. I walked down the stairs, changed shoes at the lobby, and walked out of the school gate, finally able to move freely again.

I lectured Nogizaka Haruka.

I actually lectured Nogizaka-san with a mountain of extremely weird talk. Something which I really regret doing now, because I actually lectured a classmate with whom I had barely exchanged two sentences with before. Looks like I'm the weird one here. But it was all over now, and there was no point thinking about how I regret doing it.

In conclusion, my relationship with Nogizaka Haruka should probably stop here shouldn't it?

No matter how you look at it, she's the prettiest girl in school, she's an extremely smart girl with brilliant academic results, and also the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Japan, while I'm an average common citizen. Even if I do know that Nogizaka-san has her panicky moments, even if that has brought me closer to her, to be honest, we're still two people from completely different worlds. Today's incident was merely an accidental crossing of two parallel lines.

At least, that was what I had thought at that time.

==2==

Over the next few days, nothing of particular importance happened.

Nogizaka-san was still the school's most unattainable girl, while I continued to stumble through school. Rushing into class before the first bell rang, fighting against the sleep demon during lessons, chatting with Nagai and the others for a few minutes after lessons, either going to the arcade or listening to Nobunaga's endless fountain of otaku knowledge after school. I didn't have any goal in life, and I've never had a lifelong dream either. Though my everyday life was boring, it was extremely stable; it was the average life that I loved.

But within these unchanging days, I realized that one thing had changed.

And that was...

From that day onwards, the times which my gaze settled on Nogizaka-san has increased. In the classroom, I suddenly realized that I was staring at her. Hmm...Just what is happening?

"About that, I think that's called love."

"Argh!?"

Nobunaga's idiotic face suddenly appeared from the side.

"Yo! Yuuto! Let's eat lunch together!"

"When...When did you get here?"

I didn't feel his presence at all.

"Heh heh, stealth is one of my 48 special abilities!"

I've known this fellow for more than ten years, and still do not know everything about him...oh well, its not like I want to anyway.

Going back to the main topic.

"Love? Nobunaga, what do you mean?"

"Gaining and losing, unable to differentiate between what's true and what's not, that's a person in love."

I know that, but my situation's not like that.

"I would advise you not to have any ideas about the 'Nuit Étoile'."

Nobunaga ignored my response as he pulled up a chair from a neighboring table to sit in front of me while he began to speak.

"How should I put this...For someone like you, she's in another league. Hmm...it's just that your social statuses are different!"

"Hmm."

"Yuuto, I don't think you know this, but in the time span of a little more than a year that she has entered this school, the number of people who have confessed their love for the 'Nuit Étoile' was, 94 people in total, 78 guys and 16 girls, about 20% of our school's population, while the number of people who have been rejected was also 94, which means that there is a 100% chance of getting rejected. An extremely scary statistic isn't it!"

My god...I know that Nogizaka-san was popular, but 16 girls? What's the meaning of that? Girls! And why would this guy have such detailed information on his hands?

"This kind of information gathering is one of the mandatory skills required of the modern man. I could also tell you the basic personal information of the 'Nuit Étoile', hmm...Nogizaka Haruka, 16 years-old, born on the 20th of October, 155cm tall, excels at every subject, does not have a weak subject, has a grandfather, her parents, and a sister that's 3 years her junior in her immediate family..."

Nobunaga read off a notebook-like contraption that he fished out of his pocket...when did he become a stalker?

"Hey, don't look at me like I'm some kind of pervert, that's really rude of you! I'm not interested in real-life girls, for 2D girls are better, the most special of them being the cat-maid with a tail......"

I didn't even ask him about that kind of thing, as even if I were to retort, it would be obvious that we were on a different wavelength.

"And in such an information-laden time, anyone would be able to find out such information. This is a digitalized society, though there's a law regarding the protection of personal privacy, as long as one has the will, it's extremely easy to extract such information. Just tell me if you need information regarding other people. I know just about everything about everyone in school."

Nobunaga told me as he smiled generously.

...This person's dangerous! I've got to avoid having him as my enemy!

"This is just my personal opinion! It's lamentable, but if you were to attempt to woo the 'Nuit Étoile', I think your chance of failure is 99.9%. According to my sources, even the basketball team captain, Sasaoka-senpai, was one of the rejected. He's actually a man-made hunk who had gone for plastic surgery, so if even someone like him got rejected, you..."

"...Don't look at me with that glimmer of pity in your eyes!"

"No, I'm not saying that you're not good or anything, it's just that you've chosen the hardest opponent of all. I just wanted to warn you that the 'Nuit Étoile' is the strongest opponent in our school."

Nobunaga shrugged as he smiled,

"But, no matter what you decide to do, I'll support you since we're childhood friends."

It's really disgusting to be described as 'childhood friends' by another guy. No, that's not the point.

"...I've never thought of wooing Nogizaka-san."

"Really?"

What are you so suspicious about! I've never told anyone about this from the start.

"Since you said it, let's not talk about this anymore. But, have you heard this phrase before?"

Nobunaga had a wise expression on his face as he continued,

" 'To start to care is to start to fall in love!' BY Asakura Nobunaga."

Just where did he get that from! I've never heard that!

I don't know if it was the influence of Nobunaga's words, but the frequency with which I looked at Nogizaka-san actually increased after that conversation. During lessons, after lessons, after school, as long as I had the chance, I would look for her. This is bad, I seem to have contracted some serious disease.

A few more days passed after that.

This incident happened one morning two weeks after that day.

==3==
"We're going to conduct a check on personal belongings now, so please take out everything from your bag!"

The form teacher's, Tanabe Shigeo (38 years-old, male, single), words caused a stir in the classroom. While it was a mandatory check, it was understandable that the students were still unhappy about it.

"Be quiet! I'll be checking the guys, while Kamishiro-sensei will be checking the girls."

Kamishiro-sensei is our assistant-form teacher, and a light music teacher who had only just graduated from an all-girls university last year. She didn't put on any airs, was well-liked by her students, and was also extremely pretty. She's pretty, cute, and her figure's......Hmm? I seem to have deviated from the main topic.

Speaking of which, I immediately thought of one thing when I heard that there was going to be a check.

It can't be that much of a coincidence can it? Nogizaka-san can't be holding that book right now, right?

The time limit for borrowing a book from our school library was two weeks. If she had really held the book until the last day, then she would have to return it today. No, she can't be that unlucky!!

I nonchalantly looked behind me, and saw that Nogizaka-san's face had gone ashen, looking as though she was the victim of a murder.

....Ah, she must be holding the book right now.

"Please endure the check for a while more, it's finishing soon."

As per the instructions of Kamishiro-sensei, the female students began to place their personal belongings on their desks, as Nogizaka-san could only do the same with a helpless look in her eyes. I seemed to have caught a glimpse of the magazine that I had seen two weeks ago hidden among the textbooks and music scores on her table.

What should I do?

I thought about it, and I shouldn't do anything, since it's not like I'm not obliged to help her or anything.

But...

The image of Nogizaka-san crying from two weeks ago suddenly flashed across my mind. Even though I've already seen her uncontrollable sobbing, if that were to repeat itself in front of the entire class, just what kind of situation would it result in? Hmm...I didn't even dare to imagine it, but I know that it wouldn't be pretty for the pampered daughter of a wealthy family like Nogizaka-san to react to this kind of sudden event. She probably wouldn't even know what to do.

Was there really no way around it? No matter if it was a mud boat or the Titanic, she had already boarded the vessel, so I should be doing something to help her. But just as I realized that the opponent was Kamishiro-sensei, I couldn't think of any plan of attack. Two negatives make a positive, there must be a way, I can't miss this opportunity!

God, why is my brain so slow to react in the morning!

I raised my hand to speak.

"I...My stomach really hurts, may I make a trip to the washroom?"

"What's wrong? Did you eat too much for breakfast? Never mind, since you've passed the check already, you may go."

The 38 year-old Tanabe Shigeo obnoxiously said something which implied that he didn't care about his students at all. As he made his way around the desks of his students, I thought that the reason behind the fact that he still hasn't gotten married was due to his character...Oh well, it's not like it's any business of mine. I pretended to be in pain as I slanted my body while walking towards the exit of the classroom, passing by Nogizaka-san's seat in the process.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

After saying that to Nogizaka-san, who was on the verge of tears, I pretended to trip on a bag on the floor as I deliberately fell towards her table.

"Eh? Ah!"

The table fell over as the textbooks, scores and other stuff that were on it flew onto the floor as well. Together with Nogizaka-san's low scream, her surroundings descended into chaos.

"Nogizaka-san, are you alright?"

"Ayase, get lost!"

"All you do is to get in the way of others! You better get away from Nogizaka-san this instant!"

My classmates started shouting at me from all corners of the classroom. How could it be that not even one of them cared about my condition?

"Ayase-kun. What are you doing!?"

Kamishiro-sensei walked over. She probably didn't see it.

"Sorry, I was trying to get to the washroom as soon as possible when I tripped."

"You're always so rash. Alright, just carry on and leave this to me."

"Sorry to trouble you."

I nodded towards Kamishiro-sensei, who had a conspiratorial smile on her face, and hurried out of the classroom.

I walked along the corridor to the washroom, clutching my stomach with one hand.

There shouldn't be a stalker hiding in the men's toilet right now, but for the sake of secrecy, I confirmed that there wasn't anyone else in the washroom before taking out a rectangular object from the inside of my uniform. No prizes for guessing the correct answer, of course it was the 「INNOCENT SMILE」. The blue-haired girl on the cover was still smiling happily. Phew, at least I successfully smuggled it out!

"This is..."

Just as I was congratulating myself, I suddenly realized that there was something else beneath the magazine, an expensive-looking green book. This is a book of musical scores, one of those that was on Nogizaka-san's table. Looks like in my hurry to smuggle the magazine out of the classroom, I had taken something else out along with it.

"Composed by Franz Liszt. Erster Mephisto-Walzer No. 1, S514"

Such a resounding name for a piece. The Waltz of Mephisto. I flipped the book open, only to find that its interior was covered with musical symbols which I didn't understand. Wow.

She's too brilliant! I don't know anything about playing the piano. But in that moment, I already knew that this wasn't a piece that an average high school student could play. Which was why I could only stand there in awe of Nogizaka-san's piano prowess.

I carefully closed the thick score that once again reminded me of how perfect Nogizaka-san is.

At that moment, something strange loomed up in the corner of my vision.

"..."

This is a drawing right? A horrific-looking villain with the eyes of a bloodthirsty bear was drawn in one corner of the piano score. He was holding a conductor's baton in one hand, while in a speech bubble beside him contained, 'please remember not to play at too fast a tempo at this part♪', written in pink ink. In the stark contrast between the picture and the contents of the speech bubble, the reminder appeared to be extremely impish.

But the bear really wasn't drawn very nicely, as it also looked like a man-eating wolf, or a large bloodhound, or a failed clone of Godzilla. As for the object that it held in its hand, it looked like a saber, a police baton, or even an ill-designed lightsaber.

To be honest, that drawing was extremely bad. So bad that a kindergarten kid with a little bit of talent in the arts would be able to draw something better.

"...I'll just pretend that I didn't see it!"

After mulling it over, I felt that this was the wisest course of action. There are a lot of things in the world that are best left hidden and not known to mankind. See no evil.

After looking at it for a while more, I quietly closed the score.

After school, Kamishiro-sensei called me to the office.

She seemed to have seen through my act in the morning.

"You hid something at that time didn't you?"

Kamishiro-sensei crossed her legs in a way that would desolate the eyes of innocent youths as she asked. Against this sort of opponent, that the ill-conceived trick would be seen through shouldn't be much of a surprise. So I thought about how best to answer the question.

"Hmm...I admit that I hid something, but I assure you, it wasn't anything contraband. It was an object that would bring great distress to a teenage girl, which was why I took such a drastic and rash measure to solve the problem.

I just gave an answer that even I didn't understand, but Kamishiro-sensei gave a devilish smile as though I just sold my soul to her.

"I believe you. You were trying to protect Haruka, right?"

"No, about this..."

"Am I wrong?"

"Ugh..."

It seems like...she's seen through everything. It's true that aged ginger is more pungent, so I should just keep my mouth shut for now.

"Alright you don't have to give me the details, so let's just put this matter behind us. Mm...it must be nice to be young and so full of energy. The exuberant youthfulness of the E generation, if only I was five years younger!"

Kamishiro-sensei's eyes sparkled with an unearthly light, she seemed to be rather happy. Though she seemed to have misunderstood something, but any attempts to explain the situation would probably fall on deaf ears, so I decided not to act rashly.

"It's true that one should experience every type of situation while one's still young, like dating two girls at once or a triangular relationship, anything goes! If you don't play your cards properly, you could even get into a 6-way relationship..."

And this was how I spent the next five minutes.

After Kamishiro-sensei finally snapped out of her own world, she uncrossed and crossed her legs again before continuing our conversation.

"Hmm, I don't have anything else to say to you, you can go now...Ah, wait a moment, I remembered something. Yuu-chan, do you know where my cellphone is? I lost it after I went to borrow some music scores during lunch break."

"How would I know the location of your cellphone..."

"Really? Actually, I was thinking that you had hidden it! Good boys also have times when they want to play bad, it's the special psychology of teenage boys..."

"I categorically deny that."

"If you say it so seriously, onee-san will be sad you know..."

"..."

I retorted softly.

"Ah, such a cruel retort, but I'm not bluffing...I really forgot where I put it, it's really strange. Oh well, I'll just continue looking for it, I'll think of something else if I really can't find it."

"You really do know how to act blur..."

Though I'm hardly one to say that, but,

"Really? Hmm! Haruka and you...To be honest, the two of you are a surprising couple."

"No, we're not dating..."

I retorted immediately, she really had misunderstood our relationship.

"It's alright, there's no point hiding it, onee-chan knows everything already."

[[Image:NHnH vol01 060.jpg|thumb]]

"It's not a question of hiding it or not...she's the 'Nuit Étoile'! I'm not good enough for her, so this is all just a misunderstanding."

However.

"An inter-caste love relationship! So touching..."

God, this person isn't absorbing anything I'm telling her.

"...You haven't changed one bit, Yukari."

As expected of my sister's friend, for people who aren't dense enough will never be able to make friends with my sister...But why am I surrounded by such dense people! Nobunaga, the three idiots, Yukari, and my sister. Is this what they call 'birds of a feather flock together'? I really don't want to go down that line of thought.

"Hey, please call me Kamishiro-sensei when in school."

In that moment, I remembered that I had the habit of calling other people by their given names.

"I'm alright with anything, Sen---sei."

Under the influence of the pleading brown-colored eyes of Kamishiro-sensei, I lost the power to retort. Oh well, since this incident's over, I can go back to the classroom. But just as I prepared to walk back to my classroom, Yukari suddenly put on an expression that middle-aged obasan's have when they're preparing to sexually harass their female colleagues and happily told me,

"Saito-sensei's out on official business today, and the bed in the infirmary is empty! Work hard! Young man!"

I just walked out of the teacher's office when I saw Nogizaka-san standing there.

She stood there quietly, like the only lily in a garden full of tulips, though a little conservative, but still different from the rest.

"Ah..."

Nogizaka-san fiddled with her white hairband when she saw me as she stepped forward, looking as though she had something to say.

She stood there for a while before finally making up her mind,

"Umm...Ayase-kun..."

Her pink lips parted to say something, but...

"Ah! Isn't that the 'Nuit Étoile'?"

A voice rudely interrupted her.

"Where?"

"Look! There!"

On the other end of the corridor, there were a few guys who were pointing in our direction and talking among themselves.

"It's true, and some guy is trying to flirt with her."

"What!? A guy?"

One of the guys gave a murderous shout.

To be honest, after so much had happened, I had almost forgotten that Nogizaka-san was a famous person in school. A famous person like her talking face to face with a serious-looking guy (me) outside the teacher's office was extremely noticeable.

"What!? The 'Nuit Étoile'?"

"And a guy?"

"What's the matter? Just what is happening?'

Other than the loud voices of the group of guys, even the other students who were passing by had stopped and were looking at us curiously, some even moving closer to get a better look. In a few moments, the two of us had been completely surrounded by people.

Hmm...

The popularity of the 'Nuit Étoile' was extremely scary, so much so that we couldn't even hold a conversation in peace in public.

For the first time in my life, I realized that personal privacy was actually so worthless and meaningless. Though it's not my place to give out such lamentations,

Because 120% of those guys' interest was on Nogizaka-san and not on me.

Just as I was thinking about that, more and more people started to arrive. I looked around me...about twenty or even thirty people had already gathered, just where did all these people come from?

Anyway, it would be suicide to continue staying here. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, we won't be able to speak to each other properly.

Since it has come down to this, there was only one way of resolving this.

"Nogizaka-san, let's go."

"Ah?"

I pulled Nogizaka-san, who had a dazed expression on her face like a duckling who has just been born, away from the scene. It's so strange! Why am I always running whenever I'm together with Nogizaka-san?

"Hey, that fellow actually dared to flirtatiously drag the 'Nuit Étoile' by her hand!"

"What!? By her hand?"

Just as we ran through the layers of human walls around us to escape, angry shouts sounded from the surrounding crowd.

"Damn! Don't run away!"

"Unforgivable..."

"Damn it, I've remembered his face! The next time I see him, I'll tie him up and hang him upside down from the roof!"

My god, those are such extreme words, I even started to hallucinate, as I thought I saw a group of people putting on red headbands that read 'Protect Haruka-sama~ The Nuit Étoile Protection Force~'.

......Those should be the hallucinations generated by my own mind.

Once again, we came to the rooftop.

The only difference was that this time, Nogizaka-san wasn't the one crying, though I felt like I was going to. Looks like the legendary secret fan club really exists, I should get Nobunaga to dig up some information on them. I do not want to be the public enemy number one of these people, for if I don't take the appropriate actions, I might really be hung upside down from the rooftop.

As I thought about the fanclub members, all of whom had looked at me murderously, I felt extremely depressed.

I finally understood the extent of Nogizaka-san's popularity. It was rumored that Nogizaka-san's fan club membership was a three digit value, and it looked to be true. In the context of our school population, a three digit value would be equal to roughly a quarter of the entire school population. In other words (including girls), of every four students in our school, one is a supporter of Nogizaka-san. That's a bit too terrifying isn't it?

Nogizaka-san was panting loudly beside me due to fatigue, which wasn't a surprise, given the long distance that we ran to get here.

After Nogizaka-san's breathing had become more even, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Did......Did you have something to say to me?"

Actually I could already guess what Nogizaka-san would want to say.

"Yes I do, about this morning's incident......"

After she stopped panting, Nogizaka-san finally lifted up her head.

As I expected! That would be the only reason why Nogizaka-san would come looking for me.

Even though it's a bit sad to say that, but......

"Ah, I'm really sorry for lunging at you so suddenly in the morning."

As I said that, Nogizaka-san became a little nervous.

"Eh? That......That was very nice......No! It wasn't nice, but......"

So was it nice or was it not nice?

Nogizaka-san suddenly lowered her head like a dove, her slightly messy hair moving along with the movement of her head. At this point in time, the soft and silky fragrance of her hair was blown over.

"I'm really grateful to you. That time.....You were helping me, weren't you?"

"It's nothing!"

You could say that I was helping her, or you could say that I just couldn't leave her like that, because I know Nogizaka-san's secret!

Nogizaka-san giggled.

"Ayase-kun, you're a really nice guy."

"Nice guy..."

Normally, by saying that the guy is a nice guy, the girl usually means 'you're a hopeless nice guy', so it wasn't anything to be happy about. But since it came from Nogizaka-san, she probably doesn't mean it that way!

"Anyway, I want to thank you for helping me. I'm grateful for you helping me keep the fact that I borrowed the 「INNOCENT SMILE」 a secret...And I'm really sorry......Because of me, you got called to the teacher's office."

She bowed her head in apology again.

"It's nothing, don't think too much about it. It was Kamishiro-sensei who called me to the office, so it's nothing!"

"But..."

"It's alright, I wasn't scolded or anything!"

Finally convinced after my repeated explanations, Nogizaka-san finally raised her head again.

"Ayase-kun, thank you for all your help."

Nogizaka-san gave me a shy smile. Hmm......If she continues in this vein, I'll start to feel embarrassed too.

Which was why I decided to change the topic.

"Oh right, I gotta return this to you."

After checking to make sure that no one was around, I took out 「INNOCENT SMILE」 and the music score.

"Ah, Ayase-kun, you even took away the music score."

"I used too much force when I was trying to hide 「INNOCENT SMILE」! This piece of music looks really difficult, are you able to play it?"

I asked Nogizaka-san who was for an instant slightly embarrassed.

"Yes... it's the piece I'm currently practicing, so I'm almost able to play the entire piece."

I nodded. So she can play it after all. As the name of the piece, 「The Waltz of Mephisto」 suggests, this wasn't a piece that normal people would be able to play, but she could.

Just as I was filled with awe at her piano prowess, Nogizaka-san suddenly thought of something, and abruptly looked up at me...

"So......could it be that you looked inside?"

Nogizaka-san's voice carried a tinge of uneasiness, as though saying that I saw something.

"I......Didn't I drew a lot of drawings in it?"

She looked up at me.

"Ah......That's right......"

That man-eating bear who looked like it just killed two of three people! Because the visual impact was too jarring, I remembered that drawing in exquisite detail, the drawing which would bring at least three days of nightmares to anyone who looks at it.

"I'm sorry, but I saw it...or rather, it ran into my line of sight, I merely glanced at it."

"S..so, you saw it?"

Nogizaka-san lowered her head. Hmm...that really was something that I shouldn't have seen, it was forbidden fruit! Just as I was frantically trying to think of a way to get over this awkward atmosphere, Nogizaka-san surprised me with her next sentence.

"What do you think of it?"

"Huh?"

What do you mean?

"That is......it's quite nice isn't it? It's the first time anyone has seen my drawings"

Nogizaka-san's eyes sparkled when she said that, her expression showing the confidence she had in her drawing skills. Don't tell me......that she's asking for my opinion? I never thought that things would turn out like this.

'The main source of nourishment of that bear seems to be humans'...That doesn't sound like a compliment. 'The bear's eyes make it look like it's sniffing drugs'...that's definitely not a compliment. 'If we were to put that bear into a hot pot, it'll probably be very delicious'...I really didn't how I should phrase my answer.

After mulling it over...

"The bear's gaze is extremely evil...no, or rather, it's very piercing. Everyone's perspective is different, so I suppose some people would find it very cute..."

In the end, my polite and invincible compliment was shattered by Nogizaka-san's response.

"...Hmm? Bear? But that's a cat!"

Nogizaka-san tilted her head as though asking, just what are you talking about.

"..."

"..."

"...Ah, you're absolutely right, it's a cat."

A cat?

I honestly didn't knew that it was a cat. Because a normal cat wouldn't have fangs would it?

"Umm...Uh...It's really creative to let the cat hold a conductor's baton!!"

"...It's supposed to be a cat toy!"

"..."

"..."

"Ah, that's right, it's a cat toy."

The book is a music score, and adding those two things sure add a new perspective.

Luckily, Nogizaka-san didn't seem to have heard my soundless murmurings.

"It's embarrassing to say it myself, but I'm rather confident about that piece of art!"

Nogizaka-san continued.

"..."

Is she serious?

I stared at Nogizaka-san.

The look in her eyes was extremely serious.

There was no look in the world that could be more serious than that.

"..."

Well, no point picking out her faults, no one's perfect after all!

"...Hmm, that's a really creative and outstanding piece of work, I like it! I think I see a hint of Picasso's 「Guernica」 in it."

I expressed my own opinions very tactfully, but this was already the best I could say.

"Really? I'm so happy!"

Looking at the joy expressed on Nogizaka-san's innocent face, I felt a sense of guilt weighing down on me. At least I wasn't lying.

"I'm really really happy! I'm glad I asked for your opinion!"

"Righ......Right......"

I'm glad she didn't ask somebody other than me.

"Well......then please take good care of me in the future!"

"?"

What?

"I think I'll improve faster if I show it to other people. I've always been practicing alone, but its hard to improve like this...Of course, only if you have the time..."

"..."

Was she planning to show me these satanic drawings that bring down nightmares and summon demons on a regular basis?

"What......What do you think?"

"...About this......"

"You don't want to?"

I didn't give an immediate answer and Nogizaka-san's expression immediately turned to one reminiscent of a puppy that had been abandoned by the roadside. That expression is a banned technique, for no one can reject the 'Nuit Étoile' or let the 'Nuit Étoile' put on such an expression. Furthermore, that Nogizaka-san would implore me like this is because I'm the only one who knows about this hobby of hers......I didn't have a choice, for I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I really think that I've boarded the Titanic.

"If you don't mind, I'm willing to discuss it with you anytime."

I deliberately pitched my voice higher so as to impress upon my sincerity.

"Really!"

Nogizaka-san gave a blissful smile. God, I think I'll lose a hundred days of my life everytime I see this smile in the future...oh well, no point thinking about that now.

After that, for a long period of time (at least 30 minutes), I was listening to Nogizaka-san talk about her passion for drawing.

"I have to go now, thank you very much for today. After I finish some new drawings, I'll show them to you again. I'll be going first."

Because of her piano lesson, Nogizaka-san left first. She was in extremely high spirits, humming the tune of 「Für Elise」 as she walked.

Looking at her receding figure, I couldn't help but mutter to myself.

"...Have I acted too rashly...?"

==4==
That night, I was studying in my room when an exaggeratedly loud voice came from downstairs.

"Hey! Yuuto! You've got a call!"

I was slightly miffed at being interrupted just as I was getting into the rhythm of my English-Japanese translation homework, but my sister was in a worser mood, ready to explode at any moment.

"I said, you've got a call!!!"

She kicked the door to my room open!! She even took down one of the door hinges along with her kick!! And then she stomped into my room.

The tall person who entered my room.

"Ruko..."

My sister (A karate second-dan holder, but often abuses her martial arts skills. In the Ayase household where my parents are rarely at home, she has the highest authority) appeared to be extremely unhappy, like an Asian black bear woken up from its slumber during winter time.

She only wore a white shirt on top of her underwear, such a disgraceful appearance.

"How could she wake me up from my sweet slumber! I don't know who she is, but you better teach her a lesson and tell her not to call in the middle of the night!"

Middle of the night? It's only ten! Though it wasn't early, but it wasn't that late either. And what did she mean by 'teach her a lesson'? Shouldn't she say lecture or something!

I knew that retorting was useless, but I still gave it a try.

"Whatever makes you happy, since both mean 'input' in one way or another."

Those two phrases are completely different! They have totally different meanings!

But to Ruko, who was even lazier and more perfunctory than me, those two phrases really weren't that different. She gave an irritated expression as she glared at me.

"...You're really annoying! Just answer the phone will you! I'm so sleepy.......I'm going to sleep now, so you better remember to unplug the phone after you finish your conversation! "

Ruko threw the phone over to me before going through the door that was swinging on only one of its hinges.

For the love of God! Who'd have believed that she's actually the secretary for the CEO of a top-class firm, which goes to show that anything can happen in this society of ours. It was indeed the state of affairs that beautiful women would always have their way. Though my sister is pretty, I don't really want to comment on her character. For a society that is perpetually harping on equality, we're extremely unfair.

I thought of all this as I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

And then...

"Ah, hello? Is this Ayase-kun? It's Nogizaka."

A surprising voice came from the other end of the line, the female voice that had the power to calm anyone who hears it, one that I've been hearing quite a lot of recently. But right now, this voice sounded extremely serious, nothing like the cheerful one I had heard in the day. Something must have happened.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you at such a late hour. Umm...I would like to ask for a favor from you, Ayase-kun..."

A favor? My heart beat really fast at that word.

"...I'm really embarrassed to say this right now. But I know I'll regret it for life if I don't say it now."

The seriousness in that voice was mixed with a heavy dose of embarrassment. Could it be that? No, Nogizaka-san would never ask me to do something as absurd as imitating the way crickets walk upside-down.

"Erm......Are you listening?"

"Ah, of, of course I'm listening."

I had no reason not to be listening.

"That's great...Ayase-kun, could you come out and meet me now?"

"Huh..."

After a second of lightning-quick analysis......

"Meet up...just the two of us?'

"That's right."

To meet up at this time......She can't be planning to have a secret date with me can she? The two of us sitting on a bench in the park. Time has stopped, and then the two of us......No, I can't continue fantasizing! I'll start to think about contents similar to the plot in a third-grade novel if I continue fantasizing.

I shook my heard violently. Got to stay calm, got to stay calm, I have to keep my cool.

To return my heartbeat to normal, healthy levels, I mentally recited the multiplication table. At this time, Nogizaka-san continued,

"Actually...I would like you to accompany me to school."

"School?"

The school in question...would obviously be the Hakujo Academy that we both attend. Why would she pick such a time to go to school when there wasn't a late night dare challenge of any kind going on......

"......The magazine...I forgot to return it."

The soft and hesitant voice cut off my line of thought.

"I had planned to return it after meeting Ayase-kun, but as I was feeling extremely happy after our conversation, I felt that I could return it a bit later......and I forgot to return in the end."

"You're talking about......that magazine?"

「INNOCENT SMILE」

"......Yes."

"..."

The situation......was really serious. The basic rules of our school were rather loose, but our school was extremely strict regarding the usage of school facilities. If a book that was borrowed from the library wasn't returned by the due date, the school would publicly remind the student through the PA system.

Of course, the public reminder would also include the student's name, year, and the name of the borrowed book.

"If I'm mentioned, I'll...sob..."

Probably thinking about what would happen if the book that she borrowed was publicly announced to the entire school, Nogizaka-san was whimpering slightly.

"Th, that's why I thought I'd go return it instead. *sniff* Bu, but going alone to school when it's this late...it's scary. So, I thought I'd ask somebody to go with me...B, but..."

Nogizaka-san said in a tearful voice.

So that's how it is. About this, I was the only one whom she could turn to for help. Because if she was to look for someone else, she'd have to show them 「INNOCENT SMILE」, bringing her hobby to the knowledge of one more person.

"Sob......Is it too much to ask? I'm really sorry to always bother you like this, but..."

It wasn't her fault. And......only a demented man would abandon a crying Nogizaka-san, right?

Therefore.

"Hmm...Let's just meet up at school now, alright?"

"Sob...Ah...?"

A surprised exclamation came from the other side of the line.

"You're willing......to go with me?"

"Yup, since I've got nothing to do right now anyway."

It was decided. Though I haven't finished my English homework, that's not important at a moment like this! I would like to avoid both Nogizaka-san's tears and the scolding given by my English teacher (forty-two years old, characteristic: Extremely annoying), but I don't have the time to deliberate any further on this.

"Thank you......sob......Thank you so much"

And that was how I decided to sneak into school at such an unearthly hour.

The campus was extremely creepy at night.

The thirty-something year-old white cement campus looked as thought it was floating in the sky in the dark, and from an angle, it really looked like an abandoned mansion, giving any observers a severe case of the goosebumps. This atmosphere was like the one in the supernatural shows on television where the spiritually-inclined guest appears and declares to the audience that 'an extremely evil aura can be felt here', whereupon the audience painfully wrestles with their inner-selves whether to continue watching or not. Nogizaka-san, who was standing next to me, was looking at the campus with exactly the same expression on her face, looking as though she was about to burst into tears any moment.

Now, how should we go about infiltrating the campus?

Of course the main gate wouldn't be open at this time, so perhaps we should try going by the staff entrance. Since it's the staff entrance, it should be near the teachers' office. But we'd have to be extremely careful if we were to go in by the staff entrance so as to avoid getting caught by a patrolling teacher. Or should we break a window and reach in to take the key, use a power tool to break the lock of the main gate, or just smash our way through the gate with a metal pole. Just that...all the above-mentioned methods were illegal.

Isn't there any way that's quieter? (Even though no matter how quiet an act of infiltration is, it's still an illegal act) Just as I was trying to come up with a better idea...

"Ayase-kun, this way."

Nogizaka-san pulled on my arm.

"We can get in by the back gate."

"Back gate......why?"

"Because I have a backup key."

"A backup key?"

Why would she have something like that?

"The key was in my father's study, so I just borrowed it for a while, because I thought it might come in handy!"

So it was from her father's study...I seem to have understood something, but why would her father have a backup key of the school?

"I'm not very sure about the specifics...but it seems like my father donated a large amount of money to the school, and to prepare for emergencies, he asked for a backup of all the keys in the school."

Investment...Right, I've heard this before. Ever since Nogizaka-san came to study at this school, ninety percent of all the money donated to Hakujo Academy came from the Nogizaka family. So it probably wouldn't be surprising if Nogizaka-san had a backup copy of all the keys in the school......right?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing......"

Now's not the time to voice my questions, but since she had the backup copies to all the keys in the school, she'd surely have the key to the main gate. Wouldn't it be much better to just go in by the main gate? But I didn't say that out loud.

"Let's go!"

"Yes!'

Because the library was on the second story, we walked in the direction of the stairs.

Not surprisingly, the interior of the school was also empty, and as silent as a cemetery.

"It's really creepy..."

Nogizaka-san said as she looked around the deserted corridor. She gripped the sleeve of my shirt tightly, not daring to let go for even a second.

"If this was a game, a zombie should be jumping out from this corner."

"Ah!!!"

I had played this game where you had to fight off hordes of zombies, giant spiders and other monstrosities while attempting to escape from a western-style building. For the first ten minutes of the game, you would probably feel like you're about to be devoured by two of three zombies, but...

Never mind, forget I said it, now's not the time to think about something like that.

"Ayase-kun, do you know about the seven mysteries of our school?"

As we neared the stairwell, Nogizaka-san suddenly mentioned that. The seven mysteries of the school, though I'm not exactly sure as to the actual number of the mysteries, but there should be quite a few of them. Like...

There's the 'Thirteen steps of death to the rooftop'.

As for the others, I only know of the 'Dancing human figure in the science classroom', 'The self-playing piano in the music room', 'The self-bouncing ball in the empty gym'.

"There's still 'Hanako-san, who lives in the toilet' 'The big mirror in the infirmary that reflects the death of the user', and...'the dead book-reader'."

Nogizaka-san filled in the gaps.

"..."

An extremely bad premonition filled the air after hearing such rumors.

This was my first time hearing about 'The dead book-reader'. Since it has to do with a book-reader, it should be connected to the library right? And we just had to be going to the library at this time.

"..."

Should we just head back?

"Don't...Don't leave me behind!"

[[Image:NHnH vol01 084.jpg|thumb]]

My arm was held in a vice-like grip by Nogizaka-san, who had tears rolling about in her eyes. Looks like I wouldn't be able to perform the 'great escape'.

During the time when I was struggling with myself about whether to run away or not, we reached the library in question. The wooden door that looked so normal in the day now looked like the gates to hell.

It was a really bad feeling.

"So...What's the story behind 'The dead book-reader'?"

I asked Nogizaka-san.

"A long long time ago, when the campus was still made of wood, there was a student who really liked to read. Because he was crazy about reading, so this student would go to the library every day, until one day, where he passed away after getting into an accident on his way to the library. But it's rumored that for the sake of reading, this student would still report to the library everyday, which is why in the dark and silent library, footsteps and the sound of a book dropping onto the ground can be heard, and the shadow of a reading figure can also be seen at the window."

"You really know a lot about that."

"We're going off track here, but I heard that someone really came down to the library in the middle of the night, and that book-reader really did appear in front of that person."

"..."

"I only heard this story the day before yesterday. So now......I kind of regret hearing it..."

Nogizaka-san lowered her head. Even if she regrets hearing that story, it was already too late...

"...It'll probably be even worse if this story was told to someone who's never heard of it before."

"You're right......It would be worse."

"I've never heard this story before."

"Huh...you..."

Nogizaka-san placed a finger at the edge of her mouth as she lapsed into deep thought.

"...So you're saying that...You just heard the story for the first time from me?"

"That's right."

"..."

"..."

The surroundings were deathly silent.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all that."

Nogizaka-san apologized with a horrified expression on her face, just like a puppy who did something wrong and was getting scolded by its master. I believe that no one would be able to grumble even a word more after seeing her like this.

"Ah, it's alright, since you didn't do it on purpose."

And I was the one who was asked for the details in the first place.

"But, if you meet the dead book-reader and get murdered by him because of my words..."

Nogizaka-san's face was terribly pale as she fervently prayed that I would not become the victim of a supernatural murder!

"It'll be alright! The dead book-reader won't run out just because of your story! And my only redeeming feature is that I'm really tough, so I'd probably be able to survive a supernatural attack without much effort."

Because I have been forced to accept Ruko's rigorous training since I was young.

"But...the attack of a spirit...isn't a physical attack, but a mental one, like curses..."

"That's alright too."

Regarding mental attacks, besides Ruko's training, I've also been on the receiving end of a lot of training from Yukari. So my defensive ability against mental attacks would probably be even higher than my defensive ability against physical attacks. I'm not proud of this inhuman defensive capabilities of mine, but it's the unfortunate truth.

Nogizaka-san smiled as she squinted slightly, probably hinting that she accepts my answer?

"......You're really kind."

"No......I'm not that kind......"

Why would she suddenly say something like this?"

"Hehe!"

"No...That's..."

I wanted to deny it, but couldn't find the right words. To mask the fact that I was blushing, I turned my gaze to the direction of the library.

"Cough, though I can't deny that this library's really creepy...we still have to go in don't we?"

Once I said that, Nogizaka-san immediately nodded her head furiously with a serious expression on her face.

"Let's...Let's go!"

Even though Nogizaka-san was the one calling for us to go, she didn't move at all as she looked at me as if trying to send me some kind of telepathic message...she probably wants me to lead the way. Alright, let's do it!

I pushed open the gigantic wooden door to the library, the wooden frame creaking under the force exerted by my hands before it opened. On the other side of the door was...an empty library. If this was a horror film, then at the exact moment where the door was opened, we would have gone face to face with 'the dead book-reader', a worst-case scenario that I wanted to avoid at all costs. The atmosphere in the empty room seemed to be extremely sinister, as though a ghoulish white face would appear from behind the black-painted shelves any moment.

"You can't leave me. Please don't leave me alone, I'm begging you."

Nogizaka-san grabbed my arm tightly as she whimpered, a flowery smell making its way to my nostrils. In fact, she needn't have been so worried, since she was grabbing me so tightly that I wasn't even able to move.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Nogizaka-san hurriedly let go of me, my body finally regaining its freedom of movement. But for some reason, I suddenly felt a trace of regret.

"Let's just maintain this position. Please don't leave me alone alright?"

Nogizaka-san looked up at me as she requested me to stay by her side while she held on to my arm. I nodded as we made our way towards the book-return counter.

It was about fifty meters to the counter, and we carefully made our way over.

During this short journey, Nogizaka-san's beautiful face almost touched mine a couple of time. Her alluring amber eyes, her exquisitely white skin, and her pink lips all made my heart beat faster after every close encounter...Is there a problem with the regularity of my heartbeat?

"Kya!"

Nogizaka-san seemed to have tripped over something...it should be the reading chair again, right? She lost her balance, but fortunately, she broke her fall just before her face was about to come into contact with the floor. That was close!

"Why is there a chair here..."

How could you say that when the chair's always been here, and you've already tripped over it once before already?

"I've embarrassed myself again, I'm so clumsy!"

She smiled embarrassingly before continuing to walk, but promptly tripped over another chair, and fell flat on the floor this time.

"..."

I was thinking, she can't be...

Nogizaka-san's a little...no, extremely dense.

"...I've been tripping over or running into things ever since I was young."

Nogizaka-san answered the question in my mind.

"I would be able to fall down even when walking on flat ground, and I've even walked into electrical poles and parked cars."

"You're not good at sports?"

But I had thought that she does quite well during physical education classes.

"Hmm......I don't think this has got anything to do with physical ability."

"...I think you're right."

Was she really like this? I've never seen her trip over something or knock into something at school though.

"I'm usually extremely careful...but maybe it's because Ayase-kun has already seen me trip over something that I probably subconsciously let my guard down, leading to me to trip over more things."

Nogizaka-san smiled abashedly. Looks like she's been putting in a lot of effort to maintain her public image.

"...Ah, what have I been saying! We should quickly return the book!"

The red-faced Nogizaka-san suddenly remembered our mission and walked towards the book-returning counter, this time not tripping over anything. After reaching the counter, Nogizaka-san immediately turned on the computer, which powered up with a whir as the monitor displayed the operating system.

"Hey, I suddenly thought of something."

"Thought of what?"

"Even if the book was returned now, won't the data be stored in the computer?"

It's a computer specially designed to handle the borrowing and returning of library books. Which is why the date and time of all transactions would definitely be recorded in the computer. To be more precise, in the hard-disk of the computer. It'll definitely show that on the twenty-second day of April, at 23:08, book number 1203 (INNOCENT SMILE) was returned to the library.

"..."

Nogizaka-san froze for five seconds.

"...I never thought of that."

Hey, Hey!

"Hmm...There's got to be a way. Let's think logically. Since no one in their right minds would return a book at this time, I would expect the librarian to assume that there's a problem with the data. People always look for a reason to explain such small and insignificant inconsistencies."

Maybe she's right. But I would never have guessed that she had this careless side to her.

"Please wait for a moment while I return the book."

Nogizaka-san concentrated on the computer in front of her after saying that.

I had nothing to do, so I couldn't help but look at Nogizaka-san, who had both eyes on the monitor.

Sleek, black hair, snowy white skin, under the weak light of the moon and the reflection of the light from the screen, her body was bathed in a bluish white light, making her look as mysterious as the Goddess of healing magic in legends. She's the beautiful, clever, dignified and musically talented 'Nuit Étoile'. But the string of compliments didn't seem to fit the girl standing in front of me.

Because my impression of Nogizaka-san isn't like this.

Before this, I had thought of Nogizaka-san as a calm and collected lady. And I'm sure the rest of my classmates would see her in the same way.

But right now, I finally understand why we can never judge a book by its cover.

Which daughter of a wealthy and powerful family would illegally infiltrate her own school just to return an otaku magazine?

And even crying while tripping over numerous things in front of another in the process, embarrassing herself by being extremely clumsy...

But, compared to the normally perfect Nogizaka-san, I felt that the Nogizaka-san that I was seeing right now was more 'human'. A much better feeling. But I guess I should keep such thoughts to myself! Because Nogizaka-san probably won't be happy with that, even if I thought this side of her was better.

"Nogizaka-san."

"Yes?"

Nogizaka-san didn't turn her gaze as she continued to operate the computer.

"Why did you start this hobby...I mean, how did you become an otaku?"

I finally asked that question! God, what have I said! I had already promised Nogizaka-san not to speak of this anymore.

"Hmm, how..."

Surprisingly, Nogizaka-san didn't seem to mind it at all as she answered my question.

"Actually, I'm not very sure myself, by the time I realized it, I was already an otaku. Just that...I'm quite sure that 'that' set off this whole hobby of mine."

She place a finger on the edge of her mouth as she thought about what 'that' was.

"This happened about six years ago. Because I quarreled with my parents over all the skills that I had to learn, I ran to a park near my house to cry. The reason for that quarrel should have been...I had promised some friends to go and play together, but it clashed with my Japanese dance class so I couldn't go. That was the first time anyone had invited me out to play, so I was extremely happy, but I had to reject their invitation because my parents had enrolled me in the Japanese dance classes...I was really upset, so I ran out to the park to cry my heart out. I ignored the stares of people passing by and just wailed. I think I probably wanted someone to come over and comfort me, but this world wasn't as caring as I had thought it was. More than a few people walked past me, but they all ignored me, since a crying kid is really annoying. But...there was one person, just one person came over to talk to me."

Nogizaka-san had a faraway look in her eyes, as though she was looking at a distant place.

"Although he was a bit rough about it, he tried his best to comfort me. I still remember what happened as though it was yesterday. At that time...He let me read the first edition of 「INNOCENT SMILE」."

Nogizaka-san continued in a slightly exaggerated tone.

"Before that, I had never read manga before, so it was a refreshing experience for me...In the flash of an eye, I was enraptured by the magazine. People who read manga would feel very happy, and I was probably deeply attracted to that kind of atmosphere...And in the end, I even asked that person to give that first edition to me."

Nogizaka-san laughed.

Wow! What a touching story! How did that guy even thought of using the 「INNOCENT SMILE」 to comfort a primary school girl! This guy was incredible.

"That's probably the beginning of my hobby. After that incident, whenever I thought of that happy atmosphere, I would hide and read manga...which is why, even till this day, 「INNOCENT SMILE」 has a special place in my heart."

So that's why she was willing to take the risk to return this book to the library. Even Nobunaga had said that old editions of 「INNOCENT SMILE」 were priceless books. I think I finally understand why Nobunaga would do anything to achieve his goals.

"Phew...I'm finally done."

I heard the sound of the ENTER key being depressed. Looks like our mission was complete.

Nogizaka-san finally noticed my gaze. Just as she stretched in front of the computer screen, she suddenly stopped moving, like an electric toy dog that had run out of batteries.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Nogizaka-san's face was beet-red due to her embarrassment, a reaction that I would never see in the classroom.

"No...I just think that you're a strange daughter of a wealthy and powerful family."

I told her my honest opinion.

"Hmm...I think it's really rude to say that to the person in question..."

Though she said that, Nogizaka-san didn't look angry at all. On the contrary, I thought she looked rather happy.

"In my opinion...Ayase-kun's much stranger than me. Yes, you're so strange that I can guarantee you'll win any All-Japan weirdo competition that there is."

"Thank you for the compliment."

What kind of competition is that!

"..."

"..."

For a moment, all was quiet.

"...Hahahaha!"

"...Hahahaha!"

In the next moment, both of us looked at each other and laughed. At the stroke of midnight, male and female laughter coming out of the empty library! If anyone hears that, there'll probably be a new version of the seven mysteries of the school. That'll be 'The terrifying maniacal laughter of a spirit couple in the library at midnight'.

I don't long how long we stood there laughing.

After our laughter had subsided, Nogizaka-san suddenly spoke rather seriously.

"I had thought......that everything was over." She began to talk about such a thing abruptly.

"Everything was over?"

"Yes."

Nogizaka-san nodded her head furiously.

"At the time when Ayase-kun saw that I had borrowed 「INNOCENT SMILE」, and also saw me trip and fall...I thought that everyone would know that I have this kind of hobby, and then everyone will look at me with strange looks and make fun of me. I really thought that it was going to turn out like that."

She's right. Although I didn't do it because I come into contact with such material on a regular basis through Nobunaga, there are many people in society who look down on people with such hobbies. If anyone knew that the 'Nuit Étoile' was an otaku, that person would probably announce it to the whole school without hesitation.

Wait a minute, Nogizaka-san's tone seems to be suggesting that...

"Nogizaka-san, did you think that I would go around telling everyone that you're an otaku?"

Could it be that she thinks I'm that kind of person?

Nogizaka-san looked away embarrassedly.

"I'm...I'm really sorry! Because I didn't know what kind of person you are! So I couldn't deny that there was a definite possibility of that happening. And I've almost never talked to guys before...So I was a little afraid...of you."

"Never talked to..."

Nogizaka-san? The 'Nuit Étoile'? Now I would have never known that!

"For some reason, guys are always extremely stiff around me, unable to relax like they do around other girls. It seems that only Ayase-kun's able to talk to me normally."

I think it's because Nogizaka-san's too cute and perfect. But...I don't have to be like the other guys!

Nogizaka-san continued,

"Which is why I really thought that everything was over, so much so that I even thought about running away to a faraway place...But the truth has proven that I was wrong, because Ayase-kun kept his promise and didn't tell anyone about my hobby, and even after knowing about my hobby, you didn't make fun of me. You treated me like a normal person....and even helped me. If not for you, I really won't know what I would have done...I think I'm really despicable to doubt you in the first place, I really want to shout out how much of an idiot I am. I really......really want to thank you, Ayase-kun."

Nogizaka-san stood in front of me as she gave a curtsy to me to express her gratitude.

"Thank you......Thank you so much for everything you've done!"

That posture was extremely similar to one I had seen in a certain magazine a few days ago, but now that Nogizaka-san was the one doing it, it was probably the cutest pose of the century...

Just as I was about to lose all sense of reason...

Shuffle, shuffle!

"!?"

A sound came from behind the shelves.

"What...what was that......sound?"

Nogizaka-san grabbed me with lightning-quick reflexes. This kind of speed is the type that would only appear when one's caught in a fire...no, it should be an inhuman display of fleet-footedness, right? Whatever the reason as to Nogizaka-san's unnatural display of power, the point is, my arm came into contact with two soft orbs...

"It...It seems to have come from the other side of the shelves, could it be the 'dead book-reader'...

"Spirits don't exist in this world..."

They don't exist...Or rather, I hope they don't exist.

"What do we do?"

Nogizaka-san looked up at me anxiously. There are three courses of action available to me right now. One, under the influence of my considerable curiosity, I go over to check it out. Two, remain calm and run away. Three, pretend to be frightened and take advantage of the situation to hug Nogizaka-san. Personally, I hope to choose number three, but...No, it's merely my personal fantasy, and I could get charged for sexual harassment.

Logically, I should choose option two, since we've already done what we set out to do, there's no need to find out about anything that doesn't concern us.

"Ah, Ayase-kun..."

"I'll go and take a look, wait here for me."

She hugged me tightly around my waist.

"I'm going with you."

"But, you may see something scary..."

"I'll be even more afraid if I were to stay here by myself."

She's right.

"Then, let's go over together?"

"Al...Alright..."

The two of us started to walk towards the direction in which the strange sound had come from.

"I think...that sound came from the shelve with the music scores."

"Music scores?"

We even have music scores in our library? I only thought that it was weird they had 「INNOCENT SMILE」, but it shouldn't be much of a surprise if they had music scores as well.

"It's around here."

Under the guidance of Nogizaka-san, just as we neared the corner of the shelf in question...

Dangdangdang.......

We heard a different sound from just now.

Shuffle shuffle...

And then we heard the sound of a book dropping onto the floor.

"Kya..."

Nogizaka-san grabbed my hand while covering her ears with surprising agility.

"I think..."

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"It must be the 'dead book-reader'...Ayase-kun! I think we should run!"

"No, wait a moment..."

The sound of books dropping onto the floor stopped, but another sound took its place. Dingdangdangdingdangdang...It sounded familiar. Ah...could it be 'that'!

"Ah, Ayase-kun!"

I went up to the shelf and saw my conjecture validated.

"...It's a cellphone."

There was a white object on the shelf with the music scores, the white object was vibrating as it knocked into the music scores on the shelf. Because it's a cellphone that's receiving a call.

"...I seem to have seen this somewhere."

There was a keychain on it with YUKARI spelled out in English. Ah! Didn't that person say that she lost her cellphone? It looked as though she left it here when she came to borrow music scores. She really knows how to create a stir! I decided to return it to her tomorrow as I turned off the power to cut off its annoying ringtone.

"Nogizaka-san, it's alright, I've found the source of the sounds."

I called out to the ashen-faced, shivering Nogizaka-san who was hiding behind the shelf. Probably because the strange sounds had disappeared, Nogizaka-san seemed to have relaxed a little as she slowly made her way towards me.

"You know what was causing those sounds?"

"Yes, this is the source of it all"

I showed the white cellphone that had the opposite color to its owner's heart to Nogizaka-san, as she slumped down onto the ground as though her soul had just been sucked away.

"Ah, I feel weak now that I've loosened up ."

Nogizaka-san seemed to have been scared witless. This was the first time I've seen someone who's been scared to that extent, and that person was the 'Nuit Étoile'...It was a scene straight from the world of slapstick comedy.

"Hah..."

I couldn't help but laugh. Seeing that I was laughing at her, Nogizaka-san puffed out her cheeks.

"What...What are you laughing about! What's so funny? It's not like I did it on purpose, it's because...because it was too terrifying!"

She was retaliating, but soon stopped.

"You're......really a strange person."

"Same to you to!"

And then we looked at each other and started laughing again, laughing so loudly that even the people staying beside the school would probably be able to hear us.

Maybe a new version of the seven mysteries of the school would be heard in school tomorrow?

==5==
We finally completed our mission.

As we walked out of the school gate, Nogizaka-san bowed deeply to me.

"Thank you so much for today, Ayase-kun, you saved my life. Maybe...Today's actions wasn't legal, but I was very happy."

It was fun. Yeah, that expression was pretty improper, but it wasn't without its merit. That's why I could respond with a large smile.

"You're welcome, I enjoyed myself too."

Those were my true feelings.

"You...can just call me Haruka."

Nogizaka-san requested timidly.

"I'm saying that, you can just call me by my name. It feels like I'm an outsider if you keep calling me Nogizaka-san. No, I am an outsider, ah, I don't mean it that way...sob, I'm really bad at this...anyway, I wish that you'll call me Haruka and not Nogizaka-san."

She was serious about that.

Hmm...I don't know why she would be so flustered, but since she was the one who requested me to call her by her name, I don't think there should be any problems. To be honest, I felt that it would be an honor to be able to call her by her name.

"I got it, so I'll just call you...Haruka."

"Yes!"

Nogizaka-san nodded her head happily...No, I should refer to her as Haruka now. Right now, Haruka looked extremely cute.

"Then you should also call me Yuuto, all my good friends call me that."

For some reason, I suddenly felt embarrassed then and I purposely looked away from her.

"Good friends..."

Haruka mumbled before smiling again, an honest smile straight from the heart that I've never seen before in the classroom.

"I got it, Yuuto, please take care of me from now on."

And thus, the relationship between Nogizaka Haruka and I began.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Toradora!: Updates

2010-03-01T00:50:16Z

96.51.213.231: Updated

*April 16, 2008 - Project started!
*April 17, 2008 - Volume 1 Chapter 1 completed.
*April 22, 2008 - Volume 1 Chapter 2 completed.
*April 27, 2008 - Volume 1 Chapter 3 completed.
*May 15, 2008 - Volume 1 Chapter 4 completed.
*June 4, 2008 - Volume 2 Chapter 1 completed.
*June 8, 2008 - Volume 1 Chapter 5 completed.
*June 16, 2008 - Volume 2 Chapter 2 completed.
*June 22, 2008 - Volume 2 Chapter 3 completed.
*June 28, 2008 - Volume 1 Chapter 6 and Author's Notes completed.
*July 1, 2008 - Volume 2 Chapter 4 completed.
*July 17, 2008 - Volume 2 Chapter 5 completed.
*July 29, 2008 - Volume 2 Chapter 6 completed.
*August 12, 2008 - Volume 2 Spin-off and Author's Notes completed.
*September 2, 2008 - Volume 4 Chapter 1 completed.
*September 12, 2008 - Volume 4 Chapter 2 completed.
*September 26, 2008 - Volume 3 Chapter 2 completed.
*October 19, 2008 - Volume 4 Chapter 3 completed.
*October 20, 2008 - Volume 3 Chapter 3 completed.
*October 29, 2008 - Volume 3 Chapter 1 completed.
*November 15, 2008 - Volume 3 Chapter 4 completed.
*November 19, 2008 - Volume 3 Chapter 5 completed.
*November 20, 2008 - Volume 3 Author's Notes completed.
*November 23, 2008 - Volume 4 Chapter 4 completed.
*December 4, 2008 - Volume 6 Chapter 1 completed.
*December 6, 2008 - Volume 6 Chapter 2 completed.
*December 7, 2008 - Volume 5 Prologue completed.
*December 10, 2008 - Volume 5 Chapter 1 completed.
*December 11, 2008 - Volume 6 Chapter 3 completed.
*December 13, 2008 - Volume 5 Chapter 2 completed.
*December 13, 2008 - Volume 6 Chapter 4 completed.
*December 29, 2008 - Volume 6 Chapter 5 completed.
*December 30, 2008 - Volume 6 Chapter 6 completed.
*December 30, 2008 - Volume 6 Author's notes completed.
*January 13, 2009 - Volume 5 Chapter 3 completed.
*March 3, 2009 - Volume 5 Chapter 4 completed.
*March 14, 2009 - Volume 9 Chapter 1 completed.
*May 9, 2009 - Volume 8 Chapter 1 completed.
*May 24, 2009 - Volume 8 Chapter 2 completed.
*May 28, 2009 - Volume 4 Author's Notes completed.
*May 29, 2009 - Volume 8 Chapter 3 completed.
*June 1, 2009 - Volume 7 Author's Notes completed.
*Sep 28, 2009 - Volume 5 Chapter 5 completed.
*Oct 12, 2009 - Volume 5 Chapter 6 completed.
*Oct 14, 2009 - Volume 9 Chapter 2 completed.
*Oct 29, 2009 - Volume 5 Chapter 7 completed.
*Oct 29, 2009 - Volume 5 Author's Notes completed.
*Nov 16, 2009 - Spin-Off - Author's Notes completed.
*Dec 18, 2009 - Spin-Off - Legend of the Black Catboy of Misfortune completed.
*Dec 24, 2009 - Volume 8 Chapter 4 completed.
*Dec 30, 2009 - Volume 9 Chapter 3 completed.
*Jan 02, 2010 - Volume 8 Chapter 5 completed.
*Jan 30, 2010 - Volume 9 Chapter 4 completed.
*Jan 31, 2010 - Volume 8 Chapter 6 completed.
*Jan 31, 2010 - Volume 8 Author's Notes completed.
*Feb 05, 2010 - Volume 9 Chapter 5 completed.
*Feb 05, 2010 - Volume 9 Author's Notes completed.
*Feb 27, 2010 - Volume 10 Prologue completed.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume7 Chapter4

2010-02-15T22:18:35Z

96.51.213.231: Grammar

===Chapter Four: The Secretary and the Emperor===

In Albion's capital city Londinium, there was a heated discussion going on over the sortie at White Hall.

Because the Albion army was attracted to Dartanes by Louise's "Illusion", they let the chance to defeat the enemy army at the coast escape. If they had properly assaulted the enemy as they landed in Rosais, it would have been possible to chase the enemy from Albion to Halkeginia...

"Now that the enemy has finished disembarking and set up camp, it would be suicidal to attempt a counterattack from this side."

At a round table where about fifteen people sat, a young general sitting on the north side said in exhaustion. It was just like he said. Half of Albion's air force, that had forty vessels left, were sunk in the battle the other day, while the remaining ships had received heavy damage. They couldn't even sortie ten ships.

On the other hand, Tristain and Germania's combined fleet lost twelve vessels and eight received heavy damage, but there were still forty able to fight. They had complete air superiority in this situation.

On top of that, the number of people in the Albion army were decreasing. At the battle of Tarbes, they lost three thousand, and the loss the other day caused the morale of the entire army to drop; some groups ended up deserting. The vigor shown during the revolution was no longer there.

Against the sixty-thousand who claimed air superiority, there was no way they could continue attacking.
Stares of blame were focused on Cromwell, the Holy Albion Republic Chairman and first Albion Emperor, who was sitting in the middle.

Because after failing many strategies, he had let the enemy land.

However, Cromwell shook off the stares... and remained nonchalant.

General Hawkins, who was substantially taking command of Albion's main force, spoke,

"The inversion is my miss. I let the opportunity to annihilate the enemy in one move, escape. There are no words to apologize."

"Our army is in rags," Cromwell smiled.

"And the operation to take the children at the academy hostage failed as well."

Even though he failed, it didn't seem like he was troubled over it.

With a sigh and in a tired voice, Hawkins said,

"The magic weapons the enemy used were stronger than we imagined."

"Miss Sheffield."

The black-covered secretary behind Cromwell, Sheffield, nodded and read the report written on the parchment.

"The 'Illusion' that appeared near Dartanes stayed for thirteen hours and suddenly disappeared afterwards."

"It is just a makeshift magic that creates illusions. What is there to fear?"

"It had an enormous effect."

Hawkins said, closing his eyes. Confusion through illusions caused the army to be brought back... In other words, it was creating an effect that was no different from a military force of tens of thousands. He couldn't make light of this as just an illusion.

"To be honest, I am afraid of the enemy. Besides the illusion at Dartanes, the enemy uses many unknown magic. That magic light which destroyed our fleet..."

Cromwell faced Sheffield and nodded.

Sheffield once again read the parchment in a well resounding voice, like a choir singing a hymn in a temple.

"It is concluded... that the enemy is not in the condition to attack with the light that annihilated our fleet at Tarbes."

"Why is that?

"If they were to use it, they would have used it in the fleet battle before landing the other day."

"The possibility they are reserving it for later?"

"The enemy army would have been in a devastating situation if they lost that fleet battle. If they were to use everything they could, then, most certainly, they would have released that 'miraculous light'. But the enemy fought conventionally. Though our army lost regardless."

"It is fine if we win on land," Cromwell took over for her.

Hearing this, the headquarter's staff general stood up.

"Your Excellency, the general staff assumes that the enemy is headed to capture the city of Saxe-Gotha. This is..." Tapping the tip of his staff on the map on the table, he explained.

"It is the meeting point of the main road and an important metropolis. As a factor that supports the assumption, the enemy's reconnaissance has become active around here. A few days ago, dragon knights, thought to be for reconnaissance purposes, came flying and fought with our army's dragon knight squadron. We should position our main forces in City of Saxe-Gotha and wait for the enemy."

The other generals raised voices of approval. It was a plausible strategy.

However, Cromwell shook his head.

"The main forces will not move from Londinium."

"Do you plan to sit and wait for defeat?"

Hawkins looked at Cromwell as if he was a child who refused to let his toys get taken away. Cromwell shook his head once again.

"General, I do not mind if the city of Saxe-Gotha is taken."

"You give the enemy a strategic base right under your nose. The enemy will probably replenish their low supplies at the metropolis and rest."

"We will not give them supplies."

"How?"

"Take all of the food away from the residents."

Hawkins was at a loss for words. ''What a...'' Cromwell was trying to use the residents of Saxe-Gotha.

"The enemy will end up having to give their little amount of food to the residents. It'll slow them down. This plan is wiser than rashly proceeding through a defensive battle and suffering losses."

"What will we do if the enemy abandons them! Many people will die from starvation!"

"That will not happen. What, even if the enemy abandons them, it is just one city. Between the importance of a country, it is a trivial sacrifice."

Those were cold words, unthinkable of an ex-prelate. However, what he said was right.

The allied forces did not invade to negotiate with Cromwell. They came to abolish Cromwell and dominate this land. Eight to nine chances out of ten, they would think about the civilians after the war and perform charity.

Still... What will we do if we will? At the worst, a whole metropolis could revolt. That is how fearful the resentment from food is.

"You plan to make a whole metropolis your enemy... Either way, there will be unpleasant aftereffects..."

"Why do you think I arranged for those sub-humans to be sent ahead? All we have to do is say it was their own decision."

It was unknown how, but Cromwell excelled in negotiation with sub-humans. Knowing that the sub-humans were sent ahead not for a normal army operation but for this kind of strategy, the generals were dumbfounded.

Their leader broke a treaty, not only used makeshift means to commence strategies, but finally planed to betray his own country's civilians through cowardly measures.

"I will also place a trap in the water of Saxe-Gotha."

"Do you plan to throw poison in the water? Something like poison will be quickly washed away."

"Not poison. 'Void'."

"'Void'?"

"That's right. It will become interesting. However, it will take time for the effects to work,"
Cromwell smiled.

Standing up... He raised his fist.

"Gentlemen, it's the Pentecost! Stop the enemy until then! When the Pentecost ends... 'Void' and the crossing of two staffs will drop the iron hammer upon our haughty enemies!"

The crossing of two staffs is the crest of the Gallia royal family.

"OHH! Finally, Gallia!" As the conference room became excited.

"At that time, our army will advance! To demolish our haughty enemies! I promise you!"

Sensing the atmosphere on the grounds heating up, Cromwell walked briskly to the balcony.

The generals and cabinet ministers stood up and followed him.

"Let all of our cabinet ministers encourage our brave and loyal soldiers!"

Voices of jubilation surrounded Cromwell and the others.

In the vast courtyard once built to wait on the king's audience, crazily enthusiastic trust was being offered to Cromwell, and the monarch's guards were lining in rows.

Thousands of voices of jubilation reached him. Cromwell waved his hand to answer.

"The enemy has landed on fatherland! Everyone! I question you brave revolutionary soldiers! Is this defeat?"

"No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!"

A ring of jubilation surrounded Cromwell.

"Exactly! This is not defeat! Absolutely not! I promise you victory! To you all, peerless, loyal, and brave who took the crown from that incompetent king, I promise you victory! Our haughty enemies will be destroyed when the Pentecost ends! They have touched God's wrath! Listen! Listen! The ones leading the lost Halkeginia are the civilians of Albion, who are chosen by God! For that reason, the Founder has entrusted power to me!"

There were numerous soldiers who died in battle lined up on the balcony.

Cromwell raised his ring up high.

Doing so... the dead soldiers revived and walked off.

"Everyone! As long as we have this 'Void', we cannot be defeated! Believe in me! Believe in our fatherland! Believe in 'Void', the power of us who were chosen by the founder!"

"Void! Void! Void! Void! Void! Void! Void! Void! Void! Void!"

"That's right, Void!" Cromwell swung his fist.

"The founder is with us! Do not fear! The founder is with us!"

The enthusiasm in the courtyard reached a climax. Cromwell shouted in a loud voice.

"Long live the revolution! Destroy the enemy!"

The enthusiasm even reached the balcony.

"Long live the revolution! Destroy the enemy! Long live the revolution! Destroy the enemy! Long live the revolution! Destroy the enemy!"

"Long live the Holy Albion republic!"

"Long live the Holy Albion Republic! Long live the Holy Albion Republic! Long live the Holy Albion Republic! Long live the Holy Albion Republic!"

"Long live our Highness the Holy Emperor!" One of the cabinet ministers stood up and shouted in a loud voice.

"Long live our Highness the Holy Emperor! Long live our Highness the Holy Emperor! Long live our Highness the Holy Emperor! Long live our Highness the Holy Emperor! Long live our Highness the Holy Emperor!"

The endless shouting was sucked into the air.

After the wildly enthusiastic audience...

Cromwell was sitting, troubled, in a gigantic private room that was once the King's bedroom.
His body was shaking slightly.

Sheffield was standing in front of him, whispering to him while looking down at him.

"That was a brilliant speech, Prelate."

The man, who was called Prelate in his previous position, as if falling off the chair, kneeled down at Sheffield's feet.

The mask of dignity he had shown earlier had been blown off.

Just a man in his thirties that was panicking in fear, just a thin man who was nothing but a prelate was there.

"Ohhhhhhh! Miss! Miss Sheffield! That person! Will that person really send soldiers to this abominable country? This is not the words of that general just not... I! I am scared! I, a thin man who can't even control magic, am afraid!"

To Cromwell, Sheffield spoke in a voice as if to comfort a child.

"What are you saying. To be afraid now! The one who said 'I want to be King' at that bar was you. Because I was impressed by those candid words, I decided to give you, as my master, Albion."

"Perhaps a mere prelate has dreamed too much... Tempted by you and 'that person', I obtained The Ring of Andvari, collected nobles that held contempt towards the royal family, and excuted my revenge on Albion's royal family who had humiliated me... To a point, it was fun. Oh it was fun, it was like I was dreaming."

"It's that simple."

"Ohh, just this continent above the sky is too much for an accessory like me... Why was it necessary to invade Tristain and Germania?"

"How many times does it take for you to understand. It is necessary to join Halkeginia into one. To recover the Holy Land is the only way to follow the Founder and God's will."

"To me, that is a part of being a clergyman. Though there is no mistake that recovering the Holy Land is a dream..."

"Then continue to dream."

"The responsibility is too heavy! The enemy has invaded! Enemy in my country! The enemy has come to hang me like those incompetent kings! What should I do?! Tell me this isn't a nightmare. Miss..."
Smiling, Sheffield squatted down in front of Cromwell and looked into his tear-soaked face. Cromwell raised his face. Lifting up his chin, Sheffield... "Stop acting spoiled," whispered quietly.

"Yes!"

The polite and warm demeanor just now had disappeared, and Sheffield had made a complete change into a raptores-like face.

Her brunette hair, like deep darkness, fluttered and the eyes below it were releasing a bewitching radiance. Taken in by those eyes, Cromwell began to tremble.

"You dream a sweet molasses-like dream that a normal priest couldn't see even if he reincarnated a hundred times and now you say you don't want to see a nightmare? 'My country'? Your land doesn't even stretch fifty centimeters on this uselessly destitute country Albion."

"I'm! I'm very sorry!"

Cromwell slid his face on the floor beside Sheffield's feet. Sticking out his tongue, he licked Sheffield's shoes.

"Forgive me... Fo, forgive me... Ha, hagi... Forgive me..."

"The Ring of Andvari."

Timidly, Cromwell handed the ring he was wearing to Sheffield.

Treasure of the Water Spirit, the magic ring that can grant the dead false life...

Cromwell remembered the day where he went with Sheffield and Gallia's mage knights to Ragdorian Lake to steal this ring from the Water Spirit.

What caused the start of everything was him talking at a bar. He was heading towards Gallia's capital, Lutèce, because he was delivering something...

Cromwell was treating a beggar to a bottle of wine.

"Prelate, as thanks for the wine, I will grant you one thing you wish. Tell me."

Being told that by the beggar, Cromwell said as a joke,

"Let's see, I want to be king."

"King, is it?"

The beggar, with his face covered in a deep rope, smiled and asked.

"Yes," Cromwell nodded.

Of course, he meant it to be a joke. Playing around after drinking. He wasn't serious about it.
However, the next morning... This Sheffield came to the lodge he was staying at. She exclaimed,

"I will make you king. Follow me."

At that moment, his life as a local prelate delineated to a different path. At a violent momentum...

Sheffield was patting The Ring of Andvari dearly.

The stone on the ring was, enchantingly, glowing deep light blue.

"What do you think is the power stored in this ring?"

Cromwell shook his head. He knew that it could revive corpses. That is the truth. There is no way he could know about the mechanisms of Void.

"Unable to control magic, I do not know. You are the one who told me to call this power 'Void', right?"

"Do you know about 'wind stones'?"

Cromwell nodded. It is the material used to allow flying ships to float. A magic stone said to be the condensed power of Wind. There are countless mines for digging out wind stones in Albion.

"This is a similar substance."

"Then it isn't 'Void'?"

"Correct, this is not 'Void'. 'Wind stones' and this 'Ring of Andvari' are just drops of the source of the powers that rule this world. This is the material that becomes the source of magic called Predecessor Magic. There are all kinds of names it is called by though. Sage's Stone, Orb of Life... Historically, it would be called 'Void's enemy'..."

"I am constantly impressed by the profoundness of your knowledge."

"That is why every time it is used, its magic is whittled and it gets smaller. See."

Cromwell nodded.

"The point is, this is a crystallization of the Predecessor's magic of Water. The condensed magic hidden in this is incomparable to the wind stones common around here... A rare stone. Which is the reason this is the protected treasure of the Water Spirit... The Ring of Andvari. In other words, the Predecessor's treasure..."

Sheffield stared at the ring.

Doing so... Her forehead started to shine.

The light was flowing from inside.

When Cromwell first saw this light, he was surprised. When Sheffield touched this 'Ring of Andvari', her forehead shone.

''Are there times when people's foreheads shine?''

Even when he asked Sheffield, she did not answer. This mysterious female would not teach him anything that mattered, anything essential. She only handed down orders.

With the stone, Sheffield lightly combed Cromwell's cheek.

"Ho, hohhhhhhh..."

Cromwell twitched and shivered. The Ring of Andvari vibrated slightly. Just touching it made him feel like an electric current was running through him.

When it touched Sheffield's hand, the Ring of Andvari awoke... it was that kind of vibration.

"Do you know? The trait of the power of Water?"

"H-healing wounds..."

"That is on the surface. The power of 'Water' rules over the body's constitution. The heart too."

"...Ha, hah"

"Moving corpses is only one of the powers this ring holds."

<noinclude>
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|-
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume7_Chapter3_%7EPreview%7E|Back to Chapter 3]]
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima|Return to Main Page]]
| [[Zero_no_Tsukaima:Volume7_Chapter5|Forward to Chapter 5]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Toradora!: Updates

2010-02-10T05:57:09Z

96.51.213.231: Updates from the main page

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume5 Story3 - MTL

2010-01-03T07:00:26Z

96.51.213.231: Unneeded possessive

{{Template:PREVIEW}}

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

==== Part 1 ====

The bell of Saint Rémy‘s temple rang eleven o‘clock.

Saito was running towards a central plaza of the De Chicton 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 come to the date if she was going to be 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 among 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 intently. Her strawberry-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?”

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

“Right. Hey!”

Louise pulled Saito's arm.

“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 still was not clear who was escorting whom, the pair went down the streets of Tristain, bathing in the sunlight of summer.

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

Today 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.

　

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 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. A 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 was seeing 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 a tone-deaf manner. Was this 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 bear it anymore, he started to snore slightly.

Louise threw an angry look at the sleeping Saito.

''Wh-what?! This fellow… even 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 master's 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 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 dream land… Louise began to row a boat.

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 the 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."

After saying this, 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>

The stony floor of Tristain’s Royal palace echoed the sound of boots as a lone young female 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… instead a long, thin sword.

Coming and going, noble's 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 must have some grand permission to walk in palace dressed up like that… oh dear, different times!”

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

Despite the impudent glances and rude comments 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 female 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.

As Agnes entered 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… Raising taxes any further will make resentment among the commoners 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! Equipping 15,000 lords army-men! Food 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 the 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 the High Court of Justice consists 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 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, the King and Queen 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 bathe 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 de Milan, welcome.”

Looking up, Henrietta urged.

“Did you finish the investigation?”

“Yes.”

Agnes took a letter out of her cleavage and handed 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 obtained 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 écu… 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 lust for gold. 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 dedicate myself to Your Majesty. Your Majesty gave me a family name and a 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, the magic guard that ought to protect the royalty had crumbled. The Griffon Corps were under the command of the Manticore troops now, thus only one unit was still on duty.

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

Because it interferes negotiations with other corps when the commander is not an aristocrat, Agnes was awarded a noble title by exception. She became a ‘Chevalier’ and a fictional family name was granted.

Henrietta’s exception made the national military power increase due to numbers of joining commoners. Although 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.

==== Part 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; 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 girls. 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 such an excuse aloud. By now, Saito had learned how to deal with Louise.

“What if the moment when you look away, I am attacked by a strange man? Do you understand? Are you 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 with a ‘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 vigorous 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 get some rest.

Saito gripped Derflinger, who was rolled up in a cloth. Due to a recent incident, 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 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. At the same time the woman became aware of the same thing 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 an attic here where we live…”

“Please guide me there.”

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 selfishly?”

“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 was 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 the Princess' request I will do it, but…”

After that Saito 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 her 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 might be embarrassing, walking next to a man in such attire. This also made one forget that she was queen and made her look more 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? Because she said so, Saito bought it… But since 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 Chicton 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… he had only seen the Queen's face from 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 a 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.

Because night came slowly, the couple went to 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, it was unclear for how many days it has been left to dry, and a small mushroom was growing in 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 emphasized that with 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 lit up.

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 with telling me… 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 the 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 the kingdom 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.

==== Part 3 ====

Louise was watching the falling rain and pouting. Where had Saito gone to in the 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.

Although she searched the inn inside out, he was nowhere to be found. At first she thought he had gone back to attic and hid himself there, but it was empty. 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.”

Pop-eyed, 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 to Louise,

“…We finished inspecting Champ de Mars, but when we returned back to the royal palace, Her Majesty had 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 a time like this, where the heck has Saito gone to?'' She clicked her tongue angrily. ''Really, just when you need him the most he is not there!''

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 knew painfully well 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 the 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 D'Angleterre’.”

“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.

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 Chicton 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 a 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. Nontheless, 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 Vallière.”

La Vallière? 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 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!”

“As 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.

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, breath, 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, intensely 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 a 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.”

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 a distance between them, followed him.

The page's horse passed the upscale residential area and stopped 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 Chicton 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 the 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?!”

Louise shouted, blushing. If her partner were a man, she would have pulled out her wand and blown up 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 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 this time of night? – 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 in 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.

==== Part 4 ====

Dawn was breaking, morning. Central plaza, Saint Rémy'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. Because play inspection was one of his duties as a censorship director, this place was like his personal villa.

The theater visitors, who were only young women, had started to arrive six minutes ago. At first it was a popular show, but because of the horrible acting it received harsh reviews by the 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.

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 the rat was… 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 the Manticore Corps, 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, the commander of Manticore 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 poor grace.

Henrietta, alone, disappeared into the theater. Agnes, having some other secret things to do, mounted her horse and rode off somewhere.

So… only two people, Saito and Louise, were left.

Louise pulled Saito’s sleeve, who watched Henrietta leave with a blush on his cheeks.

“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 the 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.

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-dono.”

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 Chernobog Prison.“

Henrietta drove Richmon into a corner.

However, as if knowing everything would turn out 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 out… 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 my 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 of 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 losing 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 thunderous roar.

When the dark, thick smoke cleared up… The 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 the 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.”

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!”

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 Cromwell for one troop regiment. Then he’d return to Tristain again, catch Henrietta, and after repaying her for today’s humiliation many times over, he’d 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 Agnes, 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 out of loyalty to Her Majesty, but for my personal revenge.”

“Personal revenge?”

“D'Angleterre (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 lip. A stream of blood ran down her lips.

“Romalia’s heresy, ‘Protestant Hunt’. You claimed ‘Protestantism’ was 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 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…”

It was not the spell that escaped Richmon’s mouth…but 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.”

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Gop* Richmon vomited an 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 Chicton 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.

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.

Consequently, no matter what, Saito had to make sure she didn'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.

Although from the outside 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 relationships were still going in parallel lines. Would things continue to remain the same? 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.

“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 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, always 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 Vallière, we already had a relationship overnight.”

Louise blushed, remembering the kiss.

“I-it wasn’t like that!”

“That was an unforgettable night, right, Miss Vallière?”

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.”

After saying that, 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.

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