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2017-05-29T03:36:52Z

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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-23T02:46:24Z

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== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
=== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 signing ===

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----

==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It had somehow rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke—"noble" this, "magician" that—but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished that she would stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously, it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.


Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.


The morning sun triggered his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sightseeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is? While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of a rude magician girl who snores her head off, I should try to make the most of it in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First things first, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." 

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble.

''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seemed she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened the said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he had seen woman's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing a pair at random, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

"Don't push it." He turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only the underwear he had thrown at her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar: No breakfast,"
Louise declared, raising a finger triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly picked up the blouse.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,
roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a strongly flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive and she sported a captivating bustline. Her breasts were like melons.

==== Page 49 ====

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing an impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in the eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charm points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."


Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."


"Is that... Your familiar?"
Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That is amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But that's just like you to summon a commoner with 'Summon Servant.' As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike a certain somebody, I was successful on my first try."

"Really."

"And if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one, right Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat."

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was as big as a tiger, if not larger. Its tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot by being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. "Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic."

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just nice? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right?"

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smoldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.1 ==
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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"Hiragasaito? What a strange name."


"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No, it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay, okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh? I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know,"
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me... This girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged parallel to each other. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the color of their cloaks. Viewed from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-hand table looked a little older and wore purple cloaks - third years.

The students sitting on the right-hand table wore brown cloaks - first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of [[#alviss|Alvíss]]. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Alvíss'?"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?"

As she had described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't... like... come alive during the night or anything, do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar,"
Louise remarked, crossing her arms and cocking her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"It's a bowl."

"Yes, it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.0 ==
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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat floating around in a thin soup. To the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in midair. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed in it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman dressed in a voluminous purple robe and was wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My, my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière,"

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 ==
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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast 'Summon Servant,' right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs. Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well, your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs. Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke, but for Louise, it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that had seemingly come from nowhere.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

This put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialized on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total - as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce or process necessary metals. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I now understand the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations, so let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs. Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Mrs. Chevreuse, since she can combine the three elements Earth-Earth-Fire, is a Triangle mage."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that the teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs. Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualize strongly in your mind the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant where she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation - it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-colored) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin was a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect - almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem to be very popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her in looks.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs. Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. From the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

----

=== Translator's Notes ===
;[[#back_to_alviss|↑]] Alvíss
:[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alv%C3%ADss Alvíss] was a dwarf in Norse mythology who was turned to stone through Thor's trickery.

----

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-22T19:25:24Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 49 */ move the split paragraph to the previous page. Minor rewording

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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----

==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It had somehow rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke—"noble" this, "magician" that—but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished that she would stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously, it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.


Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.


The morning sun triggered his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sightseeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is? While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of this rude magician girl who's snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First things first, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." 

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble.

''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seemed she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened the said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he had seen woman's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing a pair at random, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

"Don't push it." He turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only the underwear he had thrown at her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar: No breakfast,"
Louise declared, raising a finger triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly picked up the blouse.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,
roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a strongly flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive and she sported a captivating bustline. Her breasts were like melons.

==== Page 49 ====

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing an impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in the eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charm points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."


Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."


"Is that... Your familiar?"
Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That is amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But that's just like you to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat?"

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot by being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. "Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic."

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just nice? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right?"

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smoldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"Hiragasaito? What a strange name."


"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No, it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay, okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh? I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know,"
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me... This girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged parallel to each other. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the color of their cloaks. Viewed from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-hand table looked a little older and wore purple cloaks - third years.

The students sitting on the right-hand table wore brown cloaks - first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?"

As she had described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't... Like... Come alive during the night or anything, do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar,"
Louise remarked, crossing her arms and cocking her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"It's a bowl."

"Yes, it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat floating around in a thin soup. To the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in midair. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed in it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman dressed in a voluminous purple robe and was wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My, my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière,"

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs. Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well, your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs. Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke, but for Louise, it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

This put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialized on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total - as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce or process necessary metals. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I now understand the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations, so let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs. Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs. Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth, and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that the teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs. Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualize strongly in your mind the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant where she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation - it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-colored) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin was a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect - almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem to be very popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her in looks.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs. Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. From the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-22T19:20:42Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 48 */ lots of rewordings

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It had somehow rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke—"noble" this, "magician" that—but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished that she would stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously, it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.


Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.


The morning sun triggered his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sightseeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is? While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of this rude magician girl who's snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First things first, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." 

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble.

''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seemed she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened the said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he had seen woman's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing a pair at random, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

"Don't push it." He turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only the underwear he had thrown at her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar: No breakfast,"
Louise declared, raising a finger triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly picked up the blouse.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,
roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a strongly flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive and she sported a captivating bustline. Her breasts were like melons.

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

and was roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing an impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in the eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."


Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."


"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That is amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But that's just like you to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat?"

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot by being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. "Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic."

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just nice? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right?"

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smoldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"Hiragasaito? What a strange name."


"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No, it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay, okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh? I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know,"
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me... This girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged parallel to each other. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the color of their cloaks. Viewed from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-hand table looked a little older and wore purple cloaks - third years.

The students sitting on the right-hand table wore brown cloaks - first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?"

As she had described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't... Like... Come alive during the night or anything, do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar,"
Louise remarked, crossing her arms and cocking her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"It's a bowl."

"Yes, it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat floating around in a thin soup. To the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in midair. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed in it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman dressed in a voluminous purple robe and was wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My, my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière,"

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs. Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well, your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs. Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke, but for Louise, it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

This put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialized on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total - as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce or process necessary metals. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I now understand the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations, so let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs. Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs. Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth, and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that the teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs. Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualize strongly in your mind the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant where she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation - it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-colored) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin was a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect - almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem to be very popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her in looks.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs. Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. From the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-22T19:03:39Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 47 */ small rewordings

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

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----

==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It had somehow rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke—"noble" this, "magician" that—but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished that she would stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously, it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.


Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.


The morning sun triggered his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sightseeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is? While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of this rude magician girl who's snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First things first, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." 

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble.

''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seemed she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened the said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he had seen woman's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing a pair at random, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

"Don't push it." He turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he had thrown at her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

and was roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing an impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in the eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."


Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."


"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That is amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But that's just like you to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat?"

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot by being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. "Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic."

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just nice? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right?"

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smoldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"Hiragasaito? What a strange name."


"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No, it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay, okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh? I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know,"
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me... This girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged parallel to each other. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the color of their cloaks. Viewed from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-hand table looked a little older and wore purple cloaks - third years.

The students sitting on the right-hand table wore brown cloaks - first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?"

As she had described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't... Like... Come alive during the night or anything, do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar,"
Louise remarked, crossing her arms and cocking her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"It's a bowl."

"Yes, it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat floating around in a thin soup. To the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in midair. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed in it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman dressed in a voluminous purple robe and was wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My, my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière,"

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 ==
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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs. Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well, your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs. Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke, but for Louise, it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

This put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialized on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total - as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce or process necessary metals. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I now understand the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations, so let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs. Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs. Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth, and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that the teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs. Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualize strongly in your mind the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant where she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation - it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-colored) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin was a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect - almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem to be very popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her in looks.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs. Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. From the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-22T18:59:11Z

BlckKnght: /* Chapter Two: Louise the Zero */ some rewordings

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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----

==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It had somehow rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke—"noble" this, "magician" that—but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished that she would stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously, it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.


Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.


The morning sun triggered his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sightseeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is? While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of this rude magician girl who's snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First things first, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." 

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble.

''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seemed she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened the said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he had seen any female underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing one randomly, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

"Don't push it." He turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he had thrown at her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

and was roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing an impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in the eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."


Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."


"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That is amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But that's just like you to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat?"

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot by being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. "Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic."

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just nice? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right?"

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smoldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"Hiragasaito? What a strange name."


"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No, it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay, okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh? I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know,"
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me... This girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged parallel to each other. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the color of their cloaks. Viewed from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-hand table looked a little older and wore purple cloaks - third years.

The students sitting on the right-hand table wore brown cloaks - first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility through the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?"

As she had described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't... Like... Come alive during the night or anything, do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar,"
Louise remarked, crossing her arms and cocking her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"It's a bowl."

"Yes, it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat floating around in a thin soup. To the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in midair. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed in it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman dressed in a voluminous purple robe and was wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My, my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière,"

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs. Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well, your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs. Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke, but for Louise, it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

This put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialized on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total - as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce or process necessary metals. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I now understand the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations, so let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs. Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs. Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth, and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that the teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs. Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualize strongly in your mind the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant where she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation - it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-colored) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin was a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect - almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem to be very popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her in looks.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs. Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. From the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-18T02:58:47Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 59 */ Clean up that last join. The parenthetical statement made it look weird.

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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----

==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It somewhat rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke -- noble this, magician that -- but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished she'd stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.

Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.

The morning sun triggered off his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sight-seeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is. While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of that rude magician girl snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. ''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seems she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he'd seen any female's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing one randomly, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

''Don't play with me,'' he turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he threw her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health, and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."

"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That's amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning, that's just like you. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat."

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot, being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. ''Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic.''

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smouldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh. I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know."
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite, and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

The Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged in parallel. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the colour of their cloaks. Viewing from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-side table looked a little older, and wore purple cloaks -- third years.

The students sitting on the right-side table wore brown cloaks -- first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously, and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility by the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

As she described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't, like, come alive during the night or anything do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar."
ouise remarked, crossing her arms and cocked her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine, and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I've specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat, floating around in a thin soup. And to the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir, and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in mid-air. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice, and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed on it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a voluminous purple robe, and wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom, and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière."

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street, just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 ==
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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string, and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke. But for Louise it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialised on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-yes, Mrs Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total -- as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce necessary metals, or process them. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I understand now, the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations. So let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles, and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualise strongly in your mind, the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation -- it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-coloured) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect -- almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem too popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her looks-wise.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight, and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. But seeing from the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-18T02:57:54Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 59 */ joining

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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----

==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It somewhat rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke -- noble this, magician that -- but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished she'd stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.

Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.

The morning sun triggered off his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sight-seeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is. While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of that rude magician girl snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. ''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seems she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he'd seen any female's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing one randomly, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

''Don't play with me,'' he turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he threw her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health, and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."

"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That's amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning, that's just like you. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat."

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot, being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. ''Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic.''

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smouldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.1 ==
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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh. I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know."
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite, and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

The Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged in parallel. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the colour of their cloaks. Viewing from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-side table looked a little older, and wore purple cloaks -- third years.

The students sitting on the right-side table wore brown cloaks -- first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously, and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility by the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

As she described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't, like, come alive during the night or anything do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar."
ouise remarked, crossing her arms and cocked her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine, and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.0 ==
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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I've specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat, floating around in a thin soup. And to the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir, and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry." (note: that's Saito being sarcastic)
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in mid-air. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice, and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed on it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a voluminous purple robe, and wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom, and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière."

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street, just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 ==
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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string, and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke. But for Louise it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialised on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-yes, Mrs Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total -- as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce necessary metals, or process them. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I understand now, the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations. So let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles, and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualise strongly in your mind, the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation -- it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-coloured) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect -- almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem too popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her looks-wise.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight, and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. But seeing from the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-18T02:56:03Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 57 */ join more dialog line to the attribution

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It somewhat rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke -- noble this, magician that -- but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished she'd stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.

Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.

The morning sun triggered off his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sight-seeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is. While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of that rude magician girl snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. ''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seems she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he'd seen any female's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing one randomly, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

''Don't play with me,'' he turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he threw her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health, and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."

"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That's amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning, that's just like you. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat."

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot, being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. ''Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic.''

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smouldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh. I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know."
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite, and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

The Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged in parallel. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the colour of their cloaks. Viewing from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-side table looked a little older, and wore purple cloaks -- third years.

The students sitting on the right-side table wore brown cloaks -- first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously, and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility by the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

As she described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't, like, come alive during the night or anything do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar."
ouise remarked, crossing her arms and cocked her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine, and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I've specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat, floating around in a thin soup. And to the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir, and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry." (note: that's Saito being sarcastic)

Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in mid-air. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice, and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed on it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a voluminous purple robe, and wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom, and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière."

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street, just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string, and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke. But for Louise it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialised on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-yes, Mrs Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total -- as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce necessary metals, or process them. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I understand now, the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations. So let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles, and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualise strongly in your mind, the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation -- it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-coloured) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect -- almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem too popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her looks-wise.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight, and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. But seeing from the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-18T02:53:18Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 54 */ join dialog line with its attribution

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It somewhat rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke -- noble this, magician that -- but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished she'd stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.

Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.

The morning sun triggered off his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sight-seeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is. While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of that rude magician girl snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. ''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seems she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he'd seen any female's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing one randomly, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

''Don't play with me,'' he turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he threw her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health, and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."

"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That's amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning, that's just like you. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat."

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot, being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. ''Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic.''

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smouldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh. I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know."
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite, and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

The Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged in parallel. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the colour of their cloaks. Viewing from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-side table looked a little older, and wore purple cloaks -- third years.

The students sitting on the right-side table wore brown cloaks -- first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously, and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility by the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

As she described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't, like, come alive during the night or anything do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar."

Louise remarked, crossing her arms and cocked her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"

Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine, and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"

Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I've specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat, floating around in a thin soup. And to the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir, and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry." (note: that's Saito being sarcastic)

Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in mid-air. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice, and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed on it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a voluminous purple robe, and wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom, and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière."

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street, just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string, and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke. But for Louise it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialised on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-yes, Mrs Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total -- as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce necessary metals, or process them. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I understand now, the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations. So let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles, and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualise strongly in your mind, the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation -- it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-coloured) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect -- almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem too popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her looks-wise.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight, and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. But seeing from the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-18T02:51:27Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 52 */ join dialog to attributions

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It somewhat rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke -- noble this, magician that -- but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished she'd stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. ''So last night really wasn't a dream.'' He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.

Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.

The morning sun triggered off his characteristic curiosity again. ''If I think about it, this is kinda like a sight-seeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is. While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of that rude magician girl snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case,'' he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. ''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seems she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he'd seen any female's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing one randomly, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

''Don't play with me,'' he turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he threw her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health, and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."

"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That's amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning, that's just like you. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat."

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot, being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. ''Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic.''

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smouldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.1 ==
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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh. I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know."

Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"

Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite, and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

The Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged in parallel. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the colour of their cloaks. Viewing from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-side table looked a little older, and wore purple cloaks -- third years.

The students sitting on the right-side table wore brown cloaks -- first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously, and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility by the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

As she described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't, like, come alive during the night or anything do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar."

Louise remarked, crossing her arms and cocked her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"

Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine, and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"

Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.0 ==
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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I've specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat, floating around in a thin soup. And to the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir, and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry." (note: that's Saito being sarcastic)

Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in mid-air. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice, and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed on it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a voluminous purple robe, and wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom, and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière."

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street, just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string, and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke. But for Louise it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialised on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-yes, Mrs Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total -- as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce necessary metals, or process them. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I understand now, the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations. So let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles, and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualise strongly in your mind, the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation -- it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-coloured) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect -- almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem too popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her looks-wise.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight, and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. But seeing from the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-09-23T04:27:18Z

BlckKnght: /* '''P.74''' */ fix 4 tildes problem by using nowiki tags

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-31T22:56:17Z

BlckKnght: /* Translator's Notes */ rework the formatting a bit

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== I'm a familiar spirit ===

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 16:24, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 16:28, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Nandeyanen|Nandeyanen]] 18:56, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 20:06, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:03, 23 August 2006 (GMT) [Please add a translation note for "hamburger"; The Japanese type.]

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''

[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 18:56, 23 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is [[#hamburger|hamburger]]. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 22:21, 27 August 2006 (CDT)
* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 21:46, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 21:49, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 21:54, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 08:04, 28 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 08:03, 28 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of an honorable lineage of nobles, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.

He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.

He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.

It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.

''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidestepping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.

But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.

He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. All the furniture looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''

''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''

''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''

''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.

An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 

''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. It seemed as if electricity wasn't used.

''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to set up, is it? I feel like I'm back in the old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''

''Wait, 'setup...'''
''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking over a chair, he bore down on her.

"Where's the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 signing ====

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
;[[#back_to_hamburger|Hamburger]]
:From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger#Japan <blockquote>In Japan, hamburgers can be served in a bun, called hambāgā (ハンバーガー), or just the the patties served without a bun, known as hambāgu (ハンバーグ) or "hamburg", short for "hamburg steak".</blockquote> The type mentioned by Saito was the version without the bun. (ハンバーグ) 
;[[#back_to_12_jou|12 Tatami mats]]
:Rooms in Japan are measured jō (畳), which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jō is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T05:29:15Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 33 */ construction=>setup

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidestepping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. All the furniture looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. There didn't seem to be any electricity in the room.
''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to set up, is it? I feel like I'm back in the old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''

''Wait, 'a setup...'''
''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking over a chair, he bore down on her.

"Where's the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T04:49:07Z

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== Signing Off ==

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== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 10:58, 21 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:21, 21 August 2006 {PDT)
* [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 17:19, 21 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''

[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 12:43, 21 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 16:24, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 16:28, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Nandeyanen|Nandeyanen]] 18:56, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 20:06, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:03, 23 August 2006 (GMT) [Please add a translation note for "hamburger"; The Japanese type.]

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''

[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 18:56, 23 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 22:21, 27 August 2006 (CDT)
* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 21:46, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 21:49, 27 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. All the furnature looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. There didn't seem to be any electricity in the room.
''Jeez, putting in electricity doesn't require complicated construction, does it? I feel like I'm back in the old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'construction...'''

''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking over a chair, he bore down on her.

"Where's the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T04:45:11Z

BlckKnght: Reverted edits by BlckKnght (Talk); changed back to last version by Onizuka-gto

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. All the furnature looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. There didn't seem to be any electricity in the room.
''Jeez, putting in electricity doesn't require complicated construction, does it? I feel like I'm back in the old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'construction...'''

''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking over a chair, he bore down on her.

"Where's the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T04:44:26Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 34 */ minor rewording

== Signing Off ==

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== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 16:24, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 16:28, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Nandeyanen|Nandeyanen]] 18:56, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 20:06, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:03, 23 August 2006 (GMT) [Please add a translation note for "hamburger"; The Japanese type.]

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''

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----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 11:25, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 22:21, 27 August 2006 (CDT)
*[Signature Here]

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. All the furnature looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. There didn't seem to be any electricity in the room.
''Jeez, putting in electricity doesn't require complicated construction, does it? I feel like I'm back in the old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'construction...'''

''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down a chair, he bore down on her.

"Where's the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 09:09, 20 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:27, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:33, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:37, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:48, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T04:35:08Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 30 */ Everything=>All the furnature

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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It is protected to prevent mishaps.

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. All the furnature looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. There didn't seem to be any electricity in the room.
''Jeez, putting in electricity doesn't require complicated construction, does it? I feel like I'm back in the old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'construction...'''

''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where's the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T03:56:22Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 34 */ undo some more of CrowKenobi's recent edits. The tense changes were definately wrong

== Signing Off ==

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----

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 11:25, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 22:21, 27 August 2006 (CDT)
*[Signature Here]

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. There didn't seem to be any electricity in the room.
''Jeez, putting in electricity doesn't require complicated construction, does it? I feel like I'm back in the old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'construction...'''

''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

As he bore down upon Louise, his momentum knocks her chair over, landing them roughly onto the floor.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"P-please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 09:09, 20 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:27, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
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:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:48, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T03:45:47Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 32 */ remove additional dialogue attributions that are not in the original text. The reader can figure out for themselves who is talking in the next few lines.

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. There didn't seem to be any electricity in the room.
''Jeez, putting in electricity doesn't require complicated construction, does it? I feel like I'm back in the old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'construction...'''

''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

As he bore down upon Louise, his momentum knocks her chair over, landing them roughly onto the floor.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he starts to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brings that to a halt... And leaves him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise said, as she stands up trembling in fury.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"P-please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T03:31:12Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 33 */ big rewording

== Signing Off ==

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----

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''


==== Page 28 ====

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it." Louise said.

"Look, neither can I." Was Saito's response.

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its flickering light filled the room with a pale glow. There didn't seem to be any electricity in the room.
''Jeez, putting in electricity doesn't require complicated construction, does it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'construction...'''

''Oh, could it be... This is...''

"I've got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

As he bore down upon Louise, his momentum knocks her chair over, landing them roughly onto the floor.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he starts to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brings that to a halt... And leaves him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you... To a noble such as me..."
Louise said, as she stands up trembling in fury.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"P-please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T01:03:19Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 31 */ note that the first sentance is a continuation of a paragraph from the previous page.

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'''
----

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

I didn't press the [Delete] button to test if it was really protected but that feature is still available...
--[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 12:15, 22 August 2006 (GMT)

*That's because you have Editorial powers, however not everyone is part of the Baka-Tsuki Editorial Team.

As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 08:45, 22 August 2006 (PDT)

== Chapter 01 ==

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Editors please sign your signature when the script has reached your satisfaction, when all sections have been signed off, it will be sent on to be processed by the other groups.

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 14:58, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 15:34, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 16:36, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Nandeyanen|Nandeyanen]] 18:51, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
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----

=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 07:52, 21 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 10:58, 21 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:21, 21 August 2006 {PDT)
* [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 17:19, 21 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''

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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 16:24, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 16:28, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Nandeyanen|Nandeyanen]] 18:56, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 20:06, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
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:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''

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Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 23:23, 26 August 2006 (CDT)
* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 11:25, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====
(Paragraph continued from previous page)

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.
''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'make?'''
''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T00:58:46Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 30 */ minor rewordings

== Signing Off ==

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'''
----

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

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==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he knew he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga just after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him a strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through their body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. When he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.
''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'make?'''
''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-28T00:36:02Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 29 */ some rewordings

== Signing Off ==

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== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]
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----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 23:23, 26 August 2006 (CDT)
* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 11:25, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of a normal person.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He considered sidesteping around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.
''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'make?'''
''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T23:57:52Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 28 */ a good amount of rewording, including "fierce" back to "fiercely"

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... Saito passed out thinking, ''It was mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concepts."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily in stride.
Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most—another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan—on Earth.
He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site, and he might even have found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.
''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'make?'''
''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T23:47:20Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 27 */ some rewordings

== Signing Off ==

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== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 16:24, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 16:28, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Nandeyanen|Nandeyanen]] 18:56, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 20:06, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:03, 23 August 2006 (GMT) [Please add a translation note for "hamburger"; The Japanese type.]

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''

[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 18:56, 23 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 23:23, 26 August 2006 (CDT)
* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 11:25, 27 August 2006 (PDT)
*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Her fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you concerned by this situation at all?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''And mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall, no positives or negatives.


Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."


Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realizing it, but will take anything quite readily into his stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things before acting.

Also, he has a fierce competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it in experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to do nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 tatami mats]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Saito had never felt the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights when it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''There just aren't any wide evergreen forests like this. It's totally different from what you'd see in Japan.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way, looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch and a sturdy staircase crafted from stone...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy? Wonderful! Dormitories? Splendid! It's just like a movie!'' 
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.
''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'make?'''
''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... And left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." 

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as me..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''This is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What?!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 09:09, 20 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:27, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:33, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:37, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:48, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T13:29:00Z

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== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a figure in my dreams, so you don't need to worry about it. Now let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're on about, but you wanted me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Those fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable. But it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you at all concerned about this situation?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Valliere family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''and mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years - no big deal.

Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Saito-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."

Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realising so, but will take anything quite readily into stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, in Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having had his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since now he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 jou]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Never before had Saito been the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity, until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''This is totally different to what you'd see in Japan. There just aren't evergreen forests this wide there.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch made of stone, and a sturdy staircase of the same...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy, wonderful! Dormitories, splendid! It's just like a movie!'' (lit: "there are movies like this!")
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.
''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'make?'''
''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They'd stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... and left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." (note: a painful moan)

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as I..."
Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''this is no dream.''
''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T13:27:09Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 33 */ paragraphing, and some minor rewording

== Signing Off ==

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----

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 23:23, 26 August 2006 (CDT)
*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

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Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a figure in my dreams, so you don't need to worry about it. Now let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're on about, but you wanted me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Those fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable. But it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you at all concerned about this situation?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Valliere family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''and mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years - no big deal.

Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Saito-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."

Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realising so, but will take anything quite readily into stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, in Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having had his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since now he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 jou]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Never before had Saito been the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity, until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''This is totally different to what you'd see in Japan. There just aren't evergreen forests this wide there.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch made of stone, and a sturdy staircase of the same...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy, wonderful! Dormitories, splendid! It's just like a movie!'' (lit: "there are movies like this!")
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? So you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"As I've been telling you all this time, I'm not."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.
''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''
''Wait, 'make?'''
''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"
Louise asked, looking up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They'd stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... and left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." (note: a painful moan)

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as I..."

Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''this is no dream.''

''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 09:09, 20 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:27, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:33, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:37, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:48, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T13:10:38Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 32 */ paragraphing

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a figure in my dreams, so you don't need to worry about it. Now let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're on about, but you wanted me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Those fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable. But it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you at all concerned about this situation?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Valliere family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''and mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years - no big deal.

Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Saito-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."

Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realising so, but will take anything quite readily into stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, in Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having had his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since now he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 jou]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Never before had Saito been the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity, until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''This is totally different to what you'd see in Japan. There just aren't evergreen forests this wide there.''

The Academy grounds he had passed on his way looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.
An entrance arch made of stone, and a sturdy staircase of the same...
This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.
All of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy, wonderful! Dormitories, splendid! It's just like a movie!'' (lit: "there are movies like this!")
''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"
Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? Then you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"I've been telling you I'm not, all this time."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.

''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''

''Wait, 'make?'''

''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"

Louise looked up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They'd stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... and left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." (note: a painful moan)

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as I..."

Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''this is no dream.''

''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T12:44:38Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 31 */ paragraphing, and some rewording of stuff

== Signing Off ==

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----

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 23:23, 26 August 2006 (CDT)
*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

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Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a figure in my dreams, so you don't need to worry about it. Now let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're on about, but you wanted me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Those fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable. But it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you at all concerned about this situation?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Valliere family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''and mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years - no big deal.

Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Saito-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."

Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realising so, but will take anything quite readily into stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, in Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having had his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since now he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 jou]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito, trying to ignore the pain in his head which still hurt from the blow earlier, answered her,
"So what if it isn't?"

Never before had Saito been the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity, until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''
''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''
''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''
''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''
''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights it just looks bigger.''
''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''
''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grassy plains where he'd been lying. Accross the plains, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a tall mountain range. Over to his right was a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''This is totally different to what you'd see in Japan. There just aren't evergreen forests this wide there.''

The Academy grounds he passed on his way looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.

An entrance arch made of stone, and a sturdy staircase of the same...

This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.

And that all of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy, wonderful! Dormitories, splendid! It's just like a movie!'' (lit: "there are movies like this!")

''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"

Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? Then you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"I've been telling you I'm not, all this time."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.

''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''

''Wait, 'make?'''

''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"

Louise looked up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They'd stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... and left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." (note: a painful moan)

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as I..."

Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''this is no dream.''

''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 09:09, 20 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:27, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:33, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:37, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:48, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T11:50:07Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 30 */ link to translator's note for "12 jou"

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a figure in my dreams, so you don't need to worry about it. Now let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're on about, but you wanted me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Those fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable. But it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you at all concerned about this situation?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Valliere family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''and mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years - no big deal.

Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Saito-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."

Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realising so, but will take anything quite readily into stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, in Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having had his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since now he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to nothing but study from now on.
He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about [[#12_jou|12 jou]] in size. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito answered her, trying to ignore the pain in his head, which still hurt from that blow earlier.

"So what if it isn't?"

Never before had Saito been the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity, until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''

''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''

''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''

''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''

''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights it just looks bigger.''

''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''

''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grass plains where he'd rolled around. Opposite them, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a big mountain range. And over to his right, a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''This is totally different to what you'd see in Japan. There just aren't evergreen forests this wide there.''

The Academy grounds he passed on his way looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.

An entrance arch made of stone, and a sturdy staircase of the same...

This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.

And that all of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy, wonderful! Dormitories, splendid! It's just like a movie!'' (lit: "there are movies like this!")

''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"

Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? Then you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"I've been telling you I'm not, all this time."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.

''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''

''Wait, 'make?'''

''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"

Louise looked up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They'd stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... and left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." (note: a painful moan)

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as I..."

Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''this is no dream.''

''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T11:47:17Z

BlckKnght: Add a translator's notes section, and a note for "12 jou" (which I will link to momentarily)

== Signing Off ==

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----

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a figure in my dreams, so you don't need to worry about it. Now let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're on about, but you wanted me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Those fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable. But it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you at all concerned about this situation?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Valliere family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''and mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years - no big deal.

Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Saito-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."

Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realising so, but will take anything quite readily into stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, in Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having had his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since now he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to nothing but study from now on.

He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about 12 jou (note: measurement by tatami) big. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito answered her, trying to ignore the pain in his head, which still hurt from that blow earlier.

"So what if it isn't?"

Never before had Saito been the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity, until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''

''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''

''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''

''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''

''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights it just looks bigger.''

''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''

''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grass plains where he'd rolled around. Opposite them, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a big mountain range. And over to his right, a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''This is totally different to what you'd see in Japan. There just aren't evergreen forests this wide there.''

The Academy grounds he passed on his way looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.

An entrance arch made of stone, and a sturdy staircase of the same...

This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.

And that all of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy, wonderful! Dormitories, splendid! It's just like a movie!'' (lit: "there are movies like this!")

''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"

Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? Then you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"I've been telling you I'm not, all this time."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.

''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''

''Wait, 'make?'''

''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"

Louise looked up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They'd stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... and left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." (note: a painful moan)

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as I..."

Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''this is no dream.''

''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

=== Translator's Notes ===
Rooms in Japan are measured jou, which is the number of tatami mats required to cover the floor. A tatami mat is 90 cm by 180 cm for an area of 1.62 m2 each. Twelve jou is slighly more than 19.5 m2 or almost 210 square feet. [[#back_to_12_jou|back]]

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T11:14:00Z

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== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 signing ====

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----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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----

==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a figure in my dreams, so you don't need to worry about it. Now let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're on about, but you wanted me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Those fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable. But it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you at all concerned about this situation?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Valliere family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''and mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years - no big deal.

Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Saito-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."

Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realising so, but will take anything quite readily into stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, in Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having had his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since now he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.
However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.
He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.
Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.
It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.
Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.
''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.
But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it experimentally.
The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.
Next he pulled his house key out of his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to nothing but study from now on.

He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about 12 jou (note: measurement by tatami) big. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito answered her, trying to ignore the pain in his head, which still hurt from that blow earlier.

"So what if it isn't?"

Never before had Saito been the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity, until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''

''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''

''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''

''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''

''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights it just looks bigger.''

''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''

''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grass plains where he'd rolled around. Opposite them, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a big mountain range. And over to his right, a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''This is totally different to what you'd see in Japan. There just aren't evergreen forests this wide there.''

The Academy grounds he passed on his way looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.

An entrance arch made of stone, and a sturdy staircase of the same...

This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.

And that all of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy, wonderful! Dormitories, splendid! It's just like a movie!'' (lit: "there are movies like this!")

''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"

Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? Then you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"I've been telling you I'm not, all this time."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.

''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''

''Wait, 'make?'''

''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"

Louise looked up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They'd stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... and left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." (note: a painful moan)

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as I..."

Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''this is no dream.''

''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [Signature Here]

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

*[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 17:13, 19 August 2006 (PDT)
*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:11, 23 August 2006 (GMT)
*[[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 19:39, 23 August 2006 (CDT)
*[[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 11:33, 24 August 2006 (PDT)

:*'''This section has been forwarded on to the next stage.'''
[[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 15:47, 25 August 2006 (PDT)

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-27T11:10:25Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 27 */ Join some paragraphs

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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As long as you resist the urge to press it, you should be fine. (^^)b

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.0 ===

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area with people dressed as magicians surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Before he even has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

While searching for a way to return home, Saito must contend with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===
==== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 signing ====

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===
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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''Noble? How stupid. What nobles?''
''Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====


''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the embarrassed one, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and this is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."
A few students laughed while making those comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't think of me like a fool! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what is it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.

Everyone who was floating flew quietly towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page -- "23 俺 24 の体に何をした！" "23 me 24 's body what done!")

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I've never heard of it."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

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==== Page 27 ====

"No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a figure in my dreams, so you don't need to worry about it. Now let me wake up from this dream already."

"I don't know what you're on about, but you wanted me to hit you, right?"
Louise clenched her hands into fists.

"Yes please."

Those fists began to tremble.
Louise's expression became unreadable. But it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head.
"Are you at all concerned about this situation?"

"Dunno."

"Why did I, the third daughter of the Valliere family... A proud descendant of a true noble lineage, have to be stuck with a familiar like you?"

"Dunno."

"...And just who decided that the contract had be sealed by a kiss?"

"Dunno. Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

"Nightmare? That's my line!"
Louise thwacked Saito's head as hard as she could.
"On top of it all, that was my first kiss, you know that?!"

==== Page 28 ====

Perhaps she was a bit too forceful. Saito passed out thinking, ''and mine too!''

Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years old, and in the second year of high school.

Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years - no big deal.

Teacher's evaluation: "Ah, Saito-kun? He hates to lose, and he has a very strong sense of curiosity, but sometimes he just doesn't grasp the concept."

Parents' evaluation: "Study more. You're not smart enough."

He occasionally causes accidents without even realising so, but will take anything quite readily into stride.

Earlier when he saw those people fly, while anyone would've been surprised, his reaction was far more exaggerated than most - another significant aspect of his character.

To put it in more critical words, it means that he just doesn't think too deeply about things.

Also, he has a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might be quite similiar to Louise in personality.

Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, in Japan - and on Earth.

He was on his way home after having had his notebook computer repaired. Quite happily in fact, since now he could go on the internet once more. He'd also recently registered at an online dating site, and he might've even found himself a girlfriend.

==== Page 29 ====

Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life.

However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.

He'd been walking past the train station on his way home, when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him.

Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity is about double that of normal people.

It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness.

Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

This piqued his interest. ''What kind of natural phenomenon is this,'' he wondered, as he scrutinized the sparkling mirror-like object.

''I have no idea. I've never seen or heard of any kind of phenomenon like this.'' He went to sidestep around it, but his curiosity got the better of him.

He wanted to see if he could walk through it.

''No, maybe I shouldn't,'' he told himself. ''But it's just a couple of steps,'' he reasoned. What a helpless personality.

But first, he picked up a pebble and threw it experimentally.

The pebble disappeared into the middle of the mirror-like object.

''Oho,'' he thought. When he checked the other side of the mirror-like object, the pebble was nowhere to be seen.

Next he pulled his house key out from his pocket. He poked the mirror-like object with the tip of the key.

==== Page 30 ====

Nothing happened.

Withdrawing the key, he examined it, but nothing about it had changed. Saito judged that there wouldn't be any immediate danger if he walked through. Which only tempted him further to do it.

In the end, even as he felt he shouldn't, he stepped forward. It was much like opening up a manga soon after deciding you were going to nothing but study from now on.

He immediately regretted it, as an intense shock assailed his senses. He suddenly remembered back to when he was a child, when his mother had bought him some strange machine that supposedly made a person smarter by running an electric current through the body. It felt a lot like that.

Saito fainted. And when he opened his eyes...

He was in a fantasy world.

"Is that true?"
asked Louise, looking at Saito with an expression of disbelief. In her hand she held bread from tonight's dinner.

They were in Louise's room. It looked about 12 jou (note: measurement by tatami) big. If you treated the window as south, the bed was situated on the west side, the door to the north, and a big wardrobe stood to the east. Everything looked like valuable antiques.

==== Page 31 ====

Louise had brought Saito here, once he had regained consciousness.

Saito answered her, trying to ignore the pain in his head, which still hurt from that blow earlier.

"So what if it isn't?"

Never before had Saito been the slightest bit resentful of his own curiosity, until today.

''I never should've walked through that stupid thing...''

''This isn't Japan. It isn't even Earth.''

''Middle-school geography doesn't teach you about countries where there are magicians and flying people.''

''And even if there was such a place, what's with the huge moon? It's easily twice the size of ours.''

''Well, that's fine, I guess. Maybe in some countries there are nights it just looks bigger.''

''But having two moons is definitely abnormal. Did one suddenly appear, and I just didn't know about it?''

''No, that can't be. There's just no way. Which means, this really isn't Earth.''

It was dark now... Night had already fallen. ''I guess my family is worrying about me right now,'' he finished sadly.

From the window, he could see the grass plains where he'd rolled around. Opposite them, illuminated by moonlight, he could also see a big mountain range. And over to his right, a vast expanse of dense forest. Saito let out a sigh.

==== Page 32 ====

''This is totally different to what you'd see in Japan. There just aren't evergreen forests this wide there.''

The Academy grounds he passed on his way looked very much like some Middle Age castle. It had been a breathtaking spectacle that would've amazed him if he'd come here on a trip.

An entrance arch made of stone, and a sturdy staircase of the same...

This was Tristein Magic Academy, Louise had explained.

And that all of the Academy students lived in dormitories on the school grounds.

''Magic Academy, wonderful! Dormitories, splendid! It's just like a movie!'' (lit: "there are movies like this!")

''But, this isn't Earth...!''

"I can't believe it."

"Look, neither can I."

"By another world, what do you mean?"

"There aren't any magicians, and only one moon."

"There's such a world like that?"

"I'm telling you, it's where I came from!"

Saito shouted.

"Don't yell at me, you commoner."

"Who are you calling a commoner?!"

==== Page 33 ====

"Well, you're not a mage, right? Then you're a commoner."

"What's with all your talk of 'mages' and 'commoners?'"

"Hey, are you really from this world?"

"I've been telling you I'm not, all this time."

At that, Louise set her elbows on the table with a troubled look.

On the tabletop was a lamp with an art deco style shade. Its illumination suffused the room with a pale glow. It didn't seem there was any electricity.

''Jeez, electricity isn't that complicated to make is it? I feel like I'm back in that old foreign settler's hut that our family went to ages ago.''

''Wait, 'make?'''

''Oh, is that so. This is...''

"I got it."

"What did you get?"

Louise looked up.

"This is one of those candid camera programs. It's just a trick everyone is pulling on me, isn't it?"

"What's a 'candid camera?'"

"They'd stopped airing after someone got hurt, but they must've recently started coming up with new jokes, huh? So where's the camera?"

==== Page 34 ====

"What are you talking about?"

Saito sprung upon Louise.

"Kya--! What are you doing?!"

Knocking down the chair, he bore down on her.

"Where is the mike?! Is it here?"

Grabbing her roughly, he started to unbutton her blouse. However, a swift kick to the groin brought that to a halt... and left him on the floor in pain.

"Gaaaaaaaaaarrrgh..." (note: a painful moan)

"H-how dare you, to a noble such as I..."

Louise stood up, trembling furiously all over.

Through the intense agony, Saito thought, ''this is no dream.''

''Plus, this isn't Earth. It's an entirely different world.''

"Please..."

"What!"

"Send me back home..."

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's the only thing I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====


Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles. Not very tall, at around 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them.

If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. In the meantime, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from any and all enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke any and all thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed hurt, like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I be able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives in this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page. "44 飯ぐらいは食わせて 45 くれるらしい。")

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone I happened to meet through the dating site. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity had always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended upon the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-23T10:39:15Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 23 */ modify some of CrewKenobi's edits (and resplit some lines, while I'm editing here)

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== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Back Cover ===

Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

"Who are you?"

Hiraga Saito awakes to the pretty girl's question. Looking around, he finds himself in an unknown area where figures dressed as magicians are surrounding himself and the girl in question.

Louise, as she calls herself, explains that she "summoned" him from another world to be her 'familiar spirit.' Saito's apparent confusion about all this grows, especially after she kisses him and claims it's a contract! ''My first Kiss!'' he laments. Even before he has a chance to get angry at this situation, strange symbols appear on his left hand marking him as a familiar!

Searching for a method to return home, Saito must balance that with being forced to live with Louise as her familiar spirit...

So begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar!'

=== Insert ===

Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

Born in Feburary, 1972.
His debut was "Canary/This thought on a Song" in ‘Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.’
His other works consists of "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both from Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (MF bunko J), and many other serialization novel deals (such as “Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel").
He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

Currently drawing an illustration while working as an office worker, he has worked on one previous novel called "Doushi sama to issho" (Dengeki bunko).

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, intently peering at Saito's face, with the bright blue sky acting as her backdrop.
She seemed to be close to Saito's age and underneath her black mantle, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked at his face with shock.

''Her face is... Cute.'' Her reddish-brown eyes dance upon the stage of her flawless white skin and strawberry blonde hair.
''She looks kind of like a foreigner. Then again... she probably IS one. A cute, doll-like, foreign girl. Perhaps she’s half-Japanese?''
''But still, that's some kind of school uniform she's wearing, isn’t it? I don't recognize it.''

During this time, Saito had been lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had gotten there. He raised his head to take a look around.
Many people wearing black mantles were looking upon him with curiosity.
There, in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

''It's like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The crowd of people burst into laughter.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? For filming a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery exist in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of a look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

* [[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 13:58, 21 August 2006 (GMT)

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]
* [[User:The naming game|The naming game]] 16:24, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Bicube|Bicube]] 16:28, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:Nandeyanen|Nandeyanen]] 18:56, 22 August 2006 (PDT)
* [[User:CrowKenobi|CrowKenobi]] 20:06, 22 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your elemental speciality is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate courses specialized to that element.

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity to run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he must become your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him.
Hurry and form a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
she recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl in this weird place!''
Saito laid there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 19 ====

(Illustration -- KISU!)

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens, Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Perfume!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern I have never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around and then rose gently into the air.
Saito's jaw dropped in shock.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did... Did he fly? Is he floating in the air?''
''It can't be!''
The others, who looked like students, also floated up in the air all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups as
everyone who was floating quietly flew towards the stone-walled castle in the distance.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
the students said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath,
turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That's my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the renowned Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All of Saito's strength disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffin, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffin? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew, are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This has to be a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.0 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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----

Pages 27-34 to be added

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 12:09, 22 August 2006 (GMT) (I'm signing here since I'm not entirely convinced that this part is ready.)

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why do I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with a dispassionate look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise pouted.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching her long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise gave an irritated growl.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back."

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Louise's face was etched with discomfort as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally, only animals or magical beasts are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Say what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

*[[User:Da~Mike|Da~Mike]] 12:55, 22 August 2006 (GMT)

Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

* [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]] 09:09, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
The Following Editors Approve:

* [Signature Here]

----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly, they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not do anything particularly relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't seem to work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters,"
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulphur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do: laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yes, yes. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy,"
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

She then brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

''What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat.'' Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. ''A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.''

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. ''What exquisite and delicate pieces'', Saito thought as his face began to flush. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like she seemed disgruntled (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

''This girl is hopeless,'' he thought. ''She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.''

''I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.''

The feeling of homesickness was overwhelming.

''...When will I able to go back?''

''Is there even a way to go back?''

''I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...''

''Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...''

''What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?''

''Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.''

''No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.''

''I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.''

''Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.''

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

''It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.''

''Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.''

''Okay,'' thought Saito. ''It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.''

''I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home.''

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

''The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity,'' Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadows.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

''Mother,'' Saito thought. ''I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.''

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

User talk:CrowKenobi

2006-08-23T10:21:28Z

BlckKnght: Welcome!

Hi CrowKenobi,

Welcome to the project! I've been reading over your edits and had one suggestions to make. Please try to avoid joining or splitting lines, whevever possible. It will make reading the change history much easier for us.

I've also undone part few parts of one of your recent edits (on page 23):

:- The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito. 
:+ The only ones left behind was the girl named Louise and the boy/familiar/commoner named Saito.

The verb change is definately wrong (there are two of them) and though the added stuff before Saito is parallel to the description of Louise, I think is unneccessary. The original is a bit strange sounding, but maybe it would work better reversed. I'm going ot change it to:

:The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

Anyway, glad to have you working with us!

[[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 03:21, 23 August 2006 (PDT)

Talk:Suzumiya Haruhi:Volume2 Chapter1

2006-08-22T22:14:27Z

BlckKnght: /* Autumn is represented by the plum blossom */ add a reworded translation note (thanks to User:Nandeyanen)

== Translator's Notes ==

=== Autumn being represented by plum blossoms ===

In Japanese poetry, plum blossoms traditionally represent Spring, not Autumn. See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ume#Cultural_significance here] for more information.

== Open Translation Issues ==

=== She tilted her head like a manakin reminiscing over the taste of the seeds it ate the day before. ===

This sentance doesn't make much sense to me. I was about to correct the spelling of "manakin" (which should be either "manikin" or "mannequin"), but the rest of the sentance has me confused. Why would a manakin have been eating seeds the previous day? Is this a reference to something in Japanese culture, or a mistranslation?

--[[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 16:24, 29 May 2006 (PDT)

A manakin is a type of bird, so it makes sense.

Wait, mannikin fits better since they feed mainly on seeds.

Wouldn't 桜文鳥 be a java sparrow?

桜文鳥 - さくらぶんちょう(Sakurabunchou), パイド文鳥(Pied Bunchou) - Sakura (Cherry) or Pied is a mutation of the Java Sparrow

Info: [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%96%E3%83%B3%E3%83%81%E3%83%A7%E3%82%A6 JP Wiki]

Image: [http://www.efinch.com/species/java.htm E-Finch] Scroll to bottom for the Pied Java

--[[User:GDsMDDLFNGR|GDsMDDLFNGR]] 01:46, 31 May 2006 (PDT)

So then should it be left as is? The gist of the sentence is still there.

Although just about any bird will do, I'd prefer that we keep these things as close to the original as possibe. ( ﾟωﾟ)

--The above unsigned comment was made by [[User:GDsMDDLFNGR|GDsMDDLFNGR]] at 2006-06-01 00:16:39

I've just changed the text to say "Java Sparrow." The initial issue was that I (and aparently [http://project.baka-tsuki.net/index.php?title=Suzumiya_Haruhi:Volume2_Chapter1&diff=3759&oldid=3659 an anonymous editor]) did not recognize that "Mannikin" was the name of a type of bird, thus this question and the eventual changing in the text to "mannequin" (a dummy used to show off clothes in a store). That doesn't make much sense given the reference to seeds, so I think a more obvious bird name is a good idea (especially if it gets us closer to the original meaning).

--[[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 03:18, 1 August 2006 (PDT)

=== Paragraphs uno and dos reworded ===

As there might be some problem regarding the acceptance of the rewording, I only reworded the first two paragraphs. Now it doesn't sound so much like vomit from a translator program. If you think that the translation is now off as a consequence, then revert it back to the previous version and I won't do it again lol. Honestly, it just didn't seem to flow right.

Reworded and cleaned up the next three paragraphs. It still conveys the original idea so I hope there's no issues.

--[[User:Jayohz|Jayohz]] 23:11, 1 June 2006 (PDT)

=== Autumn is represented by the plum blossom revisited ===

I am trying to move a translators note from within the text to [[{{FULLPAGENAME}}#Autumn_is_represented_by_the_plum_blossom|this page]], but it seems to me that something is wrong with it. The original note I was copying from the text was:

:The Japanese use various symbols to represent their seasons, like cherry blossoms for spring, goldfish for summer, etc.

And I intended to elaborate a little bit. However, upon looking at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ume#Cultural_significance this] Wikipedia entry it seems that plum blossoms represent Spring (or possibly Winter), not Autumn.

Would sombody check the origial book to make sure we have it correct? It could be that Haruhi is spouting nonsense here, but it also might be a mistake on our part.

--[[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 03:18, 1 August 2006 (PDT)

I think it might just a minor mistranslation of that portion. I took a look at Strato's version to see how he translated it, and he interpreted it as:

''"Real ghosts in a haunted house, stairs where the number of steps suddenly increase, the seven wonders of the school turn into thirteen wonders, the principal's hair tripling in size into an afro, the school building transforms and fights with some monster that comes out of the ocean, or plum becoming a seasonal word for fall. That kind of stuff"''

(''Note: Japanese poetry has groups of words linked to each season. Plum is linked to the season of spring.'')

Strato's translation seems to make sense, as all of the examples that Haruhi lists involve changes, and that seems to be what she most craves.

--[[User:Nandeyanen|Nandeyanen]] 11:28, 1 August 2006 (PDT)

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-22T17:58:25Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 40 */ zap weird apostrophe after "its" (posessive, so there should be none)

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-22T00:19:24Z

BlckKnght: /* Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 */ sign off

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T14:18:04Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 26 */ hamburgers=>hamburger (they're actually spelled differently in katakana!)

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== Chapter 01 ==

Script is located below.

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin as their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito found himself lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as hers.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could it be any place in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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----

==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your magical attribute (alt: elemental speciality) is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate specialised (elemental) courses."

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern I have never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards the stone-walled castle quietly.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.

Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.
She turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All strength in Saito disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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----

==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T14:14:08Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 25 */ minor rewording

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin as their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito found himself lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as hers.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could it be any place in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your magical attribute (alt: elemental speciality) is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate specialised (elemental) courses."

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern I have never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards the stone-walled castle quietly.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.

Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.
She turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All strength in Saito disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you've probably never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburgers. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T14:10:17Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 23 */ was => were

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin as their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito found himself lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as hers.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could it be any place in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

''Or maybe a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided, revealing a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It's possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what's going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying things like, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''It's too bad she's in this weird religious group, especially since she's so cute.''


"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your magical attribute (alt: elemental speciality) is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate specialised (elemental) courses."

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''How did I end up in a place like this.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an opportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I've been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring takes priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are going to take for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralyzed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The hot sensation lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man known as Colbert, came to the kneeing Saito
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern I have never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, Saito really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle-aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards the stone-walled castle quietly.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.

Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.
She turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?!"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All strength in Saito disappeared.
He was getting a really unpleasant feeling about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I've told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I'll give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that isn't cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise wasn't laughing.

"Well, you probably haven't seen any before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand that, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell to his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I'll wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburgers. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T12:34:03Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 17 */ change period back to comma at end of quote, before attribution

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin as their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito found himself lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as hers.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could it be any place in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Or could it be a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided and there appeared a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It is possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what is going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''I feel sorry that she is in this weird religious group, especially since she is so cute.''

"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your magical attribute (alt: elemental speciality) is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate specialised (elemental) courses."

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''Why have I come to such a place.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an oportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I have been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring has priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are taking for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralysed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The feeling of heat lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man who is called Colbert came to the kneeing Saito,
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern he had never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, he really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards that stone wall castle quietly.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.

Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.
She turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All the strength in Saito disappeared.
He felt there was something really unpleasant about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I will give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that is not cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise was not laughing.

"Well, you probably have never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand it, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell onto his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I will wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T12:25:53Z

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin as their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito found himself lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====


''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What do you mean by that?'' Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as hers.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you trying to do, calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What mistake are you talking about? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.''

''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it's too big to be a movie set. Could it be any place in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Or could it be a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided and there appeared a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It is possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what is going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''I feel sorry that she is in this weird religious group, especially since she is so cute.''

"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your magical attribute (alt: elemental speciality) is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate specialised (elemental) courses."

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''Why have I come to such a place.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an oportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I have been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring has priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are taking for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey."
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens; a thing like this carried out by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralysed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The feeling of heat lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man who is called Colbert came to the kneeing Saito,
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern he had never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, he really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards that stone wall castle quietly.

"Louise, you'd better walk back!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.
The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.

Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.
She turned toward Saito and yelled,
"Who are you?"

That made Saito mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All the strength in Saito disappeared.
He felt there was something really unpleasant about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I will give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that is not cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise was not laughing.

"Well, you probably have never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand it, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell onto his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I will wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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----

==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T10:55:26Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 23 */ change illusions => tricks and a little more rewording

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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----

Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin for their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito had come to be lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Saito Hiraga."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What is that?'' Everyone around him was holding a stick in their hands and wearing the same uniform as she was.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you going to do calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What are you talking about a mistake? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she is Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It seemed the girl who was looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. I don't see any recognisable buildings.''
''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it is too big to be a movie set. Was there any location like this in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Or could it be a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided and there appeared a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It is possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what is going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''I feel sorry that she is in this weird religious group, especially since she is so cute.''

"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"Your magical attribute (alt: elemental speciality) is decided by the familiar that you
summon. This enables you to advance to the appropriate specialised (elemental) courses."

You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have any choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said that. She scowled at them,
but the laughter didn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''Why have I come to such a place.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an oportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I have been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring has priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are taking for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling to her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens, a thing like this, done by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
''The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.''
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralysed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected, to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lay around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The feeling of heat lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man who is called Colbert came to the kneeing Saito,
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern he had never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, he really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? One person could float in the air by some trick, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards that stone wall castle quietly.

"Louise, you walk!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.

The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.
Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.

Then she looked at Saito and yelled,
"What are you?"

Saito got mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! What are you all?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All the strength in Saito disappeared.
He felt there was something really unpleasant about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I will give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that is not cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise was not laughing.

"Well, you probably have never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand it, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell onto his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I will wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T04:07:51Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 24 */ uncapitalize "mages"

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin for their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito had come to be lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Saito Hiraga."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What is that?'' Everyone around him was holding a stick in their hands and wearing the same uniform as she was.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you going to do calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What are you talking about a mistake? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she is Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It seemed the girl who was looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. I don't see any recognisable buildings.''
''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it is too big to be a movie set. Was there any location like this in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Or could it be a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided and there appeared a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It is possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what is going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''I feel sorry that she is in this weird religious group, especially since she is so cute.''

"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"You fix a future attribute in the familiar spirit which appeared by a summoning
and then advance to a specialized course with it.
You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have a choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I have never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said it. She scowled at them,
but the laughter wouldn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''Why have I come to such a place.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an oportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I have been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring has priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are taking for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling to her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens, a thing like this, done by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
''The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.''
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralysed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected, to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lay around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The feeling of heat lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man who is called Colbert came to the kneeing Saito,
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern he had never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, he really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? The man could float in the air with illusions, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards that stone wall castle quietly.

"Louise, you walk!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.

The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.
Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.

Then she looked at Saito and yelled,
"What are you?"

Saito got mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! What are you all?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All the strength in Saito disappeared.
He felt there was something really unpleasant about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I will give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that is not cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise was not laughing.

"Well, you probably have never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand it, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell onto his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I will wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T04:01:34Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 14 */ fix a missing apostraphe, and reword a couple sentances while I'm at it

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin for their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito had come to be lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Saito Hiraga."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What is that?'' Everyone around him was holding a stick in their hands and wearing the same uniform as she was.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you going to do calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What are you talking about a mistake? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she is Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It seemed the girl who was looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. I don't see any recognisable buildings.''
''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it is too big to be a movie set. Was there any location like this in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Or could it be a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided and there appeared a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere.''
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It is possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what is going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

The girl, Louise, was saying, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''I feel sorry that she is in this weird religious group, especially since she is so cute.''

"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"You fix a future attribute in the familiar spirit which appeared by a summoning
and then advance to a specialized course with it.
You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have a choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I have never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said it. She scowled at them,
but the laughter wouldn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''Why have I come to such a place.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an oportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I have been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring has priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are taking for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling to her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens, a thing like this, done by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
''The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.''
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralysed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected, to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lay around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The feeling of heat lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man who is called Colbert came to the kneeing Saito,
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern he had never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, he really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? The man could float in the air with illusions, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards that stone wall castle quietly.

"Louise, you walk!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.

The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.
Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.

Then she looked at Saito and yelled,
"What are you?"

Saito got mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! What are you all?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if Mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All the strength in Saito disappeared.
He felt there was something really unpleasant about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I will give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that is not cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise was not laughing.

"Well, you probably have never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand it, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell onto his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I will wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T03:46:37Z

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== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin for their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito had come to be lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Saito Hiraga."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What is that?'' Everyone around him was holding a stick in their hands and wearing the same uniform as she was.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you going to do calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What are you talking about a mistake? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she is Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It seemed the girl who was looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. I don't see any recognisable buildings.''
''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it is too big to be a movie set. Was there any location like this in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Or could it be a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided and there appeared a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have the right atmosphere for it.'
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It is possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what is going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

That girl Louise was saying, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''I feel sorry that she is in this weird religious group, especially since she is so cute.''

"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"You fix a future attribute in the familiar spirit which appeared by a summoning
and then advance to a specialized course with it.
You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have a choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I have never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said it. She scowled at them,
but the laughter wouldn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''Why have I come to such a place.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an oportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I have been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring has priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are taking for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling to her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens, a thing like this, done by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
''The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.''
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralysed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected, to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lay around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language before nobles?"

The feeling of heat lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man who is called Colbert came to the kneeing Saito,
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern he had never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, he really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? The man could float in the air with illusions, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards that stone wall castle quietly.

"Louise, you walk!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.

The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.
Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.

Then she looked at Saito and yelled,
"What are you?"

Saito got mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! What are you all?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if Mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All the strength in Saito disappeared.
He felt there was something really unpleasant about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I will give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that is not cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise was not laughing.

"Well, you probably have never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand it, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell onto his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I will wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T03:35:09Z

BlckKnght: /* Page 16 */ a couple of word changes

*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin for their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito had come to be lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Saito Hiraga."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What is that?'' Everyone around him was holding a stick in their hands and wearing the same uniform as she was.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you going to do calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What are you talking about a mistake? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she is Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It seemed the girl who was looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. I don't see any recognisable buildings.''
''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it is too big to be a movie set. Was there any location like this in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Or could it be a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided and there appeared a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have the right atmosphere for it.'
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It is possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what is going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

That girl Louise was saying, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''I feel sorry that she is in this weird religious group, especially since she is so cute.''

"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"You fix a future attribute in the familiar spirit which appeared by a summoning
and then advance to a specialized course with it.
You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have a choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I have never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said it. She scowled at them,
but the laughter wouldn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''Why have I come to such a place.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an oportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I have been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exceptions, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he must be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in our history,
but the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring has priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are taking for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling to her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens, a thing like this, done by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
''The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.''
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralysed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected, to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lay around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language at nobles?"

The feeling of heat lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man who is called Colbert came to the kneeing Saito,
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern he had never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, he really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? The man could float in the air with illusions, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards that stone wall castle quietly.

"Louise, you walk!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.

The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.
Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.

Then she looked at Saito and yelled,
"What are you?"

Saito got mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! What are you all?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if Mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All the strength in Saito disappeared.
He felt there was something really unpleasant about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I will give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that is not cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise was not laughing.

"Well, you probably have never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand it, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell onto his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I will wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter1

2006-08-21T03:32:49Z

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

== Chapter 01 ==

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=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.1 ===

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Chapter 1 I'm a familiar spirit

==== Page 12 ====

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into Saito's face steadily with the bright blue sky behind her.
She seemed to be about Saito's age and she wore a white blouse with a gray pleated skirt under a black cape. She crouched down, looking at his face in amazement.

''Her face is... Cute. Her reddish-brown eyes dance, with her strawberry blond hair and her flawless white skin for their stage.''
''She seems like a foreigner. Well... She is. But she is such a cute foreign girl, like a doll. Or is she half-Japanese?''
''Anyway, her uniform, I wonder which school it belongs to? I have never seen it before.''

Somehow Saito had come to be lying with his back on the ground, looking at the sky. He lifted his head up to look around.
A lot of people with black capes were looking at him with curiosity.
There in the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like he had seen in those European tour photographs.

''This is just like a fantasy.''

==== Page 13 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''This is giving me a headache,'' Saito thought, shaking his head.

"Who am I...? I'm Saito Hiraga."

"Where are you from, commoner?"

''Commoner? What is that?'' Everyone around him was holding a stick in their hands and wearing the same uniform as she was.
''Did I get lost in an American school or something?''

"Louise, what are you going to do calling a commoner at the Servant Summoning?"
someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

"I... I just made little mistake!"

A girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell,
"What are you talking about a mistake? That's your usual."

"Of course! After all, she is Louise the Zero!"
The wall of people laughed out loud.

It seemed the girl who was looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

''Either way this is no American school. I don't see any recognisable buildings.''
''Could it be a movie set? Filming for a movie?'' Saito thought all of a sudden.
''But it is too big to be a movie set. Was there any location like this in Japan?''

==== Page 14 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Or could it be a new theme park? But then, why am I lying down in such a place?''

"Mr. Colbert!"
the girl called Louise shouted. The wall of people divided and there appeared a middle-aged man.
Saito thought it was funny, because the man looked ridiculous.
He carried a big wooden cane and was wearing a black robe that covered his whole body.

''What kind of look is that? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he sane?''
''I've got it, this must be a place for cosplay.''
''But it doesn't seem to have the right atmosphere for it.'
Suddenly Saito was gripped with fear. ''What am I going to do if this is a religious group? It is possible.''
''They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town.''
''That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no explanation for this.''
''I'd better stay quiet, until I know what is going on,'' Saito thought to himself.

That girl Louise was saying, "Let me try it again," and "Please," while waving her arms wildly.

''I feel sorry that she is in this weird religious group, especially since she is so cute.''

"What is it, Miss. Vallière?"

"Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.2 ===

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==== Page 15 ====

''A summoning?''
''What is that? They mentioned it earlier.''

Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head.
"That won't be allowed, Miss Vallière."

"Why not, sir?"

"It is the rule. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar spirit.
Which is what you just did."

''A familiar spirit?''
''What is that?''

"You fix a future attribute in the familiar spirit which appeared by a summoning
and then advance to a specialized course with it.
You can't change the familiar spirit once you've summoned it, because the Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring is a holy ceremony.
Whether you like it or not, you don't have a choice but to have him as your familiar spirit."

"But... I have never heard of having a commoner as a familiar spirit!"
Everyone around laughed as Louise said it. She scowled at them,
but the laughter wouldn't stop.

''The 'Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring?'''
''What is that?''

==== Page 16 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''I don't understand. What are they talking about?''
''Why have I come to such a place.... It has to be a new religious group.''
''It might be possible for me to find an oportunity and run away.''
''I mean really, where is this place?''
''Was I taken to a foreign country?''
''An abduction! I have been abducted!''
''I'm in real trouble,'' thought Saito.

"This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I can't allow any exception, he is..."
The middle-aged man cosplaying as a wizard pointed at Saito.
"He might be a commoner but as long as he was summoned by you,
he has to be your familiar spirit. We have never had a human summoned as a familiar spirit in history,
but a Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring has priority over every rule.
Therefore he will be your familiar spirit."

"You have got to be joking..."
Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

"Well, then. Continue with the ceremony."

"What? With him?"

"Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute.
How long do you think you are taking for the summoning?
Mistake after mistake, you have finally summoned him.
So hurry up and make a contract."

==== Page 17 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page)

Everyone agreed and jeered.

Louise stared at Saito's face as if it was troubling to her.

''What is it? What is she going to do to me?''

"Hey,"
Louise called Saito.

"Yes?"

"You should be appreciative. It usually never happens, a thing like this, done by a noble."

''A noble? How stupid. Give me a break, a noble?''
''You are a warped bunch, a cosplaying new religious group.''

Louise closed her eyes as if she had given up.
She waved around a little wooden stick, which was in her hand.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de la Vallière. A pentagon, which holds five powers,
bless this humble being, and make him become my familiar spirit,"
She recited, like a sonorous incantation.

She touched Saito's forehead with the wooden stick.
Her lips then slowly drew closer.

''What... What are you doing?!''

==== Page 18 ====

"Just stay still."
Louise said, upset.
Her face got closer.

"Hey, wait. Well, I'm... Well, I'm not ready for this..."

His face gradually shook as he panicked.

"Uh! I told you to stay still!"
Louise roughly grabbed Saito's face with her left hand.

"Huh?"

"Mmm..."

Louise's lips touched Saito's.

''What, what is this! This is what that contract means?!''
''The touch of her soft lips confused Saito more.''
''My first kiss! But it was taken by this weird girl at this weird place!''
Saito lay there, paralysed.

Louise let go of his lips.
"It is done."

==== Page 20 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

''Her face is red. Is she embarrassed by her impudence? What an idiot,'' Saito thought.

"I should be the one embarrassed, not you! You kissed me all of a sudden!"

But Louise completely ignored Saito.

''You kissed me and that is how you act? How rude.''
''Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and get online,'' Saito thought.
He had just registered himself to a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

"You had failed on The Spell of Familiar Spirit Summoning of Spring many times, but you have managed to succeed with the Servant Contract,"
Colbert said happily.

"She was able to make a servant contract, because he is just a commoner."

"If he was a high-powered illusion beast, she would never have made a contract."
A few students laughed at the frequently said comments.

Louise scowled at them.
"Don't make a fool out of me! Even if it happens rarely, I can still do things right!"

"You are right, it rarely happens. Louise the Zero."
A girl laughed at Louise, a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

"Mr. Colbert! Montmorency the Flood has insulted me!"

==== Page 21 ====

"Who are you calling 'the Flood?' I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

"I've heard that you used to wet the bed like it was flooding, so 'the Flood' suits you better!"

"How dare you, Louise the Zero! What can I say? You are a zero!"

"Watch it! Nobles are to respect each other,"
the middle-aged, cosplaying man interjected, to stop them.

''What are they talking about? A contract? A Servant Contract? ''

At that instant, Saito's body started to get hot.

"Aaah!"
Saito stood up.
"It's hot!"

"It will be over soon, just wait. The Runes of the Spell of Summoning are being engraved,"
Louise said, irritated.

"Don't engrave it! What did you do to my body?!"

''There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lay around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!''

"By the way."

"What?"

==== Page 22 ====

"Do you think it's forgivable for a commoner to use that kind of language at nobles?"

The feeling of heat lasted only for a second.
His body rapidly returned to a normal state.

"That was quick..."

The middle-aged cosplaying man who is called Colbert came to the kneeing Saito,
and checked the back of his left hand.
There, jumping around were unfamiliar letters.

''Is this a word? It looks like a wriggling snake, in a pattern he had never seen before.''
Saito stared at it and thought, ''if this isn't magic, then what was it?''

"Hummm..."

At this point, he really lost it.

"This is a very rare Rune."
The middle aged wizard said.

"Who are you people?!"
Saito yelled out, but no one reacted.

"Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

The middle-aged cosplaying wizard turned around then floated in the air.
Saito's jaw dropped as he stared at him.

==== Page 23 ====

''Did.. Did he fly? Floating in the air?''
''It can't be.''
The others, who looked like students floated up in the air, all at once.

''It can't be! More of them? The man could float in the air with illusions, but all of them?''
Saito looked for wires, even a crane. But the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain.
There was nothing to suggest any tricks or setups.
Everyone who was floating flew towards that stone wall castle quietly.

"Louise, you walk!"
"She can't fly. She can't even manage levitation."
"That commoner is just what you need!"
they said, as they flew away.

The only ones left behind were the girl named Louise and Saito.
Louise took a deep breath as soon as it was only the two of them.

Then she looked at Saito and yelled,
"What are you?"

Saito got mad. He thought, ''That is my line!''

"Who are you? Where is this place?! What are you all?! Why can you fly?!"

==== Page 24 ====
(quotation continued from previous page?)

"What did you do to my body?!"

"I don't know which country you came from but I will explain it to you."

"A country? This is a country? Tokyo is nothing like this!"

"Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

"Japan."

"What? I have never heard of it before."

"Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

But Louise took no notice of it at all.
Instead, she seemed to think, "What's wrong with flying?"

"Of course they do, what would we do if Mages couldn't fly?"

"Mages? What is this place?!"
Saito grabbed Louise's shoulder and yelled.

"This is Tristein! And this is the well known Tristein Magic School!"

"A magic school?"

"I'm a second year student, Louise de la Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

==== Page 25 ====

All the strength in Saito disappeared.
He felt there was something really unpleasant about the situation.
"Excuse me... Louise-san."

"What?"

"Was I really summoned?"

"I told you so, so many times. Over and over again. Just give up. I will give up too.
Why is my familiar spirit a creature that is not cool at all...
I wanted to have something cool, like a dragon, a griffon, or a manticore.
At least an eagle or an owl."

"A dragon or griffon? What do you mean?"

"I was just saying that I wish had one of those as my familiar spirit."

"Do they really exist?"

"They do, why?"

"You're kidding me,"
Saito said, and laughed. But Louise was not laughing.

"Well, you probably have never seen them before,"
Louise said, with pity in her voice.
She didn't look like she was joking.

==== Page 26 ====

The mages who flew away from here, and the fantasy words suddenly connected.

He felt a chill run down his spine and broke out in a cold sweat.
"I thought maybe... Since they flew. Are you people really witches and wizards?"

"Yes we are! If you understand it, let go of my shoulder!
You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

''A dream... This is a dream...''
Slowly his strength left him from his waist down and Saito fell onto his knees.

"Louise,"
he said with a weak voice.

"Don't call me by my name."

"Hit me."

"What?"

"Hit me in the head as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"I want to wake up from this dream now. I will wake up from this dream and get online.
Tonight's dinner is hamburger. My mother mentioned it."

"Get online?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 1.3? ===

Pages 27-34 to be added (I suppose)

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.1 ===

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==== Page 35 ====

"That's impossible."

"But why...?"

"Because, you've been bound by a contract as my familiar. It doesn't matter if you come from the countryside, or even a completely different world as you've said. Once the bond is established, it cannot be undone."

"You gotta be kidding..."

"Look, I don't like this either! Why did I have to be stuck with a familiar like you?!"

"Well then, send me back."

"Are you saying you're really from another world?"
asked Louise, seemingly still perplexed.

"Yeah."
Saito nodded.

"Show me some proof."

Wincing at the pain where he'd just been kicked, Saito stood up, and opened his bag.

"What's that?"

"A notebook computer,"
replied Saito.

==== Page 36 ====

The surface of the recently-repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light.

"I've certainly never seen something like this. What kind of magic item is it?"

"It's not magic. It's science."

Saito pushed the power button, and the computer came to life with a 'whirr.'

"Uwah! What is that?!"

Louise gave a surprised yelp, as the screen flickered on.

"The notebook screen."

"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"

"Science."

Louise stared at Saito with a blank expression. Clearly she didn't get it.
"So, what kind of element is this 'science?' Is it different from the four elemental powers?"

"Argh, enough already! In any case, it's not magic!"
Saito waved his hands around wildly.

Louise sat on the edge of her bed and dangled her feet. Then shrugging, she spoke with an unconcerned look.
"Hmm. But that's what I don't understand...."

"Why? Is there something like this, in this world too?"

==== Page 37 ====

Louise stuck out her lips in a pout.
"No, but..."

"Then just believe me! There's nothing to understand!"

Clutching at her own long hair, Louise just shook her head.
"All right! I'll believe you!"

"Really?"

Crossing her arms and cocking her head, Louise made an annoying sound.
"Only because you would've gone on about it if I didn't say so."

"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you've got it. Now, send me back"

"I told you, that's impossible."

"But why?!"

Worry was etched on Louise's face as she answered Saito.
"That's because, there's no spell that can connect this world to your world."

"Then how did I end up here?"

"I don't know how!"

Saito and Louise glared at each other.

"Listen, I'm being completely honest when I say there's no such spell. Most people don't even know that another world exists."

==== Page 38 ====

"It obviously does, if I'm here!"

"The spell of Summoning is used to call living beings from within Halkeginia. Normally only things like animals or fantastic creatures are summoned. This is actually the first instance that I've seen a person summoned."

"Stop talking about it like you're not involved. In that case, cast that spell on me one more time."

"Why?"

"It might return me to my world."

Looking discernably perplexed, Louise tilted her head to one side.

"...That won't work. The spell of Summoning is strictly a one-way spell. No incantation of any kind exists to return a summoned familiar back to where it was brought from."

"Whatever, just try it."

"It's impossible. And I can't even cast it now."

"What? Why?"

"...Using The spell of Summoning again is..."

"Yeah?"

"...Completely ineffective unless the familiar you first summoned has died."

"Has what?"

==== Page 39 ====
(paragraph continued from previous page?)

Saito's body froze.

"Would you like to die?"

"Err... I'll pass."
He hung his head.
His eyes trailed down to the runes that had been inscribed on his left hand.

"Oh, that?"

"Yeah."

"That's like a stamp that says you're my familiar."

Louise stood up and crossed her arms.
If you looked closely, she was actually quite cute. Slender and well-proportioned legs, thin ankles, and not too tall with a height of 155cm.
Her eyes were like a curious kitten's, and her eyebrows traced a subtle line over them. If Saito had met her through the message boards of a dating site, he would've hopped and leaped for joy. But alas, this wasn't Earth. No matter how much he wanted to go back, he couldn't. Saito choked up at this thought, and his shoulders drooped.

"...Yeah, all right. For the meanwhile, I guess I'll be your familiar."

"Come again?"

"What, you got a problem with that?"

----

=== Chapter 01 - Part 2.2 ===

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==== Page 40 ====

"I see you're still not used to formal speech. It should be, 'Is there something you wish to address, master?'"
corrected Louise, one finger raised as if lecturing. The gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict.

"But um, what exactly does a familiar do?"
asked Saito. Of course, he had seen ravens and owls appear as familiars in anime involving magicians. But mostly they would just sit on their master's shoulder and not actually do anything relevant.

"Firstly, a familiar is able to grant its master an enhancement in vision and hearing."

"Like how?"

"That means what the familiar sees, the master can also see."

"Oh."

"But it seems that doesn't work with you. I can't see anything."

"Yeah, but like that matters."
Saito said off-handedly.

"And also, a familiar will retrieve items that its master desires. For instance, reagents."

"Reagents?"

"A catalyst you use when casting certain spells. Something like sulfur, or moss..."

"Uh-huh..."

==== Page 41 ====

"But you won't ever find me stuff like that, will you? Considering you don't even know what kind of reagents there are."

"Nope."

Louise frowned irritably, but continued talking.
"And this is most important of all... A familiar exists to protect its master! The task of protecting them from all and any enemies is a duty of the highest priority! But that might be a little bit problematic for you..."

"Since I'm human..."

"...A powerful magical beast would almost always defeat its enemies, but I don't think you could even beat a raven."

"Shut up."

"That's why I'm only making you do things I'm fairly sure you can do. Laundry, cleaning, and other miscellaneous tasks."

"Don't insult me. I'll be sure to find a way to get back home!"

"Yeah yeah. In fact, I'll be glad if you do. Because when you return to your world, I'll be able to summon a new familiar."

"Why you..."

"Right then, all this talking has made me sleepy."
said Louise with a great yawn.

"Where do I sleep?"

==== Page 42 ====

Louise pointed to the floor.

"I'm not some dog or cat, you know."

"But there's nowhere else. And there's only one bed."
She threw him a blanket.

And then she brought her hand up to the top button of her blouse.

One by one, the buttons came undone.

Soon she was down to her underwear. Saito blushed.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?!"

Louise answered as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I'm going to sleep, so I'm getting changed."

"Do it somewhere else where I can't see you!"

"Why?"

"Because! It makes the situation awkward! Seriously!"

"It's not awkward at all."

"Is that because you're a mage? You're okay with doing that in plain sight of a guy?"

"A guy? Who? I don't need to think anything of being watched by my familiar."

What the heck. That's exactly how you'd treat a dog or cat. Saito grabbed the blanket, threw it over his head, and turned away.

==== Page 43 ====

First of all, he decided to revoke all and any thoughts he'd previously had about her being cute. She just really got on his nerves. A girl like her, a mage? Yeah right.

"Oh, and these. Wash them for me tomorrow."
Several items came flying over to land softly beside him.
He picked them up, wondering what they were.

A lacy camisole, and matching panties. White, too. What exquisite and delicate pieces, Saito thought, face heating up. He clenched the items tightly as a mix of indignation and delight welled up.

"Why do I have to-- Your underwear?! Wash them?! Frankly, I'm both flattered and offended!"

He bolted upright, without even realising he'd done so. Louise was pulling a large nightgown over her head. And in the dim light thrown off by the lamp, he could see the outline of her figure. While he couldn't make out any other details, it didn't seem as though she was embarrassed. More like, she seemed rueful (note: originally 'kuyashii', but I toyed with various synonyms), like a boy who'd just been rejected.

"Who do you think is going to support you? Who do you think is going to give you food? And just whose room are you in?"

"Uhh..."

==== Page 44 ====

"You're my familiar, right? Laundry, cleaning, other menial tasks - they're naturally your jobs."

Saito pulled the blanket over his head again.

This girl is hopeless, he thought. She just doesn't see me as a guy at all.

I want to go home. I miss my room. I miss my parents.

This feeling of homesickness is overwhelming.

...When will I able to go back?

Is there even a way to go back?

I wonder if my family is worried about me right now...

Anyway, I need to find some way of returning...

What should I do? Should I try running away from here? But then what?

Maybe I'll try asking someone. But from what Louise told me earlier, nobody even knows another world exists, so there's no way they'll believe me.

No, I need to think about this critically. In any case, struggling won't get me anywhere. I don't have any clues, and even if I escaped from here, there's no guarantee that I'll even find a way back.

I don't even have relatives on this world. There's nobody I can rely on, except for a conceited girl named Louise.

Guess there's no choice. For now, I'll be her familiar. At least she said she'll keep me fed.

==== Page 45 ====
(paragraph continues from previous page?)

It'll be tough, since I'm not much more than a familiar to her.

Sure, she's a bit arrogant, but at least she's fairly cute. I suppose I can just imagine I made a girlfriend. Someone from the dating site I've finally managed to meet. Treat it as if I came overseas just to see her. Or I came as a foreign student. Actually, that's better. Yeah, that's what I'll think. Hah, I'm so simple like that. It's great.

Okay, thought Saito. It's not like I've been stranded on a deserted island. Moping will achieve nothing.

I'll live as a familiar, and in the process, I'll look for a way to return home. (note: everything up to now was him thinking)

Now that his plan was set, he felt noticeably sleepy.

No matter the situation, Saito's amazing adaptablity has always saved him. Where anyone else would've panicked and crumbled, Saito came through thanks to his fluid personality.

Louise snapped her fingers, and the glow of the lamp died out.

The lamp is magical too? I guess that way there's no need for electricity, Saito reasoned.

A shroud of darkness descended on the room, enveloping it in shadow.

Outside the window, the two moons shone down mysteriously.

Mother, Saito thought. I've ended up in a world of actual magicians. I don't think I can go to school for a while. I won't be able to study either. Please forgive me.

And so began Saito's life as a familiar.