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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter7

2026-07-13T19:45:54Z

KaiserVonMegalo:

===Chapter 7: Our Home===

"Hurry up! You guys need to be more careful with that!"

In the deep Mons mines, located in the southern part of Tristain, right at the end of Tunnel No. 16, Eléonore, dressed in working clothes, was making a fuss.

In front of her, the guys from the Ondine were struggling with all they had to handle a strange machine.

The magical device was used to search the mines for 'wind stones' lying in the interior of the Earth.

After digging through the earth in order to locate the wind stone deposits, a light in the device would indicate its relative position. The tip of the machine was then inserted into the ground, and soil was expelled from its back and thus it opened the way for the boys.

This device had been designed in reference to the manner by which earthworms moved across the ground.

Normally the machine had a limiter which did not allow a search to a depth greater than 200 mails. This device for wind stone research had been modified by Eléonore herself, the Chief Executive Engineer of the Department of 'Earth' Magic Research Institute.

By using this machine, they were able to reach a depth close to 1 league (kilomail). However, in exchange those who operated it must constantly recite spells in order to handle the device's 'remote'. This type of operation must be performed with extreme care, otherwise it could break midway and there was even a risk that it might stop functioning completely.

So the guys of the Ondine who handled that device were nervously reciting the spell, as their foreheads remained soaked in sweat.

However, the reason why they were so nervous was the commander of special search team, who was frightening and unbearable.

Until recently they had managed to achieve a great distance, cooperating all together while reciting the spell needed for the remote control of the machine. However, for an order of knights who were not used to reciting specialized spells, it was obvious that they would show great difficulty and commit constant errors.

"Damn! What kind of secret mission is this?! At least they should have assigned me a competent staff from the Magic Research Institute!" Eléonore said, as her anger was increasing.

Since returning from the garden party, Henrietta had given the order for the Magic Research Institute to begin an investigation in the wind stone mines. Also, they are specified to dig as deep as they could. Due the high degree of confidentiality involved in this research, it was decided to deploy the Ondine Knights to carry out this task.

And that was why Eléonore was so angry, throwing tantrums as she had to endure the young inexperienced group who didn't have the slightest idea of how undertake true academic research.

"E-Eléonore-sama... We stopped." reported Malicorne to Eléonore while trembling.

The moment she heard this, Eléonore's eyes were lit with anger.

"Hah? You! A while ago you also said that! So now you're saying it again? So tell me, what is your excuse now?"

Upon hearing this, Malicorne tried to answer in a low scared voice.

"B-but... I, it's that yesterday I didn't sleep... and besides, this work should not be done by a knight..."

A vein appeared to burst on Eléonore's forehead.

With a face that seemed to say, "Does this guy know what he is saying?" Guiche observed Malicorne's behavior. If anyone were to say all these kinds of excuses in front of a woman like Eléonore, it was clear that it would just make her angry. Even for a hard-headed person who had an inexplicable self-confidence like Guiche, this truth was quite easy to understand.

As expected Guiche had something to say, but at the moment he was going to interfere with the conversation, Reynald managed to stop him.

"Wait, let's just for observe for a while."

"What do you say? Yesterday, you told me you received instructions about the mission you had to perform today. And now you had the nerve to tell me you haven't slept yet? You don't even have the shame to hide your carelessness!"

It was then when Guiche observed Malicorne's face closely. "Uh!" he growled; Guiche saw that his face was shaking... but what really showed in the brilliance of his eyes was a great and boundless pleasure.

"He angered her on purpose, and his technique is amazing!" Reynald said while his face tensed with shock.

From that moment, Malicorne started saying things like "Forgive me for being born" or "Sorry for being so irresponsible". Each and every one of those excuses were solely for the purpose of teasing Eléonore.

"AND I... I'm tired, please give me a few minutes, Onee-san!"

As expected, after hearing this Eléonore lost her patience.

Suddenly, she began to chant a spell that turned the tip of her wand into a whip. Then she mercilessly whipped Malicorne.

"Vermin! Incompetent Pig! Good for nothing! And now you're saying you are... Tired!? Tireeed ~!!"

"Hah! Forgive me...! For being born...!"

"A pig like you! Stop living, be buried and fertilize the earth!"

"Eh-pig! Burying a pig will make the earth happy!"

Just when they started this 'game', Saito returned from the entrance of the tunnel. He was pushing a wagon which rattled as he walked. For a non-magic user like Saito, the only work that remained for him was to take outside those stones and soil that were expelled from the machine and as he was the only one in charge of this task. It was extremely heavy work.

Anyway, due to fatigue caused by this task and because of the exhaustion of his legs, Saito stumbled and worse, ended up falling on Eléonore.

"Kyah!" Due to the force of the collision, Eléonore fell with her face pressed to the floor.

"F-forgive me!" Saito apologized.

Eléonore rose slowly from the ground. Her face was still covered in mud, her clothes were covered with dirt.

"Uwaa ~! The face of my Empress has been...! The mud covers the face of my Empress...!" Malicorne began to say unnecessary words.

While Eléonore was wiping her face, an atmosphere of danger never before felt by Saito suddenly arose. A sudden terror assaulted Saito, one that made him remember the Louise of earlier days, but which promised to make him pay 10 times more than anything Louise had done; probably the best word to describe this type of woman whom Saito was facing was 'Merciless'.

"You... the only thing you want do is to make me angry right?"

"Please I beg you, forgive me!"

Before realizing it, Saito was already kneeling in front of her. This gesture was the only thing he had left to try to save his life, or at least that was what was dictated by his body, as that primitive fear assailed him in those moments.

"Now I remember, there are several things I have to discuss with you. You say you are determined to marry a daughter of the La Vallière, innn youuur dreaaams! Haha!..."

Hearing Eléonore's voice begin to tremble, Saito thought hopelessly 'I'm dead'.

"And you dare to do that to me!?... it seems unimaginable, but mostly... no matter whether it is a noble or a commoner, a man like you always exists..."

"Onee-san... you see... that was just..."

"Do you think that by raising your social status you have the right to do that!?"

So that's when Eléonore started to crack her whip against Saito. In that time, Louise was also present in the tunnel. She could only use Void magic, so she had different orders and various other tasks. Louise was carrying with her a basket of lunch for everyone. Upon seeing Eléonore hitting Saito, she was surprised and ran immediately to where they were.

"Neesama! Eléonore-neesama! Calm down please!"

Louise hugged her sister, holding her by the hips. In response Eléonore only stared closely at her little sister.

"Louise! You came at a good time! Just in time!"

"Stop! Please!"

[Eléonore stares]

Louise instinctively stood firm after feeling the heavy eyes of her sister.

"Tell me, is it perhaps you don't even have pride anymore!? How come you are here with this unfaithful stray dog!"

At that moment Louise froze.

"Tell me Louise, perhaps you haven't considered this. What would happen if the daughter of a duke was to be paired... With a dog like this!?

Eléonore, while saying this, pointed contemptuously to Saito.

"How dare you to stain the name La Vallière!"

Upon hearing this, the small body of Louise did nothing but continue shaking more and more.

But after gathering all the courage she had left, she said.

"Eh-that is a matter that does not concern you Eléonore-oneesama. This is our problem and we will see how to fix it. I am no longer a child!"

As Louise said 'I'm not a child.' a faint blush colored her cheeks.

At that moment, as if it were a revelation seeing Louise blushing, Malicorne added.

"What's with that? Being not a child eh?"

The shock made by those words was felt by the all members of Ondine. Eléonore, equally shocked, came hurrying to her little sister.

"Louise! Do not tell me you...! How could you? Before me!?"

Louise in response could only look away while her cheeks blushed more and more. Meanwhile, Saito was so nervous in that situation that it seemed as if he was dying.

After such statements, Eléonore suddenly realized that all the Ondine guys were looking at her. Realizing what she had said, her face flushed completely.

"... Hey! What are you looking at?"

From that moment, the tense atmosphere gradually increased until Eléonore decided to shout.

"You are all useless! Go back to work!"

After that intense exchange of words, the magical device began to move once more. Eleonore, who was busy checking the control panel, noticed at that time a large number of figures appearing on the console.

300... 400... 500... and so, time slowly passed while the device was digging into the ground. When they reached 600, Eléonore's eyes began to blink.

"Onee-sama?"

Louise, with a face that reflected her concern, approached her sister Eléonore. However, Eléonore's face remained serious at all times.

"Stop!"

Hearing the order, those young people who manipulated the remote device stopped for a moment. Immediately Eléonore prepared to start with her work, enchanting a simple spell.

While she diligently fixed her gaze on the delicate movement of the needles of the control panels, her face quickly revealed a sudden shock as it turned completely pale.

Everyone held their breath in anticipation while carefully watching the movements of Eléonore.

"What is this? How is it possible to form such an immense reservoir of wind stones...? Then... that means... just as I imagined..."

Louise, along with the guys from Ondine, began to look at each other in these moments.

"With these mines lying in the depths of the Earth... these would be sufficient to cause the whole continent to be dragged up when they began to rise." Eléonore said while a cold sweat ran down her back.

Having lost control of themselves and almost terrified by the sudden revelation of Eléonore, all of the men hurriedly ran for the exit.

"Hey! Idiots! Do not run! It's not as if it will happen today or tomorrow! Probably in a few decades... However, even were we in the worst case scenario, it would take a few years." Eléonore said. "Now, this is getting a little complicated... rather, what are we supposed to do?"

Eléonore began to murmur at that time.

"Mining rocks at this depth is unlikely... and even if it could be done, transporting that many wind stones would be a daunting task."

"Ahhh~! What will we do~?!" The boys began to shout while they waved their hands overhead.

Louise and Saito, observing the state of their companions, nervously held hands.

***

While reading the report of Saito and the others, Henrietta could not help but drop her shoulders.

"... Are saying that even here in Tristain we are suffering the same situation? Then that means the words of His Holiness the Pope... were all true."

By the time they returned to Tristain two weeks ago, Henrietta had heard from Saito and the Ondine Knights about the terrible incident at the Fire Dragon Mountains.

She was shocked upon hearing such stories. Back then she was still too doubtful to fully believe it.

Until three days later, when at a distance in the sky a new floating island was present. The 120 mails long island had eventually come to her sight. Now she had no choice but to believe it.

Currently, a controversy about to whom this floating island belonged was brewing between the nations of Romalia and Gallia.

Escorted by Saito and Louise, one on each of her side, Eléonore had stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"I'm afraid there is no doubt about it."

"Is that so." Having said that, Henrietta fell into a deep silence.

Word of what happened at the Fire Dragon Mountains, 'the incident of the floating mountains' suddenly spread throughout Halkeginia.

The truth about the ‘slippage' of wind stones in the subsoil of Halkeginia had been transmitted to all citizens of each nation. However, the fact that this phenomenon could occur in most of the territory of Halkeginia was carefully hidden to avoid the panic that this news could cause.

Henrietta remained thoughtful for a moment, but in the end, with a resolution demonstrated by the firmness of her face, she raised her head again.

"Very well! The kingdom of Tristain from now on will support the Crusade of the nation of Romalia!"

That decision had its obvious consequences. But it was not the time to think about them. Now was not the time to start thinking about the pros and cons of that decision.

''We are losing our place to live.'' This tremendous fact was enough to put aside any morals or ethics.

Afterwards, Henrietta began to prepare what would be the course of action to take from now. She quickly met the Cabinet Ministers and her commanding general to open a discussion regarding how to act in the collaboration with Romalia.

Due to its particular role in supporting the Crusade, it was necessary to once again reorganize the military force to start a campaign abroad.

Romalia, Gallia and Germania. Each of these three great powers were asked to send a secret message to the newly conquered and divided Albion. Furthermore, they sent a word to each of the kings of every nation. It was imperative that there would soon be an assembly chaired by Pope Vittorio...

***

Three days later, after helping with various tasks in the Palace, Louise and Saito were exhausted. So after doing their duties they decided to return to Des Ornières.

On the calendar it could be seen that they were already at the halfway point of the month of Ansuul (August). Therefore, starting next month a new school year would begin. However, the two of them were no longer in a position to enjoy a quiet and carefree school life.

Upon arriving at the mansion, the first to receive them was Siesta, with a smile from ear to ear.

"Welcome back! Saito-san! Miss Valliere!"

Grandmother Helen also came to meet them, and then offered a quick bow.

"Long time no see, welcome back my lords!"

"We prepared many delicious dishes while we were waiting!" Siesta declared.

Just as Siesta said, the dining room had a lot of dishes lined up on the table. And aside from the food, they also saw familiar faces.

A blue-haired girl came from the kitchen, carrying the dishes to be used in the dinner. Behind her, while happily singing "Kyuukyui", came a young woman with long blue hair wearing on her head a pot whose dimensions were almost as big as she.

"Many food~~ many food~~ many food~~ This is fun!~"

While Tabitha without saying a word began to put the plates on the table, Siesta hurried over to her.

"Miss Tabitha! Please stop! This is not the job for a member of the Royal Family of Gallia..."

At that, in response, Tabitha shook her head.

"I do not belong to the royal family. I am but a servant in the service of this house."

That was it. Tabitha had dismissed her right to belong to the Royal Family and transferred her rights of succession to Josette, along with the name Charlotte. Both the mother of Tabitha and Isabella tried to persuade her to change her mind. However, Tabitha chose to come and live in this house. That was her final decision.

Still, she was given a condition for being allowed to live with Saito.

Until the end of the Crusade, she had to serve as an assistant to Saito. After that, she would have to return to Gallia, but... the question of whether she would wear the crown once again had not yet been decided. In contrast, the only mandate for Gallia was to abolish the tradition of ''If twins are born into the royal family, you have to eliminate one of them.''

In order to fulfill the will of Tabitha, Isabella had to initiate an immense task, changing the mindset of the nobles of Gallia to leave behind their archaic superstitions. Therefore, the first thing they had to do was to return one by one to their legitimate houses all those young people who had lived in the convent of Saint Margaret.

Tabitha was fully determined to do everything possible to rebirth Gallia into a nation of justice. But the first thing on her agenda was to support Saito and the others in their plans.

And yet, while having a big smile on her face, the joyous Sylphid said to Siesta.

"There is nothing to worry about! Onee-san does it because she wants to. Hey Onee-san, please do it like we practiced?"

Tabitha nodded and then threw up the dishes in her hands, launching the roast beef into the air. Sylphid cried "Uwaa!" calling the attention of the puzzled spectators.

At that moment, Tabitha pulled out and waved her wand. As a result, the roast beef floating in the air was cut into thin slices and then, together with the plates, landed smoothly to its position on the table.

"Incredible! You did it! Onee-san!"

Sylphid started clapping while Tabitha, as usual, remained with her expressionless face.

Saito, excited by the spectacle, began to clap too.

"That was good! It was awesome!"

Hearing his praise, Tabitha cheeks flushed a little and not knowing that she had been carried away for that moment, the next thing she did was to take a loaf of bread in her hands.

"More! More! More! A bread? So what are you planning to do with that!?"

Tabitha tossed up the elongated loaf of bread and then waved her wand once more. The result, the finished bread was cut vertically, producing several thin strips of bread which ended up landing on each of the plates placed on the table.

"Why strips?" said Louise. In response, Sylphid began pouring cream in one of the cups on the table.

"To be able to eat them well."

Sylphid began to taste one of those strips of bread, which had previously been covered at its tip with cream.

"Oooh ~ I understand."

All those present admired what Tabitha did. At that moment, a loud voice was heard from the doorway.

"What? Did they finally return?"

"Yes! Looks like they are here."

Kirche and Colbert had spoken. By order of the royal government, they were mandated to begin the repair of the Ostland. They had been given an official notice that the Ostland would participate in the upcoming Crusade against the Elves.

"We have installed some improvements. I will give the details of them later. Also, you will have more firepower when you pilot the plane for we have already installed the barrel of the tank." Colbert said as he patted the shoulder of Saito.

Colbert had managed to successfully install the barrel of the Tiger tank into Saito's Zero fighter.

Currently the Ostland was anchored in a nearby lake, so Des Ornières had become, at least temporarily, its home port.

Afterwards, Kirche and Colbert joined them for dinner while Siesta rushed to fill their glasses with wine.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, let us celebrate the safe return of Saito and Miss Vallière!"

"Cheers!" Said in unison, raising their glasses up.

The cheerful conversation lasted for some time until there came a time when Colbert, with a depressed voice, managed to ask.

"The royal government already made their decision, right?"

Saito replied by nodding his head.

"I see, then that means from now on we will be more busy."

"So now what will your next job be? Will you leave the mansion again?" Siesta asked Saito, as he showed a face that reflected his uncertainty.

"Do not tell me... Does this have to do with the rumors about the incident of the floating mountains, which occurred at the Fire Dragon Mountains? It really surprised me. How is it possible that an entire mountain range would rise up like that? Oh god! I should not say this, but... What the hell is happening to this world? No matter how I imagined it, it was something that should never have occurred."

Saito turned pale after hearing this. He did not want Siesta to be worried so much, that's why he never talked about the Crusade or the incident at Gallia's border with her. In order not to cause unnecessary panic, an order was decreed that the ‘incident' would be kept in the utmost secrecy.

Maybe in that moment, Siesta had noticed the heavy atmosphere that began to build-up, so with a cheerful voice she tried to encourage everyone by saying.

"Well, whatever happens, even I can be calm... because I'm sure that Saito and others will find a solution to any problem that comes their way, because up until today we have experienced a lot of terrible things and problems but still, in the end, all ends well in one way or another. And so I am convinced that this new problem will also be solved as well. Everything will be fine, that I can bet."

Because of the words said by Siesta, it seemed that everyone present had renewed courage and that was reflected in their expressions, which appeared as if thanking someone for having been rescued.

"Although we expect a stormy task, this has not yet begun. So the only thing we have to do now is to have fun... Do not you think so, Jean?"

That said, the next thing Kirche set out to do was smear cream on Colbert's head.

"Miss Zerbst, it seems that your favorite pastime is... putting food on my head!"

Despite all that was happening, Tabitha, quietly as always, simply continued her dinner.

"Do not tell me you're not afraid?" Saito asked Tabitha, to which she replied.

"No... Because you're here."

Saito, hearing those words, felt very happy. But seeing that Louise was at his side, he decided to take a big gulp from his glass of wine, then exhaling loudly 'Howaah'.

From that moment, as if immersed in deep meditation, he stared at a point in space.

''Could it be... is it because of what happened 'that night'?'' When thinking about this, the chest of Louise came into his mind.

At that moment, the faces of a myriad of people who he had known until now began to emerge in Saito's head. Louise and Kirche, Guiche and the others, he could even see himself with his comrades in the Ondine Knights. In his mind arose even the faces of Tabitha and Isabella.

That is, even his friends who were not present, ''they are 'here''' Saito thought, being totally convinced.

At some point there had been conflicts with each of them, but in the end, they all got along.

''If the Elves were to become aware of our situation, surely they would provide us with their help, if it were properly explained...''

"Well, let's eat!"

Lost in thought, Saito began to eat and consequently he emptied his glass of wine each time Siesta filled it. And the obvious result was he ended up totally drunk. Together with the accumulated fatigue from the various tasks of the day, this left Saito completely out of this world.

Kirche began to yawn, which was accompanied with an invitation to Colbert.

"Hey Jean, let's go to sleep."

That said, she took him by the neck and then after climbing up the stairs to the second floor, they were lost in her room.

Grandma Helen, finishing her meal, also said.

"I'll return to my house."

Siesta started to lift up Saito taking his arm.

"Saito-san... hold on." she said.

[Hick!]

"Uwa, you're already drunk! Well, I'll take you to your room!" Saying such words was unfit for a maiden.

Then as she supported Saito on her shoulders, and took him up to his room on the second floor,

"If we count from today, it's been quite a while, so I can borrow Saito tonight, right Miss Vallière?" Siesta happily said to Louise, who had just come into the room.

"What's with that? Just do what you want." said Louise with a carefree attitude as she began to brush her hair. This unexpected reaction left Siesta shocked for a second.

"Then, with your permission..."

Siesta then hugged Saito who was lying on the bed.

"Kyakya! Kyakya!" Siesta shouted gaily as she moved her cheeks closely together with Saito's.

Watching them for a second just to check, but without leaving the place, Louise continued brushing her hair.

This caused Siesta to be suspicious. ''What's happening? How did Miss Vallière remain so calm?''

"You have kissed Saito-san, I'm sure."

Convinced of her own words, she was ready to put her lips together with the sleeping Saito. Still, Louise did not move an inch.

"...H-how is that you can restrain your anger?"

"Huh? Is there something to be angry about?" Louise answered as if to say, "Why should I be worried by you?"

For Siesta with a sharp mind, it was easy to deduce that there was something Louise was hiding.

"Something happened in Gallia, right?"

In response, Louise crossed her legs and slowly released her hair and, with what sounded like a voice from the depths of her emotions, managed to say:

"No, nothing!"

This was enough to make the blood of Siesta to go to her head. She then approached Louise with the speed of a racing car, and asked.

"What have you done?"

Then again, with suspicious eyes, Louise said.

"Seriously, nothing happened!"[[File:ZnT18-165.jpg|thumb]]

Louise looked down at Siesta. Then, with a voice full of pity, she said.

"Well, you see... we have come to better understand each other, how should I say it?"

"With your bodies?"

"Please do not think of something malicious."

"So, how have you come to understand better?..." Siesta asked.

At that time, Louise bit her lip slightly, then she turned her gaze away which until now was focused on Siesta.

"Have you done it? Even a little?"

This had become a conversation between women, so Siesta did not have to measure her words.

"That's nonsense! We have not done it yet! We were just..."

Louise began to mutter embarrassed.

"You were just about to do something."

"Y-y-yes... something like that."

At that very moment, an evil smile appeared in Siesta's face.

"What is it?"

"How beautiful you are, Miss Vallière! Thinking that you won just for that. As expected from a little lady, a beautiful and innocent young lady."

"Shut up! Mind your own business... if I'm an innocent young lady, then you are a maid in lust, waiting for your mating season! Seriously, why is it that I have to pay attention to a pervert cat like you?"

"If you have complaints, tell that to Her Majesty the Queen. And besides, if I'm a cat, considering how you've been behaving so far, then you should be one little mouse."

"How dare you, seeing a noble like me as a mouse..."

"Chu-chu!" [Sound that a mouse makes in Japanese.]

"Nyan-nyan!" [Sound of a cat.]

Both girls imitated the sounds which according to them was suitable to the other. Then, they stared at each other.

"Oh come on, it's not chu-chu it should be, chu-chu-chu!"

"What did you say? I do not understand your meowing, nyan-nyan!"

Already agitated and being directly opposite to one another, they began to push each other with their foreheads.

"What! Anyway you said it's my turn today."

After making a quick bow to Louise, Siesta prepared to enter into the sheets, right next to Saito.

"You stay there very still." said Louise who was determined to leave them alone, only for today, then continue...

"1!" There was an enthusiastic voice resonating on the room.

"Huh?"

"2!"

Watching Louise carefully, Siesta was taking off her clothes and then throwing them to the ground, each of the pieces of underwear she wore.

"Wait!? What are you doing!?"

"You don't know? Well, this is my way of gaining the upper hand!"

"What upper hand!? Remember your place as a maid and dress up at once!"

Agitated, Louise then lunged at Siesta, rubbing her face, and tried to separate Siesta from Saito's side.

But upon seeing them, Louise would not have to undress too as she struggled with Siesta, right? Well... because at that time...

[BAAM] They heard the door opened and Sylphid was immediately seen pushing Tabitha inside. She did this with Tabitha timidly holding a pillow in her arms.

"Siiip ~! Oneesama also wants to participate in the battlefield!"

"..."

Then while Louise and Siesta looked puzzled at the standing Tabitha, Sylphid took her by the arms, lifted her and placed her right next to Saito.

"What are you doing! Stupid Dragon!" Called Louise.

"I'm not a stupid dragon, I'm a Rhyme Dragon!"

"Call yourself whatever you want! But what about the room we prepared for you?"

"It's that... onee-sama said she could not sleep..."

"Did she say that?"

"No she didn't, but from what I saw from her attitude, she was very restless from time to time as she glanced in the direction of this room..."

As she said that, Tabitha, with the use of her wand, stopped her with a strike in the head.

"It hurts! It hurts! I was only doing my duty as a familiar! It hurts!"

"Enough with that, let's go back to our room."

"Please wait!"

Louise and Siesta said while watching Tabitha.

"..."

So Tabitha did not move. She was just standing there right next to Saito.

"But, Tabitha, perhaps you cannot be..." Siesta mentioned.

After hearing this, Tabitha's cheeks flushed slightly.

"You cannot be serious, right?" Siesta said in a surprised voice.

At that moment, perhaps by shame, Tabitha decided to cover her face with the sheets.

Louise's eyes could not look away from that scene.

"With Siesta it's fine, but I cannot let a guest who was left in our care do that whenever she wants."

"What's the problem if I do that?"

Then Louise tried to get inside the covers, but Tabitha held them firmly making it impossible to open.

"Uwa oneesama! You're cute when you're honest with yourself. I am extremely happy about it!" Sylphid began to spin around the room while she screamed Kyu!Kyu!Kyu. "But anyway, you need to be calm, flat pink-haired girl!"

"Tell me, who is the flat pink-haired girl?... Stupid dragon! If you don't leave now, you will have to pay the consequences." Louise exclaimed to Sylphid.

"See? Onee-sama is different from you. She is still an innocent girl, she is still at an age where she is happy to just sleep beside him... very different from you in your mating season."

"I'm starting to like this dragon." added Siesta.

"Hey! You better keep quiet, I don't like that opinion."

"Onee-sama is a poor girl who was always been alone, surrounded only by sadness and now she has finally found a safe place where she can live peacefully, she will be more than satisfied if you only allowed her to sleep by his side. That's truly the kindness of a mature woman."

"Hmm..." Louise groaned.

Certainly she could at least allow Tabitha to sleep beside him, for the bonds that she shared with Saito because of 'that night' were already substantial.

''I would not be mature if I get angry over something like this.'' Louise thought this and ended up allowing the two of them to sleep with Saito.

"Well, what am I going to do?"

When she saw that the right side of the bed had already been taken, Louise decided to go for the left, to which, at the time she was about to crawl into the sheets, Siesta, who was quite determined, shook her head in denial.

"Today this is my side." she said.

[Grrr] Louise roared at that moment. Then thinking carefully as she shook her head trying to convince herself, ''well then I will endure, however... this is just for today.''

In the depth of night, Saito woke up shaking his head. He had drunk a lot, so it was no wonder he had a severe headache.

''Ah... it seems that they took me to bed after I finishing drinking,'' he said to himself.

At that time, from one side of the bed, he heard beside him a sleeping sound that surely came from a girl. On his left side, resting her cheek against his arm, the one who slept beside him looked like Siesta. Seeing her a sudden tenderness rose from within him, causing him to gently caress her head.

''So... the little breath I hear from my right has to be Louise, right?'' Saito decided to reach out and touch the much smaller counterpart who slept beside him.

''Aaa~, as I thought, this is Louise...'' At that very second, a larger tenderness began to flood his heart. Remembering the other day... remembering that body on 'that night,' Saito's heart once again began to pound wildly.

''Just a little... I want to touch them. It will be alright if it's just a little. Since then we have not had a real moment to be alone, because there were always excuses.'' Saito said to self-justify his actions. He then decided to touch Louise.

Saito had stretched out his arm shakily, reaching to feel the sensation of the négligée that Louise was wearing. So... totally decided... he stretched his hand to her chest.

''Flat... but, the last time I saw it it seemed to be a little bigger, but as I get to touch them... who knows.'' Saito reconsidered at that time, then lost completely to his desire to 'touch directly'. In doing so, his hand moved inside the opening of that negligee.

In response, a sudden reaction came from the small body of Louise as she began to shake.

And then he quietly said:

"... Are you awake?" he asked. He then apparently perceived a nodding head.

''Hell, I want to kiss her,'' Saito sincerely told himself.

"... I want to kiss you, can I?"

A few moments passed before there was an answer, then... with a hesitation evident in her body, she nodded.

Upon getting a reply, Saito gently reached out to what looked like a chin.

Determined more than ever, Saito moved closer to that little face so he could kiss her lips lovingly.

Louise's attitude, at the time, reflected the enormous nervousness she felt. The atmosphere had become tense, however he could still convey his feelings with his lips.

Saito, more determined, decided to embrace her by stretching his arms up to her hips. She felt it with her right hand. In response, she removed that hand away, and moved closer to his body.

He was ecstatic and lost in a dream. Then without thinking, he prepared to raise that négligée... starting from her hips.

Louise's small body began to shiver, then she reached out, trying to put up a resistance.

"... Do you feel sorry?"

She nodded in response.

"... Well, I have already seen them once."

After a moment, the opposing force from the arm of Louise finally calmed down. That's when Saito was finally able to slowly lift that negligee, which caused Louise's tiny body to shake uncontrollably.

After contemplating her shyness, a new feeling of tenderness came to Saito and urged him to kiss her again. This time, the stiffness in the body of Louise was much lower. Saito placed his lips onto Louise's small lips, so... timid... those little lips began to kiss Saito.

Already decided that there was nothing that could stop him, at this time, Hiraga Saito will touch directly her chest.

In the instant his right hand touched the chest of Louise, the uncontrollable trembling of her body made a word escape from her lips.

"A..."

"?"

From inside Saito's head, there was a question mark, ''Is that the voice?... Not Louise... Then whose?''

Without thinking, he turned his hand to her head... ''her hair is short.''

"Ta-Tabitha?"

Without thinking, Saito pitched a scream.

"Wh-what the hell is happening?"

"What's that sound?"

These were the voices of Louise and Siesta coming from his left side.

"Wah! No, it's nothing!"

"...Obviously something has happened!" While muttering this, Louise started to take up a magic lamp.

"..."

Upon finding the lamp, she immediately went to Tabitha and saw that her negligee was raised.

While trembling in fear, Saito, who was beside her, despite trying to hide his hands, kept clinging to Tabitha holding her hips.

In an instant, the sleepy eyes of Louise were transformed into demonic eyes.

"...You! W-w-what are you doing?"

"N-n-no that's not what it seems! I thought it was you!" Screaming this without thinking, the face of Tabitha formed an expression as if to say, huh?

For a moment she retained that hard expression, but then her eyes sprouted... tears, which began to fall in great quantity.

"..."

Then Saito, unable to stand to look at the crying Tabitha, shook his head.

"Huh? No! I did not mean that! You also are the best!"

This caused the entire body of Louise to shake.

"I s-s-said I would not run away no matter what happened, I a-a-also said I was resigned to whatever might occurrrrr bu-bu-but doing that~..."

"Y-y-you-you are wrong!" Saito tried to dissuade her.

"With-with-with the little girl that was left in our care, are you out of you mind!?"

"Nooo~ Miss Vallière, if you look carefully, you'll realize that they seem to have fallen for each other!" Siesta shared her impressions as she opened both her arms.

Saito began crawling, trying to get away from that place, but Louise caught him.

"But all I did was to confuse one person with another..."

"It's a pity... that was a very unfortunate accident, I understand, but...as imagined... this is something I cannot forgive."

And so the desperate cry of Saito echoed throughout the mansion.

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| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter6|Chapter 6]]
| Return to [[Zero no Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter8|Chapter 8]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter6

2026-07-13T19:44:15Z

KaiserVonMegalo: Mountain of Fire Dragons -> Fire Dragon Mountains, also fixed a mistranslation

===Chapter 6: Spirit Stone of Destruction===

The Pope's caravan was moving at a slow pace towards Romalia. Their arrival was somewhat delayed. Unfortunately for them the trip took 3 days, compared to just a day if they had used dragons for transport.

But one should take into consideration that the Holy Pope's visit was not just anything. He must respond to the devotion of all those believers of Brimir that lived in villages they passed by. This was a primary task for those who had been given the title of ‘Pope'.

However, if the Pope had stopped to give sermons to every person he met during his visit, the number of people would become endless. So he only gave his blessings to babies, to families who became faithful servants in the service of God and Brimir, and to brave soldiers who served in the Crusade.

Romalia needed to continue with the preparations for the Crusade as soon as possible, so this visit of the Pope had a great and deep political meaning.

So due to the fact that the Pope and his caravan were immediately surrounded by people at every village they stopped in, Saito and the others found it extremely difficult to implement their rescue mission.

If they were to proceed in their plan now, not only would they have to deal with the Templar Knights. The people would also turn on them, and they would be immediately surrounded by enemies on all sides.

And besides, fearing a possible assassination the escort staff of the Pope was on high alert. Not even an ant could slip through their impenetrable defense. Not even those rumored as Chevalier of North Parterre members seemed able to make any move against the defense network of the soldiers assigned to directly guard the Pope.

It seemed that planning a move during the course of their journey was impossible.

Also, the guards of the Pope were always in the vanguard. This made it impossible to set up a trap in advance. Thus, attempting a surprise attack when they were in the vicinity of a forest would be unsuccessful due to the low number of soldiers at their disposal compared to the multitude of knights guarding the Pope.

So in the end, the progress in rescuing Tabitha was still minimal.

Two days had gone by since leaving Lutetia...

If the Pope's caravan continued with their pace, they would be able to reach the "Tiger Highway" the next day...

Meanwhile at an inn not far from there, Saito and his group held a meeting on how to continue the rescue mission.

"Soon in that place, a huge number of people will gather to see the Pope; so being dressed as monks and mixing within that crowd should be an easy task. We cannot fail, failure is unacceptable..." Kirche said as she rested her elbows on the table. Proving it, however, was a difficult task as she thought.

"But it has to be soon. We must rescue her before they reach Romalia or else the rescue would be impossible." said Reynald with a completely serious face.

At the same time, Saito was desperately trying to think of a solution; but in the end the anxiety overwhelmed him. The idea of Tabitha being just within his reach but still unable to be rescued made him angry. Beside him was Louise, who kept her eyes closed. She seemed to be really struggling thinking about a solution to this dilemma, but still she couldn't think of any idea.

"Just as I thought then, we do not have any other option but to attack in the front. If we can attack with everything we have, in the end maybe one of us will be able to reach and rescue Tabitha." said Malicorne while nodding to himself.

"That would be suicide! But then if there is no other option, maybe we can just use the decoy plan."

"Decoy plan?"

"Exactly." said Saito.

"I will begin to make a scene near them to get their attention, then you just have to go after Tabitha..."

Before he could finish, suddenly a voice came from behind him.

"If you're the one to do it, then you won't get anything."

"Huh?"

When they turned around, what they found was a large muscular man standing near them. Immediately all present prepared to arm themselves with wands and swords from within their monk robes.

"It's me, Chikasui!" said the man.

"But you're a man?!" cried Louise.

"This person is certainly Chikasui!"

Behind him, Isabella appeared accompanied by another man. As expected, they wore monk robes whose hoods covered their head and eyes.

When the man lowered his hood, Saito couldn't help letting out an 'Ahh'.

It was the man who, during that time on the river banks of the Leilian, had pretended to engage in a duel with Saito in order to deliver a letter for Tabitha.

When he turned his gaze to Saito, the man smiled.

"Long time no see."

"You are..."

"The captain of the Knights of the Eastern Roses, Bart Castlemont." Isabella said presenting him to all those present.

"The first time I heard it I still couldn't believe it." declared Castlemont as he watched Isabella with a cold stare. "But, upon seeing that young girl who now bears the royal crown, I'm forced to believe it. She couldn't be Charlotte-sama! At all costs, we must recover the true Charlotte-sama and restore the throne that is rightfully hers! And so, because of all your invaluable help, I thank you deeply, Tristainian Knights."

Castlemont then faced Saito and the others and offered them a bow.

Afterwards, Isabella started observing all those present around her.

"All right, then I shall begin to explain the composition of our men. First, in the case of the order of battle of Chevalier of North Parterre, including myself and Chikasui there are a total of 7 members. The rest of the order are now monitoring the caravan of the Pope to keep us aware of the situation there. Also, the members of the Rose squad knights commanded by Castlemont consist of 20 men."

"Our members don't have experience in actual battle, however... each and every one of them have sworn their allegiance."

All those present then began to stir.

"We are also accounted. Belonging to Tristain Ondine Knights, counting commander Guiche, there are 4 members and among them is the one who was named the "Hero of Albion", Chevalier Hiraga-dono. Also, those two are friends of Her Majesty. Thus, our total combat force consists of 33 mages."

"I would say it's a very good number." said Guiche with voice of complacency.

"Very well, then as for a commander... Tell me, there isn't any problem if I am to be the commander, right?" Isabella said with a serious face. All those present gave their approval.

Certainly, no one within the group had any reason to object. Besides, leaving the command to the leader of the Order of Chevalier of North Parterre, whose specialty was dirty work, was the best possible option.

"Alright, let's start with the planning."

Isabella then spread out a map on the table.

"Right here, we will take our position and begin the assault against the Pope's caravan. Our sole target is the carriage of the Pope. Whoever arrives first will be responsible for rescuing Her Majesty. After that, he must go on this path where we have already prepared a wind dragon. Finally, he and Her Majesty must then flee in the direction of Lutetia."

Then with a skeptical face Guiche said:

"Are you trying to say that with only a handful of men, we will make a direct attack against two full companies of Templar Knights?"

"Precisely."

"We will be annihilated! They will surely destroy us!"

"We cannot consider 'team work' in this plan because all present here come from different nations with their own different ways of organization. So running a precise and flawless plan is frankly impossible. The only possible option left is to buy time for someone to get into the carriage and perform the rescue, then that someone will take care and safeguard the Queen and bring her safely to Lutetia."

"You might be right, we don't seem to have any more options." Castlemont said while nodding to Isabella.

"We are a squad of knights, there is a different way for us to act in frontal attacks. We cannot lose here, if we fail we will end up making things worse. We must give all that we have to make sure that won't happen."

Saito then said as he raised his head thoughtfully.

"I'm against this plan."

"What did you say?"

"This will result in unnecessary sacrifices. We will all die before being able to save Tabitha."

Louise also agreed with those words.

"Saito is correct."

"But then what choice do we have?" Guiche said as he bent his head.

"There should be another way." Louise then directed towards Guiche.

"If Tabitha is not rescued here it is likely that a terrible war might break out. If that happens, a lot more people will die in the end. Is that what you want?"

Taking that into account, Saito looked at each one of those around him. All appeared to be quiet, however, in their eyes he could see complete resolution.

After seeing the nervous faces of Malicorne and Guiche, Saito finally understood.

"It seems that the one who is being naïve... is me."

''Everyone here has already prepared themselves for what lies ahead.''

At that time he desperately wanted to reach and take the hand of Louise. He slowly moved his hand to her, but then stopped. It was a cruelty that he was about to commit. It was pretty obvious that everyone here also wanted to be able to hold the hand of his/her dearest. What he would do might be totally unfair.

''But then, are we really engaging in this battle?''

''Do we even have a chance of winning?''

Then from within his heart, Saito shook his head.

''It's useless!''

''We cannot beat an enemy that exceeds us 10 times in numbers and moreover, they were not an ordinary enemy, they were the Templar Knights. Considering the experience of all of us in real battle conditions, we are still weak and naïve.''

''...Indeed, it would be useless to fight... Before we could even approach the carriage, magic attacks would already be fired upon us; but there is a possibility that most of us survive. In that case, we can rescue Tabitha and run... But the Templar Knights have pegasi. Even if we use dragons to escape they can still chase us mid-air, and certainly it would be impossible to get rid of them... the chances this might work are almost zero.''

''But still, even if the chances are zero, if at that time the luck was on our side Tabitha could indeed be rescued. The only thing left is to go for that small gap that might open by some miraculous event. As expected of the Halkeginian nobles, when it comes to this, their resolution is unwavering.''

''But I...''

Saito looked at Louise.

And then watched his comrades who were prepared to die.

''I don't want to die, I will not let them die.''

After thinking this Saito started to say.

"This is not right. It's not like I don't understand what you've said, however, we will all die here. It may be true that the war would stop with our sacrifice but... it is more likely that we may not succeed, or rather we will surely fail. How is it that you agree with a bet so dangerous?"

"I never thought to hear that from the man who faced 70000 soldiers alone." Guiche said in a surprised voice.

"The circumstances were completely different back then, since I was the only casualty. At this time we are talking about the lives of everyone. Surely, I understand your reasons for we must do it to avoid greater evil, but, even after knowing that, I still don't want to see my friends die in vain before my eyes."

Again silence flooded the room.

"Well then, what do you propose?" Isabella asked, breaking the silence on her own.

Then, at that time, Saito remembered the words spoken by Pope Vittorio.

"We must negotiate with the Elves, and place our power behind our backs."

Of course, if negotiation was not enough then it would be necessary to start a war.

But at this point the Pope thought there was still room for negotiation.

So with this renewed thought, Saito started to say:

"Let's try to negotiate."

"Impossible! What position do you have to start a negotiation? You know that the only thing they really want to do is to start a Crusade. It seems that you don't really understand them." Said Castlemont, to which Saito became silent while pondering. Then he asked Louise.

"Tell me Louise, can you create a large army using ‘illusion'?"

"With that power, I could but..."

"Well." Saito nodded in satisfaction.

The next morning...

The group assigned to lead the Pope's caravan was none other than the Order of Arieste Knights of the Church, which was commanded by Carlo Trobontino.

After almost an hour after they left the last village, they reached an area of land that seemed like a vast wasteland. Shortly, they arrived at the foot of the Fire Dragon Mountains. And soon they would travel to the route which joined Romalia and Gallia, the 'Tiger Highway'.

Meanwhile, daydreaming as he traveled, Carlo recited a sacred hymn as he could almost see the illusion of the Crusade that dwelt in his mind.

He imagined those hated elves burning by his sacred magic until they were reduced to ashes. His chest swelled with joy.

In this state, while immersing himself in his sick fantasies, his subordinates were already shaking and urged him to look in the location directly across from them.

"Commander!... See there!..."

"What? Behave vile worms! We are distinguished gentlemen of the church!"

As he said this, Carlo fixed his eyes in the direction pointed to him. He ended up losing his composure.

"What the hell? Are those...?"

In front of them, about 500 mails away, he saw the ranks of several thousand troops. Even at that distance, he could clearly distinguish the cannons from the cavalry.

"Stop! All Stop!"

Then Carlo stopped the advance of his pegasus. All of his troops immediately halted. Afterwards, a messenger was urgently sent to the place where Pope was to inform him of the situation.

"What the hell, where did these morons came from? How dare they stop the advance of His Holiness the Pope..."

At that time, the sharp eyes of one of the subordinates of Carlo distinguished their banner.

"Is that... The coat of arms of the lords of southern Gallia?"

"The Southern Gallian gentlemen you said!?"

''What the hell are they thinking, marching right in front of us and stopping our progress?''

''But the southern lords, who fought at the front lines in the previous war, were supposed to be allies.''

At that time, from within the marching army the figure of 3 men on horseback came out to meet them. One was carrying a white flag and slowly approached the caravan.

"They are asking for a truce!"

"Truce? Do they seek a war? To wage a war against us, the Army of God!? Repent, a thousand times, damn!"

While trembling with rage, Carlo prepared his troops as he pulled out his wand.

The suspected trio then stopped about 20 mails away, standing right in a place where Carlo could clearly see them. One of them, taller than the other two, dared to take a step to the front.

"I presume that this was the caravan of His Holiness the Pope. I am the captain of the Order of the Eastern Roses. My name is Bart Castlemont! And I have to proclaim to His Holiness the Pope that we demand his immediate surrender! We must reclaim what is respectfully ours!"

While shaking with rage, Carlo responded.

"You dare to obstruct the passage of His Holiness the Pope, this is BLASPHEMY! You have the guts to march all your troops behind our backs!? Are you stupid enough to start a war with us!?"

"My army has the sole purpose of getting back our master. So if you don't resist and return our master, we will immediately turn around and gladly escort you to the border."

"Stop saying nonsense! No matter what petty reasons you have, if you bastards dare to raise your wands against us, we will immediately accuse you of heresy!"

"Before accusing us of heresy, I would like you to tell me: who is the person currently sharing the carriage with His Holiness? Tell me, who has given you the authorization to take that person to your country? Depending upon your answer, I'll immediately give the signal to attack!"

"Is that even a threat? Bastards! Perhaps you're saying that you're trying to threaten His Holiness the Pope!"

Then Carlo prepared his wand to make an attack. As he took a forward step, a voice was heard echoing behind his back:

"What's the commotion here?"

"His Holiness!..."

Without thinking, Carlo immediately bowed down. With a calm expression, Pope Vittorio glanced toward Castlemont, Saito and Chikasui.

Saito was nervous while he was being gazed at directly by Pope Vittorio. The Pope seemed to be traversing through his eyes, as if looking directly into his heart.

''Are we discovered?''

The army behind him was no more than the "illusion" created by Louise; though it would certainly be impossible to tell the difference between this and the real army, those mere illusions were obviously unable to attack.

''Could it be that another Void user like Vittorio is able to see through it and expose its falsehood?''

If they had been discovered, they would have to continue their previous plan, as Guiche and several gentlemen of Gallia were hidden around the wasteland waiting for the opportunity to make a direct assault. But it was obvious that if compelled to do so now any benefit granted by the element of surprise would be lost. At this time their chances for success seemed to have shrunk drastically.

Unable to do anything the icy cold sweat began to drop at his back.

"His Holiness!"

Saito then took off the hood covering his face; this sudden action perplexed Carlo.

"You bastard!..."

However, the calm expression of Vittorio didn't change at all, so Saito decided to continue with his words.

"Tabitha...no, I ask you to return Her Majesty, Queen Charlotte. She has nothing to do with the war you want to start."

Vittorio's reaction was nothing but a smile. He didn't even try to deny the accusation brought against him.

"If you pledge your support for our plans, I will gladly return her." With this, Saito became speechless. "You know, I'm not really concerned. It was never my intention to control Gallia nor anything of what's in it. My only goal was always to lead them in order to complete again the Four of Four."

"Why are you so persistent with this Crusade!? Is it really important to wage this war? You should stop all of this and forget the Holy Land!"

"There is a reason to take back the 'Holy Land'. If you would indulge me, I would like for you to join us, for there is something that I want to show you."

''You're still trying to convince me?'', Saito thought.

It was at this time.

Chikasui, who was on the far left, suddenly started to cast a spell. From the palm of his hand, a blinding light began to radiate. Everyone was surrounded by the intense light.

Saito instinctively looked away from the glare, just as Carlo and the Templar Knights around him covered their faces to protect them from the light.

As if expecting this move from Chikasui, it seemed that Castlemont was the only one who still retained his rapid movements.

As expected from the square-class mage of "wind", in the blink of an eye he covered the distance of about 20 mails separating them. He quickly approached Vittorio, put the Pope's arms behind his back, and immediately pointed his wand at his neck.

"Don't move!" Castlemont screamed as the confused Templar Knights were about to take out their wands.

"Drop your wands!"

From that moment, Castlemont began to give orders to all those knights gathered there. The expression on their faces was totally alarming.

They hesitated to move. They kept looking at the Pope and at their wands.

Pope Vittorio was calm, and a warm smile was still on his face.

"Drop your wands! It's an order! Don't force me to take the life of His Holiness!"

Then Vittorio started to say.

"Gentlemen, please do as this person says."

At these words, the Templar Knights began to throw their wands to the ground. Chikasui hurriedly cast Alchemy on the wands, and they began to melt.

Then Castlemont shouted to Saito who seemed to be confused about what was happening.

"Quick! Go to the carriage and rescue the Queen!"

Hearing that, Saito returned to his senses. Although he was against this hostage taking, this was not the time to ask questions. After all, they were in the middle of a battle.

It was necessary for their goal. They had to set aside their emotions in order to make the most appropriate decision. He himself had learned this hard truth, if not, he wouldn't be able to save anyone.

"Eh, understood!"

Saito rushed to the carriage, opened the door, and found Tabitha and Sylphid inside sitting next to each other.

"You are..."

Saito then turned to a surprised Tabitha and said:

"I'm here to rescue you! We must hurry!"

"Kyui! Kyuikyui! I cannot believe this!" Sylphid screamed and hugged Saito.

"Sylphid, return to your dragon form and take Tabitha with you!"

"Understood!"

That said, Sylphid immediately returned to dragon form, took Tabitha with her mouth and mounted the Queen on her back.

The Templar Knights saw their escape as Sylphid quickly ascended to the sky.

Meanwhile their allies, who had remained hidden, began to approach the carriage.

"Saito! Are you okay?!?"

"Yes! Saito did it!"

Those were the Knights of North Parterre and Eastern Roses. One by one they began collecting the wands belonging to the Templar Knights. The next thing they did was to melt them with Alchemy or split them in two. Carlo began to murmur as fury marked his face.

"Bastards!... You cannot even be considered heretics, you're just animals! You along with your entire families will suffer the Inquisition. Your name will not be heard as we will annihilate every last one of you!"

Addressing Carlo, Castlemont still held Vittorio hostage.

"Unfortunately, I don't have any relatives."

Every one of his companions was detailed to disable one by one the wands of the enemy, however... The number of wands were equal to the members of the two companies escorting the Pope, so destroying them one by one would take too long.

''We have to gather them all in one place to securely hold them.''

If reinforcements came, we wouldn't stand a chance. So we have to take every possible opportunity to maintain this advantage.

By the time they were about to gather all the wands of the Templar Knights...

Up in the sky, a shriek from Sylphid could be heard.

"Kyuikyui!"

Flying up in the sky, moving like a lightning strike, a wind dragon appeared before Sylphid.

The wind dragon began to chase the stunned Sylphid, with the sole purpose of stealing Tabitha.

"Julio!" Saito cried seeing the person riding on the back of the dragon. The one who was able to manipulate all beasts, Windalfr.

That dragon, manipulated by the familiar called the Right Hand of God, was tirelessly working trying to follow the movements of Sylphid to snatch her load.

"Flee in this direction!"

Not knowing if his instruction had reached her, he saw Sylphid attempt to make a fast descent while Tabitha was still on her back. However they couldn't make it as Azuro, showing precise hawk-like movements, and Julio were able to intercept them and snatch Tabitha.

Tabitha not having her wand was just a little girl. Unable to put up any resistance, there was no way she could change the situation she was in now.

Holding Tabitha in its mouth, Azuro made a loud flapping sound and began to return to Romalia.

"Kyuih!"

Sylphid reached Saito, landing right next to him.

"This is bad!"

As Saito shouted this, he immediately jumped on the back of Sylphid.

"I'm coming too!"

By the time they were about to leave, Louise also jumped on Sylphid's back, followed by Kirche doing the same.

"Hey Kirche! What are you doing?!"

"I just remembered you two cannot use ‘levitation'!"

Saito nodded at this, and then shouted.

"Go after them, Sylphid!"

"Kyui!" Sylphid cried and started to ascend.

"Hurry up! If they make it to Romalia, we're in serious trouble!"

Sylphid flapped fiercely as Julio and Azuro looked like a point in the distance.

On the ground, Castlemont and company as well as the Templar Knights were still stunned seeing the spectacle in the sky, but... after a while, everyone prepared to ride their horses and pegasi and started pursuing the two dragons.

"Damn! They're really fast! Sylphid, can you fly faster?!"

"This is all the strength I have!"

Although both Azuro and Sylphid were wind dragons, the difference between them looked like a puppy compared with an adult dog. No one could reach the speed of the wind dragon commanded by Windalfr.

"We're about to cross the border!"

Right in front of them they could glimpse the enormous Fire Dragon Mountain range. This was a ridge that stretched from east to west dividing Halkeginia... And right behind those mountains was Romalia.

The moment they saw the wind dragon something horrible happened. Leaving the mouth of Azuro, they saw Tabitha fall to the ground.

"Saito! Tabitha is...!" Louise issued a desperate cry.

Performing a maneuver like a somersault, Azuro swooped at full speed and once again captured Tabitha in its mouth. Without changing direction, Azuro continued rotating reaching an astonishing rate of descent.

"They did it on purpose, they just wanted to hurt Tabitha!" Kirche said desperately.

Upon hearing those words Saito's heart was set on fire. If they continued with that she could fall and hit the ground... and yet they were playing with her small body as if it was a rag doll.

There was still a chance, an opportunity obtained by putting his life in danger, he would never allow them to escape.

"Come on! Sylphid!"

"Understood!"

Sylphid quickly began to close the distance. Azuro tried to escape, but his speed didn't increase.

"Attack them, Sylphid!"

"Kyuikyui!"

Sylphid prepared to attack with everything she had. However Azuro swiftly dodged them. At that moment, Saito jumped while drawing his sword.

With his left hand, he was able to hang on to a claw of Azuro. Then following Azuro's movements, he began to climb up and reach the dragon's back.

Having faster reaction time than Julio, Saito took him by the neck and pointed his sword.
[[File:ZnT18-124.jpg|thumb]]

"Get us down!"

Despite the situation, Julio kept his calm face.

"You're just in time. Come, I want to show you something."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Saito screamed furiously.

"Oh God!... you're always acting like this, at least listen for once to what people have to say."

"Do you expect me to listen to a selfish person like you? Always talking about the Crusade, always clinging to that foolishness. Just GET us down!"

As Julio shook his head "As you wish.", was when he finally decided to land Azuro.

Upon reaching the ground, Saito immediately ran to where Tabitha was.

"Tabitha!"

"I'm... fine."

After leaving Tabitha in Kirche's care, he turned once more to Julio.

"Hey Julio!"

"What now?"

"We need to talk."

"Alright. Honestly for once, I always wanted to have a little chat with you."

"What's your purpose, the reason for continuing with this Crusade? Can't you just live in peace and forget about the Holy Land?"

Hearing him say that, the face of Julio seemed to display an expression of someone who has to help a friend in his studies because he always gets bad grades.

"We must find something necessary for our purposes in this world. Just think a little, what do you think is the reason why we have repeated wars for the last 6000 years? If you look a bit, initially the people are still the same, they still fight just for a piece of barren land and for their pride... Do you think that justifies all the blood that has been spilled so far?"

"I don't know."

"That's because we are in a situation where our hearts cannot find a support to cling to. We are in a situation where our 'sacred land' has been stolen by the heretics. And so, what should we believe then?"

"So, that was your reason for starting a war against the Elves?"

"Yes, for they have unjustly occupied a land that was rightfully ours from the beginning."

"... Dammit, is that really a reason?"

For a few moments Saito remained staring at Julio. Then suddenly he began to laugh.

"A ha ha ha! Don't look!

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just that, I never really thought that petty reason would start this endless war. Really, it would be fine to just leave the sacred land alone. It's really absurd to fight, you know. And it would be a hundred times, no, a thousand times more fun to just stay and play with your friends."

"What did you say?"

Saito's face turned pale. ''This guy is really getting in my nerves.''

"You insist on going on this endless Crusade forever without giving any logical reason, waging war against the elves over and over again. Do you really expect to win if you only fight for honor? How much time has passed since your ancestors were displayed as pathetic losers after failing to recover their land even after a millennia?"

"You... Perhaps, are you trying to mock me?"

Filled with rage, Saito then threw a punch at Julio. However Julio smoothly and nimbly dodged it.

"Hey! Hey! Do not get mad for something so simple. Things will get very bad if you cannot even control your emotions like this."

Saito could only keep seeing Julio with full hatred.

"You... that's what people like you always think, always controlling and treating us like idiots! Do you really look at all the people around you only as mere pawns?"

"Of course not, I never thought something like that."

"Liar! What about that girl, Tabitha's sister... when she wears that crown? What did you say to make her cheat? What did you say to her for her to betray her own sister? Surely, you've tampered with her with a potion!"

Upon hearing this, Julio's face turned slightly serious.

"Potion? I would never use something like that."

"Well, then what did you do? Or perhaps, do not tell me you..."

Saito bit his lip because of the thought that overwhelmed him.

"Are you trying to tell me you made that poor girl fall in love with you?"

Julio opened the palms of his hands. It was really strange that this young man felt proud of himself in such a desperate situation.

"If I say yes, what would you do then?"

Saito was outraged by the hostile tone of Julio and began to respond.

"Damn you... You're the worst! How dare you use a woman who is in love with you... seriously, you are the lowest. I wonder what your God would do if he knew this!"

The color of Julio's face changed at this.

"What did you say?"

His eyes burned with anger and his grin had disappeared completely.

Demonstrating his contempt, Saito said as he lifted his lips.

"You, was it your 'body and soul'? Or is it your God that tells you it's okay to use women in love with you for your silly purposes?"

With quick movements, Julio's reaction was to deal a strong blow to Saito's face, which Saito swiftly pushed back.

"Think what you're doing, idiot!"

While recovering, Saito placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Do you still want to continue?"

"What did you say about my own body and soul?!!"

Julio, without hesitation, then dealt a punch to Saito.

"Idiot!..."

In the time that Saito was about to draw his sword, he noticed what was on Julio's face, an expression of such fury that prevented him from controlling himself. This, combined with the disappearance of that mocking tone which mocked anyone talking to him.

"Are you really trying to face me, Gandalfr, while I'm unarmed and without any beasts?"

In truth, Saito didn't have the slightest idea about what was going on and apparently, Julio wasn't even considering the consequences of what he was doing. But anyway, Saito had never faced an opponent before who was unarmed.

After regaining his composure, Saito decided to throw away his sword which was picked up immediately by a worried Louise.

"Saito..."

"You dare to talk about what's inside of my soul... You know nothing!"

The tone of Julio made Saito remember those of his childhood bullies.

Then, Saito punched Julio with the fist of his left hand and immediately after, in less than an eyeblink, dealt a direct hit with his right hand.

This seemed to have become boxing practice. However there were times when the fight was becoming more serious. Without the power of Gandalfr, Saito was just an ordinary boy. He would eventually lose this match due to shock.

However, the physical abilities of Julio were worthy of admiration. He could dodge Saito's punches easily, then respond by throwing a kick. Even so, Saito caught his leg and with all his strength pinned him down, and then he began to throw punches one after another right in the beautiful face of Julio.

But the attacks of Saito didn't last for long, as Julio took one leg of Saito and then turned his body skillfully, thus changing positions.

Their fury seemed to last forever, exchanging punches again and again. Such a display of tenacity and fury made Louise, Kirche and Tabitha speechless as they observed them in dismay, waiting to reach the conclusion.

Finally, both Saito and Julio were exhausted. They lay down and were not able to send another punch. The two of them were in such a pitiful state that they seemed to be unrecognizable. Saito's face was completely swollen and part of his left eye was hidden behind his swollen cheeks. For Julio, an endless stream of blood flowed from his nose, this combined with the deformation of his face which was caused by the immense swelling in his cheeks.

This had been a contest of fists, so it was obvious that the hands of those two contestants were completely destroyed. Their hands were so swollen that even their little fingers were twice their original size. Those limbs were completely impossible move right now.

So while in a state of breathing laboriously, Saito started to say.

"... This is very strange of you, you, who made yourself lose your sanity."

At this Julio answered revealing his pain.

"You know, I envy you."

"What did you say?"

"You can love someone without having to worry about anything."

"What are you trying to say?"

"What, you really thought I had no feelings? I have done a tremendous effort to avoid falling in love... And yet I fell for it, and not only that, I also saw the need of having to use it. I really believed that someone like you would be able to understand what's in my heart!"

"Well, I don't understand the fact that it is 'necessary' to use it."

"That's very unfortunate."

"But then, use it for what?"

"Who do you think we're doing this for? For them, for everyone, for you... We are doing everything for you, you who are living on this doomed earth."

From that moment, Julio began to cry; * gushih ** gushih *. From his eyes tears flowed, then he started a plain sob.

For Saito, he never would have guessed that Julio was able to mourn, so he was really surprised.

Eventually after crying for a moment Julio stood up. With puzzled expressions, Kirche and Tabitha rushed to them. Both Saito and Julio, feeling poorly, were treated with some "healing". Apparently it was not enough to completely stop the pain, but at least it served so they could calm down for a bit.

Then Julio said brokenly.

"That's enough, do whatever you want. I do not care anymore how you guys would be able to live in this land, nor for everyone who always likes to kill each other for just a small piece of land."

"Julio, what's wrong? What are you talking about?" Louise asked, confused by what she had heard.

"See it for yourself." said Julio with a voice that reflected his discouragement.

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

At the moment Saito approached Julio after saying this....

The earth began to shake.

***

Castlemont and the others, who still had the Pope as their hostage, were following the trail of Saito.

Right behind them, riding on their pegasi, the Templar Knights also followed closely looking for answers.

One of the nobles chasing the wind dragon had spotted Saito and the others. After using a ‘far-sight spell', he shouted excitedly.

"They already landed!"

"Very well!" Castlemont said as his troops began to increase the speed of their horses.

After a few minutes...

A violent tremor began to shake.

"Uwa! An earthquake!"

As the knights lost control of their horses, one by one they stopped. The horses started to panic and some of them began running, stumbling and inevitably ended up lying on the ground. Even so the intensity of the shaking became stronger.

"It's too violent!"

The shaking continued for a few moments... then stopped abruptly.

"That earthquake was so strong! I've never felt something like that before!"

At that moment, Castlemont heard someone muttering. It was the Pope. Pope Vittorio, who was mounted in front right next to him bound tightly with magic rope, started to say.

"It has already started!"

"What did you say? What was already started?"

"The 'Great Uprising' has begun!"

"What's that?"

At the time Castlemont wondered about this, a new tremor started and shook the earth violently. This new tremor was far stronger than before. The horses began to kneel, and even the soldiers who were on foot could not remain standing as they felt the intensity of the earthquake.

"Hwuah!"

Castlemont was thrown from his horse. Vittorio also rolled after falling to the ground. Crawling quickly, Castlemont went to where Vittorio had fallen. The intense shaking of the earth felt like being swallowed in a violent storm.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Without answering, all Vittorio did was to observe something at a distance.

Castlemont then fixed his gaze in the same direction as Vittorio.

This time, he was completely speechless.

***

"Oi, what the hell is that?!"

Malicorne and Guiche kept their hands on the ground due to the intensive shaking. They soon noticed that Reynald remained staring in one direction.

"Hey Reynald, what's wrong?"

Reynald didn't answer. He just raised his finger slowly and pointed forward. Seeing the disaster right in front of them, they were completely shocked.

So, because no one could explain what was happening, they decided to extend their hands and then pinched each other's cheeks.

"It hurts!" Both Guiche and Malicorne said, almost wanting to cry.

"... This is not a dream!"

The men from the North Parterre, Eastern Roses, and the Templar Knights ended up forgetting their precautions and hostilities they had with each other when they saw before their eyes that gigantic and horrifying natural disaster.

As if remembering something, one of these gentlemen began to murmur.

"So it's true, the continent of Albion was once part of Halkeginia..."

***

A tremendous roar emerged echoing in their ears. The increasingly strong vibration did not show any signs of stopping.

With a voice as if not believing in what he was seeing, Saito said.

"The mountains... are floating!"

The distant Fire Dragon Mountain Range... the entire range which spanned as far as the eye could see, was floating into the sky.

Even calling it 'Majestic' would be a disservice to the spectacle before them.

As if there was a rocket pushing the mountain range up, it inexorably ascended towards the sky.

Once the "mountains" were fully in the air, a furious cloud of dust rose from where it came from, plunging the surroundings into a night-like darkness. Saito choked violently on the dust.

"What the hell was that... what's going on?"

Julio then explained it to Saito:

"This is the 'Great Uprising'. This happens when the gradual accumulation of wind stones begins to raise an entire land mass.

"Wind stone?"

''Certainly they are used to raise "ships" into the sky, in addition to being a crystal that holds the power of the wind from the Previous Resident...''

"... As you know, the lands of Halkeginia are rich with these wind stones. To put it in simple terms, a wind stone is a crystal wherein the power of spirits lies. So what happens is that it gradually crystallizes in the ground forming a 'spiritual power'. After tens of thousands of years, the amount soon becomes enough that those wind stones eventually raise the whole earth."

"The whole earth, you say?"

Then Julio said in a tired voice:

"Unfortunately, right now a large saturation of wind stones are buried throughout Halkeginia. We will soon be tossed like a pancake into the air and huge chunks of land will began to float. Do you finally understand? This is the reason why we must reach the Holy Land."

"Then why do you keep it secret all this time?!"

Julio replied as if spitting:

"Tell me, after finally seeing this, was it hard for you to believe in the sincerity of our words? An idiot not seeing things with their own eyes will never believe."

***

After 30 minutes the shaking subsided. With that, Vittorio, the Templar Knights, Castlemont, Guiche and company finally arrived at the place where Saito and the others were.

Apparently what happened today in the Fire Dragon Mountains had came as a surprise to members of the Templar Knights, as they were confused not knowing what was happening.

"Are you surprised?" Vittorio asked Saito.

"Yeah... this is the first time I saw a mountain rise up like that."

After listening to Saito, a smile spread across the face of Vittorio.

"The land that has risen will gradually consume the power of the wind stones, so once again they will return to the surface. The continent of Albion is part of the remains of what has become known as the first ‘Great Uprising'."

"What is really happening in Halkeginia?" asked Louise with a worried face, to which Vittorio said while shaking his head.

"Actually... It's not all of the land. According to research we have done personally, our estimate is that 50% of the whole land would rise up just like what you have witnessed. But there is some margin of error in our calculations. Anyway, the damage to all the continent would be catastrophic and within a few decades these types of events will begin to occur throughout Halkeginia."

"So, what you're trying to say is that we will be left without a place to live?" said Guiche in a shocked voice.

"Yes. It will not be today nor tomorrow, but in the near future half of the Halkeginian population will lose the land needed to live. When that happens, there will be land conflicts, and a war with no real winners will begin. To prevent that from happening, we have awakened 'the Void'. That is why we must recover the 'Holy Land' that was taken from us by pagan Elves."

"In the Holy Land... is there something?"

Vittorio quickly answered that question.

"There is a giant magical device built by the Founder, Brimir. The only one that is able to fight against this (spiritual power). We, the Four of Four who possess the power of 'VOID', it is our duty to recover the Holy Land, for our salvation lies in it so that we can rid our land of this threatening disaster!"

"This is something... something important, why have you kept this hidden all this time!?" Cried Saito as he clenched his fists tightly.

Seeing his reaction, Vittorio repeated the same words that Julio had said only a few moments ago.

"Do you really believe that anyone would ever believe a story like this? Unless they see it with their own eyes, people will never actually believe. And also, in the given case that we have told this story before, probably at least a few of you would say "Can we really believe what they said?" Then rumors will begin to spread, which alone would lead to unnecessary panic among the people."

''That may be true'', Saito thought to himself.

''If I hadn't seen the truth with my own eyes, if I hadn't witnessed that such a mountain could rise up into the sky, when I heard this story I most likely would never have to believed it.''

"See, I told you." Julio said in a mocking voice.

"We must act 'seriously', although this could cost us our lives. If it is to recover the Holy Land, we will do whatever is necessary. Those words came from the mouth of God, even Valhalla (Death) would cooperate with us in our Crusade! The 'Great Uprising' of today was what we might call our moment of TRIUMPH. All of these things were done with the sole purpose of helping us to believe!"

Vittorio then took Saito's hand.

"Will you lend us your strength, Gandálfr? Everything is for the distant future, that our descendants may live quietly in a safe land, which really belongs to them. No matter what happens in the Crusade, our first priority now will be to begin with negotiations. If the Elves peacefully return the 'Holy Land', then there will be no problem. But if they don't, we will continue initiating the attack. That would be our last option. We must fight for our right to survive!"

Saito and his friends began to look at each other's faces.

Isabella and Castlemont, Malicorne, Guiche and Reynald, Tabitha and Kirche, all evidenced in their faces that they did not know what to do.

The whole story was too incredible, too unexpected. Their heads still could not process what was really happening. But...

The mountains floating in the sky right now, as they looked up, became an extension of the clouds in heaven showing how the unimaginable could turn into a reality. Their reasoning was shaken uncontrollably.

But it was precisely for this reason that at the moment they could not reach an agreement.

After what Romalia had done so far it was difficult to say whether they would accept 'cooperating' with them.

Seeing these concerns clouding their judgment, Louise tried to calm Saito by taking his hand and then said to Vittorio.

"We currently do not have the authority to respond to your request. So I ask to give us time to make our considerations. But before that, we have a few conditions."

"Go ahead."

"First, I ask that from this moment, you won't hide any information."

"I promise."

At that point, Louise looked at Tabitha.

"The next thing is, that the throne be restored to the rightful Queen of Gallia."

"I cannot do that."

"Why?"

"Gallia is a huge nation. If you don't have a Queen in command, their morale in battle would not be enough to achieve victory." Vittorio said in as calm a voice as he could.

"But Tabitha can..."

Saito saying this, Tabitha started to respond on her own.

"I, I intend to go with you."

"Is that alright?"

"That was my intention from the beginning. The main reason I accepted that crown was to help you. Though I really don't like it, I still agree with the plan that the crown be given to the imposter sent by Romalia..."

Having said that, Tabitha took the other hand of Saito.

"Then it's settled."

At that time, Vittorio began to look around.

"All of us here have seen, for the first time today we shared here our truth and so, we have become true brothers! May the grace of God enlighten us in our future endeavors!"

All of the soldiers rose and began to look at each other in amazement. However, after a time they decided to shake hands and embrace each other.

Saito and others, who still had trouble accepting this, saw how things had become.

While he rubbed his face, Julio asked Saito.

"What's wrong, aren't you satisfied?"

"Well it is, or rather, still I do not like the idea that in the end everything turned out just as you had planned."

"Do not say something like that. But things finished well, at least for my part. I really have to make a great effort to resist."

"What do you mean?"

"All of this would have been easier, if we only waited for the new Void user."

"Why was it not done?"

After hearing this, Julio replied as if sighing.

"I was excited."

"About what?"

"I wanted to fight you. I really wished to face you. In order to achieve greatness, one must remove their obstacles. That is the way to solve problems. However, I'm not really that strong. Damn, if only I could be stronger, I would have been more worthy."

Saito then stared Julio. His face was haggard, swollen everywhere and blood could be seen on either side of the handsome face of Julio.

Then he recalled his words of just moments ago:

'You can love someone without having to worry about anything.'

''That guy... Although we are almost the same age, he can act so casually while hiding the truth in his chest.'' He was also reminded of his tears before. Totally crying like a small child.

"Idiot!" Saito said.

"That's what I should say." Julio said while his eyes remained fixed on Saito.

"By the way, I would like to apologize for what I said before about who owned your body and soul. But it is also your fault for your bad habit of always wanting to deceive people."

"...I haven't truly deceived people before." he said in a dejected voice.

Then Saito turned his face away trying to avoid looking into Julio's eyes. He decided to extend his hand to Julio.

"What is this?"

"A handshake. But this does not mean that I have already accepted cooperating with you."

Julio watched that hand for a moment, but in the end he strongly returned the handshake.

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| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
| Return to [[Zero no Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter7|Chapter 7]]
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</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter4

2026-07-13T19:28:31Z

KaiserVonMegalo:

===Chapter 4: Strategy===

Within the darkness, Tabitha found herself sitting on a bed. It had been a day since the time she had regained consciousness and realized she was in a room.

At first glance, this place could be mistaken as a simple bedroom, however this one had no windows and only had one door. The door looked tough and heavy, and it seemed to be locked from the outside.

The strange furniture inside the room could be distinguished as high quality but... one could not help but think that this room had been built to confine an aristocrat. In short, it was a prison.

The solid door remained unchanged no matter what she did. Tabitha realized this when her wand was taken, and now she was just a small and helpless child. She remembered clearly how Julio had caused her to lose consciousness, as well as how just before collapsing she had seen that girl with a face like her...

She knew from the first moment she saw her that she was not created by magic. ''Is she my twin?'' Tabitha wondered, though she had never heard of the existence of her sister...

Then at that moment, suddenly she remembered the stories about the taboo that remained within the royal families of Gallia. ''In the case of twins, only one should be chosen to preserve the family name...''

''If so, that means the person I saw that day was...''

Anyway, there was no doubt about it, it was all part of the conspiracy of Romalia.

''What happened to the garden party? What is happening out there? What has become of Sylphid? What about my mother? Isabella? What have they done to my friends from Tristain?''

In truth all these concerns overwhelmed Tabitha, however at this time there was nothing she could do.

By looking closely, one could discover at the base of the heavy door a smaller door that was part of the structure itself and on the floor right in front of that tiny door, Tabitha discovered a platter with bread and dried fruit served with a pitcher of water at its side.

She realized that the little hole was where they provided her food for now.

"There's no doubt, this place is a prison." Tabitha was totally convinced.

It had been a whole day since she had been confined in that place but still the biggest mystery that haunted Tabitha's mind was: "What will Julio and his evil master achieve by capturing me??"

At that moment she heard a grumbling sound, "GGRRRRRR." from her stomach. In fact, if she had not heard it Tabitha would not have remembered that she had not eaten anything for over 24 hours...

Almost instinctively she reached out for the food found right inside the door. ''They may put poison in the food,'' she thought back, then Tabitha immediately returned the bread bowl to where she found it.

Right after that Tabitha began hearing something from the hallway. There were footsteps making their way towards her. Upon hearing this, the body of Tabitha immediately reacted and quickly she prepared herself.

She heard the sound of the bolt being withdrawn, and then with a loud screech the heavy door began to open. The one who appeared was none other than a handsome young man whose face she had already observed on a lot of occasions. But despite the familiar face, Tabitha couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

She knew it was not shocking that he was the one who from the beginning and behind the scenes had planned this whole charade. However, presenting himself directly before her was something that had never crossed her mind.

"First of all, I offer my deepest apologies for what happened."

Tabitha could only watch Vittorio quietly and intently as he continued. The young Pope seemed to have no problem approaching her as he wore a casual linen robe.

The only other place where the Pope could exhibit such an appearance would be the mansion that had been commissioned for the Romalian government, where the ambassador resided.

''Then this must be it. This must be that mansion,'' because if it weren't, it would be impossible to build a room like this one without her knowing it.

Though she seemed to hold true hatred against Romalia, at some point they had shown great kindness to her and without his help she knew it would have been impossible for her to be proclaimed as Queen.

If she was honest with herself, she couldn't deny that she had seen it coming: ''the possibility of Romalia taking actions as excessive as this, but they have gone so far as to prepare a substitute for me. Their decisions completely exceeded my imagination.''

That said, the fact that she had fallen completely into their trap and was unable to offer any resistance against the ploy... Although Tabitha did not want to accept it, she knew that it was all because of her lack of preparation.

"What have you done to Sylphid?"

"She is asleep in the next room."

"Where are we?"

"We are in Lutetia, in the mansion assigned to the Romalian ambassador." Vittorio informed Tabitha with a calm, almost indifferent tone. Yet Tabitha came to the conclusion that he wasn't lying. Also she realized something else. The fact that she found him at this very moment talking so candidly with her could only mean that the young Pope would not allow her to return to the outside world.

"Who's that girl?"

"She's your twin."

Tabitha's eyes opened wide in shock. Although she had concluded that this was the most likely answer, to hear the frank reality being revealed to her had been a shock well above her expectations.

''I am not the only child. I have a sister with the same face, more like myself...'' However, this was not the time to worry about that.

"What do you intend to do with me?"

"I only wish you to provide me a bit of your time to accompany me on a trip."

"A trip?"

Tabitha never had imagined such a response in this situation.

"Correct."

"Where do you intend to go?"

"Our destination is the Fire Dragon Mountains."

"Is that the place where you intend to kill me?"

"There's no need to make such assumptions. It has never been my intention to kill you. In fact, it would be our greatest pleasure if you would become our ally. I would like you to consider what I'm asking and please try to reflect about it. Also, I would like to apologize in advance for our disrespect in addition to all the unrest we have caused so far..."

Tabitha just remained silent as she watched the Pope. The pale light reflecting from the bottom of her eyes looked as if to say to this: ''"I'll never cooperate with you, I'll never be a part of any of your plans."''

"Certainly you seem to hate us." Vittorio said to her while outlining a smile on his face.

"I'm not foolish enough to help a religious fanatic." Tabitha said without hiding her hostility. After hearing this, Vittorio answered while shaking his head.

"It is our duty to recover the Holy Land."

"And for this purpose you think it is acceptable to kill anyone who gets in your way?"

"On the contrary." Vittorio said, immediately answering the question of Tabitha in a voice so quiet it was almost unbearable.

"What are you trying to say?"

"That's something you will understand if you help us, and that's why we must go to the Fire Dragon Mountains."

"I'll never be able to understand what goes through your disturbed mind."

"Tell me, don't you believe in legends? You see, it would be correct to say that these legends and faith do not share any relationship, or am I wrong?"

Tabitha thought for a moment on what Vittorio had said and nodded. Then Vittorio finished his thoughts.

"I think the same. The essence of faith is to trust someone else in both the body and the soul. And if you get carried away too much, you'll end up losing your sanity. However, recklessly labeling someone as "crazy" is also dangerous in itself. Myths and faith, people detach from them and consider them lies and nonsense and it is actually quite easy to do. Even so, one must take into consideration that in the end both will always still be a small part of the truth."

Tabitha could only remain silent as she stared at Vittorio.

"You are a person that seems to have a very strong heart. Even while we have this conversation, I presume that you are imagining a method to escape from here, and probably a way to stop us. These ideas haunt your head over and over again because that's the kind of person you are. And it is for this reason that I would like you to become our ally. I hope that when we get to the Fire Dragon Mountains, you will naturally be able to understand us and our faith."

In saying this, Vittorio seemed serene without any hostile intent in his speech. It was like he was totally confident that things would go as he supposed.

"Did you use magic on me? Are you manipulating my mind right now?"

"You see, God resides within the hearts of people. As his servants, it is our duty not to soil the place where he resides."

''What the hell, what gives him so much confidence to believe that he can persuade me?''

''From the beginning, he has been an elusive character. But it seems that every time I see him he becomes more and more mysterious.'' This thought caused a slight tremor to shake Tabitha's body.

The one who waited by the door the moment Vittorio was about to leave Tabitha's room was none other than Julio.

He gave Tabitha a graceful bow before heading to his master.

"His Holiness, a report has come from the observation group that was sent to the Fire Dragon Mountains."

"Show me please."

After receiving the report, Vittorio took time to review it carefully.

"It seems there are no changes from the previous results."

"That means we only have four days." Vittorio affirmed.

"So would it be desirable to send an invitation to ''them''? Currently I have someone who closely monitors their actions, but..." Julio said with a straight face. In response Vittorio shook his head.

"I really don't think that's necessary."

"So we will still keep it hidden? I don't think there is a benefit for us to keep it secret."

"If we could, there's still a chance. But I can only hope they will still believe us, otherwise there is no choice but to dispose of them."

"Hmm..."

"There is something I want to show, and although it reveals the unforgiving truth... Do you think they are still suspicious of us?" Vittorio said in a tired voice, which was something really unusual as this Pope rarely showed a face full of concern and regret as he did right now.

"Who knows, it may still be the case..."

Julio also showed an attitude full of concern.

"Leaving this issue aside, it is certain that they will at least chase us to rescue their friend whom we've replaced."

"I think they still haven't realized that we have replaced their friend."

"They have realized it and that is because they are our 'brothers'. And if they are not capable of seeing through a ploy at this level, then we are in trouble."

At that moment a servant came hurriedly with a plate of food in her hands. She gave a bow to the Pope, then after Julio opened the little door found at the base of the heavy door she placed the plate of food inside the room.

The young servant then bowed again to the pair and made her way back from where she came.

While the girl left out of sight in the corridors, something was hanging around her waist, the brightness of a small knife that one might believe she used for self-protection.

A report was sent by Isabella reporting that she had finally figured out the whereabouts of Tabitha. It arrived four days after the beginning of the garden party. It was a letter of a single sheet, which had been delivered to Henrietta's room in the evening.

The letter had no sender written on it, and its contents consisted of long lists of seemingly meaningless numbers. Using the sheet with the code provided by Isabella, Henrietta began to decipher the message.

''Her Majesty Queen Charlotte remains captured in the mansion of the Romalian minister Barberini. Tonight at 8 I would like to have a conference in order to plan a rescue mission.''

At the end of the report, Isabella's initials were written on it. Henrietta's mood turned foul upon receiving this news. ''She had to inform the organizers of Gallia, and she would have to apologize for being unable to attend the night of the great banquet. She also has to gather all her trusted men in her room and so, expect a visit from Isabella.''

Those invited to Henrietta's room were Louise, Saito, Guiche, the friend of Tabitha, Kirche, and Agnes.

"Did they find the place where Tabitha is?" Saito asked upon entering the room and Henrietta nodded to his question.

"Yes, that's what it seems."

Soon after hearing the message, Guiche knelt with one knee on the floor next to Henrietta.[[File:ZnT18-085.jpg|thumb]]

"Let me take care of this matter. No, let me correct: Please allow this brigade commander of the Ondine Knights to be in charge of executing the rescue mission to safely return Her Majesty Queen Charlotte!"

Because of such a statement, Saito tried to stop Guiche.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Could you tell me how you plan to accomplish that? Keep in mind that we are talking about the mansion of a minister. Besides, once we go inside we'll be in the territory of the Romalian Embassy. It would be crazy to try to enter through the front door and try to confront them."

"Yes, Saito is correct," Kirche said nodding to Saito's statement. "We have to infiltrate stealthily and quietly rescue Tabitha... And if I remember, that's not how you work, right?"

''*Gulp*'' Guiche could not remain silent upon hearing Kirche.

"Ehhhh... Fighting clean and fair, defeating your enemy by fighting him face to face. This is the correct way an order of knights performs their duty."

"No! Do not even compare this to what we did last time in Alhambra. You have to take into account that we are now at the center of a city. If you do something that catches their attention, you will be captured immediately."

Henrietta also showed approval of Kirche's warnings.

"And that's because we cannot consider all authorities in Gallia our allies."

At that moment they heard a voice echoing from behind the door.

"Your humble servant, Isabella Martel, asks for your audience."

Upon opening the door, Isabella came into view wearing an evening dress. The first thing she did was to approach Henrietta and offer a respectful bow.

"Is it really alright to come and visit us this way?" Henrietta asked. After finishing her greetings, Isabella nodded indicating that there was no problem.

"In fact, I was assigned by the government of Romalia a task to keep an eye on you all."

A sudden tension began to flow throughout the room. Guiche reacted first, holding his wand in his hand.

"I wish you did not misunderstand. I'm still one of your allies. I can assure you that any form of cooperation to help Romalia was only for the sole purpose of saving my cover. And so, because Romalia wished to keep an eye on you, I used that excuse so that I could visit you openly without arousing suspicion."

From that moment, Isabella began to explain the situation to all those present.

"To put it plainly, the possibility to rescue Her Majesty from the Embassy is almost zero. We studied hard but still... the level of security that is held in the Prime Minister's mansion is almost ridiculously high. Magical barriers and several traps have been prepared to guard the place. And at all times a company of Templar Knights is responsible for securing the perimeter of the mansion. The only way to make a successful frontal attack is having a force three times greater than what we have at this time."

After hearing this, the faces of everyone present were filled with dismay. If they were to unleash a scandal of this magnitude right in the middle of the city, it would be catastrophic. Everything, including the odds, was against them.

"And perhaps the most important consideration of all, it is known that the Pope himself is constantly seen going in and out of that mansion."

"As a result, more stringent measures than normal must have been assigned to the mansion. Surely there will be a much larger amount of soldiers if you count all his escorts." Henrietta muttered while her eyebrows furrowed.

"What if we infiltrate secretly and rescue her?" asked Kirche.

"Taking into consideration the strict security and the number of soldiers at our disposal, quite frankly, it would be impossible. One of my most loyal soldiers, Chikasui, could infiltrate the mansion but that would be the limit. Also taking that into account, it would be impossible for Chikasui to rescue Her Majesty alone.

"..."

Then came a sudden silence in the room.

Saito, briefly considering the options, lifted his head and began to say:

"We can only rescue her in the instant they decide to transport Tabitha to another location."

Isabella nodded at Saito's proposition.

"That's right, it would be illogical to think that they can keep Her Majesty locked up in that mansion forever. Surely there must come a time when they plan to move her to a different location. And we have to aim at that time to rescue her. That's the only option left!"

At that moment... From behind the door a resonating voice was heard again, belonging to one who seemed a lady of the court.

"I come to deliver a message."

"What could it be?"

Louise quickly opened the door and met the courtier. In a hurry, the lady started to convey the message.

"Apparently, tomorrow morning His Holiness the Pope has to make a sudden return to Romalia. In consequence a farewell ceremony has been planned for him. Therefore, we cordially invite Her Majesty, Henrietta, to attend as a guest of honor at the ceremony tomorrow."

Louise then went to Henrietta. Her face reflected the tension she felt. Henrietta then gave a positive response to the invitation offered only a moment ago.

Along with the sound of the door closing, Kirche's voice was heard:

"Though we are still celebrating the feast in the garden, it is quite strange that the Pope decided to return to his country at this time."

At that moment, Isabella realized something and immediately informed everyone:

"Will it be... Did the Pope intend to take Her Majesty along with him to Romalia...?"

At that time all present showed a face of surprise.

"If the Pope intended to take her with him, it is certain that Tabitha will be with him at the ceremony tomorrow." Kirche said in an overwhelmed voice.

"He knows that it would be dangerous to keep her for a long time even within Gallia." Guiche replied.

In the current situation, Isabella immediately set out to make a decision.

"I will prepare some clothes, so I would like you all to make a change of clothes."

"Huh?"

"Tomorrow morning, we will split into two groups. One group will be among the crowd bidding farewell to the Pope, the other will be waiting near the mansion of Minister Barberini. In case Her Majesty were to be found in the Pope's group, and if we have the opportunity, we will rescue her. This plan is our best possible chance. I will also use the full strength of my squadron of knights."

"Whaaat? We alone are enough to handle this!" As usual, Guiche blustered while failing to consider the difficulties that surrounded this mission.

"That would be impossible! You as a foreigner have the disadvantage of not knowing the terrain layout. Do not worry! For us to act cooperatively, I'll be sending an emissary of my highest confidence to report the conditions clearly and concisely. Also, please be so kind to follow their directions" Isabella said, ending their conversation.

<noinclude>
{| style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" border="1"
|-
| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Zero no Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter4

2026-07-13T19:27:25Z

KaiserVonMegalo: a part of a set of edits correcting "Mountain of the Fire Dragons" to "Fire Dragon Mountains", as the term describes a mountain range in TSS and later descriptions in the book, not a single mountain

===Chapter 4: Strategy===

Within the darkness, Tabitha found herself sitting on a bed. It had been a day since the time she had regained consciousness and realized she was in a room.

At first glance, this place could be mistaken as a simple bedroom, however this one had no windows and only had one door. The door looked tough and heavy, and it seemed to be locked from the outside.

The strange furniture inside the room could be distinguished as high quality but... one could not help but think that this room had been built to confine an aristocrat. In short, it was a prison.

The solid door remained unchanged no matter what she did. Tabitha realized this when her wand was taken, and now she was just a small and helpless child. She remembered clearly how Julio had caused her to lose consciousness, as well as how just before collapsing she had seen that girl with a face like her...

She knew from the first moment she saw her that she was not created by magic. ''Is she my twin?'' Tabitha wondered, though she had never heard of the existence of her sister...

Then at that moment, suddenly she remembered the stories about the taboo that remained within the royal families of Gallia. ''In the case of twins, only one should be chosen to preserve the family name...''

''If so, that means the person I saw that day was...''

Anyway, there was no doubt about it, it was all part of the conspiracy of Romalia.

''What happened to the garden party? What is happening out there? What has become of Sylphid? What about my mother? Isabella? What have they done to my friends from Tristain?''

In truth all these concerns overwhelmed Tabitha, however at this time there was nothing she could do.

By looking closely, one could discover at the base of the heavy door a smaller door that was part of the structure itself and on the floor right in front of that tiny door, Tabitha discovered a platter with bread and dried fruit served with a pitcher of water at its side.

She realized that the little hole was where they provided her food for now.

"There's no doubt, this place is a prison." Tabitha was totally convinced.

It had been a whole day since she had been confined in that place but still the biggest mystery that haunted Tabitha's mind was: "What will Julio and his evil master achieve by capturing me??"

At that moment she heard a grumbling sound, "GGRRRRRR." from her stomach. In fact, if she had not heard it Tabitha would not have remembered that she had not eaten anything for over 24 hours...

Almost instinctively she reached out for the food found right inside the door. ''They may put poison in the food,'' she thought back, then Tabitha immediately returned the bread bowl to where she found it.

Right after that Tabitha began hearing something from the hallway. There were footsteps making their way towards her. Upon hearing this, the body of Tabitha immediately reacted and quickly she prepared herself.

She heard the sound of the bolt being withdrawn, and then with a loud screech the heavy door began to open. The one who appeared was none other than a handsome young man whose face she had already observed on a lot of occasions. But despite the familiar face, Tabitha couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

She knew it was not shocking that he was the one who from the beginning and behind the scenes had planned this whole charade. However, presenting himself directly before her was something that had never crossed her mind.

"First of all, I offer my deepest apologies for what happened."

Tabitha could only watch Vittorio quietly and intently as he continued. The young Pope seemed to have no problem approaching her as he wore a casual linen robe.

The only other place where the Pope could exhibit such an appearance would be the mansion that had been commissioned for the Romalian government, where the ambassador resided.

''Then this must be it. This must be that mansion,'' because if it weren't, it would be impossible to build a room like this one without her knowing it.

Though she seemed to hold true hatred against Romalia, at some point they had shown great kindness to her and without his help she knew it would have been impossible for her to be proclaimed as Queen.

If she was honest with herself, she couldn't deny that she had seen it coming: ''the possibility of Romalia taking actions as excessive as this, but they have gone so far as to prepare a substitute for me. Their decisions completely exceeded my imagination.''

That said, the fact that she had fallen completely into their trap and was unable to offer any resistance against the ploy... Although Tabitha did not want to accept it, she knew that it was all because of her lack of preparation.

"What have you done to Sylphid?"

"She is asleep in the next room."

"Where are we?"

"We are in Lutetia, in the mansion assigned to the Romalian ambassador." Vittorio informed Tabitha with a calm, almost indifferent tone. Yet Tabitha came to the conclusion that he wasn't lying. Also she realized something else. The fact that she found him at this very moment talking so candidly with her could only mean that the young Pope would not allow her to return to the outside world.

"Who's that girl?"

"She's your twin."

Tabitha's eyes opened wide in shock. Although she had concluded that this was the most likely answer, to hear the frank reality being revealed to her had been a shock well above her expectations.

''I am not the only child. I have a sister with the same face, more like myself...'' However, this was not the time to worry about that.

"What do you intend to do with me?"

"I only wish you to provide me a bit of your time to accompany me on a trip."

"A trip?"

Tabitha never had imagined such a response in this situation.

"Correct."

"Where do you intend to go?"

"Our destination is the Fire Dragon Mountains."

"Is that the place where you intend to kill me?"

"There's no need to make such assumptions. It has never been my intention to kill you. In fact, it would be our greatest pleasure if you would become our ally. I would like you to consider what I'm asking and please try to reflect about it. Also, I would like to apologize in advance for our disrespect in addition to all the unrest we have caused so far..."

Tabitha just remained silent as she watched the Pope. The pale light reflecting from the bottom of her eyes looked as if to say to this: ''"I'll never cooperate with you, I'll never be a part of any of your plans."''

"Certainly you seem to hate us." Vittorio said to her while outlining a smile on his face.

"I'm not foolish enough to help a religious fanatic." Tabitha said without hiding her hostility. After hearing this, Vittorio answered while shaking his head.

"It is our duty to recover the Holy Land."

"And for this purpose you think it is acceptable to kill anyone who gets in your way?"

"On the contrary." Vittorio said, immediately answering the question of Tabitha in a voice so quiet it was almost unbearable.

"What are you trying to say?"

"That's something you will understand if you help us, and that's why we must go to the mountain of the dragons."

"I'll never be able to understand what goes through your disturbed mind."

"Tell me, don't you believe in legends? You see, it would be correct to say that these legends and faith do not share any relationship, or am I wrong?"

Tabitha thought for a moment on what Vittorio had said and nodded. Then Vittorio finished his thoughts.

"I think the same. The essence of faith is to trust someone else in both the body and the soul. And if you get carried away too much, you'll end up losing your sanity. However, recklessly labeling someone as "crazy" is also dangerous in itself. Myths and faith, people detach from them and consider them lies and nonsense and it is actually quite easy to do. Even so, one must take into consideration that in the end both will always still be a small part of the truth."

Tabitha could only remain silent as she stared at Vittorio.

"You are a person that seems to have a very strong heart. Even while we have this conversation, I presume that you are imagining a method to escape from here, and probably a way to stop us. These ideas haunt your head over and over again because that's the kind of person you are. And it is for this reason that I would like you to become our ally. I hope that when we get to the Fire Dragons Mountains, you will naturally be able to understand us and our faith."

In saying this, Vittorio seemed serene without any hostile intent in his speech. It was like he was totally confident that things would go as he supposed.

"Did you use magic on me? Are you manipulating my mind right now?"

"You see, God resides within the hearts of people. As his servants, it is our duty not to soil the place where he resides."

''What the hell, what gives him so much confidence to believe that he can persuade me?''

''From the beginning, he has been an elusive character. But it seems that every time I see him he becomes more and more mysterious.'' This thought caused a slight tremor to shake Tabitha's body.

The one who waited by the door the moment Vittorio was about to leave Tabitha's room was none other than Julio.

He gave Tabitha a graceful bow before heading to his master.

"His Holiness, a report has come from the observation group that was sent to the Fire Dragon Mountains."

"Show me please."

After receiving the report, Vittorio took time to review it carefully.

"It seems there are no changes from the previous results."

"That means we only have four days." Vittorio affirmed.

"So would it be desirable to send an invitation to ''them''? Currently I have someone who closely monitors their actions, but..." Julio said with a straight face. In response Vittorio shook his head.

"I really don't think that's necessary."

"So we will still keep it hidden? I don't think there is a benefit for us to keep it secret."

"If we could, there's still a chance. But I can only hope they will still believe us, otherwise there is no choice but to dispose of them."

"Hmm..."

"There is something I want to show, and although it reveals the unforgiving truth... Do you think they are still suspicious of us?" Vittorio said in a tired voice, which was something really unusual as this Pope rarely showed a face full of concern and regret as he did right now.

"Who knows, it may still be the case..."

Julio also showed an attitude full of concern.

"Leaving this issue aside, it is certain that they will at least chase us to rescue their friend whom we've replaced."

"I think they still haven't realized that we have replaced their friend."

"They have realized it and that is because they are our 'brothers'. And if they are not capable of seeing through a ploy at this level, then we are in trouble."

At that moment a servant came hurriedly with a plate of food in her hands. She gave a bow to the Pope, then after Julio opened the little door found at the base of the heavy door she placed the plate of food inside the room.

The young servant then bowed again to the pair and made her way back from where she came.

While the girl left out of sight in the corridors, something was hanging around her waist, the brightness of a small knife that one might believe she used for self-protection.

A report was sent by Isabella reporting that she had finally figured out the whereabouts of Tabitha. It arrived four days after the beginning of the garden party. It was a letter of a single sheet, which had been delivered to Henrietta's room in the evening.

The letter had no sender written on it, and its contents consisted of long lists of seemingly meaningless numbers. Using the sheet with the code provided by Isabella, Henrietta began to decipher the message.

''Her Majesty Queen Charlotte remains captured in the mansion of the Romalian minister Barberini. Tonight at 8 I would like to have a conference in order to plan a rescue mission.''

At the end of the report, Isabella's initials were written on it. Henrietta's mood turned foul upon receiving this news. ''She had to inform the organizers of Gallia, and she would have to apologize for being unable to attend the night of the great banquet. She also has to gather all her trusted men in her room and so, expect a visit from Isabella.''

Those invited to Henrietta's room were Louise, Saito, Guiche, the friend of Tabitha, Kirche, and Agnes.

"Did they find the place where Tabitha is?" Saito asked upon entering the room and Henrietta nodded to his question.

"Yes, that's what it seems."

Soon after hearing the message, Guiche knelt with one knee on the floor next to Henrietta.[[File:ZnT18-085.jpg|thumb]]

"Let me take care of this matter. No, let me correct: Please allow this brigade commander of the Ondine Knights to be in charge of executing the rescue mission to safely return Her Majesty Queen Charlotte!"

Because of such a statement, Saito tried to stop Guiche.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Could you tell me how you plan to accomplish that? Keep in mind that we are talking about the mansion of a minister. Besides, once we go inside we'll be in the territory of the Romalian Embassy. It would be crazy to try to enter through the front door and try to confront them."

"Yes, Saito is correct," Kirche said nodding to Saito's statement. "We have to infiltrate stealthily and quietly rescue Tabitha... And if I remember, that's not how you work, right?"

''*Gulp*'' Guiche could not remain silent upon hearing Kirche.

"Ehhhh... Fighting clean and fair, defeating your enemy by fighting him face to face. This is the correct way an order of knights performs their duty."

"No! Do not even compare this to what we did last time in Alhambra. You have to take into account that we are now at the center of a city. If you do something that catches their attention, you will be captured immediately."

Henrietta also showed approval of Kirche's warnings.

"And that's because we cannot consider all authorities in Gallia our allies."

At that moment they heard a voice echoing from behind the door.

"Your humble servant, Isabella Martel, asks for your audience."

Upon opening the door, Isabella came into view wearing an evening dress. The first thing she did was to approach Henrietta and offer a respectful bow.

"Is it really alright to come and visit us this way?" Henrietta asked. After finishing her greetings, Isabella nodded indicating that there was no problem.

"In fact, I was assigned by the government of Romalia a task to keep an eye on you all."

A sudden tension began to flow throughout the room. Guiche reacted first, holding his wand in his hand.

"I wish you did not misunderstand. I'm still one of your allies. I can assure you that any form of cooperation to help Romalia was only for the sole purpose of saving my cover. And so, because Romalia wished to keep an eye on you, I used that excuse so that I could visit you openly without arousing suspicion."

From that moment, Isabella began to explain the situation to all those present.

"To put it plainly, the possibility to rescue Her Majesty from the Embassy is almost zero. We studied hard but still... the level of security that is held in the Prime Minister's mansion is almost ridiculously high. Magical barriers and several traps have been prepared to guard the place. And at all times a company of Templar Knights is responsible for securing the perimeter of the mansion. The only way to make a successful frontal attack is having a force three times greater than what we have at this time."

After hearing this, the faces of everyone present were filled with dismay. If they were to unleash a scandal of this magnitude right in the middle of the city, it would be catastrophic. Everything, including the odds, was against them.

"And perhaps the most important consideration of all, it is known that the Pope himself is constantly seen going in and out of that mansion."

"As a result, more stringent measures than normal must have been assigned to the mansion. Surely there will be a much larger amount of soldiers if you count all his escorts." Henrietta muttered while her eyebrows furrowed.

"What if we infiltrate secretly and rescue her?" asked Kirche.

"Taking into consideration the strict security and the number of soldiers at our disposal, quite frankly, it would be impossible. One of my most loyal soldiers, Chikasui, could infiltrate the mansion but that would be the limit. Also taking that into account, it would be impossible for Chikasui to rescue Her Majesty alone.

"..."

Then came a sudden silence in the room.

Saito, briefly considering the options, lifted his head and began to say:

"We can only rescue her in the instant they decide to transport Tabitha to another location."

Isabella nodded at Saito's proposition.

"That's right, it would be illogical to think that they can keep Her Majesty locked up in that mansion forever. Surely there must come a time when they plan to move her to a different location. And we have to aim at that time to rescue her. That's the only option left!"

At that moment... From behind the door a resonating voice was heard again, belonging to one who seemed a lady of the court.

"I come to deliver a message."

"What could it be?"

Louise quickly opened the door and met the courtier. In a hurry, the lady started to convey the message.

"Apparently, tomorrow morning His Holiness the Pope has to make a sudden return to Romalia. In consequence a farewell ceremony has been planned for him. Therefore, we cordially invite Her Majesty, Henrietta, to attend as a guest of honor at the ceremony tomorrow."

Louise then went to Henrietta. Her face reflected the tension she felt. Henrietta then gave a positive response to the invitation offered only a moment ago.

Along with the sound of the door closing, Kirche's voice was heard:

"Though we are still celebrating the feast in the garden, it is quite strange that the Pope decided to return to his country at this time."

At that moment, Isabella realized something and immediately informed everyone:

"Will it be... Did the Pope intend to take Her Majesty along with him to Romalia...?"

At that time all present showed a face of surprise.

"If the Pope intended to take her with him, it is certain that Tabitha will be with him at the ceremony tomorrow." Kirche said in an overwhelmed voice.

"He knows that it would be dangerous to keep her for a long time even within Gallia." Guiche replied.

In the current situation, Isabella immediately set out to make a decision.

"I will prepare some clothes, so I would like you all to make a change of clothes."

"Huh?"

"Tomorrow morning, we will split into two groups. One group will be among the crowd bidding farewell to the Pope, the other will be waiting near the mansion of Minister Barberini. In case Her Majesty were to be found in the Pope's group, and if we have the opportunity, we will rescue her. This plan is our best possible chance. I will also use the full strength of my squadron of knights."

"Whaaat? We alone are enough to handle this!" As usual, Guiche blustered while failing to consider the difficulties that surrounded this mission.

"That would be impossible! You as a foreigner have the disadvantage of not knowing the terrain layout. Do not worry! For us to act cooperatively, I'll be sending an emissary of my highest confidence to report the conditions clearly and concisely. Also, please be so kind to follow their directions" Isabella said, ending their conversation.

<noinclude>
{| style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" border="1"
|-
| Back to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Zero no Tsukaima|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume18 Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume2 Chapter1

2026-07-09T23:30:55Z

KaiserVonMegalo: This narration was not an internal monologue in the Japanese

===Chapter One: A Secret Boat===

Louise was lying on her bed. She was dreaming that she was back in her homeland, a three-day ride away from the Tristain Academy, where she was born.

The young Louise in her dream was running around near the house, eventually hiding in the bushes of the labyrinth-like vegetation to hide from her pursuers.

"Louise, where are you? Come out now!" shouted her mother. In her dream, Louise was being reprimanded due to her poor results in magical studies. She was constantly being compared with her sisters, who had much better results than her.

Louise saw a pair of shoes that appeared below the bushes.

"Miss Louise really is hopeless at magic."

"I completely agree. Why can't she be like her two older sisters who are very good with magic?"

Louise, upon hearing those words, felt sad and dejected as she bit her lips. The servants started to look for her in the vegetation. Louise tried her best to escape. She retreated to the place she called the "Secret Garden" — the central lake.

The Secret Garden was the only place where Louise felt at ease. It was tranquil, with no one else around. Flowers bloomed everywhere and birds gathered on the benches near the lake. And in the middle of the lake there was a small island on which a small house made of white marble rested.

Next to the island was a small boat originally used for leisure, but now derelict and forgotten. Her older sisters had grown up, and were busy studying magic. Her father, who had retired from his military duties, now spent his time mingling with the nobles nearby. Her father's only pastime was hunting wild game. Her mother's only interest was to teach her daughters and she could not care less about anything else.

Therefore, besides Louise, no one ever came to the forgotten lake anymore, much less remembered that small boat. That is why whenever Louise was reprimanded, she would come to this place.

In Louise's dream, the younger version of her jumped onto the boat and snuggled into a blanket that was prepared earlier.

As she hid inside her blanket, a noble clad in a cloak appeared from the mist-covered island.

The noble was about sixteen years old. In Louise's dream, she was only six years old, a ten year difference laying between them.

"Have you been crying, Louise?" His face could not be seen as it was covered by a large hat.

But Louise knew exactly who he was: he was the viscount, the noble who had just inherited the lands around her homeland. Louise felt warm and fuzzy inside; the viscount was the man of her dreams. They had often frequented banquets together and, furthermore, their fathers had already made an engagement.

"Is that you, Viscount?"

Louise haphazardly covered her face; she did not want the man of her dreams to see her crying. It would be embarrassing.

"I was invited by your father today regarding the engagement."

Hearing this, Louise was even more embarrassed to the point that she did not even dare lift her head up.

"Really? But that would not be possible, Viscount."

"Louise, my small and dainty Louise, do you dislike me?" the viscount said in jest.

Louise gently shook her head and said abashedly, "No, it's not that. It's just that I'm still young and unready …"

The face hidden underneath the hat revealed a smile and extended a hand out to Louise.

"Viscount."

"Lady, please take hold of my hand. Quickly, the banquet is about to start."

"But…"

"Have you been scolded again? Don't worry. I'll talk to your father," the viscount said.

Louise nodded, stood up and reached for the viscount's hand. What big hands, aren't those the hands that she had always dreamed of holding?

Just as she was about to grasp the viscount's hand, a sudden gust of wind blew the hat from the viscount's head.

"Eh?!" Louise looked at his face, perplexed. Because it was a dream, Louise had returned to her sixteen year old self.

"What… What are you doing?"

The person underneath the hat was not the viscount, but her familiar, Saito.

"Louise, come quickly."

"It doesn't matter whether I come or not, why are you here?"

"Don't be so narrow minded, haven't you fallen for me already?" replied Saito, who was impudently dressed in the viscount's clothes.

One had to wonder where he got that much confidence from.

"Don't be stupid, I was just muddle-headed that time, you better stop dreaming!"

"Stop making up excuses, my Louise."

"Who is 'your Louise'?!"

Saito pretended not to hear her at all, and instead, came closer to Louise.

"What are you trying to do, you idiot?!"

Ignoring her complaints, Saito proceeded and lifted Louise, who was in the boat, into his arms.

"Why is it you?" Louise asked in frustration while punching Saito. But Saito did not get angry at all, instead his grin became wider. This made Louise slowly turn red from embarrassment. She did not know the exact reason, but she felt good in Saito's arms. This made Louise even more anxious.

Saito, lying in his bed, slowly opened his eyes. The twin moons in full circle shone onto the room, lighting it up brightly. Louise, sleeping in her bed, moaned as though she was having a nightmare.

Saito prayed that she would continue to sleep. He quietly got up and slowly approached the sleeping Louise.

"What is it partner? Not sleeping?" Derflinger asked Saito quite abruptly.

"Shhhh…" Saito turned around and put his index finger onto his lips.

"Don't want me to speak? Why not?"

"Shhhh…" Saito shook his head, once again drew his middle finger across his lips and stared at his partner, Derflinger, with annoyance.

"I won't forgive you for giving me the cold shoulder. My partner wakes up in the middle of the night without telling me a reason. This makes me angry and depressed!"

After saying this, Derflinger moved and shook his body, like he was really angry. What a difficult sword.

Awakened by the rattling of the sword, Louise turned around and opened her eyes.

Saito's heart skipped a beat.

Sitting up, Louise started to scold Saito.

"Don't be so full of yourself! You better do some cleaning up, don't you see the dust gathered everywhere? Don't tell me that you have done it already, you slow-witted fool. You're such a dimwit!"

Saito's body was frozen solid, as though the "Harden" spell had been casted on him.

But after Louise finished scolding Saito, she lay down once more and slept. Apparently, she was just talking in her sleep. Even in her sleep, Louise was ordering Saito about. Saito felt simultaneously relieved and saddened.

Derflinger, who was watching Saito all this time, gave a hapless sigh.

"She's talking in her dreams, huh? But it doesn't seem to be music to your ears, Saito."

Saito stared angrily at Derflinger, who had almost spoiled his plan and quickly walked towards him and said, "You better keep quiet, you idiot!"

"You're really too much, I shall not forgive you! If my partner wants me to be silent, then I will definitely be silent! But for suddenly waking up in the middle of the night and being so sneaky about it, you'll definitely suffer retribution even if you tell me your reason now."

Derflinger's sense of curiosity was the same as his partner's. It seemed that he wanted to know Saito's reason for waking up in the middle of the night no matter what it took.

Saito sighed, and then pointed to the sleeping Louise.

"What about the noble's daughter?"

"What do you think partner?"

Saito used his hands and made a gesture resembling a heart.

"What does that mean?"

"It represents love."

"That girl likes you, partner?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

Saito stood up, and danced while not making any noise.

"Ah… you are referring to the ball?"

"You saw Louise's expression while we were dancing, right?"

"Yeah, I saw it."

"Her face was so red…" Saito said while in a daze.

"Yeah, it was very red."

"She seemed to want to hold my hands and not let them go."

"Are you sure!?"

"Derf, you're just a piece of metal, so you'll never understand a girl's heart. If a girl looks at a boy like that, it means she's indirectly telling him that she likes him," Saito said, while knocking on the sword.

"True, I'm but a sword, and I don't understand interpersonal relationships at all. But since you say so partner, it must probably be true."

Saito nodded happily and said, "You're really sensible, Derflinger!"

"Then, my good partner, since you're sure that she likes you, are you going to ravish her?"

"Yes! I'm sure that she likes me, and I think I'm gonna ravish her!… Err, what does 'ravish' mean?"

"That's impossible. I've been around for a long time and this is the first time I've heard of a familiar ravishing its master. You're incredible!"

"Ah… that feels good. Come, praise me again."

"My partner, you're fantastic!"

Saito stood up and buoyantly asked, "Derf, who's the most handsome man in the world?"

"Of course it's you, partner."

"Who is the greatest person in this world without magic?"

"Of course it's you, partner."

The praises went straight to Saito's head. He felt as if the whole world was cheering for him. One had to wonder if he had a problem with his IQ.

"Louise is really fortunate that I have taken a liking to her. The great and handsome me."

"If that haughty girl really likes you, then why did she have to scold you even in her dreams?"

Derflinger wanted to continue voicing his opinions, but was stopped by Saito. "Louise is in reality extremely stubborn. She would not bare her heart that easily."

"Is that so?"

"If I went over and asked her, she would definitely reply: 'What are you saying? You stupid familiar!'"

"Like you said, do you really know her inside out, partner?"

"Of course! Although she's always denying it, in reality she desperately wants me to 'conquer' her. She's already deeply in love with me, but Louise is a very headstrong girl, she won't tell me that she likes me directly due to her pride."

"Partner, you must be a genius to have deduced this."

"So now, I'm to represent planet Earth and 'ravish' this Bishōjo<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishoujo Bishōjo] 美少女, Bishōjo? ; びしょうじょ; means "beautiful young girl" in Japanese.</ref> from Halkeginia. You understand don't you, Derf? So could you do me a favor and keep your mouth shut?"

Derflinger shook his body, signifying agreement.

"If that's the case, I will remain silent then."

Saito thanked Derflinger and once again approached Louise.

Louise was still in deep sleep. No matter from what angle you looked at the sleeping Louise, she still looked as beautiful as ever. Saito took a deep breath; the room was filled with a nice fragrance.

Saito, trembling slowly, lifted Louise's blanket.

Moonlight shone onto Louise who was wearing a nightgown. Even though Louise was wearing her nightie, one could still feel her smooth and supple skin through it. Although just slightly, her breasts had developed. Also, Louise did not like to wear undergarments when sleeping. Saito knew this extremely well — he was the one who prepared her undergarments every morning.
[[Image:ZnT02-023.jpg|thumb]]

Saito was so touched that tears nearly came out of his eyes. ''From now onward the petite and cute girl will finally be mine,'' he thought to himself. He had been waiting for this moment for a week, ever since the ball.

Rubbing his hands together, Saito approached the sleeping Louise and said,"Itadakimasu…<ref>"Itadakimasu" is a Japanese Honorific used when one is about eat. In this case, it means that Saito beginning to 'devour' Louise ^^</ref>" Saying that, he snuggled under Louise's blanket.

"Ah, Louise, Louise your skin is really so smooth and supple. Haha… Saito you idiot…"

Saito did not know why he called himself an idiot, but nonetheless he was becoming more and more aroused.

He hugged Louise without thinking twice and kissed her cheek. Louise did not look like she would wake up anytime soon; she was quite a sound sleeper.

"Louise, my dear Louise, your face; you have the cutest face in the world…" Following that, just as Saito was about to lift up Louise's nightgown, she suddenly awoke. Saito was initially shocked, but he recovered quickly and hugged Louise tightly.

"What… What are you doing?!"

Louise immediately realized what was going on and struggled to break free from Saito's arms.

"Can't you just stay still?"

"Why… why… are you hugging me?

"What are you saying? I thought that you liked me!?" Saito stared at Louise in frustration; Louise felt the anger and stopped struggling.

"What?"

Saito placed his hands on Louise's shoulder and asked, "Aren't you in love with me?"

"What… what… nonsense are you blabbering?"

"It's all right Louise, I understand how you feel. I'm the one that understands you the most. Don't be nervous, just relax."

Saito slowly moved his lips towards Louise's; Louise's face became paler and paler.

''Me, in love with you??''

Louise's dream just now flashed before her eyes again. Saito was exactly the same as in her dream, speaking to her in that audacious manner. Thanks to that, the more Louise looked at Saito, the angrier she became. Both the Saito in her dream and the Saito in reality made her mad, really mad. You could say it was pure rage.

Louise was now trembling in anger, but Saito mistook it for shyness, as Louise had had no prior experience.

"Are you still nervous, this is my first time too. Relax while I take off my pants…"

Louise felt Saito holding up her waist…

As swift as a flame salamander catches its prey, Louise shot her right leg upward and struck Saito between the legs.

"Arhhh!"

Saito immediately felt his spine carry the excruciating pain from his groin all the way to his brain. Saito, not able to take the pain, began foaming at the mouth and rolled off of Louise's bed. Louise slowly got up and grabbed the horse whip which was placed next to her bed.

Saito, seeing the whip, tried to escape, but the whip-bearing Louise already had her foot on Saito's head.

"What did you want to do to me just now?!"

Saito, slowly recovering from his pain, managed to speak. "Aren't we just like lovers whispering sweet nothings to each other just now?"

Louise using her foot to apply more pressure on Saito's head replied, "That's only wishful thinking on your part."

"Does it mean that I'm mistaken…? Aren't you fond of me?"

"Who is fond of whom?"

"Well, don't you like me, Miss Louise?"

"Haha… Please tell me the reason for you believing that, but you'd better make it simple to understand, otherwise I will not be able to tell what will happen to you…"

"Well, during the ball, you looked at me, your familiar, with those lovelorn eyes."

Louise with her face turning red replied, "So that's why you thought that I'm fond of you and climbed into my bed?"

"That's correct, Miss Louise. Is your humble familiar really mistaken?"

"You're definitely mistaken, I have never heard of a familiar climbing into its owner's bed."

"I will take note of it the next time."

Louise gave a sigh and said in a tone that seems to pity Saito, "There won't be a next time."

"Master, Look! Look! The twin moons are shining so beautifully tonight!" Saito said in desperation.

"Anyway, it's too late…" Louise said in a voice trembling in anger. Under the twin moon's moonlight, Saito's cries of pain could be heard many miles away…

The same time that Saito was being badly beaten up, Fouquet was staring idly at the ceiling somewhere far way from the academy in the City of Tristain's Genoa<ref>"Genoa" I'm not sure about the exact translation so if anyone has it please replace it for me. Thanks!</ref> prison. She was the triangle earth mage, who was apprehended by Saito and Co. two days ago for the theft of the "Staff of Destruction". As she was infamous for stealing valuable treasure from various nobles she was placed in Genoa prison, the maximum security prison located in the City of Tristain.

She would be charged in court the following week. As she had caused a great deal of shame to nobles all over the country, she would most probably either be exiled or be given the death sentence. Either way, she wouldn't be allowed in Tristain anymore. At first, she thought of escaping, but she later gave up that thought.

Inside her cell, there was nothing except for shoddy-looking bed and a table that was made of wood. Even the utensils she used were made of wood. Things would be quite different if there was just something made of metal… Like a spoon.

She had wanted to turn the prison walls and iron bars into soil using alchemy. Without her wand, which was confiscated, that would not be possible. Magicians were helpless without their wands. Furthermore, the prison walls and iron bars were specially enchanted to resist magic. Even with the use of alchemy, she would not be able to escape.

"It's really mean of them to lock up a feeble female like myself here," Fouquet grumbled to herself. Then she thought about the youth that had apprehended her. ''That boy is quite strong, can't believe that he's an ordinary human. Who exactly is he? Then again, it doesn't concern me anymore.''

"Time to sleep…" Fouquet closed her eyes and laid down. Just as she had closed her eyes, she quickly opened them again.

Fouquet heard someone walking down to the dungeon where she was held. She heard peculiar noises that sounded like a spur. She deduced it could not be a warden, as they did not wear spurs on their boots. Fouquet quickly sat up.

A person wearing a cloak appeared next to her cell, his face unseen as it was covered by a white mask. Judging from the long wand visible beneath his cloak, he was a mage.

In a rather scornful manner, Fouquet exclaimed, "I'm surprised to see a visitor in the middle of the night!"

The man in the white mask did not reply, and instead gave Fouquet a cold stare.

Fouquet instinctively knew that this person was hired to kill her. Some nobles she had stolen from must have thought that sentencing her in court was too much of a hassle and had decided to hire an assassin to kill her. Some of the items she had stolen from the imperial family were likely stolen goods to begin with, and in order not to let such a truth surface the imperials had probably decided to silence her.

"Well, as you can see, this doesn't look like a place to entertain someone. But I think you're not here just for a cup of tea, right?" Fouquet said.

She began to think, ''Though I'm without my wand, I will not easily give up without a fight. I'm not only well versed in magic; I'm pretty good in close combat too. However, I'm powerless to stop him should he use magic. Therefore, I must somehow lure him inside my cell.''

Just then, the man in the cloak spoke, "Are you Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth?"

His voice sounded strong and youthful.

"I'm not sure who gave me this nickname, but yes, I am Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth."

The man in the cloak raised both of his hands, implying that he did not intend hostility.

"I have something that I would like to tell you."

"What is that?" Fouquet replied in a rather surprised tone. "Don't tell me that you're going to speak on my defense. What a weirdo."

"I'd be happy to speak in your defense, my dear Mathilda of Saxe-Gotha<ref>Old medieval German duchy. Here's the Wiki page [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxe-Gotha]</ref>."

Fouquet's face became pale. That was the name of the noble house she had cast away, or rather, was forced to abandon. There should be no one in this world that knows that name anymore.

"Who exactly are you?"

The cloaked man did not answer her question and instead asked, "Mathilda, do you wish to serve Albion again?"

Fouquet, who had lost her cool, replied, "That's impossible! I will never serve those who had murdered my father and annexed my home!"

"Don't be mistaken, no one is asking you to serve the Albion royal family. They're going to be overthrown soon."

"What do you mean?"

"A revolution is taking place. We're going to overthrow the weak and powerless Imperial family, and succeeding them will be more capable nobles like ourselves."

"But aren't you part of Tristain's nobility? What has Albion's revolution got to do with you?"

"We are a consortium of nobles without borders who are worried about Halkeginia's future. We wish to unify Halkeginia and regain the holy land that founder Brimir had once set foot on."

Fouquet smirked. "Please stop talking nonsense. If that's the case, why does your consortium of nobles without borders need me? I'm just a prisoner."

"We need skilled magicians now more than ever. Will you lend us your help, Fouquet of the Crumbing Earth?"

Fouquet waved her hands and replied, "Please stop dreaming…"

"You wish to unify Halkeginia? The Kingdoms of Tristain, Germania, Albion, Gallia, and a number of smaller kingdoms which are constantly at war with each other? Unifying them would be like a midsummer night's dream." <span id="back_to_proverb">[[Talk:Zero no Tsukaima:Volume2 Chapter1#proverb|↓]]</span>

"Hmm! Getting the holy land back… how would you fight against the all-powerful elves?"

For hundreds of years, the holy land had been in the possession of the elves living east of Halkeginia. Humans had attempted countless crusades to get back the holy land, but failed miserably each time.

The elves, distinguished by their distinctly pointed ears and unique culture, had long life spans and were highly proficient with magic. As such, they were highly-effective warriors. Defeating them would be an uphill battle.

"I have no love for nobles and I have no interest in Halkeginia. As for regaining the Holy land, the elves can stay there for all I care!"

The man in the black cloak took out his wand and replied, "I'll give you a choice, Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth."

"Let's hear it out."

"Either you become our comrade or…"

Fouquet finished the sentence for him, "Or I would immediately perish here? Am I correct?"

"That is correct. Since you already know our secret, I cannot let you live."

"You nobles are really a conceited bunch. You'll never consider other people's feelings," Fouquet said with a chuckle. "To put it nicely, you're inviting me to join you, but in reality there is no other choice, is there?"

The man in the black cloak too replied with a chuckle, "That's correct."

"Let me be a part of your consortium then. I hate people who do not know how to give orders."

"Let's go then."

Fouquet placed both her hands onto her chest and asked, "What's the name of your organization?"

"Do you really wish to join us, or are you just toying with me?"

"I just want to know the name of the organization I will work for from now on."

The man in the black cloak removed a key from his pocket, unlocked Fouquet's cell and answered, "The Reconquistadors."

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references />

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Kaze no Kishihime volume 1

2026-06-28T10:13:41Z

KaiserVonMegalo: Consistency pass on the name to more closely reflect the kana Especially for Noir

'''Prologue'''

The girl was running.

She looked to be about ten years old. Her vivid peach-colored hair swayed beside a face as cute as a porcelain doll.

Ahead of her, she spotted another girl, about two years older, running in front.

“Wait! Big Sister, wait!”

“Hurry up, Karine! This way!”

After running for a while, the surrounding grassland disappeared, replaced by a sheer cliff. It was a massive crater known throughout the region as the “Dragon’s Footprint.” Some said it had been formed in ancient times by a meteor falling from the sky; others claimed it was the birthplace of a primordial dragon. Why such a beautiful crater existed, no one knew. All that was certain was that, right in the middle of the plains, there lay a hollow as if a giant dragon had stepped there.

The crater had a diameter of roughly three hundred mails and a depth of about two hundred. Its walls were almost perfectly vertical, dropping straight down. If you leaned over the edge and looked below, the light would already fade after a few dozen mails—beyond that lay unfathomable darkness. Staring into it gave the impression that the hole extended endlessly into the depths of the earth.

Their parents had strictly forbidden them from coming near this place. But the sisters’ curiosity was impossible to suppress, and so they had secretly come here anyway.

“Hey, Karine! Look at that.”

The older sister pointed toward the crater wall. In a spot where the light barely reached, a single beautiful flower glowed faintly blue.

“What a pretty flower!”

Karine exclaimed, while her sister smiled with a hint of mischief.

“Right? So, Karine… I have a little wish.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to go pick that flower for me.”

“Whaaaat?! No way! It’s way too far!”

The flower was at least twenty mails away. Climbing down a nearly vertical cliff just to pick it was obviously impossible.

Even as Karine protested, her sister remained completely unfazed.

“It’s fine. Karine, didn’t you just learn Float recently?”

That was true.

Karine was born into a family of mages—nobles who could wield the miraculous power granted by the gods: magic. Magic was primarily divided into four systems:

Fire, water, wind, and earth.

Among them, Karine had awakened and inclined to the wind aspect at a very young age.

Just recently, she had even learned Float, a spell her sister still couldn’t use. It was something that had made their parents very happy.

Float was a spell that freed the caster from the pull of gravity, allowing them to hover in midair.

But…

Karine hesitated.

Seeing this, her sister snapped at her.

“Seriously, Karine, you’re such a coward! Why are you always so timid?”

It was true.

Karine was more timid than most people. Despite having the talent to learn a spell like Float at just ten years old, she was extremely easily frightened. Even now, if a window was left slightly open at night, she would get scared. And whenever she saw the narrow gap between a wall and a piece of furniture, she would worry something might be hiding there—she wouldn’t even dare go near it.

“You can float so well already, right? Grabbing a flower like that should be nothing! Honestly, you’re such a scaredy-cat!”

Being called a coward again and again made Karine angry. If one more trait were to be added to her personality…

Competitive. That would be it.

A timid yet competitive girl.

That was Karine.

“I-I’m not a coward!”

“Oh really? Then go get it.”

Her sister said it with an innocent smile, but Karine felt that if she backed down now, she’d be made a fool of. Steeling herself, she gripped her small wand and began to chant.

“Vor… Sol… Wind…”

And then, her body lifted into the air.

Adjusting her altitude with small movements of her wand, the vast abyss opened up before her.

Her legs instinctively trembled.

The crater looked as if it led straight to hell. A primal fear of the darkness, along with the simple truth that if she fell, she would die, shook Karine to her core.

“What’s wrong? Getting scared already?”

''It’s fine. I’m good at magic.''

''As long as I don’t look down into the pit… if I just focus on the wall, I can definitely do this…''

Telling herself that, Karine leapt into the crater. Reducing the effect of Float, her body slowly began to descend.

With her left hand pressed against the wall, she carefully moved closer to the flower…

“Amazing, amazing! You can do it!”

Her sister’s voice echoed from above.

Karine did her best not to look down, descending little by little. She focused only on the wall and the flower…

But at the very moment she reached out her hand, she glanced downward.

“Eek.”

Beneath her feet was an abyss of darkness.

A world of pure, absolute black.

That darkness seized Karine’s heart. In an instant, her concentration shattered, and the spell broke.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Her body suddenly grew heavy.

It was nothing short of luck that she managed to grab onto a protruding rock.

Her wand slipped from her right hand and vanished into the darkness below. Without a wand, mages like her couldn’t cast spells.

She will die.

Karine clung desperately to the wall.

“Karine! Karine!”

Her sister’s desperate cries rang through the air. But there was no way her small hands could support her weight forever—her strength would soon give out.

''Why… am I such a coward…''

''I have talent for magic… and yet I can’t even do something this simple…''

Karine cursed her own fear. All it took was a moment of hesitation, and she had lost her focus…

The last of her strength slipped away.

Her body fell from the wall.

Karine shut her eyes tight.

''I’m going to die.''

Despair, as deep as the darkness itself, crushed her heart.

And in that instant…

Someone grabbed her hand.

“…Huh?”

Her falling body came to a stop, suspended in midair.

“Don’t move.”

A strangely gentle voice reached her ears, and Karine slowly opened her eyes.

A knight was firmly holding her left hand. The lower half of their face was hidden behind an iron mask, and above it, a pair of narrow eyes gleamed.

It was impossible to tell whether they were male or female, but they were clearly young.

In their right hand, a military wand glimmered in the sunlight.

“Hold on tight.”

The knight lightly waved the wand, and both of them began to rise.

After being brought back outside, Karine and her sister bowed again and again to the knight.

“Good thing I happened to pass by… You should really be more careful with reckless adventures like this.”

With that, as if nothing had happened, the knight mounted a massive phantom beast. It had the head of a lion and the wings of an eagle—a manticore. It seems like the knight had spotted Karin’s danger from the sky and rushed to save her.

Just as the knight was about to depart, Karine called out.

“Um! Please come to our home! Let us properly thank—”

“No need for thanks. I simply did what a knight ought to do.”

“Then at least… please tell me your name!”

Beneath the mask, the knight seemed to smile. Their eyes softened slightly.

“There’s no name worth giving. Farewell.”

But Karine called out once more.

“W-wait! Then at least—please tell me one thing!”

“What is it?”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

Her sister, who until now had stood silently with an awkward expression, finally snapped.

“That’s so rude, Karine!”

Even so, Karine refused to stop. She clung stubbornly to the knight—her savior—and pressed on.

“Aren’t you scared? Seeing… seeing such deep darkness! Don’t you worry about what would happen if you fell? Don’t you feel afraid at all?”

The knight took Karine’s right index finger. Then… after chanting a brief spell, they held that finger tightly.

A warmth spread through her fingertip.

“What is this…?”

She looked at it uneasily, but there was no visible change.

“I’ve placed a spell on your finger.”

“A spell?”

“Yes. A spell to give you courage. When you’re so scared you can’t bear it, use that finger I just enchanted to write the word ‘courage’ on your left palm. Then, like this—lick it.”

Karine tried doing it once.

“Does your chest feel warm?”

And strangely, her chest really did begin to feel warm…

Karine nodded in a surprise.

“That’s all you need. Whenever you feel afraid, just do what I told you.”

The knight looked at Karine for a moment, then suddenly kicked the manticore lightly in the belly. Carrying its master, the phantom beast soared into the sky.

Even after the knight disappeared into the distant horizon, Karine kept staring into the sky.

Her sister called out to her several times.

“Hey, Karine, let’s go home already.”

But it was as if the words never reached her. In a daze, almost like she was dreaming, Karine murmured:

“I’m going to become a knight.”

“What are you saying? That’s ridiculous—girls can’t become knights!” her sister laughed.

Karine looked at her index finger. Even now, the tip still held a faint warmth. Staring at it, she thought:

''I’ve found my destiny.''

!(Prologue on the main page was translated by the Silvered Tongue group and leads to their external website. In the full text, it's my translation)!

'''Chapter 1 — Karin goes to the Capital'''

When the youth dressed as a knight passed through the capital’s gates, people along the street let out murmurs of admiration.

They looked about fourteen or fifteen. A cheap-looking blue coat, a white shirt with overly decorative frills, outdated knee-length riding pants, and a pair of faded black boots.

Only the wand hanging at the waist shone brightly, but even its design could hardly be called high-class. Still, it had clearly been used for a long time; the countless scratches carved into it offered a glimpse of the many battles it had seen.

Every single piece of clothing was out of fashion. In the capital, such a rustic outfit should have invited ridicule.

And yet, not a single person laughed.

What kind of face could someone wearing such clothes possibly have?

The moment people caught a glimpse, any thought of mockery vanished instantly.

Vivid peach-colored hair, and a face that shone with youth, could only be described as beautiful. Together they gave this young noble an air of overwhelming elegance and nobility.

And then… what drew the most attention of all was the question of this poorly dressed noble’s gender.

Yes, the face was undeniably beautiful, almost the embodiment of beauty itself. If dressed in formal attire and taught proper etiquette, they would surely feel no shame attending any ball or banquet.

But the outfit, no matter how one looked at it, was that of a man.

At the same time, they could also be mistaken for a beautiful girl in men’s clothing… yet the lingering elegance of the face made it impossible to tell—

Was this a beautiful girl? Or a beautiful boy?

That ambiguity only deepened the strange aura surrounding the figure. A mysterious charm radiated from their entire being, drawing in everyone who looked, and at the center of it all were those slightly upturned eyes. Light brown eyes, filled with unwavering will, shimmered under the twin moons like a glistening spring, asserting their presence. They transformed the impression of this small noble into something striking and intense.

But most importantly, though... The chest was perfectly flat. Completely devoid of the two gentle curves one would expect of a woman.

Thus, the passersby whispered among themselves, unable to decide whether this almost unreal, beautiful and dignified young noble was male or female.

If one were to reveal the answer plainly—

This noble ''was'' a girl.

Beneath that worn-out knight’s attire was the slender body of a fifteen-year-old.

Her name was Karine Désirée de Maillart.

However, she could not give that name. So she shortened its pronunciation and made it more masculine “Karin.” Because she absolutely could not let anyone realize that she was a girl.

So why did Karin come to the capital dressed like this?

Of course.

She has a dream.

Ever since that day… when she was saved by a passing knight in her hometown, that dream had quietly taken root within her.

“To become a knight.”

And if she was going to do it, then she would become the greatest knight in the country…

When speaking of the finest knights in this nation, there was only one answer: the Royal Guard’s Magic Knight Corps, entrusted with the honorable duty of protecting the king.

Every young noble admired that black cloak, the prestigious Magic Knight Corps. But as a woman, even stepping through the gates of knighthood was forbidden.

And so, Karin disguised her girl’s body in male attire and came to this city.

Of course, her family was against it.

But in the end, they were overwhelmed by Karin’s determination and reluctantly allowed her to leave.

With forty common gold coins given by her parents, and only a small amount of luggage, the young noble girl set out for the capital.

Before her departure, her father—himself a poor noble—had spoken in a voice that sounded almost resigned:

“Among my children, you’re the only one who would seriously say you want to become a knight, so I have no choice but to accept your journey. But Karin, you are trying to become a knight as a woman. You must be prepared to endure hardships far greater than those faced by men. Of course, you have excellent aptitude and great talent for magic, but that alone will not be enough. What you need to succeed is not just talent in magic. More than anything, you need courage. Listen well, my daughter. It’s fine to be stingy with money… knights and money are incompatible, so that can’t be helped! But listen carefully—courage is the one thing you must never be stingy with. No matter what happens, no matter who you face, you must never take a single step back. Well… unless your opponent is His Majesty the King or the Captain of the Guard, that is… but still, you carry the name of House de Maillart. You must never be timid or shrink away. No matter what, you must always muster your courage! Courage! You do have a timid side, and that worries me…”

Only then did her father realize he got carried away, and he looked slightly embarrassed.

“And one more thing, you must conceal the fact that you are a woman at all costs. Until you achieve some degree of success, you must never let it be known. These days, female knights are no longer unheard of, but as you know, the Royal Magic Knight Corps, which prides itself on tradition and honor, does not permit women to join. If that were to be exposed, you wouldn’t simply be expelled. You must always keep this firmly in mind.”

Holding those words in her heart, Karin set out for the capital.

She hated her timid self. She could not forgive herself for having talent in magic, yet trembling and faltering at crucial moments. That was why Karin longed for something different.

That knight who saved her that day…

She wanted to become a knight like that, and beyond that, to become someone worthy of being called a hero.

That was Karin’s one great dream.

The capital, which she was seeing for the first time, was full of noise and life.

Though the crowds initially made Karin shrink back, she soon grew accustomed to them.

Stalls lined both sides of the street, each one tempting her to stop and take a look, but she quickly regained her composure.

“No matter what, I need to go see Lord Draguignan of the Magic Knight Corps first…”

But where exactly was she supposed to find this Lord Draguignan?

Though reluctant, her father must have felt guilty about sending his daughter off empty-handed. Before she left, he told her: if she wished to join the Magic Knight Corps, she should visit his old friend, Lord Draguignan, and he gave her a letter.

She took the letter out from her chest. It seemed to be double-layered; the seal had not been waxed. Inside was an envelope addressed to “Lord Draguignan,” along with a slip of paper bearing an address.

“Fossoyeurs Street, District Three, Jeviel Draguignan.”

After asking a passerby, she learned that Fossoyeurs Street was some distance away. She followed the directions she had been given, but the capital’s maze of narrow, tangled streets quickly caused the countryside-raised Karin to lose her way.

''Where… am I?''

Glancing around as she hurried forward, Karin failed to notice the large man approaching from ahead.

The man, for his part, was loudly chatting with his companions while gnawing on a piece of bone-in chicken and didn’t notice Karin either.

The two collided violently in the middle of the street.

Naturally, the one who was sent flying was Karin, whose body weighed barely a third of the man’s.

The giant didn’t budge at all. Looking down at Karin sprawled on the ground, he burst into laughter.

“Wahaha! What’s the matter, kid? If you don’t watch where you’re going, you’re gonna get hurt!”

Still laughing loudly, he turned as if to leave.

For most people, being mocked like that by such a hulking man would crush any thought of protest. Karin was no exception. Her innate timidity stirred, and she couldn’t help but begin to tremble.
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But at that moment, her father’s words flashed through her mind.

No matter what, you must have courage!”

That’s right. She had only just arrived, so there was no way she could let herself be looked down on already.

A coward could never become a knight, Karin!

Karin immediately glared at the man and shouted:

“Y-you knock someone over and just try to walk away like nothing happened?!”

The large man stopped instantly and turned around.

His body was packed with muscles, like a warrior from ancient arenas. A massive jaw that looked like it could crush bone, paired with slicked-back blond hair and a head as rough and solid as stone…His wrist might well have been as thick as Karin’s waist. If not for the wand at his side, he would have looked more like a swordsman or a spearman.

“What? If you’ve got something to say, then say it.”

The townspeople watching from a distance couldn’t help but shiver. Complaining to a brute like that, this young noble must be an idiot.

No one present thought Karin was a “girl.” With her flat chest and masculine clothing, they all simply saw her as an unusually beautiful boy.

“Someone as big as you should walk at the side of the road so you’re not in the way.”

At this point, there was no backing down. Even as she tried to steady her trembling body, Karin forced the words out.

The large man, on the other hand, broke into a nasty grin.

“Someone like me—a hero—belongs right in the middle of the road. You, on the other hand, should scurry along the edges like a rat… unless you want to get crushed.”

Karin, forced herself to keep complaining, with a cold sweat running down her back.

“Don’t be ridiculous… the one who’ll get crushed is you.”

The large man’s expression changed. But in the very next moment, it twisted into a smug grin.

A beautifully dressed young noble girl happened to pass by. She looked like the daughter of some aristocratic house, as she was accompanied by several attendants.

In an instant, the large man suddenly dropped to his knees at her feet.

“Eek!”

“Please! allow me to serve you!”

“What is going on?!” The attendants of the noble girl immediately fell into an uproar. But as if none of it mattered, the man continued rubbing his head against her feet.

“I became a knight for the sake of serving a beautiful young lady like you! Please, please, let me become one of your attendants!”

The noble girl looked on the verge of tears, but the man did not stop his pleading.

“With all my heart! I beg of you!”

“Aaaahhhhhh!!”

As his head nearly brushed her feet, she kicked him straight in the face. He flipped over and collapsed onto the ground. Seizing the chance, the noble girl fled with her attendants.

Under the stunned gaze of the crowd, the large man slowly stood back up.

“…What exactly was that supposed to be?”

Karin muttered in exasperation.

The man, however, smiled cheerfully.

“I just can’t resist cute girls! I came to the capital to serve beautiful maidens, but things never go my way! Ah, good thing you’re a pretty boy! If you were a girl, this would’ve been a real problem! Someone as good-looking as you is rare even among women!”

His teeth flashed as he spoke, growing more animated with every word.

“…Pervert.”

The word slipped out before she could stop herself.

The man’s face changed.

“Pervert? You call ''this'' a perversion? My devotion to lovely young ladies?! Unforgivable! That, of all things, I absolutely cannot forgive! Just for that one word, I ought to run you through!”

“Shut up, pervert. Pervert, pervert.”

Karin pushed her luck further.

Even though she was quite a coward, she had a tendency to get carried away once she gained momentum. It often led to trouble, but she herself never realized it.

“I’m not a pervert! I just have a lot of love!”

“A pervert like you shouldn’t be walking in the middle of the road. Actually, you shouldn’t even be outside. You’re a nuisance to everyone. More importantly, you’re making me uncomfortable.”

Karin fired off her insults in rapid succession.

“Y-you!”

The giant’s face flushed bright red. Pointing at the wand hanging at Karin’s waist, he roared:

“Fine! Then prove whether I’m a pervert or not with that!”

Karin’s body trembled.

Ah… this is a duel challenge.

Back in the countryside, she sparred a few times with the children of nearby nobles… but never against someone who looked this strong.

This is bad… I let my guard down because I thought he was just some pervert…

While she was panicking, the man continued:

“Tomorrow, two o’clock. Behind Saint Christ Temple. Don’t think you can run, I’ve got plenty of friends in this capital. I’ll find you in no time!”

Shaking with anger, the giant turned and walked away.

This is bad…

She felt like she might cry, but it was too late now. Still… at least she had shown her courage.

Trying to reassure herself, she straightened her back and started walking again.

The passersby had no idea what was going through Karin’s mind, yet they simply admired a bold young noble they’ve just witnessed.

Karin resumed her search for Fossoyeurs Street.

Even after wandering for thirty minutes, she still couldn’t find it, and unease began to creep in. Thinking she should ask someone for directions, she looked around for a suitable person.

She found herself in a small square nestled between temple buildings. Nearby taverns had set up tables outside, turning the space into an open-air drinking area. Under the blue sky, alcohol seemed to taste especially good, and such places were quite popular.

Thinking she might find someone to ask here, she approached, and suddenly heard a striking voice.

“Allow me to dedicate a song to you.”

“Oh my! Narcissus, how wonderful!”

Turning toward the sound, she saw a young noble seated in a chair, surrounded by several women.

His outfit was… overwhelming. The shirt he wore underneath wasn’t just flashy—it was absurd: a shimmering purple garment woven with gold thread, reflecting the light in every direction.

And his face matched it.

Or rather, it was strange in its own way.

Narrow eyes, a sharp nose, and thin, angular cheeks.

He had the features of a beautiful young man, but wore makeup like a stage actor.

The women gathered around him didn’t even seem to know what was so appealing about him, yet each of them squealed in delight.

“Just as stars shine in the heavens, so too you shine upon this earth, those stars are your eyes. Like rosebuds that irresistibly draw one in… rose-colored cheeks, lips like roses…”

Aren’t those all just roses? Setting aside the face for a moment, how could a man have such a limited vocabulary?

Thinking that, Karin couldn’t help herself and she blurted it out as if she might gag.

“That’s a terrible song.”

The man seemed to catch the remark instantly and turned his gaze toward her.

At first, his eyes widened at Karin’s beauty, but the moment he noticed her outfit, his sharp expression returned. It seemed he had briefly mistaken her for a beautiful girl, then judged her to be male based on her clothing. A very easy man to read.

“A terrible song, is it? I believe I heard someone say that. Was that you just now?”

With a sharp motion, he crossed his legs.

This is bad.

Karin’s face turned pale. Isn’t this turning into another pointless conflict?

But she couldn’t let someone like this see her fear. Gathering all her courage, she spoke boldly:

“Yes. That was me.”

“Hmph!” The man known as Narcissus snorted.

This guy… dared to insult me. But with ladies watching, best to respond with refined sarcasm.

That seemed to be his thought process. Then he noticed Karin’s clothes and burst out laughing.

“Just look at that outfit! I don’t know where you picked it up, but it’s terribly outdated! In this day and age, you wouldn’t see something like that even in the most remote countryside of Gallia!”

Even so, the women didn’t laugh at all.

Instead, they stared at Karin, entranced by the presence of such a strikingly beautiful youth.

Narcissus seemed to notice that subtle shift in their attention.

His face twitched with anger.

“Indeed, a beautiful boy. If you were a woman, even His Majesty might take you as a concubine. But unfortunately, you’re a man! And worse, you can never be number one. After all, here in the capital… you have ''me'', Lord Narcissus!”

With that, he began striking dramatic poses, one moment resting a hand against his chin, the next biting down on a flower taken from a vase.

But the women, like devoted fans, ignored him completely and instead gathered around Karin, staring at her intently.

“What a lovely boy! Your skin is so beautiful! Are you wearing makeup?

“Where are you from? What kind of place produces such beauty like you?”

Karin looked at them coldly.

“That’s none of your business.”

Seeing this, something in Narcissus seemed to snap.

You could expect that. He clearly had immense confidence in his appearance.

At last, he pointed at Karin.

“My dear flowers, tell me. Between that boy and myself, who is more beautiful? Though, of course, the answer is obvious.”

The women exchanged troubled glances. It seemed they didn’t want to hurt Narcissus by telling the truth.

Thanks to the male attire and flat chest, none of them realized that this young noble was actually a girl.

At that moment, Karin spoke again. In any case, she should avoid pointless conflict if possible.

“Who’s more beautiful has nothing to do with one’s ability as a knight, does it? From my perspective, you’re already quite beautiful. There’s no need to compete with anyone in that regard.”

“That’s right, that’s right! Such a well-spoken young man!” the women chimed in.

“Y-you all… that’s enough…”

Watching Narcissus tremble, Karin began to find it a little amusing.

And once that happened, she couldn’t resist pushing a little further.

“That’s quite a shirt you’re wearing.”

“…What?”

Narcissus blinked in confusion at the sudden remark.

“I mean your shirt. Where did you even find something that shiny? What exactly are you trying to do, wearing that? Performing in some kind of stage play? Even clowns don’t dress like that.”

Having his prized shirt criticized like that, Narcissus’s face darkened to a deep red. Clenching his fists, he began to pant heavily.

“Y-you… you—you—you… are you making a fool of me?!”

For some reason, that reaction only made it more entertaining, and Karin couldn’t help herself.

“Of course not. I’m not that bored. Besides, I have no interest in you, so there’s no reason for me to make fun of you. I just think that shirt is a bit too much, that’s all.”

The women burst into laughter.

“That’s true, Narcissus, that shirt is too much!”

“It’s so bright even the sun would run away!”

As his beloved shirt became the butt of jokes, the veins at Narcissus’s temples throbbed violently.

…This is bad. I got carried away again.

Karin quietly decided to slip away.

“…Well then, excuse me.”

“Hold it right there.”

“What is it?”

“I rather like that shirt.”

“Then cherish it properly. Farewell.”

“Hold it.”

“…Now what?”

“Could you give my shirt a chance to restore its honor? Don’t worry, it won’t take much of your time.”

Another duel.

''I messed up…'' Karin clutched her head in her mind.

“Tomorrow at two, behind Saint Christ Temple. Sounds good? And don’t even think about running, I’ve got plenty of friends in this city.”

She wanted to say “no thanks”, but to become a knight, courage mattered above all else. That was what she was told before leaving home.

So, with a strained expression, Karin nodded.

''What am I going to do…?''

She had only just arrived in the capital, and already she’d been challenged to two duels. It was terrifying—terrifying enough to make her feel like she might die.

With a gloomy expression, Karin kept walking.

After asking many people for directions, she finally reached Fossoyeurs Street by evening.

Bathed in the light of the setting sun, it was an old residential district lined with brick apartment buildings. The brown brick walls, coated with white plaster, were faded, but gave off a calm and refined atmosphere. The people walking along the street were all elegantly dressed nobles.

''Wow… as expected of nobles in the capital. So refined…''

Just as she was thinking that, a dazzling procession appeared before her.

A group of knights in pure white uniforms, emblazoned with red sacred emblems. Looking closer, they weren’t riding horses, but unicorns with brilliant white coats.

Karin couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.

Like something out of a painting, the knights advanced in perfect order, silently passing by her. Their stern, disciplined faces stared straight ahead, never wavering.

Each of them radiated an overwhelming presence—it felt as if any one of them could stand against an entire unit of soldiers.

Karin watched them with shining eyes.

“…The Magic Knight Corps.”

She whispered it under her breath.

There was no doubt, these were the very knights she had long admired. The royal guard of the Tristan Kingdom, the object of every noble’s admiration. She had heard that the Corps was divided into several squads, each mounted on a different kind of phantom beast bearing the squad’s name.

Which meant, this was the Unicorn Squadron.

Ah… Karin let out a quiet sigh of wonder.

Just imagining herself wearing that uniform and riding a pure white unicorn made her too excited to stand still.

“Magic Knight Corps, Unicorn Squadron! Magic Knight Corps, Unicorn Squadron! Magic Knight Corps, Unicorn Squadron!”

Murmuring it to herself, she resumed her search for Lord Draguignan’s residence.

What kind of noble could someone be to be capable of introducing her into such an extraordinary order of knights?

Filled with anticipation, her heart trembling, Karin checked one address after another, but…

Although she reached District Three, there was nothing there except a restaurant.

“…………”

Karin stared blankly at the building.

Did I get it wrong?

No… that couldn’t be. This was definitely District Three of Fossoyeurs Street.

She pushed open the door, and a friendly young waiter hurried over.

“Welcome! Um…”

He seemed unsure whether to address her as “miss” or “sir.”

Karin spoke casually.

“I’m a man. Though I do get mistaken for a girl a lot. Also, isn’t this supposed to be Lord Draguignan’s residence?”

The boy looked puzzled.

“This is our establishment—the ‘Breeze Pavilion’…”

Seeing this, a well-built man, likely the owner, approached.

“Is there a problem?”

“This customer is asking whether this used to be Lord Draguignan’s residence.”

The owner nodded.

“I see. Lord Draguignan transferred ownership of this estate… hmm, about ten years ago. After we took it over, we turned it into a restaurant, as you can see.”

“Then… where is Lord Draguignan now?”

The owner shook his head.

“I don’t know… perhaps he returned to the countryside, or… well, he was quite old.”

Stepping out of the restaurant, Karin stood there, frozen. A shadow slowly fell across her beautiful face, enveloping her figure into the dark clouds.

Unease filled her chest, and Karin nearly dropped to her knees.

She had only just arrived, and already, in the blink of an eye, she’d been challenged to two duels.

And the one person she could rely on—Lord Draguignan—was nowhere to be found.

It was hopeless.

She stood there, dejected for a while… then slowly clenched her fist.

“I can’t lose, I can’t lose, I can’t lose, I can’t lose, I can’t lose…”, she muttered.

But just telling herself that wasn’t enough.

There was only one thing left to do.

That “magic.”

It was Karin’s secret spell. She didn’t know how it worked, but whenever she used it, courage would well up inside her.

With her left index finger, she wrote the word “courage” in her palm, then licked it. At once, warmth spread through her chest… and courage surged up from within.

It was the “magic to summon courage” taught to her long ago… by the knight who had saved her.

Back in the countryside, she relied on this spell many times. Before things like duels, she would always use it once. When she did, her fear would vanish, and her body would fill with a sense of invincibility. Mysterious masked knight… as long as I have this spell, I’ll be fine!

The situation was, without a doubt, desperate.

But, “To become a knight.”

There was no way she could abandon that dream. No matter what, she had to find her courage. Courage!

Repeating those words like a spell, Karin stepped forward.

'''Chapter 2 — Cendrillon'''

While Karin continued searching for Lord Draguignan’s residence…

In a corner of Midsummer Street, inside the duty room of the Magic Knight Corps of Lord Gesvres’s estate, a woman sat with her elbow on the desk, frowning in frustration.

She looked to be around twenty-two or twenty-three. Long, beautiful black hair, blue eyes, and glasses, her features were undeniably attractive. And yet, there was an atmosphere about her as sharp and severe as a drawn blade.

This was Vivian Gesvres, acting commander of the Magic Knight Corps.

She tapped her fingers impatiently against the desk, clearly irritated by something. At that moment, a servant opened the door and peeked inside.

“Lord Cendrillon has arrived.”

“Send him in at once.”

Vivian replied in a voice that perfectly matched the room: cold, and devoid of any warmth.

The servant nodded and ushered the man waiting outside into the room.

The man who entered was… peculiar.

His face looked young, yet his grayish-silver hair and the monocle over his melancholic eyes gave off an ageless, almost unsettling impression.

And yet, his features were so strikingly well-formed that the strangeness seemed to vanish, replaced by a dangerous kind of charm. Any woman would likely gasp in admiration and find herself drawn in…

But… The stern expression he wore, as if enduring some kind of pain, dulled that charm considerably.

Vivian fixed him with a cold glare.

“Well then… you’ve caused trouble again, haven’t you, Cendrillon?”

The man called Cendrillon averted his gaze, his lips tightening awkwardly.

“My father’s away because of his illness, so don’t cause trouble… How many times do I have to tell you before you understand?”

“Um… what exactly are you referring to? I have no idea what you mean.”

Cendrillon replied, cold sweat forming on his brow. He didn’t seem particularly good at lying.

“Last night, on Ziktony Street… Who was it that got into a fight with the knights of Germania at the ‘Cavern Torch’ tavern?”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t go anywhere near that place. I spent the evening peacefully playing cards at the Bacchus household.”

As he said that, his face turned even paler.

“Don’t you lie. I have evidence. To begin with, it was you with those two idiots, playing cards against the Germanian knights. You were not at the Bacchus’s house, it was the ‘Cavern Torch’ tavern. At first, it seems it was just an ordinary game, but it happened that you started losing and refused to pay the Germania knights. When they got angry, you drew your wands.”

Vivian spoke with a vein visibly throbbing on her forehead.

“You apparently made quite a mess of the Cavern Torch. What do you intend to do about it?”

With a sharp motion, she handed a sheet of paper to Cendrillon.

“What’s this?”

“A repair invoice from the establishment.”

Cendrillon immediately panicked.

“I-it’s a misunderstanding! First of all, I’d like to clarify! We didn’t lose under normal circumstances! Those Germanian knights were cheating! Seriously, what underhanded bastards!”

“Oh? And then?”

“When we exposed it, they drew their wands first, so we had no choice but to fight back. Besides, you know I hate fighting. It’s impossible that we would’ve attacked first.”

“You say you had no choice, but it seems you went a bit too far. Two people are unable to stand, and five more are injured to varying degrees. We’ve already received a formal protest from the embassy.”

“We were injured too.”

“Oh? Who?”

“Me.”

Saying that, Cendrillon lifted his shirt. His torso was wrapped in bandages.

Vivian’s expression stiffened.

“What? Let me see that properly.”

“Yes,” he said, letting her examine the wound. Sure enough, there was a faint stain of red seeping through.

“That’s not a light injury. Are you alright?”

“Yes. I was struck directly by a magical arrow. If I weren’t a water mage of my level, I would have bled out.”

“Should you even be standing?”

“I was lying down until just now, but since Lady Vivian summoned me…”

At that, Vivian bit her lip and took hold of his hand.

“Honestly… don’t make me worry like that… If something happened to you, what would I do? There’s no one else in this corps I can rely on. If only you would take things a little more seriously…”

A subtle, intoxicating charm drifted from her. It was enough to unsettle anyone who wasn’t careful. Seeing such a change from Vivian, who was always stern and composed, left Cendrillon momentarily confused.
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Vivian looked at him with heated eyes.

Then she closed them, and slowly leaned her lips closer.

Cendrillon panicked.

“W-wait… um! Lady Vivian! I, Cendrillon, have sworn never to give my heart to a woman!”

But faced with Vivian’s beauty, he couldn’t hold out, he found himself closing his eyes.

And then… a sharp pain shot through his abdomen.

“Gyaaaaaah!”

His wound had been mercilessly squeezed, and he let out a scream.

“W-what are you doing…?”

“Just kidding, idiot. That’s exactly why you got baited by such an obvious trick.”

Vivian returned to her seat as if nothing happened, shaking her head.

“I understand the situation now. But what are you going to do about the tavern you wrecked?”

Cendrillon, sweating, clutched his aching stomach and spoke through the pain.

“They brought it on themselves.”

“Oh?”

“The place was helping the Germanian knights cheat. They had magic cast on the table so they could see our hands.”

“…You really are fools.”

“So that invoice can be ignored. Filing a complaint like that would be as useful as a thief crying foul.”

“Then why did you lie in the first place?”

Faced with such a straightforward question, Cendrillon could only sweat nervously.

“B-because… I don’t like getting scolded…”

“How honest.”

Vivian smiled and beckoned him closer.

But Cendrillon shook his head, looking like he was about to cry.

“N-no, I’m good.”

“What’s wrong? I’m about to reward you. The acting commander of the Magic Knight Corps, Vivian Jevre herself, is going to personally reward you. Now come here.”

“I refuse.”

He shook his head again.

Vivian’s tone shifted into a command.

“Come here.”

In the end, it was still an official order he couldn’t defy. With no choice, Cendrillon stepped closer to Vivian.

The next moment, she grabbed him firmly by the neck and began pressing his wound again and again with her fingers.

“Gyaaaaaaaahhh!!”

“Now, Cendrillon… didn’t I tell you? The Magic Knight Corps is in a delicate situation right now. So behave yourself. I ''did'' say that, didn’t I?”

“P-pain! Please—stop!”

“You and those two idiots… honestly, raising fools is exhausting. Don’t you think so? My dear subordinate, my precious retainer? You agree, don’t you?”

“Y-yes! Exactly as you say, Lady Vivian!”

“Good. Then consider this your lesson. You’ll be taking a pay cut for three months. Make sure you inform those two you’re always with as well.”

After being thoroughly disciplined, Cendrillon stepped out of the estate, clutching his aching abdomen.

He still looked half-dead.

“Is she trying to kill a wounded man…? Honestly… I’d just managed to heal…”

On the verge of tears, he began chanting his specialty, water magic.

Using ''Heal'', he managed to close the wound, but it wasn’t completely restored. In this world, those who could use magic were called nobles, and though they were feared and respected, magic wasn’t nearly as convenient as people believed.

“Damn it… that cold-blooded woman… one day I’ll make her cry.”

Even though he said that, it was almost impossible to imagine Vivian crying.

“…Sigh. A pay cut… I’m already barely scraping by!”

These days, for various reasons, the Magic Knight Corps’ salaries were already harshly limited. And now a three-month reduction? That was no joke.

His mood was in ruins.

“…What should I do now…?”

He didn’t feel like going straight home to sleep. In the end, Cendrillon decided to go have a drink.

He headed to the bustling Ziktony Street in the capital, Tristania, and entered a tavern called the “Silver Barrel.”

Despite its name, it was a cheap establishment, run by a quiet father and his lively daughter. It was the kind of place with a relaxed, unrestrictive atmosphere. Whenever Cendrillon was short on money, he came here, because they let him run a tab.

Today was no different.

As he pushed open the door, the tavern’s poster girl, Tanya, came over to greet him.

“Oh! Isn’t that Cendrillon? Welcome!”

She looked about sixteen, a cheerful girl with a bright smile and shining chestnut-colored short hair. She was quite popular; many customers came just to see her.

Cendrillon took his usual seat at the far end of the counter and ordered wine.

“Give me a bottle of Dorf vintage.”

“The usual, then?”

Tanya said that, then leaned in close to whisper in his ear.

“Your tab’s getting pretty big, you know.”

Cendrillon’s shoulders slumped.

Not even being able to drink what he liked freely, was there anything more depressing?

Especially now that his pay had been cut, expensive wine would be out of reach for a while.

“…Then just something cheap.”

“Even then, it’s still going on your tab, right?”

Tanya stared at him.

“W-well… yeah.”

“Well, I’ll let it slide this time. But in return…”

“What?”

“Next time, will you take me to see a play?”

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

Cendrillon glanced at her, then shook his head.

“Go with your friends.”

“Hey! Come on! I’m inviting ''you''!”

“I’m busy.”

“That’s a lie! You’re always just drinking!”

Tanya puffed her cheeks in annoyance, but soon her expression turned curious.

“Hey, Cendrillon… why don’t you ever go out with women? Your friend Narcissus always has a different girl with him.”

“I’m not interested in women. Quit talking and bring the wine.”

“What a waste. You’re actually quite charming, you know.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah… how should I put it? It’s like you’ve got a shadow over you. A lot of girls are drawn to that.”

''I see… a shadow, huh.''

Cendrillon gave a wry smile.

But if they knew the truth behind that “shadow”… their illusions would surely shatter.

The reason he came to “dislike women” was due to a certain incident.

It wasn’t that he truly hated women.

It was just that, ever since that incident, he couldn’t bring himself to take anything seriously. No… more than that, he felt he had no right to love anyone at all.

And so, whenever the topic of women came up, Cendrillon would fall silent. Ironically, that only drew in women like Tanya, who were fascinated by that very attitude.

At times like those, he would simply claim that he “hated women.”

Tanya tried for a while to keep him engaged, bringing up different topics, but before long she seemed to give up.

She set down the cheap wine and snacks she had prepared in front of him.

Taking slow sips of the low-quality wine, Cendrillon reflected on his situation. Joining the Magic Knight Corps was a good thing, but day after day, his life consisted of drinking, gambling, or dueling…

It was, in its own way, enjoyable.

And yet… it felt as though something inside him was gradually being worn away.

''I wasn’t like this before. Back then, I was full of energy… full of hope for the future.''

Of course he was

Because back then, he had been the happiest man in the world. Born into an enviable family, together with the woman he loved…

So why was he now sitting here, drinking cheap wine in a place like this? The answer was simple.

It was his own fault.

The reason he could no longer love women. And the reason he had left home…

Back then… if these hands didn’t cast that ''spell'', his life would surely have been shining brightly.

Just a small mistake… and everything had been taken from him.

It was his doing.

These hands… “Forgive me.”

He murmured it under his breath, then took another deep drink of the cheap wine. The burning liquid slid down his throat, setting his stomach ablaze. Only like this could he dull the pain of the past.

“My life really is… covered in ash. Oh, Cendrillon…”

Staring into the dark red liquid in his glass, he muttered to himself.

He was only nineteen, and yet already, he was completely steeped in a ruined life.

His life, like the color of his hair, was shrouded in gray clouds.

Cendrillon recalled the paintings of the “Saint” he had often seen as a child. A sacred girl, both gentle and stern, depicted in religious art, he could never grow tired of gazing at her.

In the painting, the saint extended her hands, saving the weak from the depths of the water. Did such a beautiful woman truly exist in this world?

If he could meet a saint like that… perhaps the gray clouds covering his life would finally disperse.

“But the sin I’ve committed won’t disappear because of that.”

He muttered, tilting his glass.

The “Saint” didn’t exist. And even if she did, his sins would not vanish. For the rest of his life, he would have to carry that burden.

And yet… perhaps God pitied Cendrillon, and listened to that small, insignificant wish. The door opened, and a young noble stepped inside.

The moment he saw them, Cendrillon caught his breath.

Then his heart jolted, as if struck by lightning.

Before him stood a face, dignified and beautiful, just like the saint from those paintings. The figure looked about fourteen or fifteen. Beneath soft peach-colored hair were slender eyes, their pale brown irises gleaming like clear gemstones. A perfectly shaped nose, neither too high nor too low. Lips like small cherries, gently curved downward.

Everything about that face was arranged with flawless symmetry, as if crafted by the hand of a god.

What… such an unbelievable beauty… A girl like this exists on this street…?

That overwhelming beauty drew not only Cendrillon’s gaze, but the attention of everyone in the tavern.

But… it seemed that God was not smiling upon him after all.

“Huh? A boy?” Those words, spoken by another customer, snapped him back to reality.

Yes, the noble was dressed in a man’s knight attire, a crude military wand hanging at the waist. It was the sort of outdated thing any woman would dislike.

And on top of that, the chest was perfectly flat.

The slender figure could easily be mistaken for a girl… but if they truly were a woman, there should at least be some slight curve, even if undeveloped.

A “boy.” Oh… so it’s a boy.

A disappointed sigh spread through the tavern, and Cendrillon let out a deep breath as well.

Of course. There was no way God would grant his wish.

Thinking that, he gave a wry smile.

Come on, Cendrillon, even if that was a beautiful girl instead of a beautiful boy… what would it change?

Just a stranger in a tavern, nothing more.

The idea that a saint would descend to wash away the ash clinging to him

was nothing more than a foolish delusion.

That “boy” was, in fact, Karin Désirée de Maillart, the cross-dressing girl who came here, lost in despair, thinking she should at least fill her stomach first.

But Cendrillon was not a god, he had no way of knowing that.

Karin slowly looked around the tavern, as if choosing a seat. It seemed that she preferred somewhere deeper inside, and without hesitation, she walked straight in and sat down two seats away from Cendrillon.

Tanya approached, looking completely captivated.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my, what a beautiful guest! W-what would you like to order?”

Her voice was already trembling.

Karin spoke in a clear, composed tone:

“Milk. And something good to eat.”

The “boy’s” voice was as beautiful as a hymn.

Cendrillon stared at Karin, stunned.

What a vast world this is… To produce such a beautiful boy, this world really is something.

He found himself admiring it sincerely.

However, just as such beauty naturally drew attention, it also invited trouble.

Tanya, practically dancing with excitement, brought over the milk and set it down in front of Karin. Just then, a drunken man shouted loudly:

“Hey! Kid! This is a bar! If you want milk, go home and drink your mother’s!”

Cendrillon went pale.

Such a cliché line, it wouldn’t even appear in a stage play. It was almost embarrassing just to hear it.

An awkward murmur spread through the tavern.

Karin slowly stood up.

Her face had turned slightly pale, that remark clearly irritated her. It wasn’t just her beauty; her presence itself was striking.

With all eyes on her, Karin spoke:

“Was that you just now?”

Her tone was calm, but beneath it lay unmistakable anger.

Sustained by the “magic of courage” she just used, Karin felt invincible. There was nothing she feared.

The drunk, clearly the type who couldn’t read the room, kept mocking her:

“Yeah, that was me, you little noble brat. Seriously, pick a better place to drink. A beauty like you sitting here sipping milk ruins the mood completely. Or what, you gonna pour drinks for me? Maybe sway those hips while you’re at it?”

“He’s a boy.”

Someone muttered it, but the drunk only got more carried away.

“Doesn't matter! If you look that good, who cares if you’re a boy or a girl? Come on, kid… why don’t I—”

Before he could finish, Karin spoke again.

“Say one more word, and I’ll kill you.”

Her voice was flat, like she was simply stating a fact.

The entire tavern fell silent, as if something had been abruptly cut off.

The drunk forced a laugh.

“H-hey now, just kidding. Listen, kid, there’s a beautiful world out there you don’t know about. I was just trying to show you—”

“Say one more word, and I’ll kill you.”

Karin repeated it, without the slightest exaggeration.

A vein bulged on the man’s forehead as his irritation boiled over.

“Who do you think you’re killing?”

“I’ll kill you.”

“Don’t screw with me! Who do you think is getting killed here?”

In one swift motion, the man drew a pistol from his belt. He looked like a former mercenary.

He pointed the gun at Karin and cocked it.

Screams broke out in the tavern.

“Hey, kid… didn’t I tell you to pick your place? Maybe a country bumpkin like you doesn’t know, but this area isn’t exactly well-behaved. Proper nobles don’t come here. Even if I kill you, no one important is gonna notice.”

Even so, Karin didn’t change her expression. She looked at the gun as if it were nothing more than a stick.

It wasn’t bravery. It was recklessness.

“If you don’t want to die, toss your wand over here. Slowly. And don’t even think about chanting a spell, I’ll shoot without hesitation. Don’t get any ideas. At this distance, no matter how fast you chant, gunpowder and bullets are faster.”

Cendrillon swallowed.

Having served in the Magic Knight Corps for years, having seen battle and duels, he knew the man was absolutely right.

But Karin shook her head.

“I refuse.”

“…What?”

She placed her hand on the military wand at her waist.

“If I throw this away, then I won’t be myself anymore. So I refuse.”

“You wanna die?!”

“I refuse that too.”

“Didn’t I just tell you?! The gun is faster!”

Then, in a firm and composed tone, the “boy” declared:

“Your bullet won’t hit me.”

“At this distance, there’s no way I’d miss! I’m a mercenary, you know! I’ve fired more shots than I’ve had meals!”

“It won’t hit.”

“Are you an idiot?!”

“I have a dream. Until that dream comes true, I won’t die no matter what happens. So your bullet won’t hit me. Go ahead, aim carefully. I don’t know how many times you’ve fired a gun, but this will be the last bullet you ever fire.”

Cendrillon was stunned.

What kind of nonsense logic was that?

And yet, coming from this boy, it somehow sounded convincing.

Just as the tension in the tavern reached its peak…

the man backed down.

“Tch! I don’t have time to deal with idiots!”

He threw the gun aside and scrambled out of the tavern. The tension instantly dissolved.

Karin returned to her seat as if nothing had happened and calmly resumed drinking her milk. The patrons all looked at her with admiration. Tanya, in particular, stared at her as if she were gazing at a god.

Cendrillon picked up the gun from the floor and placed it in front of Karin.

“Hey, you. This is your trophy.”

Karin glanced at him, then quickly lost interest and looked away.

Feeling ignored, Cendrillon frowned.

“Looks like you’re training to be a knight, but about this… I can’t praise it. Sure, it worked out, but that man was right. At that distance, the gun is faster.”

Speaking as an older noble, he offered his advice.

“There were no bullets in it.”

…What?

Cendrillon looked at Karin with a hint of unease.

She figured that out instantly? She looks four or five years younger than me, what kind of observation is that?

“…That’s impressive.”

He muttered, then picked up the gun to check.

The hammer had been cocked… but the pan cover was shut, so he couldn’t see inside. Did she look through the barrel? That’s impossible.

How did she figure it out?

He couldn’t make sense of it.

“That’s incredible.”

Absentmindedly, Cendrillon pulled the trigger toward the wall.

''Bang!''

A deafening gunshot rang out.

Cendrillon jumped, and the tavern fell into chaos.

Gun smoke filled the air as he coughed violently. Looking at the wall, he saw a large hole blown through it.

“…So there ''were'' bullets.”

He muttered in disbelief.

Karin looked at him with a completely indifferent expression.

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

“Don’t guess like that. Seriously, one small mistake and you’d be dead.”

“I told you. The bullet wouldn’t hit me.”

With that, Karin finished her milk in one gulp.

“You look like you’re training to be a knight, but with that attitude, one life won’t be enough. If you confuse courage with recklessness, you’ll end up shortening your own lifespan.”

Karin set the ceramic cup down on the counter.

“Could you keep quiet?”

“…Huh?”

“I’m in a bad mood right now.”

What is with this kid?

That attitude rubbed him the wrong way. Being talked to like that made him want to provoke her.

A smirk crept onto Cendrillon’s lips.

“Oh? In a bad mood, are we? And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Karin turned to face him.

“Depending on your attitude, you might end up with some unnecessary injuries.”

Pretty bold words for a kid.

Cendrillon couldn’t help but tease her.

“Injuries? From you? That pretty face of yours would be in real trouble if it got hurt.”

A faint blush appeared on Karin’s porcelain-like cheeks.

“Sounds like you really want to get hurt.”

“Of course not. I hate pain.”

“So you’re just a coward, then. In that case, be quiet, you useless idiot.”

Karin glared at him coldly, a hint of contempt in her eyes.

…Right. To someone who still believes in their future without question, I must look like nothing but a failure.

Normally, being spoken to like that would provoke anger.

But Cendrillon simply backed off.

“Yeah, yeah… maybe you’re right. Sorry for bothering you.”

Seeing that attitude, Karin’s expression changed.

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Not at all. I admire you.”

“…You, do you even count as a noble? Is there such a thing as a noble who gets called a coward and doesn’t get angry?”

“There is. You’re looking at one.”

“What a disgrace.”

“Yeah. I am.”

Saying that, Cendrillon lifted his glass.

Karin grabbed the bottle of red wine and poured it straight over his head. The liquid splashed down over him, but he didn’t so much as flinch.

“Hey, what are you doing? What a waste.”

“Get angry already! You call yourself a noble?!”

Karin shouted, clearly irritated.

“Pointless. Getting angry never leads to anything good.”

At that moment, two men pushed open the door and walked in.

One of them was dressed in such extravagant clothing that it almost felt like someone had distilled the very concept of “gaudy” into a dye and painted it onto him. A doll-like beauty, with narrow eyes that suggested how many women he had made cry.

The other was a towering, muscular man, even larger than the one from before. Long golden hair, a rugged jaw that looked like it could crush iron, and a broad chest like that of an ancient arena fighter.

An overwhelming, dominating presence radiated from him, one that made everyone else seem insignificant.

These two were Narcissus and Bacchus.

They were also members of the Magic Knight Corps, and Cendrillon’s closest companions.

The three of them were always together, eating, drinking, fooling around, working… and when it came to duels, they would act as each other’s seconds.

Bacchus, Narcissus, and Cendrillon—the three knights were famous throughout Tristania.

Though not in a particularly flattering way.

The most troublesome trio in the history of the Magic Knight Corps. Constant instigators of chaos. The three fools who were always giving Acting Commander Vivian headaches.

Bacchus and Narcissus spoke at the same time:

“Cendrillon! So you ''are'' here!”

“What is it, Bacchus? And Narcissus, you’re with him too?”

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you! I’ve got a duel tomorrow, and I need you to be my second!”

“A duel? You too?” Narcissus asked, surprised.

“What, you as well? So that’s why you were looking for him! You should’ve said so earlier!”

“I was going to tell you when we found Cendrillon.”

Cendrillon shouted in frustration:

“Don’t joke around! Lady Vivian’s going to kill us!”

At that moment, both Narcissus and Bacchus noticed Karin sitting beside him and their eyes widened.

“Why is ''this guy'' here?!”

“You know him?” Cendrillon asked.

“What do you mean, know him? He’s my opponent tomorrow,” Bacchus replied blankly.

“Mine too.”

The three of them turned to stare at Karin.

Karin calmly glanced between Narcissus and Bacchus.

“What, you all know each other?”

“You know these two?” Cendrillon asked in disbelief.

Karin nodded.

“We’ve agreed to duel tomorrow. Though I don’t mind doing it now. I don’t really have anything else planned tonight except sleeping.”

She said it as casually as if suggesting dinner.

Cendrillon stared at her, stunned.

This personality…

It was like she had a sign on her back that said ''“Open for duels.”''

Bacchus, face flushed, shouted:

“Fine! Then I’ll fight you right now!”

Narcissus nodded in agreement.

Karin replied calmly:

“Then give me a moment. I’ll finish eating first.”

And she began quickly finishing the food in front of her.

With the three knights in tow, Karin made her way behind Saint Christ Temple.

The moonlight was bright enough that, even with only torchlight, the area wasn’t too dark.

“Nice and quiet here.”

Karin said, almost to herself.

The three exchanged glances.

“Hey… Cendrillon,” one of them muttered. “What exactly is this kid? Is he fearless… or just an idiot?”

“How would I know?”

“I’d say he’s so scared he can’t think straight anymore.”

Cendrillon thought about it too, but shook his head inwardly.

No… that wasn’t it.

This guy… he probably truly believed what he’d just said.

''“The bullet won’t hit me.”''

He must believe that not even magic could touch a single hair on his head.

On the battlefield, people who believe “bullets won’t hit me” are always the first to die…

But this one felt different.

That statement didn’t feel like a lie.

No… more accurately, it felt like he ''wouldn’t allow it to become a lie.''

Just as that thought crossed his mind, something felt off.

Karin, who until just now had seemed completely at ease, suddenly changed. Her face turned pale as if struck by a fever, her lips clenched tightly, her body trembling.

“What? What’s wrong? Feeling unwell?”

“N-no! It’s nothing! Just… a little cold!”

Karin snapped hurriedly, turning her back as she fumbled with something out of sight. The “magic of courage” had a time limit.

After a while, it would fade, just like heat escaping from the body, and the courage would vanish with it.

But in moments like this, all she had to do was use it again.

Trace the word on her palm.

Then lick it.

And once more, courage would fill her body.

When Karin turned back to face them, the trembling had stopped.

Wrapped once again in that overwhelming sense of invincibility, she placed her left hand on her hip.

Bathed in moonlight, her figure almost looked as if it had been enchanted by a spell of charm.

A beauty so striking, so sacred, it made one catch their breath.

“What are you muttering about over there? Come on, let’s begin.”

With that, she swiftly drew her wand.

The hesitation from before was gone, her movements were smooth, almost flowing.

Just from that alone, Cendrillon understood—this was no ordinary opponent.

At such a young age, to handle a wand like that…

How much effort had she put in?

The same thought crossed Bacchus and Narcissus’s minds, and a tense chill settled over them.

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re scared. There’s three of you and only one of me, surely not?”

That line made Bacchus’s face flush red.

“Tch… listen to this brat! Fine, I’ll take you on. I was the first to challenge you, after all.”

“No,” Narcissus cut in, shaking his head. “That agreement no longer applies, so I have the right as well. Don’t you agree, Cendrillon?”

Cendrillon grimaced.

“…Hold on.”

“What is it?” Bacchus asked.

“Didn’t Lady Vivian strictly forbid us from dueling? And didn’t we just get into a fight with the Germanian knights? I was just scolded and got my pay cut.”

“If no one finds out, it’s fine. Besides, silencing a kid like that isn’t exactly difficult.”

“And really, look at him, he’s just a child. There’s no way he’s a match for you. You should stop.”

Cendrillon thought so too.

No matter how confident the boy seemed, Bacchus and Narcissus were seasoned fighters. There was no way he could win.

“Being talked down to by a kid like that, doesn’t it bother you?” Karin provoked.

A vein bulged on Bacchus’s forehead.

“There are kids you can forgive, and kids you can’t.”

Karin shot back immediately:

“And there are perverts you can forgive, and perverts you can’t. You’re overwhelmingly in the latter category.”

“Yeah… I’m definitely going first. If I don’t kill this guy, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

“No, I said I’m first!”

“Just wait—”

The three of them argued among themselves.

Watching them, Karin’s body began to tremble slightly.

Then… a violent pressure filled the air.

WHOOSH—!

A fierce wind burst forth.

It tore past Cendrillon’s cheek. The three men stared at Karin in shock. There was no need to ask, they already knew that guy is not ordinary. It was wind magic.

The force swirling around Karin took form as wind even before any incantation could be spoken. Her emotions manifested directly, whipping into a small storm.

Raising her wand, Karin spoke:

“Before we begin, there’s something I need to say.”

“Go on,” Bacchus urged.

“First, I apologize for going too far.”

…An apology? That didn’t match her attitude at all. The three exchanged glances.

Karin pointed her wand at Bacchus.

“You over there, the big idiot. Bacchus, right? I apologize for calling you a pervert. You’re rather an ''excellent'' pervert, and I hate perverts like you the most.”

Bacchus flushed even deeper with anger.

Then Karin turned her wand toward Narcissus.

“And you, the delusional one. Half-baked pretty boy. Narcissus, right? I apologize for insulting your shirt. But no matter how I look at it, that color is still too much. It’s excessively gaudy. And of course, I hate you too.”

Narcissus’s face turned pale with fury.

Then Karin performed a perfect knight’s salute.

“That concludes my apology.”

“That wasn’t an apology at all!”

Bacchus shouted—but Karin was already too focused to hear him.

The way she stood, staring them down with a commanding presence, was like a beautiful apex predator. There wasn’t a trace of carelessness in her stance, it stirred something in the three men.

Cendrillon, caught up in the strange exhilaration of the moment, found himself honestly thinking this “boy” is in fact beautiful.

“Well then, you seem to be arguing over who goes first. In that case, I’ll decide. No objections?”

“Let him decide,” Narcissus said.

Bacchus nodded.

“Fine. No hard feelings, no matter who he picks.”

Both of them puffed out their chests as if to say ''choose me''.

“That one over there—the pretentious one!”

But Karin pointed her wand at Cendrillon.

On her otherwise composed, beautiful face, anger, absent until now, began to surface.

“You had a lot to say earlier, didn’t you? People like you are what you call meddlers. I don’t know if it comes from kindness or what, but every word of it was irritating. And that roundabout way of talking… it’s infuriating! If you’re a man, say what you mean clearly! And on top of that—you’re a coward! I can overlook everything else, but I won’t forgive cowardice! You’re a disgrace to nobles! I’m going to beat that out of you from start to finish—come at me!”

Cendrillon let out a tired sigh and shook his head.

“I don’t mind, but I’m just an observer.”

“If you don’t fight, I won’t fight anyone.”

Bacchus and Narcissus both looked at him, troubled.

“That’s a problem.”

Urged on by his friends, Cendrillon sighed again.

“I really don’t like these kinds of things…”

He glanced at Karin.

She stood there, brimming with fighting spirit. If Bacchus or Narcissus fought her…

she might get hurt.

No, at this point, with how angry they were, it wouldn’t just end with an injury.

… Seems like he had no other choice.

Cendrillon stepped forward and drew his wand—a black iron military wand, polished from years of use.

“Hey, I was the one who challenged him first,” Bacchus protested.

But Narcissus stopped him.

“Leave it to Cendrillon. He’s serious.”

The man standing there now was no longer the lazy, half-asleep Cendrillon from before. There was focus in his eyes. His stance was flawless. It was the posture of someone who had undergone considerable training.

Seeing that, Bacchus nodded.

“Same as always… a solid stance.”

And not just his stance, his strength was also well known. The two of them had witnessed it many times on both the battlefield and in duels.

“Well then, as courtesy demands, let me introduce myself first. My name is Cendrillon. I will be your opponent.”

He spoke in a tone that still lacked enthusiasm.

Karin gave her name in return.

“My name is Karin de Maillart. My specialty is wind. The problem with my wind… is that it’s too strong. It might even kill you. So don’t hold it against me.”

Her voice wasn’t pompous, it was completely sincere.

Cendrillon smiled.

“I use water. Sorry for mentioning it late, but facing water can be quite troublesome.”

“Thank you for the concern, but I’ve never paid attention to my opponent’s element. No need.”

The two stood facing each other, about fifteen mails apart.

“Well then—let’s begin.”

Just as he was about to chant, a sharp pain shot through Cendrillon’s abdomen.

''Damn… right. The wound from last night’s duel isn’t fully healed…''

The emergency treatment earlier had dulled the pain enough for him to forget, but now it flared up again. He’d already done what he could with water magic; all that remained was time. But if he fought now, the wound might reopen.

“What’s wrong?”

Karin looked at him, puzzled.

“N-nothing.”

Seeing that, Narcissus muttered quietly:

“That guy… could it be his injury from last night…?”

“Ah, that stab wound from the Germanian knights! Don’t tell me it hasn’t healed yet…”

Bacchus’s face turned pale.

Cendrillon stopped the two of them from stepping forward.

“It’s fine… really… nothing.”

“But… you… I mean…”

“I’ll manage. Sorry to keep you waiting. Here I come.”

Enduring the pain, Cendrillon began his chant.

“Il… Votar… Nid… Is…”

Moisture in the air condensed, forming water that coiled and gathered. In front of his wand, it took the shape of several whip-like strands.

More than a dozen whips of water, it was the spell called ''Water Whip''.

With sharp whipping sounds, they lashed through the air at high speed.

Karin, in contrast, didn’t chant at all.

Cendrillon extended the whips freely, closing in as if to surround her. Fine droplets of water splashed against his face.

''I like water…''

He always believed that.

Water felt like it could soothe his dried, worn-out heart.

Water can heal me… But only that. It cannot save me.

''Then what can save me?''

''What can wash away the ash that covers my heart?''

He didn’t know.

He swung his wand. The water whips struck from all directions.

In that instant, Karin gave a short chant and moved her wand.

''Crack!''

A sharp gust exploded outward, instantly shattering the incoming whips.

Cendrillon let out a low whistle.

I see… so she really does have the skill to match that attitude.

But it’s just finesse. I’ve seen plenty of wind users at that level.

Then, he prepared to chant the next spell—

BOOOOM—

A thunderous roar erupted as the wind surged. It was a gale like a tidal wave.

The blast didn’t just hit Cendrillon, it sent Bacchus and Narcissus, who were standing behind him, flying into the wall.

Cendrillon immediately cast water magic, forming a cushion between himself and the wall. A soft, gel-like mass of water absorbed the impact.

But Bacchus and Narcissus, merely spectators, were slammed into the wall and collapsed, groaning in pain.

“Sorry, I can’t control the output very well. If you can, please stand farther back while watching.”

It was just a basic wind spell, nothing more than making air move. And yet, the sheer force of it was overwhelming.

He had never seen wind with that kind of power before. And she cast it so casually.

''I see… this one’s no ordinary opponent.''

If that’s the case, then better end this quickly.

Cendrillon chanted the spell ''Blade''. High-speed rotating water coiled around the tip of his wand. A water blade was not something to take lightly, those who underestimated it often lost their lives.

The tightly compressed, rapidly spinning water became a razor-sharp edge, capable of slicing through iron in a single stroke. Even the scattered droplets flew like pellets.

Seeing Cendrillon’s ''Blade'', Karin cast the same spell.

At the same moment, the two rushed forward, clashing in a brilliant exchange at the center of the temple courtyard.

Karin used wind magic to lift herself into the air and attack from above, one could really admire her affinity for wind.

Elusive as a butterfly dancing through the sky, striking with the speed of a hawk. Her small frame was perfectly suited for aerial combat.

So young, and yet her wand technique was incredibly refined.

Bacchus, who had just managed to get back on his feet, spoke with concern, while Narcissus checked his face in a mirror beside him.

“Hey… is Cendrillon gonna be okay? Isn’t he getting pushed back?”

Narcissus, still staring into his mirror, replied in a voice almost like singing:

“His water magic isn’t really suited for combat, I’ve always thought that.”

“Then why let him fight?! He’s gonna lose! Damn it! Does this mean the legendary winning streak of the Magic Knight Corps’ three knights is about to end?!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Narcissus said lightly. “That guy’s wand technique is the real deal, best in the kingdom. I’ve never once seen him lose with ''Blade''.”
[[File:ZNTso1 079.jpg|thumb]]
''I see…'' Cendrillon thought.

The boy was fast, ''very'' fast. And his spells carried real power. But perhaps due to lack of battle experience, his movements followed a few fixed patterns.

Cendrillon, who had been purely on the defensive, shifted the moment he spotted an opening, as if he had become a different person.

Whenever Karin attacked from above, there was a brief instant where her motion stalled. That was the moment.

He thrust his wand in.

It sounded simple, but in reality, it was like threading a needle. Even calling it an “opening” was misleading, no ordinary fighter could have noticed it.

“What—?!”

Her leg was cut.

Karin’s composed expression cracked. The attack had clearly caught her off guard and fear flickered across her face, just for an instant.

Seeing that expression, so fitting for her age, Cendrillon’s own face softened slightly. One more strike, and he could end it.

Of course, he had no intention of doing that.

''He is just a kid. And besides,'' ''Why is he so beautiful?''

The way he moved through the air, like a spirit of the wind.

No… not a spirit. More like—

Cendrillon cut the thought short with a wry smile. ''Come on. He’s a boy.''

There’s no way—

He aimed for her right hand, the one holding the wand, planning to knock it away and end the match cleanly.

But in that instant… He twisted his body too forcefully in order to make the strike, and his wound tore open.

A sharp pain ripped through his abdomen.

“Gah—!”

His body froze for just a moment. Cendrillon’s eyes widened from the pain, and what filled his vision was…

A ''gale''. A violent, surging wind.

Karin’s quick burst of wind lifted his body clean off the ground and he hit the ground hard, his wand slipping from his hand.

“What the hell?! He lost?! That’s not what you promised!”

Bacchus shouted.

Karin slowly approached the fallen Cendrillon, pointing her wand at his face.

Through the pain, Cendrillon smiled.

''Guess I failed at just teaching her a lesson…''

“I lost. I surrender.”

But Karin didn’t lower her wand.

In her eyes burned something new. Anger.

“You! You changed your target at the last second, didn’t you?! If you’d driven that wand through me, the match would’ve been decided! What was that supposed to mean?! Are you mocking me?!”

Her voice trembled with fury.

Outwardly she still looked composed, but underneath, her emotions were boiling.

“There’s no way I’d kill a kid. And besides…”

“And besides what?!”

“You’re beautiful.”

He said it plainly.

Karin’s face flushed bright red, then twisted into something fierce.

“Y-you…! What do you think a sacred duel is?!”

“…Huh?”

Cendrillon blinked, stunned.

What is wrong with this kid? Didn’t I surrender? Didn’t I just compliment him?

Why is he angry?

“H-hey, wait a second. What are you doing? I already surrendered.”

“This doesn’t count as a victory! It’s a draw! And I will absolutely, absolutely never forgive someone like you who mocks others!”

Karin’s body trembled violently.

“H-hey, wait, it’s already decided! It’s over!”

Bacchus and Narcissus, who had stepped closer to check what was happening, were blown away in an instant.

“Hey, wait! Stop!”

And despite having just unleashed such a powerful spell, Karin began chanting again.

A massive sphere of compressed air churned violently at the tip of her wand.

“W-wait! What are you planning to do with that spell?! I told you, I surrender!”

Cendrillon scrambled backward, trying to get away. But it was pointless. The giant mass of air struck his body, and he blacked out.

“…Ugh…” With a groan, Cendrillon opened his eyes. Narcissussus and Bacchus were looking down at him, both visibly worried.

“…What happened to that brat?”

Clenching through the pain coursing through his body, he asked.

Narcissus replied: “After unleashing that spell, he just… disappeared. No idea where he went.”

“I see… What the hell is wrong with that guy…”

What kind of kid loses his temper that easily? At this rate, he’ll never turn into a decent adult…

Cendrillon thought.

“Want us to track him down and teach him a lesson?” Bacchus offered.

But Cendrillon shook his head.

“No… forget it. Honestly, I don’t want anything to do with him anymore.”

That’s what he said, but they would definitely be entangled again. Completely unaware of what kind of turn things would take, Cendrillon muttered in annoyance.

'''Chapter 3 — Lord Gesvres’s Residence'''

The next morning…

After waking up in her inn room, Karin recalled what happened the night before, and her face flushed bright red.

“Uwaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!”

She rolled around on the bed, letting out a completely unladylike groan that didn’t match her refined appearance at all.

She looked like a completely different person from the calm figure she had been the night before. Because she had sworn never to let anyone discover she was a girl, she always forced herself to stay composed in front of others.

But now, alone, it was different.

“…I lost.”

The words slipped out in a feminine tone.

Karin had never truly wanted to become a boy, so when she was by herself, she naturally returned to her normal way of speaking.

“To think I’d lose to someone like that!”

Even though it had been called her victory, anyone could see that she had lost that duel. The moment her leg was cut, the outcome had already been decided. If he had struck her body then, she wouldn’t be standing here now. Even the wound on her leg was nothing more than a shallow cut that wouldn’t even leave a scar.

Frustrating.

Not even being treated as a proper opponent, why did that feel so frustrating?

That gray-haired man… his name was Cendrillon, right?

That roundabout way of speaking. That mocking gaze. That attitude like he was looking down on her… and on top of that, he was a coward.

“…To lose to someone like that… I guess I’m still not good enough…”

Her confidence, which had been so firm until now, began to waver.

After all, up until now, as long as she used the “magic of courage” taught to her by that knight, she never lost, no matter the opponent.

But the world really was vast. In a city like this, people of that level must be everywhere.

The fact that he held back and spared her was proof that her training was still lacking.

And on top of that…

he said she was ''beautiful''.

Unforgivable.

To think about something like that in the middle of a duel, what kind of disgraceful knight was that?! Whether someone was beautiful or not, that kind of thing had nothing to do with it!

Karin grabbed the blanket, imagining it was that damn knight Cendrillon, and beat it repeatedly.

Only after venting her anger did she finally calm down and start thinking clearly.

Even if she had lost, her dream of becoming a knight would not waver.

Although she didn't manage to meet Lord Draguignan, the very person who was supposed to introduce her, it still felt too early to give up.

After agonizing over it for a long time, Karin finally decided to go directly to visit the captain of the Magic Knight Corps, Lord Gesvres. She had no introduction, but at this point, her only option was to explain her situation honestly and ask for permission to join.

Returning to the countryside was out of the question, but she also had no intention of drifting aimlessly around the capital. In the end… she would just have to face the difficulty head-on.

After worrying over various things, preparing herself, and thinking through how to explain everything, it was already nearing evening. If she didn’t hurry, it would be dark soon. Karin quickly rushed out of her room.

When she asked the innkeeper for the address of Lord Gesvres’s residence, his eyes widened.

“Oh! A noble as beautiful as you?”

Thinking he was mocking her as some “pretty little kid,” Karin shot him an irritated look. The innkeeper, sensing that, said nothing more and simply gave her the directions.

Apparently, it was on Midsummer Street nearby.

Following the route she received, she soon found Lord Gesvres’s estate. As expected of the royal guard entrusted with protecting the king, it was a large and imposing mansion.

She knocked nervously on the door.

No response.

She waited for a while, but no one came. Just as she began to wonder what was going on, a nobleman approached from behind, casually opened the door, and walked inside.

“…?”

Was this the kind of place people could just enter freely?

It was hard to imagine in the countryside, but perhaps things worked differently in the capital. Karin did the same, she opened the door and stepped inside.

A narrow courtyard lit by torches came into view, leading to the entrance hall. She knocked again. Still no response. However, she could hear noise from inside.

So someone ''was'' there.

Gathering her courage, she pushed the door open.

What greeted her was chaos.

A large group of men who looked like knights were gathered together, drinking heavily in broad daylight and shouting loudly. Every single one of them looked rough and ill-mannered.

What is this…? Some kind of party?

Lavish nobles holding banquets for days wasn’t unusual, but what was with these people? Listening closely, they weren’t even talking about anything important.

It was all love talk. Stories about flirting with maids, making promises with noble girls…

Karin frowned deeply. She hated this kind of talk.

She was infatuated… falling in love… Those weren’t things a knight should concern themselves with. A knight should devote themselves to the king and country, earn glory, and become a hero.

What could possibly be more important than that?

The men turned sharp eyes toward her.

“Well well! What a high-quality catch! What’s this, little lady? Playing dress-up as a knight?”

“This is not a game. I have come to apply for entry into the Magic Knight Corps.”

Her outdated, overly formal tone made the nobles burst out laughing.

“It’s a boy! Now this is a ridiculous applicant!”

“Sending someone who looks like a girl! This corps really is finished!”

Karin felt anger rise in her chest. If this weren’t the captain’s residence, she would’ve drawn her wand already.

“These must be knights from other units invited here…” she thought.

“May I meet the captain?”

“The acting captain is upstairs.”

One man jerked his chin lazily as if to say “go ahead.”

Karin went up the stairs and knocked on the door at the end.

“Come in.”

A young woman’s voice.

Karin hesitated for a moment. A secretary…?

She opened the door. Inside sat a woman in her early twenties, leaning on a large desk, staring straight at her.

Karin froze.

The room itself radiated with severity—tapestries depicting battles, multiple military wands mounted on the wall, shelves filled with medals and decorated hats.

It was unmistakably the room of a seasoned warrior.

But…The one sitting there was a young woman.

She had long, straight black hair and deep blue eyes. Her face was undeniably beautiful, but the aura she gave off was sharp, like a blade.

“…Wait.”

Was ''this'' the acting captain?

“I heard Lord Gesvres was an elderly warrior…”

The woman brushed back her hair and looked at Karin coldly.

“Who are you?”

Her tone was blunt, almost rough, completely at odds with her appearance.

Straightening her posture, Karin answered.

“My name is Karin du Maillart.”

The situation was unexpected, but at the very least, the woman was sitting in the captain’s seat. Proper etiquette had to be observed.

“What is your business?”

“I have come from my homeland to apply for entry into the honorable Magic Knight Corps.”

The young woman said nothing. She simply stared at Karin.

One minute… two minutes…

Time passed in silence. That gaze, like she was being evaluated, was deeply uncomfortable.

She’s going to say I’m ridiculous… probably.

Showing up unannounced, without any recommendation… Karin, already timid by nature, began to grow extremely uneasy. Just as she was thinking she might not last without writing “courage” on her palm, the woman smiled.

“Very well. I’ll allow you to join.”

Karin’s mouth fell open.

“…What?”

“What is it?”

“What do you mean ‘what is it’?! You don’t even know who I— I mean, what kind of person I am!”

“Because you have a good face,” the woman replied flatly.

“…Excuse me, is that really all?”

One surprise after another, Karin could only stare at her in disbelief.

“It’s not just about beauty. You can tell a lot about a person from their face—what they’re thinking, what kind of person they are. It’s more reliable than some half-baked paperwork. Or… are you someone suspicious?”

“I’m not, but…”

“My name is Vivian du Jerval. I am acting captain in place of my father, who has fallen ill.”

It all happened far too easily.

And besides, weren’t women not allowed to join? That was why Karin had gone to such lengths to disguise herself as a man.

“I heard that women are not allowed to enlist.”

“I am the ''acting'' captain, not a regular member.”

It sounded like a flimsy excuse, but Karin had no authority to argue further. In any case, it seemed that women still weren’t permitted to join.

A bad feeling crept over her, and she spoke up.

“Lady Vivian, may I ask something?”

“Just call me Vivi.”

“That would be far too disrespectful! To address the acting captain so familiarly—”

“It’s fine.”

Vivian smiled. Karin had no choice but to comply.

“Th-then… Lady Vivi. I’m grateful, but… is it really alright to accept me so easily?”

“It’s nothing. We’re short on personnel right now. As long as there aren’t any major issues, we accept people.”

Short on personnel? What did that mean? The Magic Knight Corps was supposed to be the dream of every noble in the country.

“Of course, not just ''anyone'' can get in.”

…Really?

At this point, it felt like anyone who applied would be accepted. Otherwise, there was no way it would be this easy.

That uneasy feeling swelled inside Karin, threatening to overwhelm her.

Come to think of it…

“Um… the people on the first floor…”

“Our elite Magic Guards—the Griffin Squad.”

A bead of cold sweat ran down Karin’s forehead.

Something was clearly off. This Magic Knight Corps was nothing like what she had heard about.

B-but…

She recalled the noble figures of the Unicorn Squad, clad in pure white cloaks, and nodded to herself. Yes, there ''were'' units like that. And the Unicorn Squad still existed.

No matter what, she would find a way to join that distinguished unit.

Then, she could still become the knight she dreamed of.

“Now then, sign the enlistment form. According to regulations, you’ll start as a knight apprentice. Once you achieve notable merit, or after serving the required time, you can be formally recognized as a knight.”

Karin signed the document, filling in her date of birth, the name of the priest who witnessed her baptism, and the names of her father and grandfather. There was no field for gender.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief. Even though she had resolved to keep up the lie, putting it into writing still made her uneasy.

Then, as minimal proof of identity, she took out the letter of introduction she didn’t use.

Vivian glanced at it briefly and immediately put it away in a drawer. It seemed she had no interest in Karin’s background.

“Then report for duty starting tomorrow as a knight apprentice. You’re aware that there’s no pay during the training period, correct? Do you have enough money?”

“I still have about thirty gold coins left, the ones my father gave me.”

Karin answered honestly.

“In that case, even renting a room would be difficult.”

“Eh? Is that so? Back in the countryside…”

“I don’t know how things are in the countryside, but this is the capital of the kingdom Tristania. Even the most rundown room costs five gold coins a week.”

Karin’s face went pale.

Now that she thought about it, even the inn was quite expensive…

“Well, don’t worry. I’ll figure something out for your lodging and meals. Anything else?”

At that moment, Karin decided to voice her wish honestly.

“I’ve already received such generous treatment, so I hesitate to ask…”

“What is it?”

“I would like to be assigned to the Unicorn Squad.”

Vivian’s brow twitched slightly.

“The Unicorn Squad?”

“Yes.”

“That unit doesn’t exist in the Magic Knight Corps. We have the Manticore Squad, the Griffin Squad, and the Hippogriff Squad. That’s all, and each squad has a fixed number of members.”

Karin’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean? Just yesterday, I saw a unit of knights riding unicorns in the city.”

“A unit riding unicorns? Ah… that would be the personal guard of Duke Eustache.”

Duke Eustache.

The prime minister of the Tristain Kingdom, a man said to be a once-in-a-century political genius. Though still young, he was known to handle the affairs of the entire government.

Even Karin knew that much, so hearing that it was his personal guard came as a shock.

“The Duke’s personal guard?”

“That’s right. The one who assists His Majesty as prime minister, Duke Eustache. The unit assigned to protect him is the Unicorn Squad.”

So… that wasn’t the Magic Knight Corps at all? Then… didn’t everything already go wrong?

The Magic Knight Corps she had dreamed of was nothing like she imagined. And the knights she had admired with her own eyes… belonged to someone else entirely.

Sensing the subtle shift in Karin’s thoughts, Vivian smiled knowingly.

“You’re Karin, correct? I’m very grateful that a young and… beautiful noble like yourself has joined the Magic Knight Corps. As acting captain, I have high expectations for you.”

“Th-thank you very much.”

“Right now, the Corps is in a rather difficult situation… though that’s not something I should be telling you. In any case, do your best. That’s all.”

At this point, there was no way she could say something like ''“I quit.”''

It seemed that this Corps possessed nothing but the remnants of past glory. At this rate, it probably didn’t hold a very good reputation in His Majesty’s eyes either…

Could she really become a great knight by joining a unit like this?

Karin’s misfortune didn’t end there.

Vivian suddenly called out:

“Cendrillon!”

“…Huh? What did she just say?”

The door to the adjoining room opened, and a man stepped inside.

“You called for me?”

Karin couldn’t help but let out a small cry.

“Y-you—!”

Standing there was the silver-haired young man, the very same Cendrillon she dueled the night before.

The anger that had been simmering inside her suddenly boiled over.

“Y-you…!”

This guy… this guy who made a fool out of her was actually a member of the Magic Knight Corps?!

“You! Why are you here?!”

Cendrillon’s eyes widened in surprise as well.

Watching the two of them, Vivian spoke with amusement:

“Oh? So you know each other? Even better. Cendrillon, this is Karin, he just joined us as a knight apprentice.”

“What?”

Cendrillon looked at the agitated Karin, clearly confused.

“And I’d like you to look after him. It seems he doesn’t have a place to stay, so let him lodge at your house for the time being.”

“I refuse.”

Cendrillon rejected the idea immediately.

If someone like that violent brat started living in his house, there was no telling what might happen.

Keeping her smile, Vivian turned to Cendrillon.

“Why?”

“Please listen. This Karin… how should I put it… If I’m being polite, he’s not exactly well-mannered.”

“Sounds like he’ll fit right in with you.”

“He won’t. My body won’t survive it.”

Cendrillon said flatly.

Vivian’s voice turned cold.

“This is an order.”

“That is the one thing I cannot obey.”

“Then I’ll dock your pay for insubordination. Normally, it would be a death sentence.”

It was like a spell.

Cendrillon’s shoulders slumped.

“…Understood. I will comply.”

“Good. Disobeying orders isn’t something a knight like you should be doing,” Vivian said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Karin panicked.

“I’ll find a way to rent a room! So please, anything but staying with this guy. No, at his place—”

“Rent a room? Didn’t I just say that’s impossible?”

“Then I’ll sleep in the stables!”

''There’s no way I can live with a man! My identity will be exposed! And of all people, it has to be this Cendrillon?!''

Vivian frowned slightly.

“I can’t have a noble sleeping in a stable. And this residence is already full.”

Karin cried out:

“Then please revoke my enlistment! I’ll gather money somehow and apply again later!”

“You do realize, you’ve already become a member of His Majesty’s guard. If you wish to leave, you’ll need His Majesty’s permission. If you leave by any other means…”

“…What happens?”

“You’ll be considered a deserter. Under normal circumstances, desertion is punishable by death. It would be such a shame for a promising young noble like yourself to be executed… but the law must be upheld.”

That was it.

Karin felt her last hope vanish. This Vivian… she was dangerous.

“Now then, Cendrillon. Why are you refusing?”

“Because I prefer living alone.”

“I know.” Vivian smiled.

“That’s precisely why I’m assigning this to you.”

Both Cendrillon and Karin slumped in defeat.

Vivian waved her hand dismissively.

“That’s all. Karin, ask Cendrillon for the details. You may go.”

Cendrillon’s home was on Chekton Street, near Lord Gesvres’s estate. The entire walk back, he remained silent.

Only occasionally scratching his head in irritation.

Karin, on the other hand, was restless the whole way.

''I have to live alone.'' That’s non-negotiable.

If she were to live with someone, her identity as a woman would inevitably be exposed.

And of all people… it had to be ''him''.

The bitterness of last night’s defeat lingered in her mouth.

''I actually lost to a guy like that…''

“This is it.”

Cendrillon pointed at a building with a grocery shop on the first floor. Karin finally raised her head.

“Your place is a food shop?” She glanced at the goods on display.

Cendrillon shook his head.

“Of course not. I rent a room upstairs.”

It seemed the third floor of the building was where Cendrillon was renting his room. Just as they started up the stairs, he muttered:

“Seriously… what a joke. Why do I have to take care of a violent maniac like you?”

Karin immediately snapped back.

“Who are you calling a maniac?”

“You, of course! You, with that drunken-looking pink hair!”

He pointed at her with his finger as he spoke, and Karin shook her head.

“I am not violent. If you want to say that, then what are you supposed to be? Holding back in a duel, who do you think you are? Th-that, that kind of attitude, treating people like fools… that is what makes me the most angry!”

“How could I possibly go all out against a child?”

Cendrillon said this with a troubled expression, and Karin immediately drew her wand.

“Y-you dare say that! Then this time I will definitely settle things with you! Last night I was simply careless! If I fight seriously, someone like you—”

Just as they were arguing, the shop owner, who had been weighing beans, spoke up. He was a middle-aged man with sharp eyes.

“Well now, young master, is this a guest?”

“…He will be staying at my place.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

The shop owner looked Karin up and down, then let out a sound of admiration.

“My, how beautiful! Even Lord Narcissus would pale in comparison! What a waste that you are a man!”

Ugh…

Really, why does everyone have to praise my appearance like that? Being complimented for that does not make me happy at all.

I just want to be acknowledged as a knight as soon as possible. If that happens, this man, Cendrillon, will not keep treating me like a fool.

It seemed that Cendrillon had rented out the entire third floor. That said, there were not many rooms, just a living room and a bedroom, nothing more.

After entering the room, Cendrillon dropped himself into a chair. Karin looked around, but there were no other chairs.

As she stood there awkwardly, Cendrillon said with exasperation:

“You… do you not even know how to say ‘I will be in your care’?”

“I am not staying here because I want to. It is because of an order, so I have no choice but to comply.”

Karin replied in a trembling, angry voice. Though timid by nature, she was also quite competitive. She could not stand being looked down on by this man, there was no way she would bow her head to him.

Then Cendrillon spoke in a cold tone.

“Hey, kid. That is enough.”

“What! You dare call me a kid!”

“You are a kid, so I call you a kid. I do not know what backwater you came from, but did your parents not teach you even the slightest bit of manners? In a situation like this, no matter how much you dislike the other person, you are supposed to lower your head politely. Otherwise, you will never become a knight, nor even a proper adult.”

Ugh… Karin had no response. What Cendrillon said was completely correct. Reluctantly, she lowered her head.

“P-please take care of me, Lord Cendrillon.”

“You mean, ‘I will be in your care.’”

“I—I will be in your care.”

There was not the slightest trace of gratitude in her expression.

Cendrillon sighed and shook his head.

“Honestly, joining the Magic Guard at a time like this… You look like some sheltered young noble. Why would you even come to a unit like ours?”

“…Is it wrong to want to become a knight?”

“You must have read some hero stories, found them lacking, and decided you wanted to become one yourself, right?”

Mm… not entirely wrong. Karin’s face flushed red.

“Listen. I am not trying to harm you. Go back to the countryside tomorrow.”

Cendrillon waved his hand dismissively.

“What did you say?”

“I said, if you value your life, go back.”

He took a bottle of red wine from the shelf and poured himself a glass.

“Would that not count as desertion?”

“That is just meant to scare you. If a mere trainee runs away, no one will care. Honestly, Lady Vivi is causing trouble again, what is she thinking? Letting someone like you join… What is the point? Listen carefully, if you value your life, go back.”

Karin clenched her fists.

“Do not joke with me.”

“What did you say?”

“I said, do not joke with me. If I can become a knight, then I do not care what happens to my life. ”

Cendrillon shook his head. He had seen too many young nobles say things like that, only to die on the battlefield. Spirit was important, but…

“You saw it yourself, didn’t you? The state of the Magic Guard. I am not trying to frighten you.”

Right.

Why did the once-glorious Magic Guard end up like this, like some den of vagrants?

“It was not like this half a year ago. They were not exactly paragons of virtue, but there was still a group of reasonably decent people. But…”

Karin swallowed hard.

What Cendrillon was describing was something genuinely frightening.

“It all began when the commander, Lord Gesvres, fell ill. After that, one by one, the captains of each squad started to die. There were all kinds of causes, some lost in duels, some were attacked by bandits while traveling, others were struck down by shadowy assassins who appeared out of nowhere…”

A bead of sweat slid down Karin’s forehead.

“From that point on, rumors began to spread, that the Magic Guard was cursed, that it was abandoned by the gods. And as if to prove those rumors true, misfortune started befalling the members as well—falling from horses, injuries during training. That much would be one thing, but there were even deaths. Some were attacked in the dead of night by unknown murders, others were killed in their sleep by thieves… the causes varied. In the end, those who had ability—or at least some sense—could not endure it any longer and left, one after another. And what remains is what you see now. There are not even a third of the original number left. At this rate, the unit will be disbanded, so they have reached a point where they accept anyone who volunteers. I am hardly in a position to criticize, but there really are a lot of strange people now. The reason you were able to join so easily is precisely because of that.”

“…………”

Seeing Karin fall silent, Cendrillon smiled.

“I am serious. Things have calmed down a bit recently, but those who left are not coming back. That is how it is.”

Karin felt as though she could not bear the fear.

What did that mean… would she be cursed too? Her face turned pale, and her legs began to tremble.

“What is it? Are you scared?”

“I am not. I am simply steadying myself.”

Karin quickly turned her back to him, traced the characters for “courage” on her left palm with her index finger, and licked it.

Then her mind settled… and courage welled up from withinю She already decided, on that day, to become a knight.

To become the greatest knight in the kingdom.

When she turned back again, she was no longer trembling. A bold smile appeared on her face.

“How interesting. So this is the adversity granted by the gods. Perhaps even this situation is part of it.”

Seeing Karin look around the room as she said that, Cendrillon shook his head.

“…Honestly. Courage and recklessness are not the same thing. Well, there is no point saying that to someone as young as you. You would not listen anyway.”

“And what about you, then?”

“Me?”

“Yes. Why are you still in the unit?”

“Because I have nowhere else to go.”

Cendrillon leaned back, resting his hands behind his head, and laughed.

“In any case, I will not give up. I absolutely will not.”

“I see. Then I will not try to stop you anymore. Do as you like.”

Saying that, Cendrillon stood up.

“What is it?”

“I am going to sleep.”

Just like that, ignoring her presence, he moved toward the bedroom. Karin hurriedly spoke up.

“Then where am I supposed to sleep?”

“Listen. Let me make one thing clear, I am not your father, and I am not your brother. I am only letting you stay here because of Lady Vivi’s request. Where you sleep is something you can figure out yourself.”

As he said that, Cendrillon began taking off his clothes. His bare chest came into view, and Karin immediately panicked.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“I am going to sleep, so I am taking off my clothes.”

With a look that said ''what are you talking about?'', Cendrillon continued undressing. He looked slender, but his body was well-built.

“D-don’t undress in front of other people, you idiot!”

Karin’s face flushed bright red as she turned away. Cendrillon looked at her, puzzled.

“Aren’t we both men? What are you talking about?”

“Th-that may be true, but…”

At that moment, Karin suddenly realized something. If she was going to live here with Cendrillon, then that meant…

There was a real possibility that her body could be seen.

How could this be? This was a serious problem.

Karin, who had never once imagined being seen by a man, could not contain her emotions. Her face burned red.

The problem did not end there. The unease from earlier rose up in her mind once again.

If the fact that she was a woman were exposed… even if the Magic Guard was short on manpower, she would probably be expelled. No, she might even be thrown into prison. She already prepared herself for that possibility, but if it could be avoided, she wanted to avoid it.

Fortunately, her body was very slender, lacking the softness typical of women. As for her chest, honestly, it could be called flat. That was precisely why she had been able to pass as a boy like this, but…

''If we live together in such a cramped room, it will definitely be exposed.''

As Karin was worrying about this, Cendrillon continued taking off his clothes one by one.

Naked.

Na—ked!

“Do not take them off! Do not do it here! Go outside if you are going to undress!”

Panicking, Karin lunged at Cendrillon.

“H-hey! What are you doing!”

“I am begging you, do not undress in front of me!”

At that moment, Karin noticed it. Around Cendrillon’s abdomen, there were bandages, faintly stained with red, it was a fairly serious wound.

“Th-this… could it be from my magic yesterday?”

Although she unleashed her magic in anger after the duel, she had not intended to injure him this badly, and so she asked anxiously.

“Of course not. This is a wound I already had.”

At that, Karin realized. This man… he was not only holding back, he was fighting while injured! And even under those conditions, he demonstrated that level of skill with Blade. Contrary to his flippant attitude, he was actually a frighteningly capable fighter.

But at the same time, a surge of anger rose within her.

“So I lost to someone who was injured! It was not just that you held back! How can this be!”

The wind around her began to stir.

Not wanting a repeat of last night, Cendrillon quickly said,

“Hey, stop that! I already said that counts as your win. That should be enough, right?”

“Not at all! How long do you intend to make a fool of me!”

Without thinking, she lunged at him, ending up clinging tightly to his bare body, and Karin flushed bright red.

“D-do not come any closer! Let go of me, you idiot!”

“You are the one who jumped at me! Enough already! I am injured, you know!”

Karin lowered her head silently. Seeing that, Cendrillon looked at her in surprise.

“Wait… are you that type? A man who likes men…”

“N-no, it is not like that! It is just… I am not used to seeing other people’s bodies, or having mine seen…”

Mumbling excuses, Karin made Cendrillon stare at her in exasperation.

“You… and you still want to join the knights? If war breaks out, what do you plan to do?”

Having finished undressing, Cendrillon tossed his clothes onto a chair and took a set of sleepwear from the wardrobe.

Then he went into the bedroom and brought out a blanket.

“Here, use this. As for where you sleep, on the floor or on a chair, that is up to you. Though if you want my advice, go downstairs and grab some straw from the stable.”

With that, Cendrillon returned to the bedroom.

Karin stared at the worn-out blanket for a moment, then obediently went down to the stable and brought back a bundle of straw piled there.

The strong animal smell made her uncomfortable, but she had no choice but to spread it out in a corner of the living room. Then… after taking a deep breath, she took out her sleepwear from her luggage and groaned, clutching her head.

It was a frilly women’s nightgown, extravagantly decorated with ruffles. If she were seen wearing something like that, Cendrillon might faint on the spot.

“I might actually be an idiot…”

When preparing her things, she didn’t think about sleepwear at all. She had never intended to show it to anyone, so in that sense, it could not be helped…

In any case, there was no way she could sleep in that. But sleeping in her only set of knight’s clothes was also troublesome. If she did that, they would get wrinkled, and if she ever met someone of high standing in that state, it would leave a bad impression.

After thinking it over, Karin decided she would just sleep in her undershirt for now.

While telling herself that she would buy proper sleepwear first thing tomorrow, she carefully began to undress. Boots, jacket, then trousers… just as she was down to her undershirt, the bedroom door opened.

“Hey, Karin, before going to sleep you need to put out the candle on the table—whoa!”

Water from a pitcher splashed over him, and Cendrillon let out a shout.

“What are you doing!”

“D-do not come in when I am changing, you idiot!”

Karin quickly covered her body with both hands and let out a shout.

“What a strange person…”

Muttering that in exasperation, Cendrillon returned to the bedroom. Karin wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and collapsed onto the bundle of straw.

Then she closed her eyes.

She had finally joined the Magic Guard she had long admired… and yet, the road ahead already seemed difficult.

The Magic Guard itself appeared to have fallen into disarray, and she could not even live on her own.

In any case, no matter what, she had to find a way to become a full-fledged knight, Karin made that resolve firmly.

If she did, she would receive a salary, and she would be able to rent a room. Until then, she absolutely had to keep the fact that she was a woman hidden.

And then… what was with that man? The one she was forced to rely on—Cendrillon! There should be a limit to how much someone could mock another person!

Karin’s competitive nature made it impossible for her to accept being held back against. No matter how much she tried to forget it, she could not.

“One day, I will definitely defeat him.”

Completely…

Whispering that, her small body, already exhausted, was soon overtaken by deep sleep.

And so, just like that, the strange cohabitation between Karin, the cross-dressing knight trainee, and Cendrillon, the knight who disliked women, began.

'''Chapter 4 — Dormitory'''

The next morning…

When Karin opened her eyes, Cendrillon was already awake and eating breakfast.

“Mm… good morning.”

She said this as she started to get up, then suddenly remembered she was only wearing a thin undershirt. She quickly hugged the blanket to herself, letting out a muffled groan.

At that, Cendrillon merely glanced at her.

“Hey, listen.”

“What?”

“I want to change. Could you step outside for a moment?”
[[File:ZNTso1 115.jpg|thumb]]
Cendrillon stood up. For a moment, it seemed like he was about to leave the room, but he did not. Instead, he walked step by step toward Karin and suddenly grabbed the blanket, trying to pull it away.

“What! What are you doing! Stop!”

Karin desperately clung to the blanket. Beneath it, she had nothing on but her undershirtno matter how flat her chest might be, if he saw her like that, her identity as a woman would be exposed.

Cendrillon folded his arms and looked down at her.

“How long do you plan on sleeping? What kind of subordinate wakes up later than their superior? I was lenient with you yesterday, but starting today, I will be strict. After all, you are still just a trainee.”

As he said that, he yanked the blanket away.

“Ugh!”

In that instant, Karin became as fast as a gust of wind.

The moment the blanket was pulled away, she snatched up the wand lying beside her and cast a wind spell.

“Whoa!”

The blanket wrapped itself around Cendrillon’s face. In a flash, Karin grabbed her folded clothes, dashed into the bedroom, and slammed the door shut.

Then, in barely five seconds, she changed. The buttons were not even fully fastened yet…

“Hey! What do you think you are doing!”

When Cendrillon opened the bedroom door, Karin had her back to him, frantically fastening her buttons. Once she finished, she turned around.

Her beautiful face was filled with anger.

But Cendrillon remained completely at ease in the face of it.

“I told you already, did I not? I do not like people seeing my body!”

“Oh, you did say that. But so what?”

“What do you mean, ‘so what’?”

She was a young girl, being seen like that was as embarrassing as death itself. But she could not say that out loud, and the frustration building inside Karin became unbearable.

“Th-then name your conditions!”

“My conditions?”

“Yes. From now on, when I am changing, you must absolutely not enter the room. In exchange, I will do anything.”

“Are you serious?”

Cendrillon looked exasperated for a moment, then immediately smiled.

“In that case, I will leave all the housework to you.”

“Housework?”

“Yes. Laundry, cleaning… and shopping as well.”

She had never done housework before, but there was no other choice.

“…All right.” Karin nodded.

When they arrived at Lord Gesvres’s residence, it was already crowded early in the morning. Just like yesterday, a rough-looking group gathered, loudly chattering about trivial nonsense.

As Cendrillon and Karin entered the mansion, two familiar faces emerged from the crowd—Bacchus and Narcissus.

“Hey, Cendrillon, I heard you are in charge of a trainee.”

As Bacchus said that, he noticed Karin behind him and widened his eyes.

“What? You are the trainee knight?”

“That is right.”

Karin crossed her arms and nodded.

Narcissus also widened his eyes.

“H-hey… Cendrillon, are you serious? This one? You are not joking, are you?”

“…No. I wish it were a joke too, but it is not.”

“Speaking of which, brat. You sure ‘took care’ of me the other night.”

Bacchus stepped forward. Karin felt a bit intimidated, but she quickly licked her left hand and then spoke boldly.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Thinking back, she did lose to Cendrillon, but not to this man. Besides, wasn’t he blown away beautifully by her wind magic the other night?

If this was her opponent, he was nothing.

Karin fixed Bacchus with an extremely cold stare. Being looked at like that by someone as overwhelmingly beautiful as her created a strange, irresistible pressure.

A bead of sweat ran down Bacchus’s forehead.

“Th-this is strange… really strange… why do I feel like this… I…”

Clutching his chest in distress, Bacchus suddenly dropped to his knees before Karin.

“Please allow me to serve you!”

This man, Bacchus, was someone with the rather troublesome ambition of wanting to become “a knight who serves a beautiful princess.” Cendrillon muttered dryly:

“Bacchus, this one is a boy.”

“Ah!” Bacchus snapped back to his senses and immediately stood up.

“That is right… hm. I do not know why I reacted like that… my training is still insufficient.”

“Rather than training, it is more like your brain capacity is insufficient, is it not?”

Karin said coldly, and Bacchus flushed red.

“Hey! You! Think about it, I am your superior! What’s with that attitude!”

Though Bacchus shouted angrily, Karin did not change her expression at all. She already completely dismissed him.

She stared at him in silence. Her gaze was utterly cold, more like she was looking at a stray dog by the roadside, completely devoid of emotion. A strange silence filled the air. Before long, Bacchus seemed unable to endure it any longer, took a deep breath—

“Haahhh—!”, and once again dropped to his knees.

“Please allow me to serve you!”

“I told you, he is a boy.”

Cendrillon said with a troubled voice.

“Ah! What is happening… my body just moves on its own…”

“You are my friend, but sometimes I genuinely think it would be better if you were dead.”

Then Narcissus shook his head in a somewhat alluring manner.

“I see… so now that you have joined, that means the Magic Guard now possesses the two most beautiful people in the history of Tristain. Of course, I am first, and you are second.”

“I do not care about rankings.”

“Anyway! That makes you one of us now! From here on out, let us get along! Boy!”

Laughing heartily, Bacchus threw an arm around Karin’s shoulders, as if he had completely forgotten being blown away by wind magic the other night.

“Your attitude changes quickly for someone after just one day…”

“Well, strong people are popular! They are reliable in battle and duels! Your wind magic was incredible! I was shocked!”

I see… he is a simple, good-natured person, though quite foolish, Karin thought, slightly revising her opinion of Bacchus.

“What a waste that you are a man! If you were a woman, I would immediately serve you! The heavens truly are cruel, to create such irony!”

As he said that, he looked at her with an oddly heated gaze. Being stared at like that by a dull-witted giant filled Karin with intense discomfort, and a faint killing intent stirred within her.

Then Narcissus spoke again.

“Second place.”

“What do you mean?”

“Beauty.”

“I told you, I do not care about rankings.”

Hearing that, Narcissus shook his head in frustration.

He, too, seemed rather simple at heart.

Karin glanced at Cendrillon. At some point, he moved away and was casually chatting with other members at a slight distance. That effortless composure irritated her for some reason.

He held back.

Just that alone was enough for Karin to be unable to forgive anything about him.

But… looking around, the hall of the mansion was packed with members. They said the numbers were decreasing, so why were there so many people here? As the royal guard, should they not normally be working in the city or out on assignments?

“There sure are a lot of people.”

As she muttered that, Bacchus laughed.

“Well, we have nothing to do, so we just kill time here.”

“Aren’t there various duties? Like guarding His Majesty…”

“Because of the reduced numbers, even the guard duties have been dismissed,” Narcissus said with a sigh.

“What did you say?”

They were supposed to be the royal guard, yet it was as if they were told, “You are no longer needed to protect the king.” Was that really acceptable? In other words, the members who should have been stationed at the palace gathered here because they had no work to do.

“No wonder it is so crowded,” Karin muttered to herself.

“Then… who is in charge of guarding His Majesty?”

At that, Narcissus and Bacchus both grew serious.

“…The Duke of Eustache’s personal guard.”

I see, the pure white Unicorn Corps is the one protecting the king… that certainly is a formation worthy of guarding His Majesty.

…I still want to join them.

She was lost in thought when—

“What is that look? Like you would rather be over there,” Bacchus teased.

“N-no, that is not the case,” she said, a bit flustered.

“Ah, those people are all just for show,” Narcissus said as if he knew everything.

“You are talking about yourselves, are you not?”

“Anyway, that is why we just spend all day killing time. Ahh, is there nothing fun to do?”

“We really are bored.”

Karin muttered gloomily.

But only the official knights could afford to idle around. For Karin, who was merely a trainee, there were all sorts of chores waiting for her. First of all, she had to go to the stables behind the mansion to take care of the mounted beasts tied there.

The members of the Magic Guard each had their own mounts—manticores, hippogriffs, and griffins… If they were personal familiars, it would not be so troublesome, but ordinary riding beasts were a complete nightmare.

No matter how one looked at it, they were unruly, and up close, every single one had a ferocious appearance that made them frightening. When she brought them chunks of food, they would roar loudly and nearly bite Karin along with it.

After feeding them came the cleaning. Whether they wanted to play or something else, whenever Karin approached, the beasts would lick her, claw at her, and even try to bite her, leaving her completely disheveled.

In any case, taking care of these creatures was extremely troublesome. Karin hasn’t yet summoned her own familiar, but if she ever ended up with something like this, it would be a disaster. Just the cost of meat alone would be enormous. No wonder trainees were not given a salary, Karin thought.

After taking care of the beasts, next came cleaning the mansion.

Since she had been working alone the entire time, she asked Acting Captain Vivian whether there were no other trainees, and the answer was yes.

Apparently, it was because most could not endure the harsh life of a trainee and quickly quit. On top of that, the current state of the Magic Guard was very deplorable, as she saw.

It seemed she joined at quite a disastrous time.

And then, by evening…

Karin returned to Cendrillon’s room, completely exhausted, but more work was waiting for her.

She had all the housework to herself.

Since it was in exchange for the condition that he would leave the room when she changed, there was nothing she could do. But once she actually started doing it, she began to regret it. This deal really did not seem to worth it…

Since he lived here alone, the living room was not too bad, but the bedroom was terrible. First of all, between the bed and the wall there was a pile of unwashed clothes, like a small mountain.

She did not even want to touch them, but she had no choice but to endure it and carry them to the shared water area behind the building. However, she had never done laundry before and had no idea how to do it. Even poor nobles usually hired a few servants.

For now, she filled a bucket with water, threw the clothes in, let them soak, then took them out and wrung them dry. She was not entirely sure, but it should be something like that.

As she continued this process, she suddenly came across something outrageous, and her eyes shot wide open. Wrapping it in a towel, she rushed back into the room and shoved it at Cendrillon, who was sitting in a chair reading.

“Hey! You! What is this!”

Cendrillon glanced at it.

“Oh, it is just underwear,” he said casually.

“Do not make me wash something like this!”

Karin threw the undergarment at him. Cendrillon peeled it off his face and replied in an annoyed tone.

“It is laundry. Of course there is going to be underwear.”

“How am I supposed to wash that! I do not even want to touch it!”

“I accepted your condition. If you are a noble, then you should honor your word.”

At that, Karin had nothing she could say. Dejected, she took it back. However, there was no way she could wash something like that with her hands.

After casting a wind spell, she threw it into the water. That way, the clothes could be agitated and washed as they were spun around.

As she watched the clothes turning, her irritation gradually began to rise.

Why do I—Karin Désirée de Maillart—have to wash that man’s underwear…!

“He held back… He ''held back''!”

“He—he ''insulted'' a sacred duel!”

“He trampled—trampled my pride into the ground, completely!”

“What the hell! Acting all superior! You are only four years older than me!”

Even as she shouted, her agitation did not settle, if anything, it only grew stronger. Karin’s frustration turned into pressure, whipping up into a gust of wind, until even the water in the bucket churned like a storm.

“Wah!”

She hurriedly weakened the spell, but it was already too late.

A shirt was torn apart.

“The shirt tore… but it is not my fault. It was already worn out.”

She reported it awkwardly, and Cendrillon’s expression immediately changed.

“Which shirt?”

Faced with that intensity, Karin instinctively shrank back. There was a faint sharpness hidden in those usually drowsy-looking eyes.

“…This one.”

When she reluctantly held up the torn shirt, Cendrillon seemed to relax.

“I see. Be more careful.”

He stood up, walked over to the wardrobe, checked inside, and took out a shirt. It was just a plain white one, nothing special, but he looked at it with clear care.

At that moment…

There was something warm in his distant, unfocused gaze. Karin could not help widening her eyes.

“…………”

After staring at the shirt for a while, he quietly put it back.

“The shirts in here do not need washing. I do not wear them anyway.”

“G-got it.”

Cendrillon sat back down and resumed reading. With nothing to do, Karin dropped onto the bundle of straw and watched him.

Where exactly was that strength hidden in this absent-minded man?

Cendrillon seemed to be quite the reader. In the living room stood three large bookshelves, all packed with difficult-looking books.

On the wall opposite the shelves was a fireplace, and above it was a wand on display. Just from its design, one could tell it was both old and expensive.

Sitting beneath it and reading, Cendrillon looked like a scholar. But the moment he picked up a wand, he became a first-rate fighter. Karin had personally realized that during their duel. Back in the countryside, there was no one that skilled.

He really was the ideal noble, refined in both intellect and martial ability…

That was the impression he gave off in silence.

And yet, he lived in this creaking, run-down place.

Just who was this man?

Karin found herself wondering.

About a week later, Karin had gradually grown used to living with Cendrillon, and had also managed to gather some of the things she needed.

First was sleepwear.

To save money, she hesitantly borrowed one of Cendrillon’s undershirts. Compared to her, it was far too large, hanging off her like a nightgown. She hated the idea of wearing that man’s clothes, but there was no alternative.

Next was a chair.

This one she brought from Lord Gesvres’s residence, something that was already discarded. It was a small folding chair, probably meant for outdoor use, perhaps even for the battlefield. But for someone as small as Karin, it was more than enough.

And little by little, she began to understand what kind of person Cendrillon was.

Basically, he had no interest in other people. As long as Karin quietly did the housework, he would not say anything unnecessary, and as promised, he always left the room when she was changing.

Karin was grateful for that indifferent attitude. It was best that he did not pry into her affairs.

However, there were still three things that dissatisfied her.

The first was the food.

Karin was still growing, and if possible, she wanted to eat something better. But in this house, the meals consisted of nothing but hard bread and bean soup, day after day. At first, she wondered if it was some kind of bullying or mistreatment, but Cendrillon ate the same thing.

She had once asked him why.

The answer was simple.

“I do not have money.”

I see. There was nothing of value anywhere in this room.

Well, I guess I'll just have to accept it.

And the second thing was alcohol.

Cendrillon spent most of his time reading, but as he did, his hand would absentmindedly reach for the glass on the table.

Then he would bring it to his lips and drink.

While reading, he repeated that motion over and over again.

It was not wine, but a rather strong liquor. It seemed to be distilled from the leaves of some Yomongi tree, with a distinctive scent and color.

In any case, Cendrillon drank that strong liquor as if it was water. Bottles of the same brand were piled up on the shelf like a small mountain, and several empty ones were scattered in the corner.

When she saw him at the tavern before, he was drinking in the same way.

It was not the way someone drank for enjoyment. The more he drank, the more he fell silent, as if the world had already ended, pressing his thumb against his forehead with a troubled look.

Karin always thought drunkards were supposed to be loud and cheerful, so the way Cendrillon drank felt strangely unfamiliar to her.

As she stared at him, Cendrillon noticed her gaze and looked up.

“What?”

“Even if you do not have money for food, you still have money for alcohol?”

“Yes. Because this is a necessity.”

Is that not backwards? she thought, but he probably understood that himself. In simple terms, he just could not live without alcohol.

“You drink a lot.”

“Yes.”

Cendrillon answered plainly.

“You must like it.”

“Not really.”

It did not sound like something he enjoyed.

And then… before long, he would prop his elbow on the table and doze off. If he fell asleep in the living room, it would be troublesome, so Karin would help him up and carry him to the bedroom.

Every time she did that, she would think, ''why did I lose to someone like this?'' and feel deeply frustrated.

And finally, the last thing she disliked… was his attitude.

Cendrillon showed no interest in Karin at all. At first, he would scold her now and then, but at some point—perhaps he had given up—he stopped saying anything altogether.

It seemed he saw her as just a child and could not be bothered dealing with her. Karin could not forgive that attitude no matter what, and it always left her irritated.

Her worry about being exposed as a woman had lessened, so there should have been no reason to complain, but it still angered her. Even a drunk like him treated her like a child. Karin was filled with a humiliating sense of frustration.

And then, one day…

As usual, after laying the passed-out Cendrillon on the bed, Karin suddenly felt her hand being gently grasped.

“What—!”

Her heart jumped for a moment. It was the kind of grip one might use to hold a lover’s hand. And besides, it was the first time she had ever had her hand held by a man, her heart nearly leapt out of her throat.

But it seemed he was only half-asleep from the alcohol, and his grip quickly loosened. This guy… Karin trembled with anger.

What did he think he was doing, grabbing a girl’s hand like that!

She felt the urge to hit him, but since he usually did not pry into her affairs, she wanted to avoid being asked, “Why are you getting angry over something like this?”

Then she would just go back to the living room

“…Na.”

Cendrillon seemed to murmur something, then began snoring.

“…………”

I must have imagined it…

For a moment, it had sounded like he called her by her real name.

That could not be possible. There was no way Cendrillon could know it. In front of him, the name “Karina” was never once spoken.

Karin looked at his sleeping face. Sharp yet delicate features… he looked older, but he was only nineteen.

Why did he drink so much?

The question crossed her mind.

Was there some reason? Did it have something to do with that weary, world-worn air about him?

…No point thinking about it. It did not matter.

Karin crawled into her straw bed.

So this is what the knight’s life I dreamed of is like…

A faint sadness settled in her chest.

It was expected, but no one was kind to her. Everyone was strict, always pushing troublesome work onto her, and every day was filled with chores. There was no time at all for training.

It looks like days like this will go on forever… without even a single day to rest…

Images of her warm home in the countryside rose in her mind, her kind parents, her cheerful siblings… She almost started to cry, and Karin pinched her cheeks hard with her fingers.

She must not cry.

She left home with the resolve to become a knight. When she imagined herself in shining armor, riding a magnificent beast, for some reason the image that came to mind was the Unicorn Corps she saw before. If she was going to join anywhere, it had to be there… she could not help thinking that.

…Ah, I really need to earn some merit soon.

Or make a name for myself in a duel!

Once she became a knight, Cendrillon would surely stop treating her like a child. And when that happened, she would defeat him with everything she had. Imagining the look of frustration on his face, Karin let out a small, private laugh.

But…

Each day passed in the same dull routine.

No chances to earn merit, no events to make a name for herself—nothing happened at all.

Was she really going to remain stuck here like this…?

A sense of sadness crept over her.

However, that opportunity came sooner than she expected.

'''Chapter 5 — Four vs Four Duel'''

As usual, after finishing her work at Lord Gesvres’s residence, Karin was resting in the hall when Bacchus and Narcissus showed up, both looking unusually pleased. Their faces practically radiated happiness.

“You two look like you are in a good mood.”

“Of course we are! Today is the payday!”

The full knights received a stipend from the palace according to their rank. It was divided into twelve parts and paid out once a month on a fixed day. And today was that day.

“So we are heading out for a drink now. Want to come along? Cendrillon is coming too.”

At that moment, Cendrillon walked over.

“This one is not coming.”

He shut it down immediately, and Karin clenched her fists.

“Why not?” Bacchus asked in surprise.

“It is too early for drinking,” Cendrillon said flatly.

“I was already drinking a bottle a day when I was nine.”

“If he does not take a break now and then, he will collapse.”

With Bacchus and Narcissus both speaking up for her, Karin straightened her posture as if to back them up.

Cendrillon glanced at her and muttered, “I suppose it cannot be helped.”

That one line filled Karin with joy, finally, she would get to eat something decent!

For the past week, all she had eaten was hard bread and bean soup, with a bit of dried meat, raw vegetables, and apples. That was it. It was not as if Cendrillon treated himself any differently, he simply had no interest in anything but alcohol, so his meals never changed.

Back in the countryside, at least the food was normal. Living like this was exhausting.

At last, something proper to eat! Just thinking about it made her smile.

The place the four of them went to was the same tavern Karin visited before, the “Breeze” tavern, which had once been Lord Dragignon’s residence.

Bacchus seemed particularly fond of the place, going on and on about the food.

“The mussels here are incredible. They say they are shipped from the northeastern sea using ice magic. Steamed in red wine, it’s so good your tongue melts.”

They were led to a table, and the dish was brought out right away.

“Here, Karin, try some.”

Bacchus urged her on.

She took a bite, and was stunned. He was right, it was so good it felt like her tongue would melt. The garlic and the taste of the sea blended perfectly, it was truly a fine dish.

“This is amazing!” she blurted out, and Narcissus smiled.

“So Cendrillon has not been feeding you properly, has he?”

“That man only cares about alcohol. What a strange person.”

Karin glanced at Cendrillon. He did not touch the food at all and continued drinking silently. Even with something this good right in front of him… she could not help feeling exasperated.

Bacchus downed his wine in one gulp and laughed heartily.

“And on top of that, he hates women! The two greatest pleasures in life—women and good food—and he enjoys neither. Honestly, it is unbelievable!”

Even when he was told that, Cendrillon showed no reaction.

As the alcohol went down, the atmosphere gradually grew livelier.

Bacchus burst into loud laughter and began bragging about his exploits—stories of duels he had won, nobles he had defeated, things like that. Some of the names he mentioned were well-known, which surprised Karin.

Narcissus was not about to lose either. His stories were all about romance—being pursued by some noble lady, spending the night with some young noblewoman… the kind of talk that made one dizzy just listening.

After they finished, they turned to Cendrillon for his opinion, and he would always reply the same way:

“Impressive. That is quite something.”

That alone was enough to please them, and they only grew more enthusiastic.

Karin leaned closer to Cendrillon and asked quietly,

“Are those stories true?”

Cendrillon answered in a low voice:

“They are, more or less. Just replace ‘marquises and counts’ with street thugs, and ‘duchesses and noble ladies’ with women off the street.”

I see… so they have been embellishing quite a bit.

Still, since the two of them were clearly enjoying themselves, Karin found herself enjoying it too, regardless of how true it was.

“So, Karin! I am strong, right?”

“You are a pervert, though.”

“Karin, now you understand, do you not? I am the most beautiful man in the history of the Magic Guard.”

“Your taste is terrible, though.”
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Even though she kept replying sharply, the two of them were too drunk to notice. “I see, I see, you are a good one!” they said, urging her to eat more. They were not listening at all, but thanks to that, Karin was able to fill herself with food.

“Why are you two so close?”

Karin voiced the question that was on her mind. From the outside, the three of them had completely different personalities and appearances, yet they got along like brothers.

“We just clicked,” Bacchus said.

“At first, we could not stand each other, though,” Narcissus added.

When Karin asked their ages, she was surprised to learn that both of them were still under twenty, they were only eighteen.

Setting Narcissus aside, Bacchus did not look eighteen at all. When she said that honestly, Bacchus puffed out his chest and replied, “That is just because of the difference in experience.”

While they were enjoying their meal, the door to the tavern opened, and a group of four splendid knights dressed in pure white entered.

A hush fell over the place. Karin stared at them and immediately recognized them as the Unicorn Corps saw before. Seeing them up close, their appearance was truly dazzling.

In contrast to the Magic Guard, whose outfits were all mismatched except for their black cloaks, their white uniforms were perfectly unified, as if they stepped out of a painting. Their wands were sheathed in scabbards woven with gemstones and silver chains. Karin could not take her eyes off them, completely captivated, but Bacchus and Narcissus both wore bitter expressions.

What was going on? As she wondered, one of the Unicorn Corps members who had taken a seat spoke up.

“Hey, it smells in here.”

He was a young man, about the same age as Karin and the others. The other knights nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, it smells like mold.”

The innkeeper rushed over and bowed his head.

“I do not notice any particular smell… If there is anything lacking in our service, I humbly ask for your forgiveness.”

“Oh, it is not the tavern’s fault,” the knight said lightly. “It is certain customers.”

That line made Bacchus’s face change instantly. He rose with a low growl, but Cendrillon stopped him.

“It is not worth it.”

“But—”

Karin could feel that something was off.

“Our guests here are all fine people…” the innkeeper said nervously, wiping sweat from his brow. The Unicorn Corps were clearly important patrons, but he could not afford to anger the others either.

“Fine people? Perhaps. To be dismissed from guarding His Majesty and still walk around like that… yes, that is quite impressive.”

Narcissus placed a hand on his wand and moved as if to stand, but once again Cendrillon stopped him.

“Ignore them.”

“But we cannot just sit here and take that!”

Cendrillon, however, remained unconcerned.

“Did not Lady Viviane already warn us to behave? We just had a clash with the Germanians recently, did we not?”

I see… So the Magic Guard and the Unicorn Corps, who served as the Duke of Eustache’s personal guard, did not get along. Come to think of it, the Unicorn Corps had been assigned to protect the king, which meant the Magic Guard had been pushed aside and mocked for it.

“Look at those black cloaks! It is hard to believe nobles once admired them. They look like crows!”

Karin felt anger rising. What kind of Unicorn Corps is this? Just a flashy name… she thought, though she did not have the courage to say it aloud.

The Unicorn Corps knights grew increasingly brazen.

“Throw those people out,” one of them told the innkeeper. “It ruins the meal.”

Both sides were nobles, and the innkeeper was at a complete loss.

“P-please, have mercy…” he pleaded, bowing again and again. One of the knights, apparently irritated by the sight, kicked him hard, and a loud crash echoed through the tavern.

That was enough.

Karin quickly wrote “courage” on her palm with her finger and made a motion as if swallowing it. Then she stood up and pointed straight at them.

“Do you call yourselves nobles?”

“Who is this?” the knights said, looking at her in surprise.

“Karin, stop,” Cendrillon said.

“Why should I stop? Does it not anger you? They are mocking you!”

Cendrillon replied calmly,

“If we cause trouble again, our pay will be cut.”

“Are we not already poor enough? What is there left to worry about?”

Cendrillon answered seriously,

“I would not be able to afford alcohol.”

Karin stared at him in disbelief.

“You… is alcohol all you think about?!”

She shook off his hand and glared fiercely at the knights, who were sneering at her.

These were the Unicorn Corps she had once admired? Her disillusionment turned into burning anger. To think she had believed people like this were admirable…!

“Who is this kid?”

“Just a child, is he not?”

“So the Magic Guard has fallen so far that even children can join!”

The knights burst into laughter.

Karin’s expression changed. Her eyes sharpened, and her body began to tremble slightly. The air around her stirred, turning into a wind that wrapped around her.

“What is this? Too scared to say it to my face? I thought so. You are cowards, rotten people who can only whisper insults from a distance like women!”

“…Cowards.”

At that word, the laughter stopped.

The innkeeper, realizing he could do nothing, had already retreated, and the other customers sat in silence, sensing the tension.

One man stood up. He was a large man, not quite Bacchus’s size, but still imposing. Under his arm he carried a wand as large as a spear. His face was flat, almost snake-like.

“Oh? So you are hiding behind a child now. It has been a while.”

“Hey, that is Angelo,” Bacchus muttered.

“You are right,” Narcissus said in surprise.

“Who is that?” Karin asked.

“He used to be in our unit,” Bacchus explained. “But he caused too much trouble and got kicked out… Looks like he joined the Unicorn Corps. Clever bastard.”

“So, a traitor,” Karin said.

“But he is strong,” Bacchus added quietly. “Be careful.”

Karin’s eyes grew even sharper.

“The Magic Guard really has fallen,” Angelo sneered. “All that is left are fools like you and children. No wonder it is headed for dissolution.”

The knights burst into laughter again.

“Shut up, you traitor. You will get what is coming to you.”

At last, Karin’s hand moved to her wand.

“Hey. If you draw that, even a child will not be forgiven.”

In the suddenly silent tavern, the knight’s voice echoed.

Cendrillon grabbed Karin’s wrist.

“That is enough, Karin.”

“Let go!”

He tried to stop her from causing a scene, but another hand intervened.

“Do not stop him, Cendrillon. He is right. Those people are unforgivable.”

It was Bacchus. Narcissus also stood, placing a hand on his wand.

“There are things more important than a pay cut.”

“I challenge you to a duel,” Karin declared, drawing her wand.

For a moment, even the fear in the tavern was forgotten. All eyes were drawn to her poised figure. She stood there with such dignity, it was almost beautiful.

Bacchus and Narcissus stepped forward, taking positions at her sides.

“I will issue a challenge as well.”

“As will I.”

The Unicorn Corps members rose to their feet.

“Four on your side, four on ours. Very well, we accept.”

Cendrillon stood up with a weary expression.

“…What a pain. Lady Viviane is going to scold us again.”

Both groups made their way to the courtyard of Saint Christophe Monastery, the same place as before. At this hour, few people passed by, making it an ideal location for a duel.

They stood facing each other at a distance of about fifteen paces.

Bacchus, Narcissus, and Karin glared at the Unicorn Corps, ready for battle.

Cendrillon, on the other hand, stood slightly behind them, arms folded, looking thoroughly annoyed.

“Then let us begin. Let me remind you, it was you who issued the challenge. If you die, you have only yourselves to blame,” Angelo said.

Karin stepped forward slowly.

“Enough talk. Come at me.”

“For a child, you have quite the presence. I would enjoy teaching you a lesson, but… my opponent is him— Cendrillon!”

Angelo pointed his wand toward Cendrillon, who stood at the back looking bored.

“I have disliked you for a long time. Always acting so high and mighty! Today, I will send you to your grave.”

He raised his spear-like wand.

Cendrillon was about to sigh and say “What a pain,” when Karin stopped him.

“Hm?”

“I am your opponent!”

“You cannot beat him,” Cendrillon said.

But Karin had already raised her wand and rushed forward. Thanks to the courage spell, she felt invincible. If she defeated Angelo, then Cendrillon would finally stop treating her like a child.

“Right! After Karin!”

Bacchus and Narcissus followed.

Angelo clicked his tongue and swung his wand. A massive sphere of air surged forward, threatening to engulf Karin.

But in an instant, she leapt upward, evading it, and came down from above with her wand imbued with “Blade.”

“She is fast!”

Her relentless assault forced Angelo onto the defensive.

At the same time, Bacchus and Narcissus engaged their own opponents.

The battle unfolded in dazzling exchanges.

Cendrillon let out a sigh, drew his wand, and faced his opponent, a young man with a dull expression.

Without even stating his name, the man launched a spell. It was water magic, just like Cendrillon’s. In a place without natural water, one had to draw upon moisture in the air.

Several ice arrows shot toward him. Cendrillon, looking annoyed, cast “Blade” and deftly knocked them aside.

The first to finish was Narcissus, who specialized in earth magic.

His opponent raised several golems from the ground. Narcissus smiled and cast his own summoning spell.

But his golem was not made of earth.

A shining golden figure appeared.

“My Golden Lady! Crush them!”

The three-shaku-tall golem, shaped like a noblewoman, wielded a fan and effortlessly destroyed every earthen golem.

Seeing his constructs annihilated, the opponent immediately raised both hands in surrender.

“Ha! How is that? My Golden Lady! A noblewoman of pure gold!”

“Pure gold? That is brass,” Cendrillon muttered under his breath, then moved.

His own duel ended quickly. With “Blade,” he closed in, his opponent responding in kind. But against a master, it was hopeless. Within three exchanges, the opponent was pushed to the brink.

One more strike would end it.

Cendrillon feinted, thrusting toward the body to force a block, intending to follow up with a strike to the wrist.

That should have decided it.

But instead, the opponent did something unexpected, he leaned forward, completely unguarded.

“You idiot!”

Cendrillon’s strike pierced his chest.

It drove deep into the heart. A fatal blow.

“Damn it… I messed up.”

At that moment, the man, expression unchanged, swung his wand.

“What?”

Cendrillon jumped back. The knight, with a hole in his chest, suddenly sprinted away and vanished into the darkness.

“…What was that?”

There was no mistake, his wand had pierced the man’s heart. Yet the man had moved as if nothing had happened. Even water magic, which governs the body, could not do that.

Cendrillon stood there, stunned.

Bacchus finished next. His opponent, a fire user, was badly burned, and though Bacchus himself was scorched, the other man could not endure it and surrendered.

Bacchus crossed his arms, glaring down at him.

That left Karin.

Angelo was strong. His wind magic, manipulated with surprising finesse for such a large man, sent blades of air slicing toward her. But Karin’s “Gale” was overwhelming, scattering every attack. She toyed with him in the air, using her superior mobility.

Covered in cuts, Angelo finally dropped to one knee.

“Is it over?” Karin asked.

“Not yet!”

Driven into a corner by someone who looked like a child, Angelo’s eyes were bloodshot with frustration.

Certain of her victory, Karin surged forward, her wand wrapped in “Blade.”

But she made a mistake.

“What?!”

Assuming he would only use wind, she had not expected earth magic.

A hand of soil burst from the ground and seized her leg. Angelo, it seemed, could use a bit of earth magic as well.

“Fool! A child like you knows nothing of tactics!”

A massive scythe of air came swinging toward her neck.

“This is bad—!”

At that instant, her courage vanished. The memory of the abyss she had nearly fallen into as a child overlapped with the image of the blade.

“I am going to die—!”

Then suddenly, the weight on her leg disappeared. She felt her body lifted, and then she was on the ground.

“Idiot! Do not get careless!”

Cendrillon.

“You—”

Angelo tried to continue, but the blood loss robbed him of strength. He staggered to his feet, only to collapse again.

Bacchus and Narcissus cheered.

“Nice one, Karin!”

“You are incredible! You actually beat Angelo!”

But Karin only bit her lip in shame.

At the very end, she made another mistake. If not for Cendrillon, she would have died.

Beside her, Cendrillon glanced once, then seemed to lose interest, sinking into thought.

The defeated knights gathered around Angelo and began treating his wounds. It looked like his life had been saved. Finally, he let out a weak breath.

But even so, being defeated by someone younger than himself still seemed hard for him to accept; his face remained completely blank.

Bacchus and Narcissus picked up their opponents’ wands, snapped them in half, and warned the knights, who were watching in frustration.

“Do not speak ill of the Magic Guard again.”

Karin, her face mixed with regret and the shame of being saved, lowered her head to Cendrillon.

“…Thank you. You saved me.”

But Cendrillon seemed distracted. Only when she spoke did he come back to himself, then he hurried over to Angelo, who was sitting there in a daze.

“Hey! Angelo!”

“…Hmph. What, come to mock me?”

“No! The guy who fought me, what was his name?”

“Oh, Pedro. What was that guy doing, running off like that?”

“Who exactly is he?”

“How should I know? He only joined recently. I am not even sure if that is his real name.”

That was not unusual. Many knights used false names to avoid bringing shame to their families. Cendrillon did the same, and so did Narcissus and Bacchus. Even though Cendrillon was close with them, he did not know where they were from.

Cendrillon looked toward the direction where Pedro had disappeared and let out a sigh.

“Hey, what is wrong with you?” Karin asked, puzzled.

“That guy… I stabbed him straight through the chest… but he ran away like nothing happened.”

“Come on! That is impossible!”

“I am not lying. It is true.”

Cendrillon’s serious expression made the others look at each other. Bacchus patted him on the shoulder.

“You are just tired. It probably slipped past his side and looked like that.”

“…And besides, you always drink too much,” Narcissus added.

Karin, clearly annoyed, spoke up as well.

“Right. That must be it.”

His complete disregard irritated her, even after he saved her.

“No, that is not it! I am telling you—it went straight through the center of his chest!”

He tried to explain, flustered, but no one listened.

Bacchus and Narcissus threw their arms over each other’s shoulders and shouted:

“We are the proud Magic Guard! Oh—!”

“Alright! Let us gather the others and report our victory!”

Narcissus shouted, and Bacchus immediately agreed. They picked up the captured wands and started off, with Karin following behind them.

“Hey! Wait for me! You idiots!”

Cendrillon hurried after them.

That night… the members of the Magic Guard were in high spirits over the long-awaited good news. Everyone had been craving a taste of victory. And the fact that their opponents had been the arrogant and detestable Unicorn Corps made it even more satisfying.

Among the stories, Karin’s performance as a trainee became the highlight. “You defeated Angelo! That is incredible!” they said, congratulating her and constantly raising their glasses in her honor.

In that way, Karin was welcomed by the Magic Guard and accepted as one of them.

But…No one believed what Cendrillon said.

Left with no choice, he sat alone and drank quietly.

And then… for some reason, the sensation of stabbing someone earlier that day brought back memories of the past. That “incident,” tucked away in the corner of his mind, began to surface again and again.

“…Damn it.”

He muttered as he kept drinking, but once awakened, the memory would not let him go. Before he knew it, he was completely drunk.

Karin, sipping her drink by herself, noticed Cendrillon had collapsed in a corner of the tavern.

“That guy…”

She felt a headache coming on. Even in a moment like this, he remained shut inside his own world. Looking at his face, a sense of frustration welled up inside her. He held back in their duel, and today, he saved her life.

She could not bring herself to celebrate with everyone else.

At least today… she was the one who lost.

She thought that as long as she used “courage,” there would be no opponent she could not defeat. But that was not true. She could not beat Cendrillon, and she could not beat Angelo.

With that realization, doubt crept into her heart.

…Could she really become a knight like this?

Even as those thoughts filled her mind, Cendrillon lay there, drunk and unconscious.

Karin walked over to Cendrillon and shook his shoulder.

“Hey, who falls asleep in a place like this? Wake up.”

“Mm…”

But he only groaned, as if uncomfortable.

If he threw up here, it would be a complete spectacle. Karin helped him up.

“Come on, let us get some air.”

Saying that, she led him outside.

In his drunken sleep, Cendrillon drifted back into the past.

In the forest of his hometown…

By the spring he loved, resting his head on “her” lap, basking in the sunlight. Strands of bright golden hair brushed against his face, and in his dream, Cendrillon smiled.

“Pierre, what is it? Does it tickle?”

Pierre was his real name, a name he had abandoned in the past… a name no one spoke anymore.

In the dream, he spoke to the golden-haired woman.

“Karinā, your hair is teasing me.”

“Karinā.”

His lover from long ago.

The only woman he had ever loved.

By coincidence, it was also the true name of the girl now calling herself Karin—but Cendrillon did not know that.

In his dreams, she was always wrapped in light. The woman who led him toward paradise, her skin carried a warmth like the sun itself.

In that hazy state, under her gentle, tender gaze, Cendrillon could think of nothing.

“Oh, it is not teasing. I am doing it on purpose.”

“Why?”

“So you will not forget that I am right here.”

Those words pierced his chest. He reached out, and “Karinā” gently took his hand. He lifted himself, drawing his lips closer to hers…

Karin led Cendrillon into a deserted alley. She did not want passersby to see a member of the Magic Guard in such a disgraceful state. Their reputation was bad enough already.

“Hey, get it together.”

She scolded him as he staggered. Honestly… why did this man have to drink so much?

He had so much ability… was he not just wasting it like this?

If only he drank less.

As she was thinking that, Cendrillon suddenly murmured:

“…na.”

Karin froze.

“Hey, what did you just say?”

She leaned closer, wanting to be sure. Her pink hair brushed against his cheek.

“…Karina.”

This time, she heard it clearly.

There was no mistake, he called her by her real name. Why? How did he know? As those thoughts ran through her mind, her heart began to race.

“How do you know that name—”

Just as she asked, Cendrillon suddenly grabbed her by the neck.

“Mm—!”

It took her a moment to understand what was happening.

His lips… were pressed against hers.

By the time she realized it, a full ten seconds had already passed.

Her lips felt sealed.

Sealed… by his lips.

What? A kiss? What was happening? Was she… being kissed?

The meaning of the word finally caught up with her and exploded in her mind. Her face burned.

A kiss… she was being kissed… no, more precisely—her first kiss was stolen.

It was the first kiss of her life. She had never imagined something like this would happen, and her thoughts spun into complete chaos.

Anyway—!

Now was not the time to blush or panic!

Karin twisted her body, trying to break free, but the more she struggled, the tighter Cendrillon held her, pressing her firmly against himself.
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“Ughhhhhhhhh…!”

As expected of a man’s strength, if she could use magic it would be another matter, but as she was now, she could not escape at all. As she struggled, Cendrillon held her down with force and precision, then pushed her onto the ground.

“Stay by my side… always.”

Cendrillon said it with intense eyes. Struck by that gaze, Karin found herself nodding before she realized it.

But the next instant, understanding what that meant, she hurriedly shook her head.

“N-no… that did not count!”

In the dim alley, Cendrillon’s hand moved.

“—!”

Karin’s eyes went wide.

In his dream, Cendrillon lost himself in Karinā’s lips, hungrily deepening the kiss, his tongue tracing inside her mouth. It was a kiss so vivid and intense it hardly felt like a dream. Karinā’s lips responded just as fervently, her body seeming to try to slip free from his grasp.

When he finally pulled back, he murmured:

“Stay by my side… always.”

Karin’s body froze.

Cendrillon’s hand moved to Karinā’s chest—

—but there was no soft fullness. Only a flat, smooth plane.

“Karinā?”

The moment he said it, the haze of drunkenness shattered, and reality came rushing back.

“…Ka… Karin?”

Karin trembled beneath his hand—his housemate, the “boy” apprentice of the Magic Guard. All color drained from Cendrillon’s face.

“N-no way… I…”

Karin’s face trembled, on the verge of tears.

I messed up…!

Mistaking him for his past lover, he had kissed this “boy”… and even—

“My… my chest… you touched it…”

“I—I am sorry.”

“And… and you kissed me…”

Karin said, her voice shaking.

“I am really… sorry.”

This was bad. Even if it was a drunken mistake… it was still with a boy! No matter how beautiful he looked—he was still a boy!

Karin shoved Cendrillon away.

Then, clutching her chest, she ran off.

…This is bad. He must have been completely shocked.

I have to clear this up later.

But… what was that dream?

The memory of it lingered in his mind.

Cendrillon let out a long breath.

It felt too real.

“Karinā.”

That name carried so much within it—joy, despair… and a sin that refused to fade.

A sin he could never forget.

Something like a lump rose in his throat, making it hard to breathe.

''Forgive me.''

He whispered it, but knowing those words would never reach her only drove him deeper into despair. Cendrillon buried his face in his hands and let out a heavy sigh.

'''Chapter 6 - Philippe III and Grand Duke Eustache'''

Within the royal palace of Tristainia, the current king, Philip III, stared gloomily at the chessboard before him. A man in his late thirties, he possessed gleaming golden hair, carefully groomed beard, and a powerfully built frame befitting his epithet: the ''Hero King''.

His sharply carved features resembled an ancient marble sculpture, radiating an imposing dignity.

The heroic figure who had once personally led an army and crushed the mighty Germanian forces upon the lands of La Valliere still remained unmistakable.

And yet, that face now lacked vitality.

His brows remained tightly furrowed as he occasionally nodded, pretending to listen to the words of the chancellor. In truth, however, not a single sentence carried meaning inside Philip III’s mind. The man’s speech flowed through one ear and out the other like the prayers of some foreign religion.

“Your Majesty, are you truly listening to what I am saying?”

The one who spoke was a narrow-eyed man with black hair slicked neatly backward, around twenty-five or twenty-six years of age.

Though he wore black clerical robes that made him resemble a priest, the military wand hanging from his waist and the sharpness in his gaze gave him the aura of a battlefield commander rather than a holy man. And upon closer inspection, every piece of clothing he wore was clearly a luxurious custom-made article. Even the silver-glimmering wand at his side was finer than the one possessed by the king himself.

This man was none other than Grand Duke Eustache, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Tristain.

“If there is anything Your Majesty finds questionable, I ask that you please say so openly.”

He bowed respectfully, his tone perfectly courteous.

“No matter whether I find something questionable or not, there is hardly any room for me to interrupt, is there?”

“How could Your Majesty say such a thing? You are the king of this nation.”

“The king? You mean me? A man whose only role is nodding approval at whatever policies you present is called a king?”

Philip spoke with open sarcasm, while Eustache merely smiled.

“Without the glory of Your Majesty, the kingdom could never prosper as it does. Especially not through the efforts of someone as insignificant as myself...”

The king grimaced bitterly at those words.

Philip III was an unparalleled warrior. Wand in hand, he could scatter armies single-handedly. Leading troops, he had never once known defeat. He was a Hero King destined to be recorded in the history of Halkeginia itself.

But Heaven withheld from him a talent for politics.

Under Philip III’s reign, the strength of Tristain had steadily declined year after year. Naturally so, when his policies consisted of little more than reckless improvisation: introducing laws on a whim, increasing taxes without foresight, even waging wars merely to preserve appearances...

And just as the fury of the people neared its breaking point.

The man who slammed the brakes on the kingdom’s collapse appeared. It was Eustache.

With astonishing dexterity, the Grand Duke took control of Tristain’s politics, diplomacy, and economy, carrying out reform after reform until the kingdom finally regained its former prosperity.

Yet none of that amused Philip III in the slightest.

The Hero King possessed pride worthy of his title.

But no matter what argument he raised, he could never outtalk Eustache. Eventually, their disputes had devolved into little more than childish sulking, and by now Philip scarcely even wished to voice opinions anymore.

Still, resentment lingered in his heart, leading him to occasional acts of childish rebellion. During gambling nights, for instance, he became absurdly competitive over cards. Or at ballroom festivals, he would try to outshine the Grand Duke.

Yet even if he managed to defeat Eustache in such trivial matters, the satisfaction lasted only moments before the inferiority returned once again.

“That is enough. Handle all political matters however you please. More importantly, it is your move.”

Philip III gestured toward the chessboard.

Eustache moved a piece with complete indifference, whereupon the king once more sank into thought.

“Your Majesty, there is another proposal I wish to present—”

“Stop dancing around it. Call it what it really is: an order.”

Philip snapped irritably.

Eustache narrowed his eyes. Though still young, his face possessed frightening sharpness.

“You wound me with such words... What I wished to discuss concerns the Unicorn Guard currently responsible for protecting Your Majesty.”

“Oh? That rigid bunch who act like templars? What about them?”

“I wish to offer them to Your Majesty.”

“What?”

Philip raised his head, only to shake it immediately with displeasure.

“No need.”

“And why is that?”

“I already have the Royal Mage Guard.”

“Is that not the force whose numbers now resemble a comb with missing teeth?”

“That is why they are currently being reorganized, or so I have been told. Once sufficient numbers have gathered again, I intend to return them to active guard duty. I have no need for a new royal guard.”

“I have heard the recruits consist mostly of thugs and street rabble. Frankly speaking, I often wonder whether a collection of criminals can truly serve as Your Majesty’s protectors. If they were dissolved entirely, the kingdom could even spare itself unnecessary expenses.”

Philip III’s brows tightened sharply.

He still held deep attachment toward the Royal Mage Guard that had protected him for so many years. It was a knightly order passed down from his ancestors, steeped in tradition. Furthermore, although its captain Gesvres now lay ill, he had once been Philip’s own mentor in the art of the wand.

Disbanding them had never once crossed his mind.

“Do not be ridiculous! Listen well, Eustache. I will tolerate almost anything you say because I know well enough that you are smarter than I am. But the Royal Mage Guard is another matter entirely! Once their numbers recover, they will return to guard duty. On this point alone, I will never compromise.”

Grand Duke Eustache slowly shook his head.

“Even so... if they are to guard Your Majesty, they must be an elite force. Even after reorganization, there is no guarantee the old veterans will return. My Unicorn Guard, on the other hand, consists solely of carefully selected warriors. I understand Your Majesty’s attachment to the Royal Mage Guard, but if something were to happen to your safety, the consequences would be irreparable.”

Philip fell silent with a low grunt.

Everything Eustache said was correct.

And yet, his pride could not bear the thought of even his personal guard being manipulated at the Grand Duke’s whim.

“There is no need to worry. True warriors still remain among them.”

“Warriors, you say? Does Your Majesty know what members of the Royal Mage Guard did at an inn just the other day? They violently attacked innocent Germanians. To avoid causing an international incident, the Germanians reportedly did not even draw their wands. Truly pitiable. And yet your guards continued beating them regardless. Counting both serious and minor injuries, there were over ten victims. The ambassador has lodged severe protests.”

Philip stroked his beard with obvious annoyance.

“They have already been punished. I ordered their wages reduced. Besides, calling the Germanians innocent is nonsense. I heard they struck first.”

“Ah, well, these matters always become a matter of conflicting stories. Neither side ever admits fault. In any case, if your guard consists merely of violent men eager to brawl with foreigners, that is rather troubling...”

At that very moment, a young page burst into the chamber.

“Your Majesty! Terrible news!”

“What is it, Dipere?”

The page glanced nervously toward Eustache.

“There is no need to hesitate,” Philip said mockingly. “Even if you tried hiding something from the Chancellor, he would discover it soon enough anyway.”

Even such blatant sarcasm failed to disturb Eustache’s calm expression.

“T-Then I shall report it! It seems members of Your Majesty’s Royal Mage Guard have violently clashed with Grand Duke Eustache’s Unicorn Guard!”

“What?”

Philip III’s eyes widened in shock.

And for the first time, even Grand Duke Eustache’s brows drew sharply together.

“And then? What happened afterward? Which side won?”

“Yes, Your Majesty! It appears the Royal Mage Guard emerged victorious. Four against fourб and every one of them won! They even displayed the enemy wands they seized as trophies and held a celebration afterward!”

Light gradually returned to Philip III’s face, though he quickly forced himself back into a stern expression.

“Hmph! I see! But fighting against the personal guard of our greatly esteemed Chancellor is unacceptable! And holding a celebration afterward is even worse! Put a stop to it immediately! At once!”

Even so, the delight in his heart could not quite be concealed, and he kept sneaking glances toward Grand Duke Eustache.

“I see now, Chancellor. Perhaps you truly were correct after all! What an utterly troublesome group they are!”

The page seemed to grow more excited as well, puffing out his chest as though boasting about his own achievements while continuing the report.

“Yes! And among them was apparently a mere trainee boy! Yet he moved like the wind itself and even defeated Sir Angelo!”

“What? Angelo? I have heard he was an exceptional fighter!”

“That is exactly the case! And this youth may not even have reached fifteen years of age yet!”

Philip III could not help clapping his hands.

“What a splendid young man! He sounds exactly like I did in my youth!”

Then he turned toward Eustache with open pride still written across his face. The king seemed overwhelmingly delighted that his own royal guard defeated the Grand Duke’s elite force.

“Honestly, the Royal Mage Guard are nothing but violent brats who constantly cause trouble. But yes, I see it now—if they were weak, they could never hope to protect me. Just as you said earlier.”

Grand Duke Eustache lowered his head deeply, while Philip III turned toward Dipere.

“This troublesome bunch clearly requires personal discipline from me. Tomorrow, bring those brave warriors... no, those unruly ruffians before me. Understood?”

Dipere bowed and hurried out of the chamber at once, while Eustache himself also prepared to leave.

“Then, Your Majesty, it is nearly time for you to rest. I shall take my leave now...”

“Mm. Good work! Ah, Eustache—provide some compensation in my name to the wounded members of your guard. Tell them to rest well!”

Philip III said this with a broad smile.

After leaving the palace, Grand Duke Eustache stepped into the waiting carriage at the royal coach station. Heavy curtains covered the windows so that nobody could peer inside.

The carriage began moving silently the moment he sat down. Behind it rode two unicorn knights serving as escorts.

“Have you finished saying everything you needed to say?”

The woman seated opposite him spoke once they left the palace grounds.

She was a beautiful young woman around eighteen or nineteen years old. Her long golden hair fell in soft curls nearly to her waist. Gentle drooping eyes and soft, supple cheeks gave her an irresistibly warm charm.

Her full feminine figure was wrapped in black nun’s robes, and the overall image radiated maternal tenderness... like a saint stepping forth from a religious painting.

“Noir, things have become troublesome. It seems the Royal Mage Guard actually won. That fool Angelo knew only how to boast.”

The woman called Noir smiled sweetly. It was the sort of warm and gentle smile capable of capturing the heart of any man who saw it.

“My, just as I expected. Those three cannot really be dealt with through ordinary means.”

“So it is them again...”

“Yes, those same violent little troublemakers from before. There are hardly any spirited people left besides them anymore. As long as they remain, it will be difficult to completely uproot the Royal Mage Guard.”

Her expression resembled that of an older sister delighted by the exploits of her younger brothers.

“And the ‘puppet’ I borrowed from you turned out to be useless.”

“What?! You already deployed him? How impatient you are!”

A strange glimmer shone briefly in her eyes, causing Eustache to shake his head.

“Of course I did not reveal his true nature to anyone. I simply had him mixed into the ranks disguised as a knight. It was also meant as a form of experiment.”

“Honestly... I kept wondering how you intended to use him. Did I not already tell you? ‘Puppets’ are only effective when used in groups. Sending out a single one accomplishes nothing at all.”

“I know,” Eustache replied bitterly.

“But how marvelous! Men like them truly deserve to be called heroes!”

Noir sounded genuinely delighted.

“You seem awfully fond of them.”

“Yes, I rather like them. Despite possessing such strength, they still stubbornly remain with the Royal Mage Guard instead of abandoning it. Everyone else fled long ago.”

“What incomprehensible fools. If they were merely a little more clever, they could live far better lives...”

“But is that not exactly what makes them charming? To ignore profit and loss for the sake of something more important. Men ought to be like that.”

Noir laughed cheerfully.

“Still, it seems it is not only those three.”

“What do you mean?”

“There appears to be another—a trainee boy. Apparently he was the one who defeated Angelo.”

“My! What an extraordinary child! To defeat Sir Angelo... I would dearly love to meet him.”

Watching Noir’s innocent delight, Eustache could only smile wryly.

“Honestly, sometimes I cannot tell which side you belong to.”

“What are you saying? Of course I stand on Your Grace’s side. Though enjoyment is an entirely separate matter... that is all.”

“This is not some game. In any case, the Unicorn Guard must become the official royal guard as quickly as possible.”

Eustache glanced sideways toward the woman beside him.

“I am an impatient man, Noir. That is why I wish to entrust something to you.”

“I am not particularly good at staging ‘accidents’ or manipulating people into provoking riots and brawls, you know. I am not nearly clever enough for such things.”

For a brief moment, Noir wore the innocent expression of an ordinary young woman while saying something utterly horrifying.

“There is no need to worry about details. We no longer have time. How you accomplish it is up to you, but failure is unacceptable.”

“Plans are always vulnerable to the whims of the god known as ‘disharmony.’ For humans to pursue perfection is rather beyond our place, don’t you think?”

“And yet, I know you can do it.”

Eustache spoke those words because he fully understood that the woman sitting before him was among the most terrifying individuals on the continent of Halkeginia.

“My, my... it seems I have been greatly overestimated.”

Noir replied in a voice overflowing with delight.

'''Chapter 7 - Three Knights and Karin are Honoured with the Audience'''

The morning after Cendrillon and Karin dueled with Angelo and the Unicorn Guard, then ended up kissing after Cendrillon got completely drunk at the victory celebration…

Enduring a pounding headache, Cendrillon dragged himself into the living room. Last night, after a messenger from the palace arrived and forced the celebration to disperse, he returned home and immediately collapsed into bed.

In the living room, Karin silently gnawed on a piece of bread. Ever since what had happened the night before, she ignored everything Cendrillon tried to say.

“H-hey…”

Cendrillon awkwardly greeted her, while Karin bit her lip, fists clenched on her knees, cheeks slightly red.

This is bad… he thinks I am into men…

That was the misunderstanding Cendrillon arrived at. Well, after the way he acted last night, he could hardly blame her.

At any rate, he had to clear things up.

“Listen, Karin. I was really drunk last night. I am sorry for doing something so disrespectful to you.”

“…………”

Karin silently chewed her bread and turned her face away.

“It is true that I dislike women… but that does not mean I like men. I want you to understand that.”

After saying only that much, Cendrillon began eating his bread as well.

“Th-then…”

Karin asked in a trembling voice.

“Why would you do something like that to me?”

Cendrillon hesitated over how to answer. He had no intention of speaking about his former lover, much less admitting that he mistook the boy before him for the woman from his dreams.

“Well… I was drunk. For a moment, I mistook you for a woman.”

“…But you hate women, do you not?”

“That is true…”

“So actually you really like women after all. Liar.”

Cendrillon replied helplessly:

“…It is not that I like just anyone.”

Karin glanced at him and felt her face heating up again.

After all, he had suddenly done something like that to her. Of course she could not stop thinking about it.

And on top of that, he had touched her chest at the end. Unforgivable…!

But at the same time, the frustration of not being able to get angry openly irritated her even more. A man would not get angry over having his chest touched.

“Karina.”

Cendrillon had definitely said that name.

Could it be… that he really knew her true name?

If he knew, and liked her despite that, was that why he did such a thing?

But if that was true, then her identity as a woman had already been exposed… and surely he would have asked why she was pretending to be a boy.

Yet judging from his attitude, he did not seem to suspect her real identity at all.

So then… was it really another woman’s name?

The thought alone irritated her. Why am I even worrying about something like this? Whatever!

Karin turned away and left the room to head for duty.

“H-hey! I am coming too!”

A flustered Cendrillon hurried after her.

When the two of them arrived at Lord Jebal’s estate, something unexpected awaited them. Vivian suddenly summoned them over and informed them of something almost dreamlike.

“What did you say? His Majesty wishes to see us?”

Even Cendrillon sounded surprised. Beside him stood Bacchus and Narcissus, who have also just arrived and been called in.

All of them wore tense expressions. That was only natural—a mere knight being personally summoned by King Philip III was an extremely rare thing.

“That is right. It seems he has something to say about last night’s incident.”

Karin’s face turned pale. Did they anger the king with their duel with the Grand Duke’s Unicorn Guard? Even Cendrillon looked confused.

Watching them, Vivian smiled bitterly.

“Honestly… this is why I told you all to behave yourselves.”

It was possible that everyone present would be punished because of what she had done. Karin stepped forward and declared loudly:

“The duel was proposed by me! The other three only became involved because of me! If there is blame to be placed, then place it on me alone!”

Vivian merely smiled.

“You can tell that directly to His Majesty. Honestly, do not stiffen up so much. What is done is done. I understand His Majesty’s temperament well enough, this might even turn out to be interesting.”

The four of them, together with Vivian, boarded a carriage sent from the palace and headed toward the royal court.

Karin could barely sit still. Her fate was about to be decided. If she displeased the king… wouldn’t everything come crashing down?

With a mixture of admiration and anxiety, Karin gazed at the royal palace she was seeing for the first time. Beyond the gates stretched a vast courtyard. The hedges and trees were carefully trimmed into the shapes of knights and dragons, and at the center of the circular carriage court stood a fountain rhythmically spraying water into the air.

The palace itself towered overhead with overwhelming grandeur. Streams of water—deeply tied to the royal family of Tristain—flowed down the walls and connected with the fountain below.

A palace of water…

That was the impression Karin had.

After stepping out of the carriage, the four were not taken to an audience chamber, but instead guided to what seemed to be a back room near the attendants’ quarters.

Passing through a low doorway, they entered a space that resembled a hidden chamber. The walls were draped with layers of satin, and inside stood several chairs and a small desk. Everything was luxurious enough to belong within a palace.

Vivian looked perfectly calm, as though she was here many times before, while Karin felt as if her heart might leap from her chest.

In any case, her fate would be decided within the next few minutes. Even if she angered the king, she at least wanted to stand proudly before him, so she forced herself to straighten her posture.

Beside her, Bacchus and Narcissus also looked extremely nervous, while Cendrillon wore the same sleepy expression he always did.

Then, suddenly, the moment arrived.

The satin curtain was drawn aside, and the king appeared.

For the first time in her life, Karin saw Philip III.

The figure of the “Hero King” she has always admired matched her imagination perfectly—a magnificent and imposingly handsome man. Behind him stood a young black-haired man in priestly robes, with a cold and severe expression.

Philip III slowly swept his sharp gaze across the four of them. That alone was enough to make Karin feel as if she might die from tension.

“Vivian, are these the troublesome little hooligans you spoke of? The violent criminals who beat up the poor Unicorn Guards?”

Philip III asked in a strong voice. It was slightly higher-pitched than Karin imagined. Just hearing those words made her feel as though she was cast straight into hell.

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

After Vivian answered calmly, Philip III frowned.

“What audacious fools! To think that knights belonging to ''my'' royal guard would use violence against the Grand Duke’s honored retainers! Apologize to the Grand Duke at once and accept your punishment!”

Karin’s face went pale. She did anger the king!

But just as Cendrillon stepped forward, about to apologize, Karin remembered Vivian’s earlier words:

“Tell His Majesty directly.”

So Karin stopped him.

“Karin?”

Then, gathering her courage, she straightened her back proudly and declared:

“Please direct the punishment at me alone! I was the one who proposed the duel! The other three were only dragged into it because of me!”

At the sight of the beautiful young knight standing there so boldly, Philip III seemed barely able to contain himself. The strict mask he had been forcing onto his face cracked for a moment, and he let out an admiring exclamation.

“What an excellent young person! Well, Grand Duke, what do you think? Do you truly wish to punish such a splendid youth? Hmm? What is your opinion?”

At the word “Grand Duke,” Karin realized that the black-haired young noble before her was none other than Grand Duke Eustache, the Chancellor himself.

The two greatest men in the kingdom stood before her.

Karin bowed deeply to the Grand Duke.

“I sincerely apologize for injuring your guards.”

The Grand Duke gave a bored snort and turned his gaze away from Karin toward Philip III.

“I never intended to punish them in the first place. Interfering in quarrels between knights would only make me appear petty. Besides, was it not Your Majesty who summoned me here demanding apologies?”

“So then, we may call the matter settled, yes? Ah, I would never show favoritism simply because they are my own guards. One cannot set a good example that way.”

“As Your Majesty wishes. Now then, I still have matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave.”

The Grand Duke departed coldly.

It seemed the danger passed, and Karin quietly pressed a hand to her chest in relief. Vivian, Bacchus, and the others looked much the same.

Then, the moment the Grand Duke disappeared from sight, Philip III’s attitude changed completely. Overflowing with excitement, he practically bounced around the room.

“Now then! My brave warriors! Tell me everything about the duel!”

He eagerly demanded every last detail.

Karin and the others were dumbfounded by the king’s sudden change in demeanor. The four of them described the duel, while Philip III repeatedly urged them to go into even greater detail.

Apparently, the king—who was constantly overshadowed by the Grand Duke—was absolutely delighted that his own royal guards defeated the Grand Duke’s retainers. His earlier anger had merely been an act. As he listened, it was as though memories of charging across battlefields in his youth had resurfaced, and he listened with the enthusiasm of a child.

The part he enjoyed most was Karin defeating Angelo.

“Ohhh! So it truly was you who defeated Angelo!”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Though still young, this one possesses extraordinary mastery over wind magic. I heard he danced through the air while cutting Angelo to pieces…”

Vivian spoke as though she had witnessed it herself.

“I too excel in wind magic. I see now—truly the element of heroes.”

Receiving such praise from the king filled Karin with joy.

To think she would actually be praised by the king himself…

“Listen well, my brave warriors. I adore young nobles such as yourselves—strong, spirited, and loyal. From this day onward, continue to stand as my friends. I ask this of you.”

As he spoke, Philip III extended his hand to each of them. The honor of kissing the king’s hand was exceedingly rare, and the members of the Magic Guard nervously kissed the back of it one by one.

“You have all shown exceptional courage and loyalty to me. Therefore, accept this.”

Philip III summoned an attendant and personally handed Karin a leather pouch.

Inside was a heap of gold coins.

Karin bowed deeply.

“Well then… I still have matters to attend to… I must be going now. Ah, yes!”

Apparently remembering something, Philip III called for another attendant.

“Bring Mariana here.”

A young girl of around twelve or thirteen was soon led into the room. She had brilliant chestnut hair and large bright eyes. Yet at a glance, it was obvious she was no ordinary girl. Every movement carried the natural grace and gentleness of someone born to be served by others.

“Father, you called for me?”

The girl lifted her skirt and curtsied politely.

Standing beside Karin, Narcissus murmured quietly:

“…Princess Mariana.”

Karin nearly let out a startled yelp. This girl was none other than Princess Marianne, the only daughter of Philip III, said to be showered with endless affection.

“...She’s truly beautiful.”

Bacchys spoke in a tone as if he were witnessing a dream. He looked ready to throw himself to the ground before her at any second, so Karin forcefully stomped on his foot.

Indeed, though she was only just about to turn thirteen, her beauty already stood far above others her age. The princess noticed the knights standing nearby and smiled.

“Father, who are these people?”

“They are the knights who will be serving as your guards starting today.”

At those words, the members of the squad exchanged stunned looks.

They were going to guard the princess?

“You are currently being reorganized anyway, are you not? I cannot yet assign you to serve as my own royal guard, but protecting the princess should pose no problem.”

Then he turned toward Marianne.

“My daughter, did you not say you wanted your own guards?”

“Yes! Because I really dislike that Eustache fellow, so naturally I dislike his guard corps too. Just having them come near me is unpleasant enough, and then they shamelessly ride unicorns on top of that! Besides, shouldn’t unicorns belong exclusively to me? Why would Father ever approve something like that?”

What a blunt princess.

Originally, unicorns were meant to be used only by princesses of the kingdom, generally for royal carriages and similar purposes. However, when Grand Duke Eustache established his personal guard corps, he requested permission from Philip III to use unicorns as riding beasts.

Considering the Grand Duke’s achievements, Philip III had little choice but to grant the request.

“There are various reasons for it. You will understand someday.”

“He’s such an unpleasant man!”

“You must not say such things so loudly. The Chancellor has done a great many things for me and for our kingdom.”

Marianne turned her gaze toward the knights.

The moment she noticed Karin, her cheeks gradually flushed red. Karin’s appearance, beautiful enough to resemble a remarkably handsome young nobleman, seemed to capture Marianne’s heart instantly.

Walking up close to Karin, Marianne tilted her head slightly.

It was a gesture meaning: ''State your name.''

“My name is Karin Désirée de Maillart. It is the greatest honor to be entrusted with the protection of Your Highness.”

Karin spoke with utmost seriousness.

“How wonderful! So your name is Sir Karin? What a beautiful guardian knight! I’ve already taken a liking to you! Father, thank you very much!”

Marianne declared this with a radiant smile.

“But Karin is still only a trainee. Is it truly acceptable to entrust such an important duty to him?”

Vivian said this, and Philip III nodded.

“Did he not defeat Angelo? If he possesses the skill, what problem is there? If he serves well as the princess’s guard, he will surely rise quickly through the ranks. Before long, he should become a proper knight. Work hard.”

Hearing such words from the king himself, Karin felt as though she might float into the sky. At that moment, it felt as though a glorious future was already decided for her.
[[File:ZNTso1 188.jpg|thumb]]
“Y-Yes! I would gladly give my life for this duty!”

“M-M-M-My name is Bacchus! Thank you so much for this supreme honor!”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Bacchus could no longer contain himself and dropped to his knees at the princess’s feet, tears already streaming down his face. Most people would probably have been frightened by such behavior, yet Marianne, worthy of being a princess of an entire kingdom, merely smiled calmly.

“I look forward to working with you,” she said.

'''Chapter 8 — Cendrillon’s past'''

Ever since being assigned to guard Princess Marianne, Karin’s arrogance had reached unbearable levels.

After all, the Royal Mage Guard still stood on the verge of dissolution, and because of that, the other members constantly praised and flattered him. Karin herself seemed to enjoy the treatment, gradually carrying herself with ever greater confidence.

Cendrillon, however, could not help feeling uneasy about it all.

Certainly, Karin possessed remarkable talent, and her judgment in battle was excellent.

But… the inexperience that came with youth gave off an unmistakably dangerous feeling. It was the same during their duel, and the same during the fight with Angelo.

''If I didn’t save him back then, he would already be dead.''

And there was something else that bothered him.

Before every duel, Karin would always lick the palm of his left hand. The moment she finished that motion, the trembling appropriate for someone her age would vanish instantly, replaced by eerie calmness.

Cendrillon had no idea what kind of spell it might be, yet the gesture lingered unpleasantly in his mind.

In any case, so far the guard duty itself did not involve any real danger. Once they reached the palace, all they really did was trail after the princess wherever she pleased.

There were no signs of imminent war, and thanks to Grand Duke Eustache’s political skill, the citizens showed little unrest. There was no particular danger to speak of, and yet…

Today as well, Princess Marianne specifically requested Karin accompany her on a walk through town. The princess seemed extremely fond of sneaking out incognito.

Accompanied by only a handful of guards, she wandered aimlessly through the streets. She was remarkably good at disguises too—dressed as an ordinary street girl and with her hairstyle changed, she looked exactly like a native child of Tristainia.

Cendrillon and Karin followed several paces behind her. Meanwhile, the princess darted around restlessly like a puppy, constantly making them nervous.

Suddenly, Marianne tried to enter a particularly unsavory-looking area, prompting Cendrillon to step closer and whisper quietly into her ear.

“Your Highness, this is not exactly a respectable district, so…”

But Marianne merely smiled and grabbed Karin by the wrist.

“With Karin here, there is nothing to worry about.”

“Hm?”

Marianne looked up at Karin with innocent eyes.

“No matter what kind of enemy appears, Karin will defeat them all, won’t he?”

Karin puffed out her chest proudly.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

After the mission ended, Cendrillon spoke to Karin with a bitter expression the moment they returned home.

“You need to stop getting carried away.”

“What do you mean?”

“What would you have done if something happened after bringing the princess into such a place?”

“There’s no way I’d lose to people like that.”

Karin answered stubbornly.

“Under normal circumstances, a mere knight apprentice would never be entrusted with guarding the princess. It’s better to remain cautious. Be careful.”

Hearing that, Karin lowered his head resentfully.

There was another source of unease weighing on Cendrillon’s mind.

The knight whose chest had been pierced during the duel with Angelo’s group, yet continued fighting as though nothing had happened. Nobody believed that story no matter how many times he told it. Afterward, he had even asked Lady Vivian to investigate the Unicorn Corps, but the knight named Pedro vanished completely after that night.

No matter how he thought about it, something was wrong.

Something bad was happening.

And yet if he spoke about it, everyone merely dismissed it as “the ramblings of a drunkard.” That frustrated him deeply.

Karin, meanwhile, found herself dissatisfied with Cendrillon for entirely different reasons.

For all the lofty things the man said, he was still just a drunkard. Worse, whenever he got drunk, he mistook Karin for someone named “Karina.”

Tonight, the same thing happened again.

As usual, by midnight Cendrillon became completely dead drunk, forcing Karin to drag him onto the bed.

And once again, Cendrillon murmured:

“...Karina…”

''There he goes again.''

Karin glared down at him coldly.

“Who exactly is that supposed to be?”

Me? Or someone else?

The question bothered her unbearably.

“Hey… why do you know that name?”

The demand slipped out before she could stop herself.

Then Cendrillon muttered softly:

“...I’m sorry…”

His face burning hot as he apologized.

“W-Why are you apologizing? Why do you know that name…?”

Karin tried to continue, only for her words to be abruptly cut short as Cendrillon nearly pressed their lips together.

Startled, Karin shoved him away.

“You… what exactly are you…”

“Forgive me…”

“Y-You idiot… if you’re going to apologize, then don’t do things like that.”

Karin’s voice trembled, but before she knew it, Cendrillon had already pulled her tightly into his arms.

“...Who exactly is Karina?”

There was no answer.

''So that means… it really is me?''

“W-Why are you doing this?”

The question escaped her again.

This infuriating man who treated her carelessly despite her incredible skill… this hopeless drunkard who acted as though everyone around him were fools…

And yet now he clung to Karin with the defenselessness of a child.

“...Do you know my true identity?”

“...I do.”

''What? He knows?''

Which meant her secret really had been exposed?

But how?

D-Don’t tell me…

Karin’s imagination immediately spiraled out of control.

The drunken Cendrillon, deeply curious about the gender of someone as beautiful as Karin…

Karin herself, fast asleep…

A hand quietly reaching over… pulling aside her clothes…

“...!”

'''Unforgivable.'''

“T-This… pervert… you degenerate man-eating monster…”

Karin trembled with fury. ''I’ll beat him senseless, freeze him solid, boil him alive with magic, tear him apart with wind spells—''

Just as those thoughts filled her mind—

“Don’t leave… Please… it’s my fault…”

The near-tearful voice stopped Karin’s hand.

“D-Don’t say things like that in that sort of voice…”

A pathetic man with drunken, unfocused eyes.

Someone who once said he had “nowhere left to go.”

“...D-Don’t tell anyone… about me…”

Karin whispered that quietly, and Cendrillon nodded.

For some reason, seeing him behave with such childlike innocence caused Karin’s anger to fade.

And then suddenly, their lips met again.

Karin desperately tried to pull away, but Cendrillon was far too skilled at kissing. Every movement of his tongue gradually drained the strength from Karin’s body little by little.

Before long, all strength left him entirely, and Karin collapsed back against the bed.

“N-No…” she protested weakly, but Cendrillon’s body pressed down over her. Karin wanted to blast him away with magic, kick him off, punch him, yet her limbs refused to obey him.

Still, she absolutely did ''not'' want to be attacked like this. It wasn’t as though she liked Cendrillon or anything. Her body simply froze every time the man suddenly forced himself close like this.

Just as tears threatened to spill—

“Grrr…”

Snoring.

Cendrillon fell asleep directly on top of her.

Face burning bright red, Karin smacked Cendrillon on the head repeatedly, but the drunken man never even opened his eyes.

And once morning came, Cendrillon would inevitably forget everything that happened the night before. He probably had no awareness whatsoever that every night, once drunk, he ended up embracing Karin like he had during the victory celebration.

But had he truly discovered Karin’s real identity, and then unconsciously embraced her in his drunk state?

Or…

Was he really mistaking Karin for somebody else after all?

Unable to stop thinking about it, Karin finally decided to ask Bacchus and Narcissus directly.

“Do either of you know someone named Karina?”

At Lady Vivian’s estate, Karin asked the question while Cendrillon was absent.

“Who’s that supposed to be?” Bacchus asked.

“...Every night, Cendrillon keeps saying that name.”

“Hm. Well, it sounds like a woman’s name, so it’s probably a woman, right?”

“That much is obvious.”

Then Narcissus gave a more thoughtful answer.

“Maybe it’s the name of a woman from his past?”

“I-Is that so?”

Narcissus tilted his head thoughtfully.

“Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing something about why he joined the Royal Mage Guard... Though he was drunk at the time, so he probably doesn’t even remember talking about it himself.”

“Tell me.”

Karin urged him on eagerly, and Narcissus continued.

“Apparently, he was betrayed by the woman he was engaged to, and then ran away from home because of it... Though I don’t know the details.”

Hearing that, Karin clenched his fists.

''What a pathetic man.''

To think his reason for joining the Royal Mage Guard was getting dumped by a lover!

And this was the same man who lectured her about immaturity.

Then came the realization that “Karina” was not referring to her, but to another woman instead, and anger began welling up endlessly inside her. She had vaguely suspected as much already, but hearing it stated outright somehow made it far more infuriating.

If Cendrillon mistook her for another woman and because of that not only kissed her, but even touched her chest…

'''Unforgivable.'''

Because of such a misunderstanding, even her first kiss had been tainted!

No, wait. She had already decided long ago that she would never lose her head over something as foolish as romance, didn’t she? So why should something like a first kiss matter?

That was what her mind insisted.

And yet she was still furious.

But even if she confronted Cendrillon about it, what would happen?

''Why are you angry? I already apologized for the kissing. Besides, you’re a man, aren’t you? Stop making such a big deal out of it.''

Most likely, Cendrillon would just say something like that and end the conversation.

Once Karin imagined that, she found herself unable even to complain properly, left to silently stew in frustration alone.

While she was lost in those thoughts, Lady Vivian suddenly appeared and called out to them.

“Karin! Narcissus! Bacchus! And Cendrillon too! Are you all here?!”

“Y-Yes!”

The three of them straightened immediately.

“A messenger from the princess has arrived. You are to accompany Her Highness to Deauville tomorrow.”

Deauville was a health resort near the sea, roughly three days away by horseback.

“Deauville? What for?” Bacchus asked.

“It seems to be a pleasure trip. Since Her Highness intends to travel incognito, you will not be using magical beasts. You will ride there on horseback instead. Command authority will belong to Cendrillon. Make sure he understands that. That is all.”

After relaying only those instructions, Vivian hurried away.

To be chosen as attendants on a royal journey!

That could only mean they were deeply trusted.

Karin felt excitement burning hot inside her chest.

After returning home and reporting the matter, the very first thing Cendrillon said was:

“Good. Since I’ll be commanding the mission, my first order is this: you stay behind.”

“W-What?! What did you just say?! Why?!”

“I already told you before, didn’t I? You still lack experience. On a short trip like this, guards must remain constantly alert. If something happens, it will already be too late.”

“I can handle guard duty perfectly well! Stop treating me like an idiot!”

“I’m not treating you like an idiot.”

Cendrillon answered in a troubled voice.

''How am I supposed to explain this so this arrogant knight apprentice actually understands?'' he wondered bitterly.

In the end, he decided he had no choice but to speak plainly.

“I have a bad feeling.”

“A bad feeling?”

“Yes. That knight named Pedro... despite having his chest pierced through, he remained alive. And the Royal Mage Guard was weakened far too quickly afterward. I suspect the two things are connected somehow.”

Karin sighed in exasperation.

“I already told you, you were drunk—”

“No.”

Cendrillon interrupted her sharply.

“It wasn’t that. I wasn’t seeing things because I was drunk. Something is wrong. Someone is plotting something dangerous... To ''that man'', the Royal Mage Guard is an obstacle. I’m certain of it. This is a conspiracy, and for someone still immature like you, the burden is too great.”

“So you expect me to just sit around and wait? Don’t make me laugh!”

At those words, Karin finally snapped.

Seriously, how long was this man going to keep treating her like a child?

Despite doing ''those kinds of things'' to her every night while drunk! Mistaking her for another woman!

“Tell me something—who exactly is the immature one here?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You. Do you even know what you do to me every night?”

Cendrillon’s face immediately paled.

“I already said I was sorry about that—”

“It wasn’t just the night of the celebration.”

Now his cheeks began turning red instead.

“You’re joking…”

“I’m not joking. It’s true. Though of course you probably don’t remember any of it because you’re always blackout drunk, you alcoholic!”

“S-Sorry…”

Cendrillon lowered his head in shame.

“You really do unbelievable things, you know. You hug me tightly like this, and your hands start moving around like this—”

The more Karin spoke, the angrier she became, until her entire body trembled.

“...Couldn’t you just resist?”

Cendrillon asked awkwardly.

“You’re way too strong!”

In reality, it was because her own body lost strength entirely, but saying that out loud felt like it would somehow ruin everything, so Karin deliberately kept silent.

And before she realized it, she got so emotional that she accidentally blurted out what Narcissus had told him earlier.

“Honestly! Being unable to forget some woman from your past is what’s truly immature! Her name’s Karina, right?! Even after being betrayed, you’re still hopelessly attached to her!”

“Was it Narcissus? That idiot talks too much…”

Cendrillon muttered tiredly.

“Seriously, just how badly were you betrayed? For you to still be this obsessed, it must have been something huge, right?”

Cendrillon let out a quiet sigh.

“She never betrayed me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was the one who betrayed her.”

“Then why not just apologize?”

“She’s no longer in this world.”

Karin fell completely silent.

“…………”

Cendrillon continued in a calm voice.

“Do you want to know why I keep feeling that you’re in danger whenever I look at you?”

“…………”

“Because you’re exactly like I used to be. Young. Convinced you can do anything. Believing there’s nothing in the world worth fearing. Thinking that as long as you have a ‘dream,’ anything is possible. I was exactly the same… right until that day.”

''That day.''

The day he lost Karina.

“Do you want to hear the story?”

Karin silently nodded.

And slowly, Cendrillon began speaking.

“When I was two years older than you are now, I had a lover named Karina.

I was the son of a territorial lord, while she traveled from place to place performing alongside her father.

Normally, a romance like that could never happen.

But I fell in love with her gentle smile and beautiful golden hair.

When I confessed my feelings, she accepted surprisingly quickly. Being a noble probably played some part in it, but that wasn’t all. She genuinely loved me too.

We began seeing each other, though ours was a forbidden relationship. Secretly… quietly… we would meet over and over again in the forest. It was a small and fragile love.

But something like that could never last forever.

Eventually our parents found out and tried to separate us. Being young and foolish, I decided to abandon everything and run away with her.

Naturally, they sent pursuers after us.

Nearly ten highly skilled knights.

There was no possible way for us to escape.

They caught up to us almost immediately.

And then… they seized her.”

At this point, Cendrillon clenched his fists tightly, his expression twisted with pain.

“One of the knights grabbed her arm, trying to drag her away. Several others surrounded me, leaving me unable to move. And I knew… if we were separated there, we would never see each other again.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I began chanting a spell.

I was overflowing with confidence back then. After all, people praised me as some brilliant prodigy. Even from dozens of arses away, piercing the hand of the knight holding Karina with a magical arrow should have been effortless.

At least, that was what I believed at the time.

But it was nothing more than arrogance.

Was it because I was nervous? Because the pressure made me falter? At this point, I no longer know.

No… perhaps the truth is simply that I was immature.”

Cendrillon spoke in a low murmur, as though all emotion had long since been left somewhere far away.

“The magical arrow that was meant to pierce the knight’s hand instead pierced Karina through the chest.”

“It struck beautifully. Perfectly. Straight through. She died instantly. Even my beloved water magic could not save her.”

Karin stood there speechless while Cendrillon continued calmly.

“A man who killed the woman he loved with his own hands… does not even deserve the right to follow her in death. When I someday stand before her in Valhalla, how am I supposed to apologize?”

“And thus,” he added bitterly, “a man fit only to wander a dust-covered road through life was born.”

Karin bit down hard on her lip.

She could never have imagined that this careless, drifting man carried such a past inside him.

Cendrillon looked at her with complete seriousness.

“You really are extraordinary, Karin. I have never seen anyone use wind magic as skillfully as you do. But precisely because of that, I have to say this: act more carefully. Do not become arrogant. Courage and recklessness are not the same thing.”

''I don’t understand.''
[[File:ZNTso1 207.jpg|thumb]]
Karin still felt like a child.

She could not truly comprehend Cendrillon’s pain or sorrow.

“To kill the person you love most with your own hands…”

What kind of feeling was that supposed to be?

Karin could not understand it.

She clenched her fists tightly.

And before she realized it, tears were already flowing from her eyes.

“...Take me with you too.”

Cendrillon let out a quiet sigh.

“Understood,” he said at last, gently patting Karin on the head.

“You really are kind, Karin. Someday you’ll become someone truly remarkable. But if things become dangerous, fall back immediately. You are to follow my orders. Understood?”

Karin nodded silently.

'''Chapter 9 — Confrontation at Deauville'''

Deauville was a small town with a population of only around two hundred people.

Originally, this lonely settlement by the sea survived only through gathering shellfish and fishing. But every summer, because of the ocean currents, the sea would begin shining with rainbow colors. Tourists wishing to witness the beautiful sight gathered there each year, bringing the town a modest amount of profit.

Now, with summer only just beginning, the townspeople were busy preparing the inns that operated exclusively during the warm season.

And during such a peaceful time, a man and woman suddenly appeared.

One was a tall, powerfully built nobleman.

The other was a young woman with dazzling golden hair dressed in nun’s robes.

The unusual pair drew curious stares from the townspeople as they walked.

An old man approached them kindly and greeted the noble.

“Welcome, travelers. Um… it’ll still be a few more days before the sea turns rainbow-colored—”

A wand suddenly thrust forward and pierced straight through his chest.

Slowly, still smiling faintly, the old man collapsed onto the ground.

Moments later, a woman who had witnessed the scene screamed.

Then red blossomed across her chest as well, a magical blade fired by the nobleman pierced her.

As panic spread and the people of Deauville fled in terror, the nobleman continued slaughtering them one after another without the slightest change in expression.

The massacre unfolded beneath dazzling sunlight with such unreality that it almost resembled some grotesque stage play.

It did not take long for terror to consume the entire town.

Those attempting to flee discovered nobles armed with wands blocking every exit and desperately begged for help.

“Sir Knight! There’s a murderer in town! Please save us!”

The only reply was magic.

Every route out of Deauville was already sealed off.

And so the townspeople were slaughtered one by one by the gathered nobles.

By the time every resident of the town had been killed, roughly two hours had passed.

“Oh.”

Having discovered a man hiding in the grass behind a house and impaled him with a lance of compressed air, Angelo turned toward Noir, who had silently observed the slaughter from behind.

“So this is enough, then? Sister.”

A bitter expression twisted Angelo’s face, while Noir merely smiled gently.

“Yes.”

“You really are a terrifying woman. I’ve been a soldier for many years, but even this is new to me. Ordering the massacre of an entire town…”

“You dislike killing?”

Asked that question, Angelo nodded immediately.

“Obviously. Who the hell actually likes killing people?”

“And yet you still did it.”

“Because ''you'' told me to! You said if I did this, I’d definitely be able to defeat those bastards…”

Angelo spoke through a distorted expression, his eyes filled with rage and regret.

“So your resentment runs even deeper than your revulsion toward murder?”

“That’s right. That Cendrillon and that arrogant little knight apprentice… If it means killing them, I’d sell my soul to the devil itself.”

At those words, Noir smiled with almost saintly warmth.

“But I am not a ‘devil.’”

“Oh, come on. Anyone who says ‘let’s slaughter an entire town’ and means it—if that’s not a devil, then what is?”

“Because these people have been granted eternal life now. They’ve left behind this cruel world and reached a place free of suffering.”

“Hah. Pretty words. Seriously, I’ll never understand the nonsense nuns say.”

“Come now. Let me free ''you'' from this hell as well.”

As she spoke, Noir gently placed both hands against Angelo’s cheeks.

“What? I don’t need some blessing fro—”

The instant he spoke, something like an electric current surged through Angelo’s body.

“GAAAH!”

His body convulsed as though struck by multiple bolts of lightning. Sparks burst violently from him while the smell of burning hair spread through the air.

Then, gradually, his skin began taking on a pale pink hue…

His eyes rolled back, and Angelo collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.

“Honestly… this world truly is hell, don’t you think? I find myself thinking that so often.”

Noir placed a hand upon Angelo’s corpse.

And then—

To any ordinary observer, the sight would have been impossible to believe.

Angelo’s body slowly rose back to its feet.

Then, wand in hand, he turned toward Noir.

“Welcome to our ‘Kingdom,’ Sir Angelo.”

With Princess Marianne surrounded at the center of their group, Karin and the others departed from Tristainia. As usual, Marianne dressed in an inconspicuous manner, resembling nothing more than the daughter of some provincial noble family. Meanwhile, Karin and the rest of the Royal Mage Guard also refrained from wearing the cloaks that would reveal their identities as guardsmen, making them appear to be nothing more than ordinary knights.

Bacchus and Narcissus chatted noisily and cheerfully, while Marianne repeatedly dismounted every so often simply to admire the scenery. Yet amidst that lively atmosphere, almost festive in mood, only Karin and Cendrillon followed behind with tense expressions upon their faces.

“You two look awfully gloomy.”

Even when Bacchus teased her like that, Cendrillon’s confession from the previous night still echoed in Karin’s mind, leaving her unable to join the merriment.

Marianne, meanwhile, grew slightly dissatisfied with Karin’s behavior and constantly tried to draw her attention.

“What’s wrong, Karin? You look bored.”

“That is not the case.”

“Yes it is. You look terribly bored. Aren’t you happy to be traveling with me?”

“Of course I am.”

Even though she was still only thirteen years old, Marianne was already surprisingly skilled at attracting the attention of men. Like some flirtatious beauty, she would cast alluring glances or flash charming smiles. Any ordinary man would probably have surrendered instantly.

But unfortunately for her, Karin happened to be a woman.

And because none of her charms seemed to have any effect, Marianne became even more desperate to make this knight apprentice look at her more attentively.

In the small town they had arrived at earlier that day, Princess Marianne reached her hand beneath the table during lunch and took hold of Karin’s hand beside her. Karin, having no real way to refuse, could only helplessly squeeze the princess’s hand back in return, but… Apparently that alone encouraged Marianne too much.

That night, at the inn where they stayed, Marianne summoned Karin to her room and ordered her to read aloud to her, Karin could only comply with resignation. When she arrived, Marianne first warned her that absolutely nobody could learn she had called a young knight to her room late at night. If such a thing became known at court, both she and Karin would surely be punished severely.

After sitting down upon the chair placed in the center of Marianne’s room, Karin began reading from a collection of poems, while Marianne listened in complete fascination to Karin’s beautiful voice. Karin was exceptionally skilled at controlling her voice; if she truly concentrated, she could produce a tone very much like that of a young man. Without that ability, disguising someone with such overwhelming beauty as male would have been impossible to begin with…

After a while, Marianne gazed at Karin with an intoxicated expression and said:

“You’re so beautiful it almost feels as though you stepped straight out of those poems.”

“I am honored.”

The reply carried not even the slightest trace of actual pleasure, making Marianne even more dissatisfied.

“That town we’re heading to next, the one called Deauville, has a truly beautiful sea, you know. The colors are not vivid yet at this time of year… but under the sunlight it shines in rainbow colors.”

Marianne clearly expected some response like ''“But Your Highness is even lovelier.”,'' instead, Karin merely replied:

“That sounds wonderful. I look forward to seeing it.”

Such a cold response.

Faced with such complete inability to read the atmosphere, Marianne finally became sulky. No matter how socially unaware someone might be, in a situation like this they would at least offer some sort of flattery. Yet Karin remained perfectly upright and vigilant, seated lightly in the chair as though she would immediately draw her wand the moment something happened, her eyes constantly observing the surroundings.

“I originally hoped that this trip would be just the two of us.”

For thirteen-year-old Marianne, saying something like that required tremendous courage.

Yet Karin simply answered in a regretful tone:

“If only I alone were present, it would not be possible for me to properly protect Your Highness.”

“You could. Aren’t you very strong?”

“I am merely an inexperienced young fool, however…”

“However?”

“I believe that someday I will improve enough that I alone will be able to carry out the duty of protecting Your Highness.”

Because Karin looked directly into Marianne’s eyes and said such words with absolute sincerity, Marianne felt her heart bloom with joy. Slowly, she extended her hand, and Karin rose gracefully to place a kiss upon it. Gathering even more courage after that, Marianne pretended to stumble and threw herself against Karin’s chest. Karin supported her with her slender arms. Only because Marianne was still small like a kitten was she able to hold her up so easily; if the princess grew even a little more, perhaps they would both end up toppling over together instead.

Looking down at Marianne as the girl stared dreamily up at her, Karin inwardly broke into a cold sweat wondering:

What am I supposed to do here…?

Marianne was incredibly cute. Even through Karin’s eyes, the mixture of youthful adorableness and the first budding traces of mature feminine charm made it feel as though something truly dangerous was happening.

And on top of that, the princess clearly seemed to harbor feelings for her. Even Karin, who was terribly slow when it came to romance, could understand at least a little of what Marianne felt after the girl pretended to trip just to throw herself into her arms like this.

But…

''I’m a woman…''

There was no way she could accept those feelings.

Yet neither could she reveal the truth about her gender, Karin could only remain there in complete confusion.

And yet she could not reveal the truth about her gender either, leaving Karin utterly lost and troubled.

“Do you have a lover?”

Asked such a question directly, Karin had no idea how she should answer.

If she answered “no,” then Marianne would probably pursue her even more aggressively afterward. But if she answered “yes,” then she would simply be lying.

Troubled, Karin could only put on the attitude of a young warrior and answer:

“It is because I am still training.”

“Even though you’re this beautiful?”

Marianne said so with a genuinely astonished expression, causing Karin to smile faintly.

“I simply do not have the leisure to lose my head over romance.”

“Then… does that mean I still have a chance?”

Marianne closed her eyes and puckered her lips slightly. The princess’s lips were red and glossy like delicate flower petals, but Karin felt absolutely no interest whatsoever.

So after placing a kiss upon her forehead instead—

“It is about time for Your Highness to sleep.”

Karin said so in a troubled voice.

At last, Marianne properly began sulking.

“Then you may leave.”

Turning her face away, she crawled into the blankets.

After bowing and leaving the room, Karin found Narcissus standing there with an openly suggestive grin on his face.

“Well now, handsome prince. So? What did Her Highness taste like?”

“Don’t joke around.”

Karin answered with obvious displeasure.

“Still, our princess really has reached that romantic age… If you manage to firmly capture Her Highness’s heart, your rise to glory will happen quickly enough, young man.”

Even after being told that by Narcissus, Karin merely shook her head.

“If one does not possess the strength to match such status, then rising to glory has no meaning.”

Nearby, Bacchus was rolling around on the floor crying dramatically.

“Ahhh! Ahhh! I’m so jealous! Ahhh! Ahhh! Why didn’t Her Highness choose me?! AAAAAHHH!”

“Where’s Cendrillon?”

Karin asked, only to receive the answer:

“Downstairs.”

Was he drinking again?

At first Karin worried that was the case, but she quickly realized she was mistaken. Cendrillon was simply sitting in a chair, silently watching the entrance in case anyone suspicious tried to come inside.

After Karin sat down beside him—

“And the princess?”

He asked that immediately.

“She’s already resting.”

“I see.”

After answering briefly, he once again turned his gaze back toward the doorway.

“This is honestly troublesome. Her Highness seems extremely fixated on me.”

“That sounds like the highest possible honor.”

Cendrillon said so with a smile.

“I’m not joking.”

Karin answered in an irritated voice.

“What’s the problem? Just humor her a little. Think of yourself as her play-romance partner.”

“You make it sound very simple.”

“I’m not joking either. Someday, Her Highness will have to marry royalty from another country… Before that day comes, wouldn’t she naturally want to experience romance at least once during that brief period of freedom?”

“And what about you?”

Cendrillon slowly shook his head.

“I can no longer fall in love with anyone.”

“...I see.”

Looking at him like that, Karin tried offering to take over the watch duty instead.

“You probably want to drink by now, don’t you?”

“That’s honestly surprising. You’re the first person who’s ever told me ‘go ahead and drink.’”

Even so, Cendrillon still made no attempt to stand up, continuing to stare toward the entrance.

“You really think something bad is coming?”

Karin asked worriedly.

“I don’t know. If this is merely paranoia on my part, then that would be best. But there are definitely people who consider the Royal Mage Guard an obstacle. To people like that, this journey is the perfect opportunity.”

“If something really does happen… then I’ll become everyone’s shield. While you escape with the princess, I’ll hold them back. Understood?”

Because she had selfishly insisted on accompanying them, Karin at least wanted to accomplish that much.

Though if such a situation truly occurred… she would probably tremble so badly she could not move at all.

''No, it’ll be fine. As long as I lick my left palm.''

The only reason she lost to Cendrillon and Angelo before was because she became careless.

Karin desperately tried convincing herself of that, causing Cendrillon to smile.

“Don’t laugh. You were right when you said I’m still immature. That’s probably the only thing I’m capable of doing.”

“It’s too difficult for you.”

“What?! Stop treating me like a child! It’ll be fine! As long as I have courage, I can definitely do it!”

“Courage…”

The moment he heard that word, Cendrillon smiled faintly.

“Licking your left palm? What kind of spell is that supposed to be?”

Karin’s face immediately reddened.

Still, she had no intention of hiding it anyway…

“...There’s magic placed upon my left hand. If I perform that action, I can summon courage and stop feeling fear entirely. That’s why I can do anything. Before, I only lost because I got scared, so…”

“That,” Cendrillon interrupted in a serious voice, “is exactly the problem.”

Cendrillon spoke in a serious voice.

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s nothing more than your own wishful thinking. Convincing yourself that you ‘can do it’ and then attempting things beyond your own abilities—it’s nothing but that sort of foolish self-delusion.”

Karin’s expression immediately changed.

“What?! Don’t be ridiculous! For a knight, courage is more important than anything else!”

“What exactly is necessary for a knight, I don’t know… But in missions like this, where someone must be protected, the thing that matters more than anything else is probably cowardice.”

Cendrillon continued calmly.

“When you don’t know what may happen, don’t know where an attack may come from, or who might strike at you, then you should shrink your head in like a frightened turtle and carefully observe your surroundings. Otherwise, irreversible mistakes happen. Courage that’s merely forced out of yourself only gets in the way.”

Unable to understand what Cendrillon was trying to say, Karin answered roughly:

“My courage is real! It was given to me by that knight! Real ‘courage magic’!”

Cendrillon suddenly grabbed Karin’s hand. Closing his eyes, he remained silent for a few moments before eventually shaking his head.

“There is no magic placed upon your left hand at all. It’s merely a suggestion.”

“W-What did you say?”

“I’m a water mage, so I can immediately tell what parts of a body have magic placed upon them. Your left hand is completely clean. There are absolutely no traces of magic there. I don’t know who told you that story, but they probably only said it because they wanted to help a frightened child gather courage.”

Karin stared blankly at her own left hand.

The “courage” that knight had supposedly given her… had been fake all along…

“How can that be…”

Looking at the stunned Karin as she continued staring down at her hand, Cendrillon spoke again.

“I’ll say it clearly. You merely convinced yourself that you possessed ‘courage,’ became intoxicated by that belief, and therefore acted recklessly. And because you lacked the corresponding strength, you lost to both me and Angelo.”

“…………”

Faced with Karin’s silence, Cendrillon continued:

“Don’t look away from the fear inside yourself. Face it properly. Otherwise, you’ll make irreversible mistakes just like I did.”

Looking at the troubled Karin, Cendrillon smiled softly.

“You’re a good person. I’m sure you’ll become an excellent knight someday. That’s exactly why I don’t want you to end up becoming like me.”

The group arrived at Deauville the following day… precisely the afternoon of the third day since their departure.

The first person to react upon seeing the town was Bacchus, who let out a cheerful shout.

“Ohh! For a countryside town, this place is actually pretty beautiful!”

After lightly kicking her horse onward, Princess Marianne quickly rode ahead.

“Your Highness! Wait! Please wait!”

Narcissus hurried after her.

However, something about the town felt strangely wrong.

Even though it was broad daylight, there was not a single person visible in the streets.

“What’s going on?”

Marianne tilted her head in confusion.

“What, is there some kind of festival happening somewhere?”

Bacchus joked awkwardly, after which Marianne said:

“Let’s check the inn we always stay at.”

The inn Marianne had chosen was a beautiful building standing atop a hill overlooking the surrounding scenery. After arriving at the small riding area before the entrance and dismounting, the group tied their horses to the wooden posts there.

Without even waiting for the horses to be secured properly, Marianne released her reins and immediately tried running into the inn.

“Your Highness, please wait. Allow me to investigate first.”

After stopping her, Cendrillon opened the door and stepped inside.

The interior was silent like a cathedral at dawn.

“Hello—? Is anyone here?”

Even after raising his voice, no answer came.

Cendrillon crossed through the entrance hall and checked the kitchen as well, but that place too was completely deserted.

Feeling a terrible premonition, he returned outside and reported to the others.

“Something is wrong. There’s nobody here.”

The tension in Cendrillon’s voice caused unease to appear upon Marianne’s face.

“What exactly is happening…?”

At that moment, Karin’s voice suddenly called out from behind the inn.

“Hey—! Come over here!”

“What happened?!”

It was the stable area.

Looking toward the direction Karin pointed, they saw something smeared across the stable wall.

Something that looked very much like blood.

“KYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

The moment Princess Marianne saw it, she fainted on the spot, causing Cendrillon to hurriedly catch her collapsing body.

“For now, we should retreat. This town feels dangerous.”

Karin proposed that immediately, but after looking into the distance, Cendrillon quietly said:

“...Looks like we’re already too late.”

From below the hill, a large crowd could be seen slowly approaching them.

It was not the atmosphere of people coming to welcome visitors. Some carried spears, others pistols or swords. There were even people holding hoes and clubs… each of them gripping some sort of weapon as they slowly advanced toward the inn.

When they checked the opposite side as well, they discovered another massive crowd climbing up the hill from there too. And they were likewise armed with all kinds of weapons.

The building atop the hill already seemed to be surrounded from all directions by a crowd of well over a hundred people.

“What the hell is wrong with these people…”

Bacchus muttered before stepping forward and shouting loudly:

“HEY! What exactly are you people trying to do?! There’s a person of extremely high status here! I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but don’t you dare do anything stupid!”

Completely unmoved by Bacchus’s warning, the armed townspeople continued advancing silently.

“Those people aren’t soldiers or thugs… They’re the residents of this town.”

Sure enough, there were men and women of all ages mixed among them, all dressed in completely ordinary clothing. The only strange thing was that every single face lacked vitality, while their wandering, unfocused eyes remained fixed in this direction.

“If you keep coming any closer, we’re not going to hold back!”

The instant Bacchus roared that warning, the people at the front raised their pistols.

“Bacchus! Get down!”

At the exact same moment Cendrillon shouted, gunshots rang out.

“WHOA!”

Bacchus instinctively crouched down while clutching his head as several bullets whistled past above him.

“You bastards!”

Enraged, Narcissus began chanting a spell. The earth and stones nearby immediately hardened into fist-sized projectiles before flying toward the men holding pistols.

The “Earth Bullets” struck their targets perfectly in the chest, blasting open enormous holes with sickening sounds.

“W-What?!”

Narcissus stared at the men in shock.

Despite having massive holes blown clean through their chests, not a single one of them fell over. They simply continued walking forward.

“What the hell is this…”

Cendrillon immediately turned toward the others.

“For now, get inside the building.”

After the group rushed into the inn, they locked the front doors shut.

“What the hell is going on?! Who ''are'' those people?! Why are they attacking us?!”

“They’re not normal humans.”

Narcissus answered in a strained voice.

“They’re exactly like my opponent during that duel earlier. Even after having a hole blasted through his chest, he kept moving.”

Cendrillon spoke calmly.

“What kind of magic could possibly create monsters like that?!”

Bacchus shouted furiously, causing Cendrillon to shake his head.

“Right now isn’t the time to think about that. We need to escape this town.”

“Can’t we use Flight and escape through the air?”

Karin proposed.

Cendrillon glanced toward Narcissus.

“I’m counting on you to scout ahead.”

Narcissus nodded before chanting a spell and floating upward through the window.

And then—

Gunshots rang out simultaneously.

“GH—!”

Narcissus immediately dropped lower.

At that same instant, magical arrows came flying out from the forest. Hastily, Narcissus slipped back through the window.

“So there are mages out there too.”

“In that case, escaping through the air is impossible.”

Cendrillon said grimly.

A mage floating slowly through the sky would obviously become a perfect target for long-range attacks. While maintaining Flight, they could not cast other spells, meaning they would quickly be riddled full of bullets and magic.

“What do we do, Cendrillon?”

Karin asked anxiously.

The moment Cendrillon noticed one of the approaching townspeople carrying a brightly burning torch, he made his decision immediately.

“Narcissus, use a golem to delay them for ten seconds. During that opening, everyone will mount up and break out of the town, Bacchus will take the lead. Once the golem is deployed, Narcissus will carry Her Highness and follow directly behind him. Karin, you’ll support Narcissus, and I’ll stay behind to cover the rear.”

The three of them immediately began moving.

After Narcissus finished chanting his spell, a golden-glowing golem appeared and began running off in the opposite direction from where the horses were tied. Gunshots immediately rang out from that direction, several bullets striking the brass golem with heavy metallic thuds.

The residents of Deauville climbing up the hill had their attention drawn toward it.

“Now!”

With Bacchus leading the way, Narcissus carrying the unconscious Princess Marianne followed behind him, with Karin immediately after that. Cendrillon brought up the rear, sprinting forward while keeping his wand raised without relaxing his guard for even a moment.

While Narcissus’s golem distracted the townspeople, the four of them quickly mounted their horses.

The instant a gap opened in the road leading toward the town streets, Bacchus struck his horse forward, and the four riders burst out in a straight line.

Several people noticed their movement and immediately changed direction toward them.

Swinging his wand, Bacchus released flames from its tip, surrounding the approaching townspeople within a sea of fire.

From the shadows of the forest, men resembling hunters carrying bows appeared.

“Karin! Wind magic!”

Narcissus shouted loudly, causing Karin to immediately chant a wind spell. Violent gusts wrapped themselves around the group, causing the incoming arrows to veer off course.

Then gunshots rang out once more. It seemed armed townspeople were hiding somewhere nearby. Unlike arrows, the lead bullets could not be deflected by the wind, and shots began striking around Karin’s group one after another. Blood suddenly sprayed from Bacchus’s shoulder.

“Bacchus!”

“It’s nothing! Just a graze! We’re escaping exactly like this!”

It seemed he intended to use his massive body as a shield while forcing their way out of town in one charge.

The four horses burst onto the main street running through the town. Most of the townspeople appeared to have gathered around the inn, leaving only a handful of figures visible here.

“We’re escaping straight through!”

But unfortunately, things were not going to proceed that easily.

From behind them, a horse approached at terrifying speed.

“They’re catching up!”

Karin shouted.

As Narcissus was carrying the unconscious Marianne, they could not increase their speed any further.

At this rate, they would be overtaken. And at that moment…

Cendrillon suddenly pulled on his reins, turning his horse around.

“Cendrillon!”

Karin cried out, instinctively trying to turn her horse around as well. But Cendrillon shouted sharply:

“Don’t come back!”

“B-But!”

In the instant Karin hesitated, Cendrillon cast a spell. An arrow of ice lightly struck the rear of Karin’s horse.

Startled, the horse abandoned its attempt to turn around and instead continued sprinting straight ahead.

“Cendrillon!”

Karin shouted once more, only for Narcissus to roar back at her:

“That’s enough! Leave him to handle it! Our mission is protecting the princess! Have you forgotten that?!”

Karin gritted her teeth tightly and clenched the reins.

“Damn it!”

Watching the three riders safely disappear down the street, Cendrillon turned back toward the approaching knight and faced him directly.

The knight wore a hat…

But the instant Cendrillon saw the face beneath it, he felt himself drawing one step closer to understanding the truth behind everything happening here.

“...Angelo.”

The rider was none other than Angelo of the Unicorn Guard.

However…

Something about him felt different from before. There was no life in his expression whatsoever. He looked exactly like the townspeople from earlier… and exactly like Pedro, the knight whose chest had already been pierced through before.

Cendrillon raised his wand and cast ''Water Whip''.

Curved whips formed from water surrounded Angelo from all directions before piercing directly through his body.

And yet Angelo did not stop.

Without the slightest change in expression, he continued charging directly toward Cendrillon.

Wind blades wrapped themselves around Angelo’s enormous lance-like wand as he swung it toward him.

Cendrillon immediately leapt down from his horse to evade the attack. The momentum of Angelo’s ''Blade'' instantly sliced Cendrillon’s horse clean in half.

What terrifying power.

Ordinary magic would not work against that thing.

If he could blast Angelo full of holes, perhaps it would stop moving. But before that happened, his own mental strength would likely run out first.

Cendrillon likewise began chanting ''Blade''.

After turning his horse around once more, Angelo lowered his wand again and charged forward.

And through the sensation transmitted by the ''Water Whip'' still piercing Angelo’s body, Cendrillon realized something abnormal about the water circulating inside him.

That sensation was one only a corpse could possess.

That man was already dead.

Then why was he still moving?

It had to be the work of some kind of magic.

And yet, Cendrillon had never seen nor even heard of such magic before.

“So you really are dead already, aren’t you?”

Back when he was alive, Angelo had been an irritating man who constantly picked fights with him… and yet, seeing him continue attacking even after death filled Cendrillon with a strange sense of loneliness.

Angelo swung down the wand enhanced by ''Blade'', while Cendrillon leapt backward to evade it. Then, in one motion, he closed the distance and drove his own attack deeply into Angelo’s chest.

From there, he slashed upward through the armpit.

And yet Angelo still continued moving.

The upper half of his body, already nearly severed in two, twisted violently toward Cendrillon as he continued attacking. At this point, it seemed he could probably continue moving even if only fragments of his body remained.

Burning him away with flames would probably be the fastest solution, but unfortunately Cendrillon was poor at fire magic.

Once more, Cendrillon cast ''Water Whip''.

However, this time the whips were different from before.

Each strand was as thin as paper itself, sharp enough to resemble razors.

While avoiding Angelo’s attacks, Cendrillon wrapped the water whips around his body.

“Don’t resent me for this, Angelo.”

The razor-like water whips wrapped around Angelo instantly carved his body into pieces. His wrists, legs, and torso fell apart with wet sounds as they struck the ground, finally ceasing movement.

But the danger had not disappeared.

At some point, the townspeople surrounding the inn had already arrived nearby. From both the front and rear of the street, they slowly closed in around Cendrillon.

It seemed he had been completely surrounded.

His battle against Angelo had already exhausted nearly all of his mental strength. Facing an undead mob armed with weapons, there was no possibility of breaking through.

And yet…

He did not feel afraid.

Instead, as the townspeople slowly approached him, Cendrillon felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward them.

Thinking about it carefully, wasn’t he himself much the same?

Even though he was technically still alive, he had long felt as though he were already dead.

No hopes.

No dreams.

No reason to live, nor anyone who truly needed him.

Only at the very end had he managed to be of some use to those children.

That being said… who exactly had transformed Angelo and these townspeople into living corpses like this?

Being unable to learn the answer to that question was his only regret.

“At last… I can finally go to your side, Karina…”

Just as Cendrillon murmured those words, the townspeople suddenly parted to form a path.

And from within that opening, a woman slowly appeared.

Dazzling golden hair.

A gentle smile, and the robes of a nun…

At that moment, Cendrillon felt as though his mind had finally broken.

There was no way this could be possible.

“She” could not possibly be standing here.

And yet at the same time, another thought surfaced in his mind:

''Perhaps it is merely someone who resembles her…''

No.

There was no way he could mistake that face.

It was unquestionably her.

Noir gazed directly at Cendrillon, a smile slowly appearing upon her face.

That smile connected violently with the memories buried inside him.

Three years ago.

A beauty so overwhelming that merely looking at her had felt like dreaming.
[[File:ZNTso1 233.jpg|thumb]]
That smiling expression…

The one he would have never forgotten, not even for a single moment…

“It has been quite a long time, Pierre.”

There were very few people left in this world who knew his real name.

And among them, there had only ever been one—

“Karina…? Is that really you?”

Cendrillon spoke in a dazed voice, utterly unable to believe the scene before his eyes.

“Yes. It has been three years since we last met, hasn’t it? You look much more like an adult now.”

Joy and shock mixed together inside him, and Cendrillon nearly gave in to the impulse to rush forward and embrace her.

And yet, the feet that tried to move suddenly stopped.

He himself… He has personally buried Karina with his own hands. There was no mistake about it. He carried her corpse into that forest himself and erected a small gravestone beside the spring.

“What is wrong? It has been so long since we last saw one another…”

“...Who are you?”

“I’m Karina, of course. Goodness, why are you making such a frightening face?”

Noir laughed cheerfully.

“She should already be dead.”

“But I came back to life… Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say I was reborn. Though truly, I have not changed at all. Just as before, I still love you deeply.”

“You’re the same as Angelo and the people of this town. A walking corpse animated by some twisted magic.”

Noir slowly approached Cendrillon. His body trembled slightly, and yet he could not move. ''This is impossible'', his reason screamed that conclusion at him, but his emotions refused to listen.

Noir reached out toward him and gently touched his cheek.

“Does this feel like the hand of a corpse to you?”

Her hand was warm, a living human hand, filled with flowing blood. The moment that warmth touched him, Cendrillon became unable to think at all.

Heat surged upward from deep within his stomach.

“No… impossible… this can’t…”

“Accept the reality before your eyes. This is the truth.”

Reality. Yes. This was reality. She was standing here before him now. He could even hold her like this… The instant he wrapped his arms tightly around her, overwhelming joy flooded through his entire body.

“I wanted to see you so badly.”

“I felt the same way.”

“I-I wanted to apologize to you…”

“There is no need.”

“I’m sorry… I made a mistake… Please forgive me…”

“It’s all right. It’s all in the past now.”

Noir gently embraced Cendrillon’s head.

A deeply familiar scent reached his nose.

It was her scent.

A gentle, nostalgic fragrance, as though the warmth of sunlight itself had been turned into perfume…

“I wanted to see you so badly. Truly… truly, I wanted to see you again.”

She pressed her face close against his cheek, her long golden hair brushing softly across his skin.

“It tickles… so much it almost makes me cry.”

“I’m doing it on purpose.”

“Yes… that does sound like you.”

Noir smiled with overflowing tenderness before softly whispering:

“So that you would never forget that I am here.”

After escaping from the town, Karin suddenly pulled on her reins, bringing her horse to a stop.

Bacchus and Narcissus stopped as well.

“What are you doing, Karin?!”

“We should be safe once we’ve made it this far, right? I’m leaving Princess Marianne to you two.”

The instant they heard those words, both men realized what Karin intended to do and shouted at once.

“Wait! Even if you go back now, it’s already too late!”

“You’ll die too!”

“I still haven’t seen that idiot make his frustrated face yet!”

The moment she shouted those words, Karin turned her horse back toward Deauville and spurred it into a full sprint.

As she rode, she shouted at the top of her lungs:

“What the hell… acting all cool like that! Don’t tell me you think sacrificing your own life so everyone else can escape somehow counts as redemption?! That’s nothing but your own selfish wishful thinking!”

Noir gently stroked Cendrillon’s head and softly whispered:

“Pierre… would you like to come with us?”

“...Go where?”

“To our kingdom.”

“Kingdom?”

“Yes. Right now, I’m working very hard to create one.”

A kingdom?

At those words, Cendrillon suddenly remembered the residents of Deauville writhing around them. Every one of them had lost the vitality in their expressions and merely stood there blankly.

“Will I… become like them as well?”

“Of course not. You are not some ‘puppet’ like these people…”

Slowly, Cendrillon pushed Noir away.

“Pierre?”

“...Who are you?”

Cendrillon spoke in a voice that sounded close to tears, because at that moment, he remembered another “truth” standing before him. The woman before his eyes truly ''was'' Karina. There was no mistake about that. But then… What exactly was she doing?

Creating living corpses.

An act so monstrously evil that even demons themselves would fear it. The Karina he had known was not someone capable of such things.

Could it be… That Karina, whose life had been taken by the magic he himself unleashed, had somehow been revived through some grotesque and forbidden spell? He had never even heard of such magic before…

And yet somehow, that explanation felt closest to the truth.

Tears overflowed from his eyes.

If that really was the case… Then just how great a sin had he committed?

Not only did he killed the woman he loved most, he turned her into a demon.

Cendrillon slowly fell to his knees.

“...Forgive me, Karina.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because of me… you became…”

Then Noir stepped closer and reached out toward his cheek once more.

“You’ve suffered so much, haven’t you? Let me take you away. To a world without pain. A world without sorrow. A place ruled only by kindness and love…”

The spot touched by Noir burned with a pain like electric current.

“I’m going to die.”

He had no way of knowing what had happened to her, nor what sort of conspiracy was unfolding here. He would never see his companions again.

And now, without understanding anything at all, he was about to be killed by the hands of the lover he once believed dead.

And yet… if he could go to the same place as her, perhaps that too could be called a kind of happiness.

“Karina…”

Tears streamed down his face as he prepared to accept the final moment—

At that instant, Cendrillon’s body was violently blasted away by a fierce gust of wind, sending him tumbling across the ground.

“Don’t just casually say that name. It’s irritating.”

Together with the sound of an annoyed click of the tongue came a sharp voice overflowing with anger.

Cendrillon’s eyes widened.

The first thing he saw was long peach-colored hair dancing wildly in the wind, shining with vivid color. The figure standing straight-backed before him looked almost exactly like the saintesses from the religious paintings he had seen as a child.

“Karin…”

Cendrillon spoke in a dazed voice, causing Karin to immediately shout back at him.

“Who exactly was the immature one here?! Who was it that confused courage with recklessness, huh?!”

Cendrillon tried to force himself back to his feet, but… a sensation of numbness still wrapped around his entire body. It had to be because of Noir’s magic from earlier. If she continued using it on him like that, then he would already—

“If I didn’t come back, you would’ve died!”

“My, Pierre, is this a friend of yours? You should introduce her to me.”

Noir spoke as though they were attending some refined social gathering. Karin immediately raised her wand.

“Who’s Pierre?”

“My lover, of course. Though nowadays he seems to be using a very strange name. ‘Cendrillon’—is it? Is that hair dyed too? To match the name? You always did love little jokes like that.”

Noir spoke with a voice full of affection.

“You…”

Those words made Karin realize the true identity of the nun standing before them.

Could this woman… really be Cendrillon’s former lover?

But didn’t he say she was dead?

Noir, meanwhile, seemed to have realized Karin’s true identity as well.

“You… could it be that you’re his lover? Did you come running back because you didn’t want me stealing him away from you?”

Karin stared directly at the golden-haired woman controlling the people of Deauville. Dressed in black nun’s robes, she looked exactly like a devout sister of the church, and there was even a gentle atmosphere of compassion surrounding her.

And yet, hidden beneath that compassion, this woman transformed an entire town into an army of the dead.

And more than that, she herself should already have been dead as well.

And yet now she stood there smiling before them.

Hidden beneath that gentle smile was something that could only be described as evil…

“What… is this woman…?”

She was terrifying.

A fear that felt as though it were clutching at her heart made Karin’s entire body tremble.

There was nothing more frightening than an opponent whose true nature remained unknown. The bottomless abyss of the “Dragon’s Footprints” she saw as a child overlapped with the woman standing before her now.

The fear was so overwhelming that Karin felt herself close to breaking down. Instinctively, she almost moved to write “courage” upon her left hand.

Her index finger began moving toward her palm—

“...Ngh.”

But at that exact moment, Cendrillon’s words flashed through her mind.

“Don’t avert your eyes from the ‘fear’ inside your own heart.”

Karin slowly lowered her left hand.

Against this woman, mere courage alone would never be enough to win…

With her entire body trembling, Karin glared directly at Noir.

She was so frightened she could hardly bear it, and tears began spilling uncontrollably from her eyes. A choking sound escaped Karin’s throat.

“Uu… uuwaa… ugh…”

Even while sobbing miserably, Karin still gripped her wand tightly.

And continued facing Noir.

“My, my, you’ve started crying. Am I really that frightening? There’s nothing to be afraid of, you silly little thing.”

“Of course you’re frightening! How could someone like you ''not'' be terrifying?! I can’t even understand what you are!”

Karin shouted through tears, having already lost any composure necessary to maintain her masculine tone.

“Run away! Karin!”

Cendrillon shouted desperately toward the panicking Karin.

“Shut up already! Just shut up and watch! It’s not like I came back to save you or anything! It’s just that if I left you behind like this, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night! Seriously… acting all high and mighty! You have no idea how hard things have been for me! Calling me reckless… What’s wrong with relying on magical courage anyway?! I can’t help it! Because… because I…”

Karin began chanting a spell.

It was merely simple wind magic, and yet its power was extraordinary.

The violently rising gale caused Noir’s nun robes to flutter wildly.

“My, what a frightening expression. Don’t be so angry. Such a beautiful face would go to waste.”

Noir smiled with genuine delight before quietly retreating backward. The residents of Deauville surrounding her immediately began closing in.

There were over a hundred of them.

Seeing them raise pistols and bows—

“They’re terrifying… There’s no way we can fight that many.”

The moment she finished chanting, Karin leapt upward at incredible speed. In one motion she flew to Cendrillon’s side, grabbed his body, and launched herself into the air.

Karin retreated behind a nearby building.

“H-Hey… Karin, run away already… Leave me behind.”

“Shut up! Be quiet for a second! I’m trying to think!”

Suppressing the panic caused by her fear, Karin desperately forced herself to think.

Escaping while carrying a completely paralyzed Cendrillon was impossible.

Which meant…

She had to find some way to deal with those things.

“Those people… are they being controlled?”

Cendrillon slowly shook his head.

“No… I can’t sense any sign of life from them. Perhaps some sort of evil magic is animating their corpses.”

Karin bit her lip tightly.

Those people…

They did nothing wrong. They had merely been living ordinary lives.

And then those ordinary lives were cruelly stolen away from them, leaving them manipulated by that woman and forced to attack others…

Sorrow mixed together with frustration, and tears once more flowed from Karin’s eyes.

Those tears washed the fear away from inside her.

She could not continue trembling like this, nor did she have time to lose herself in confusion.

She had to dedicate victory to the souls of those people.

Karin tightened her grip on her wand and slowly raised her head. By then, tears no longer flowed from her eyes.

“Karina… why…? What in the world happened to you…?”

Hearing Cendrillon mutter those words, Karin glared fiercely at him.

“Cendrillon, listen carefully. That woman is not your former lover anymore. She’s something else now. You understand that too, don’t you?”

“...I know.”

“If you understand that, then start by healing your injuries. You can at least manage that much, can’t you?”

That enormous horde of corpses.

They had already died once, which meant they would not stop unless their bodies were completely torn apart with magic. But against numbers like that, tearing every single one of them apart with magic was impossible. Their mental strength would run dry first.

“Wouldn’t the magic animating them be purified by ‘Healing’?”

The instant Cendrillon heard those words, realization flashed across his face.

“I see… It’s definitely worth trying.”

“There’s no time for you to keep hesitating. Listen carefully—I’m going to pull up the seawater, and you’ll cast ‘Healing’ onto that water. Water magic resides within water itself, right? Just like Wind resides within the wind. That’s how it works, isn’t it?”

Cendrillon nodded.

“But there are over a hundred of them. Can we really scatter water over every single one?”

“Don’t underestimate ''my'' wind.”

The moment Karin said that, she began chanting a short incantation.

''Il Wind.''

Then she spun her wand in a sweeping motion.

“Tempest.”

It was merely a simple spell meant to create a tornado.

And yet its power was utterly overwhelming.

A colossal vortex of air nearly two hundred feet tall erupted from the tip of her wand, while violent winds lashed against Cendrillon’s face. Had they not been standing at the very center of the vortex, they would already have been blown away.

Effortlessly controlling that monstrous “wind,” Karin looked almost like a child of the wind itself.

Commanding the gale while standing above it all…

At that moment, she resembled the legendary “Wind King” from myth.

Cendrillon became so captivated by the sight that he nearly forgot to continue chanting.

“Hurry up and cast ‘Healing’ already!”

Startled back to his senses, Cendrillon hurriedly began chanting the spell for “Healing,” aided by the immense quantities of seawater surrounding them. The sea, said to be the birthplace of life itself, was naturally an exceptional catalyst for water magic. The spiritual energy he consumed was replenished by the abundant seawater.

The child of the wind fearlessly drove that gigantic tornado directly into the sea itself. Enormous masses of seawater were swept high into the sky, scattering seven-colored light beneath the rays of the sun.

Spray from the sea splashed across Cendrillon’s cheeks.

And every time he felt the touch of water, Cendrillon always found himself thinking the same thing.

''I love water.''

Water could heal him.

But only that much.

It could not save him.

The one capable of truly saving him…
[[File:ZNTso1 248.jpg|thumb]]
The one who could sweep away the “dust” covering his heart…

“Now! Cast ‘Healing’ onto all of this water!”

Seeing the residents of Deauville gathered along the shore, Karin shouted loudly.

Cendrillon released “Healing” into the enormous masses of seawater being drawn upward by the tornado. Filled with the power of life, the seawater began shining even more brilliantly.

Then Karin unleashed the tornado containing that immense quantity of seawater imbued with “Healing” toward the gathered residents of Deauville, or more accurately, toward the entire town itself.

From behind the residents of Deauville who had become “puppets,” Noir looked toward the shore, where a gigantic tornado had appeared within her sight.

“My… what is that? A tornado? Goodness, it’s enormous.”

Before her eyes, the tornado continued growing larger and larger until it completely engulfed the residents of Deauville. And then… The transformed townspeople began collapsing one after another.

“What is happening?”

The tornado reached the skies above the town and scattered seawater downward like rain. The moment the water touched her skin, Noir understood.

It was “Healing.”

The two of them had infused the seawater itself with “Healing,” then used that gigantic tornado to shower it down over all of them.

“I see. That was quite clever. It seems today’s victory belongs to you.”

Smiling gently, Noir turned around. Around her, several magicians appeared from seemingly nowhere and followed behind her like shadows.

Humming happily as though she were about to break into song, Noir walked away in the direction opposite the shore…

Watching the residents of Deauville collapse like puppets with their strings cut, Cendrillon let out a relieved breath. Beside him, meanwhile, Karin collapsed onto the sand while gasping heavily for air.

Cendrillon hurriedly rushed over to her side.

“H-Hey! Karin! Are you all right?!”

He lifted Karin into his arms and prepared to cast “Healing.”

But in the very next moment, the sound of snoring escaped from Karin’s mouth.

She had probably exhausted every last bit of her mental strength.

That sleeping face looked so innocent and beautiful that it was difficult to believe she was the very person who had created such a colossal tornado moments earlier.

As he stared at that sleeping face…

Something resembling a premonition quietly appeared within Cendrillon’s heart.

And as he thought that, the young wind-user with such an immature-looking face suddenly seemed—

Cendrillon’s cheeks flushed red.

After watching her quietly for a while, Karin slowly opened her eyes.

“Mm…”

“Are you okay?”

“What about the townspeople?”

“...None of them are moving anymore.”

“I see…”

Karin closed her eyes sorrowfully. Cendrillon likewise lowered his gaze and offered a prayer for the innocent victims.

Simply because they happened to live in this town, they transformed into walking corpses.

Compared to the fate those people suffered, his own misery suddenly felt no more significant than childish playacting.

“What happened to that woman?”

“...Judging from the fact that nothing else has happened since then, I think she probably disappeared.”

The moment Cendrillon answered, Karin slapped him across the face.

“W-What was that for?!”

“Idiot! Stop worrying about me and go after her already!”

“T-That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m worried about you.”

Hearing him answer so seriously caused Karin’s face to flush bright red.

And at that exact moment, she realized something.

''Ah… did I just use a feminine tone?''

''This is bad. Did I let something slip?''

Trying to cover it up, Karin quickly said:

“You’re not planning to let her go just because she was your former lover, are you?”

“...That’s not it.”

Cendrillon shook his head as he answered.

Fortunately, he did not seem to have noticed.

Perhaps he simply lacked the composure to notice right now.

Quietly pressing a hand against her chest in relief, Karin continued:

“Let’s regroup with Bacchus and the others. This still isn’t over yet. We still have to safely escort Princess Marianne back to Tristania.”

Cendrillon nodded before turning his gaze toward the sea.

Watching the ocean continue its tides as though nothing had happened at all, the emotions he suppressed until now suddenly surged violently within his chest.

His former lover.

Why? How could she still be alive?

And yet the truth remained, Karina had truly appeared before his eyes.

As a cruel demon…

He did not know what happened to her, but surely what he himself did was part of the reason.

With these very hands, he would have to defeat her himself.

Only by doing that—

Only by doing that could he offer some measure of consolation to the dead of this town.

Cendrillon made that vow within his heart.

And yet... even after making up his mind, tears still streamed from his eyes. Never, even in his dreams, had he imagined that their “reunion” would happen like this. He could no longer imagine anything more tragic than this.

The woman he loved most became the worst kind of monster...

The tears would not stop falling.

Like a helpless child, Cendrillon clenched his fists tightly. He grieved for the people she killed, and he grieved for Karina, who became a demon.

Watching Cendrillon continue to cry, Karin felt an indescribable emotion rise within her. Until not long ago, she thought of him as nothing more than a thick-headed drunkard… But that was wrong.

''He’s just... a weak person too.''

Despite being so weak that he looked ready to collapse at any moment, he refused to lean on anyone. Instead, he drank alone, called himself “Cendrillon,” the man covered in ashes, and abandoned everything.

But now, something was different.

Though tears still streamed from his eyes, there was now a light of determination within them. Surely what happened today did change something inside him as well.

Just like it changed her.

Someday, perhaps, Cendrillon would fight that woman. At the end, he was a master with the wand, a specialist in battle.

But there was no way he could face her alone. Someone would need to stand beside him.

Karin grasped Cendrillon’s wrist and helped pull him to his feet.

“Get up. We’re leaving.”

'''Epilogue'''

When they arrived at the small town where they stayed at the inn only a few days earlier, Bacchus and Narcissus were there gathering nearby lords and nobles and organizing a military force.

“Hey! They’re alive!”

The moment they saw Karin and Cendrillon return safely, all three of them were overjoyed. Marianne threw herself into Karin’s arms, saying, “Thank goodness you’re safe...” before bursting into tears.

Cendrillon explained the entire sequence of events to the three of them. About being attacked by Angelo, and about how the former lover who should already have been dead appeared to be the true mastermind behind everything...

“You mean Angelo?”

Narcissus and Bacchus both stared in shock.

“In other words...”

“Could it be that the Unicorn Guard is involved behind the scenes as well?”

“Those bastards... do they really hate us that much?”

“Or rather, perhaps it would be troublesome for them if the Royal Mage Guard continued to exist?”

The moment Cendrillon said that, the two men exchanged glances.

“So all those incidents that kept reducing the number of men in our unit...”

“Yeah, it was probably all their doing. Or rather, the Chancellor’s orders.”

The Chancellor—Grand Duke Eustache, the “other king” of Tristain... a man of such overwhelming political power that people referred to him by that title.

And that Grand Duke wanted to eliminate them?

The color drained from both men’s faces.

“In any case, this situation is far too complicated. We should discuss what to do next with Lady Vivian.”

Both men nodded. Afterwards, Bacchus took command of the assembled nobles and set out toward Deauville to investigate the situation there.

Because the princess herself was attacked, the incident escalated into a massive disturbance that even resulted in a corps of dragon knights being dispatched from Tristania.

The gathered regional nobles, together with the dragon knights, once again headed for Deauville. And just as expected, every resident there had been annihilated. All of them were killed by magic.

While the investigation into the incident was still underway, one of the dragon knights arrived carrying a royal decree.

“Are you Sir Cendrillon of the Royal Mage Guard?”

“That’s right.” Cendrillon nodded.

“His Majesty commands that you return to the royal palace immediately and deliver a report regarding the incident.”

Thus, Cendrillon and the others decided to temporarily return to Tristania while escorting the princess. Since the princess herself was placed in danger, an enormous number of guards were assigned around her.

For the sake of Princess Marianne’s protection, Philip III had mobilized an entire company of troops.

Princess Marianne rode inside a specially prepared carriage, dragon knights guarded the skies above, and hundreds of soldiers surrounded the procession from the front and rear as it advanced down the road.

The atmosphere was so tense it felt as though they were marching toward war itself.

On the road back to Tristania...

Narcissus rode closer to Cendrillon, who was accompanying the carriage, then leaned in and lowered his voice.

“...Hey, Cendrillon. Is it true?”

“What are you talking about?”

After glancing nervously around to make sure no one was listening, Narcissus continued hesitantly.

“...Your former lover was controlling the people of that town?”

Cendrillon answered firmly.

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“...You really shouldn’t talk about that so openly.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’ll put you in a terrible position. If things go badly enough, they might even suspect you of being involved and throw you in prison.”

Cendrillon shook his head.

“I’m going to tell the truth exactly as it is. This isn’t something that should be hidden.”

“Hey! I’m saying this because I’m worried about you!”

“Then I appreciate it. But I’m done running away.”

That was what Cendrillon truly believed.

''I won’t run anymore. Not from my fate, and not from the sins I committed...''

If everything that happened began the moment his spell accidentally pierced Karina that day... then he had a duty to uncover the entire truth.

And a duty to bring it to an end.

If this was truly his fate, then he would face it properly. He would confront it with the kind of caution that bordered on cowardice, yet without running away.

“The opponent is Grand Duke Eustache himself, you know? There’s no telling what kind of methods he’ll use. Seriously, you’d need more than nine lives for this.”

Narcissus spoke in exasperation.

“You could still leave, you know.”

“Don’t be stupid. We already boarded the same ship, so I’ll stick with you to the end. I think that idiot feels the same way too.”

Narcissus pointed toward Bacchus, who was swaying atop his horse ahead of them with a sleepy expression on his face.

“Things will work out somehow.”

“Why?”

Cendrillon looked toward the small figure riding ahead of them on horseback and answered:

“Because we have the ‘Wind.’”

For some reason, the sight of Karin before him overlapped with the image of the saint from the religious paintings he saw as a child. His heart skipped a beat, and he found himself thinking:

''Water can heal me... because I am a user of Water.''

''But that is all it can do.''

''It never truly changed me.''

''Perhaps the thing capable of sweeping away the ashes covering my heart... might actually be this girl’s “Wind.”''

Cendrillon remembered the way Karin spoke earlier. That was completely the manner of speech of a woman.

When cornered, did he naturally revert to speaking that way? That boy...

Could it be that she was actually...

A faint redness gradually spread across Cendrillon’s face.

Meanwhile, Karin, riding ahead of them, was being tormented by fierce regret.

Not writing “courage” on her left hand earlier deserved praise.

But still... still...

''I totally used a feminine tone back there～～～～!''

Karin let out a silent groan and lowered her head.

This was awful.

Maybe she had already exposed herself... If it were discovered that she was actually a woman, she would no longer be able to remain in the Guard. And at a time like this too… when everything was so important, when this was the perfect opportunity to distinguish herself. She absolutely did not want to be dismissed.

However, Cendrillon was not completely himself earlier because his former lover appeared before him, so it was probably fine, right? Just as Karin was thinking that and secretly glancing back over her shoulder, she saw Cendrillon riding closer while, for some reason, blushing faintly.

The moment she saw his face, Karin’s own cheeks flushed red as well.

''This is bad. Did he figure out I’m a woman?''

Cendrillon guided his horse alongside Karin’s and quietly spoke to her.

“Karin, um... about what happened earlier.”

“W-What about it? Go ahead and say it.”

“Well, you know... the way you were speaking earlier. That was the manner of speech of a woman, wasn’t it?”

Karin’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

So he really noticed.

Well, of course he did. Naturally he would have noticed after she had shouted like that...

''It’s over. I’m going to get expelled.''

While she was sinking into despair—

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Eh?”

“You probably have your own reasons, right? Besides, I have no intention of criticizing someone else’s ‘preferences.’”

Preferences?

What was he talking about?

As Karin sat there in growing unease, Cendrillon continued in a low voice.

“Still... I was really surprised. I never imagined you were actually a ‘twink.’¹”

“............”

“For a split second I honestly thought you were a girl. But there’s no way a woman could have a chest that flat... Hm? What’s wrong?”

Cendrillon finally noticed that Karin’s shoulders were trembling violently. Her entire body shook with rage, and wind began swirling around her.

“H-Hey? What’s wrong? Why are you getting angry? I already told you I wouldn’t tell anyone! Hey! Stop!”

“I am NOT a twiiiiiiiiink!”

A violent gale exploded outward.

Cendrillon’s body was blasted high into the air.

1. Quite hard to translate this authentically, as it’s basically “shemale” or “femboy” or “trap”, but not quite "trans".

'''Afterword'''

''Heavy Wind'' is a fantasy romance story about a beautiful girl disguised as a man, struggling over the problem of “I absolutely cannot let anyone find out I’m actually a girl!”—a problem that men naturally never have to worry about—and becoming swept up in love and adventure because of it.

After all, because she cannot reveal that she is a woman, even if she falls in love she cannot convey her feelings. Just imagining the painful emotions of a crossdressing beauty who cannot honestly express what is in her heart is already unbearable for me personally. Cute and cool—an “ikemen beauty,” if you will. If readers are willing to accompany such a girl on her adventures, nothing would make me happier.

When thinking about the world of a story, I often imagine a plaster statue. Normally, a story can only depict things from a single angle. But if you compare it to a plaster figure, then depending on whether you look from above, below, left, or right, you end up seeing entirely different expressions.

So if readers are able to glimpse the “world” through cuts taken from different angles, that would make me very happy.

And naturally, the one who guides the story and pulls it forward is the crossdressing beautiful girl herself! The very phrase “girl in men’s clothing” does not even need something like the Takarazuka Revue as proof—that concept itself is already romance. After all, a crossdressing girl becomes dramatic simply by putting on ordinary girls’ clothing. It’s unfairly powerful. I wonder if I succeeded in portraying that sort of crossdressing heroine properly. I humbly leave that judgment to you.

As always, I would also like to deeply thank Usatsuka-sensei for the beautiful illustrations. Every single time I request artwork under an absurdly tight schedule, yet he still delivers incredible work. I truly am grateful. At this point, Yamaguchi genuinely cannot bring himself to sleep with his feet pointed toward Osaka anymore. To Mr. S and Mr. M from the editorial department as well—thank you for all your hard work. And finally, to all the readers: thank you all so very much.

I hope you will continue accompanying Karin, Cendrillon, and the others in their adventures and exploits as their world continues to expand from here onward.

—Noboru Yamaguchi

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume5 Story1

2026-06-10T22:37:55Z

KaiserVonMegalo: fixed some mistranslations

===Story 1: The "Charming Fairies" Inn===
==== Chapter 1 ====
"Alright, starting tomorrow is summer break."

Louise said, while looking down at the familiar.

"Yeah, it is."

Saito tumbled on the ground, facing his master.

"How about we have one week of leisure?"

They were at the Austri Plaza. As always, Saito was being stepped on by Louise, and he, once again had to explain his reason for why he was being stepped on by Louise.

"Well, Siesta said that she would go on a trip to Tarbes village. Wouldn't it be okay if I just stayed a little bit and then went back to your territory? Sometimes it's not bad with just your family and no one else around, right?"

But, judging from the look on Louise's face, it seemed that the suggestion was rejected again.

The front gate, which was filled with students going home, could be seen from the plaza. The students, who had waited days to go home, were riding by carriage. They were going back to their hometown, being encouraged by their parents to return to the capital of Tristania. Tristain Academy of Magic would be on a long summer vacation starting from tomorrow. It would be a two and a half month long holiday.

"You-you know, Miss Vallière. I think Saito-san needs a break as well."

A flustered Siesta said to Louise, who was bullying Saito. As preparations for returning home, Siesta was not wearing her usual maid uniform, but her casual clothes of a dark green shirt and brown skirt.

Louise threw a glare at her. But... Siesta was also not the same. With the competitive spirit of a girl in love, she glared at Louise in return.

"A-a break is also necessary, right? You-you always work him as you please..., that's horrible."

"This guy is fine. That's because he's my familiar."

Siesta seemed to have sensed something in that attitude.

"Familiar? Heh, I wonder if that's the only reason...?"

Siesta muttered. Her eyes glittered, as if she was setting up a trap to catch a rabbit. Girls in love are sensitive to rivals.

"Eh? What does that mean?"

"No-nothing?"

Siesta muttered while playing dumb.

"Say it."

"It's just that recently, the way you look at Saito-san has been a bit suspicious. That's what I thought."

Siesta said, finishing by looking to the side. Louise glared at her intensely.

''Even a maid is making fun of me. It's Saito's fault. Even though he's a commoner, he does all sorts of strange things. Even the academy's commoners are starting to get overconfident.'' Louise had heard such rumors before, but this is what it was. The kingdom's authority. The nobles' authority. ''Well, that doesn't really matter but my authority!''

Louise trembled while twitching.

Siesta, who squinted her eyes because of the brilliant shine of the sunlight sighed "fuuh", exposed her breasts, and wiped her sweat with a handkerchief.

"Really... Summer is so hot."

Like a flower blooming in the wild, lots of charm poured out from there.
Amazing when undressed, the chasm of the two hills flew into her eyes. Louise gave a "Ha-!" and looked at Saito's face. Underneath her foot, the familiar was desperately leering at the gap of Siesta's exposed shirt. Louise was about to snap but endured it.

''Like I'll lose! That's right, I'm a noble. Even if I remain silent, nobility will pour out from the gaps of my shirt.''

Louise followed suit. She murmurs "Fuuh, it's hot." and loosened her shirt's buttons. And then she wiped her sweat with a handkerchief. But... what was there was not a chasm, but a refreshing plain that spread out everywhere.

Saito seemed to prefer the terrain with highs and lows and did not move his glance.

Seeing the result of the battle, Siesta let out a stifled laugh, making Louise snap.

"Wh-what! You just laughed right now!"

"What? There's no way I would laugh. No way, right? For me to look at a noble and laugh..."

Siesta said, pacifying Louise with a sparkling face. Then she turned her face away and muttered

"...With such a childish body, a noble? ...Heeh."

"Kaha," leaked out of Louise mouth as exhalation.

"What did you just say?! Hey!"

"...Who knows, ...nothing. Either way, it's so hot. Hot, hot. Aah, it's hot."

Louise trembled all over. Saito whispered,

"Hey, master."

"What?"

"Is it okay if I go to Tarbes?"

"Kauha," Louise sighed miserably, and began to hurt Saito with all her might, thinking ''How many times are you going to ask?''

Siesta said, "Calm down! Miss Vallière! Please calm down!" and grabbed her back. While the usual mess was about to begin...

'' ''*flap**flap* as one owl appeared.

"Nn?"

The owl stopped on Louise's shoulder and hit Louise's head with it's wings.

"What is with this owl?"

The owl was biting on a letter. Louise took that from it. Recognizing the stamp pressed on it, Louise returned to a serious expression.

"What is this owl?"

Siesta peeked at it.

When Louise became serious, Saito inquired,

"What is it?"

Checking it contents, Louise scanned over the single piece of paper. Then Louise said,
"Going back home is halted."

"What do you mean halted? Siesta even invited me... I'm really disappointed, you know."

Saito said, seeing Louise go back to her own room and check her luggage that she had packed up for going back home.

Louise showed Saito the letter the owl had brought just now.

"No, I can't read the letters from here."

Louise sat straight on her bed and began to talk.

"After the previous incident... you know that Princess-sama was depressed, right?"

Saito nodded. It was a tragic event. Her own dead lover... was revived by her enemy and tried to kidnap her. It was obvious she would be depressed.

"I feel sorry for her... but it seems she can't stay sunk in the abyss of sadness forever."

"What do you mean?"

Louise explained what was written in the letter.

Albion had given up on a proper invasion until their fleet was rebuilt, so they were trying to fight in an irregular way- Is what the cabinet had predicted, with Mazarin on the top of them. They couldn't have them cowardly attack Tristain from the inside by inciting revolt and rebellion throughout the town. Because Henrietta and her men feared such conspiracies, she was strengthening the maintenance of public order...

"It's fine to strengthen the public order, but what does she want you to do?"

"An intelligence gathering mission involving hiding myself. Is there any improper actions going on? What kind of rumors are being spread around by commoners?"

"Uwah, a spy!"

"Spy?"

"In my world, those type of information gathering jobs are called that."

"Huunn... Anyways, it's basically spying, right..."

For some reason, Louise looked unsatisfied.

"What's wrong?"

"Well... because isn't this plain?"

"No, isn't information important? My grandfather said that the old Japan lost a war because they kept on ignoring information."

"What?"

"Nothing. It doesn't really matter..."

In Henrietta's letter, there were directions to settle down at an inn in Tristania, hide her identity and do something like flower-selling, and collect all kinds of information being passed around by commoners. A note to pay back the expenses for the mission was enclosed.

"I see."

"That's why I'm rearranging my luggage. I can't bring so many clothes."

Louise pointed to her luggage that had gotten lighter by a bagful.

"So I have to work even though it's summer vacation..."

Saito muttered sadly.

"Stop loafing around. Come on, we're leaving now!"

After all of this happened, the two left for Tristania. In order to hide their social status, they could not use a coach. The horses at the academy were the academy's, so they could not use those. In the end, they walked.

Louise and Saito walked on the road under the scorching sun, heading towards Tristania. It took two days to get there.

Looking reproachfully at the sun, Saito whispered,

"Damn... even though I should be at Siesta's house drinking cold water right now..."

"Don't complain! Come on! Walk!"

Louise, who had her familiar carry all of the luggage, shouted angrily.

After arriving at the city, the two first visited the financial affairs office to exchange the note for gold coins. Six-hundred in new gold coins. Four-hundred écus.

Saito remembered the money from Henrietta in the pouch attached to his belt. About four hundred new gold coins remained. So around two-hundred seventy écus.

Saito first found a tailor and bought plain clothes for Louise. Louise didn't like it, but wearing a mantle with a pentagram would completely expose her as a noble. It would be impossible to blend in with commoners and gather information. There would be no meaning walking here.

But Louise, forced to wear plain clothes, looked unsatisfied.

"What's wrong?"

"It's not enough."

"What is?"

"The money we got for this mission. With only four-hundred écus, we would be broke after buying a horse."

"We don't need a horse. It was written for you to hide your social status, right? In other words, you're supposed to act like a commoner. Walk. You have legs."

"I'll act like a commoner, but I can't get satisfying services without a horse."

"A cheap horse is fine, right? Compromise here."

"Those horses are useless when we really need them! We also need a harness. And also... we won't be able to stay at a strange inn. With this amount of money, it'll be gone after staying for just two and a half months!"

What kind of Inn could cost up to six-hundred gold coins?

"A cheap inn is fine, right?"

"No way! I can't sleep well in a cheap room!"

As expected of a noble's daughter. Even though she has a mission to blend in with commoners and gather information, she plans to stay at a high class inn. Saito wondered, ''What is she thinking?''

"I have some too. I'll share some with you."

"...That's still not enough. Services cost money."

"Then what should we do?"

"Isn't there a way to earn more money?"

And like that, while disputing about earning more money and finding a cheap place, they entered a bar where Saito found a gambling area set up in a corner of the store. Over there, drunk men and suspicious women were taking chips and having their chips taken.

Without caring about Louise narrowing her eyebrows at them, Saito gazed at the gambling.

"What are you looking at?"

"Well, I was just thinking about earning money with this. How about it?"

"Isn't that gambling? What a thing!"

"Now, just watch me. I've done it a lot of times before in games."

Saito exchanged chips for thirty new gold coins... twenty écus and headed towards the table with the spinning disk. The disk's circumference was split into thirty-seven parts, each having their own number and colored red or black.

An iron ball spun around inside the disk. And near the disk, there were men and women with changed eye colors staring at this intently.

It was roulette.

Saito looked at the placing guests. ''First, I'll test my luck''. Copying the winning guests, Saito placed a chip worth about ten écus on red.

The ball entered a red pocket.

"See, look. I earned some! I'm amazing!"

Saito was somewhat stingy, so he placed cautiously and earned about thirty écus worth of chips.

"See, look! The money we have for completing the mission increased! Geez, it's a big difference compared to a certain someone who only complains!"

Saito said while turning his chest away. Louise's eyes flashed.

"Lend some to me."

"You shouldn't. It's impossible for you."

"What are you saying? If the familiar is winning, then the master will win ten times over if she tries."

Louise immediately placed what Saito had won on black. But... she was off. What Saito had won was lost in a moment.

"What are you doing?! Even though I finally earned some!"

"Sh-shut up."

"Geez... Even though you always act proud, you can't properly earn money at all. Learn from Siesta a bit. Learn to cook something. Then go work as a cook at some restaurant. That's what laboring is."

Something lit up in Louise at the words "Learn from Siesta".

"J-j-just watch me. Who the hell will lose?"

"Louise?"

Saito trembled at her.

Thirty minutes later...

Louise was drooping her shoulders and looking hatefully at the board. The chips she had
placed a moment ago quietly disappeared by the banker's hand. The pretty blond girl's shoulders remained drooping for a while, but then raising her head proudly, she tried to place all of her chips onto one point. Saito, who had been looking from behind her, grabbed her shoulders.

"Louise..."

"What?"

Louise muttered in a clearly grumpy voice. Saito bluntly said,

"Let's stop already."

"I'll win next time. I'll definitely win."

"How many times do you think you've said that?!"

Saito's scream resounded. The guests placing chips turned around and put on bitter smiles.

It was a scene that occurred every day.

"You haven't even won once."

Saito stuck his finger in front of Louise's nose. This was the first time Saito saw a human who was so bad at gambling. Louise had already lost four-hundred écus... most of the money required for the mission. If they turned Louise's remaining chips into money, they wouldn't get more than thirty écus. If they lost this, they would be broke.

"It's okay. I'll unleash my certain winning method next."

"Tell me about it."

"Until now, I've been betting on red or black, right?"

"Yeah. To miss fifteen times betting on red or black... you'd be better off dead."

"Shut up. Listen? In that case, if I won, I only get a few times more. Why?"

"That's normal."

"And then I realized it. Even if I get red or black right, I only win double. But..."

"But, what?"

Saito was shaking. Louise was speaking as if possessed by something.

"If I win by numbers, I get thirty-five times my bet. I'll be able to get back what we
lost plus more. I should have done this in the first place!"

"That's your certain winning method?"

Louise gave a big nod.

Saito silently grabbed Louise's arm and pulled.

"What are you doing?"

"The probability of you winning is one in thirty-seven!"

"So what?! I've already lost fifteen times. No matter how you think about it, I'll win next time. It'd be weird if I didn't. If I'm going to win, I might as well win big!"

Louise's reddish-brown eyes were glittering. It reminded him of the eyes of his uncle, who had failed at stocks and had run away at night. He had these eyes the last time Saito saw him.

On that day, the stock he said would rise greatly crashed downwards instead.

"Calm down. Let's exchange your chips for money and use it to find a place to stay. Okay?"

"No. If I left while losing, the name of La Vallière would weep."

"Let something like that weep!"

The moment he yelled that, he was kicked precisely between the legs and rolled onto the floor.

"Hoaaaaaa... do you have some grudge against my miserable area?"

After eliminating her bothersome familiar, Louise turned back toward the roulette disk.

The shooter was about the throw the ball onto the wheel. She could still make the bet.

Louise placed all of her remaining chips onto the number that she had in her head a moment ago.

Then she stared at the wheel and ball with eyes that couldn't be more serious.

Making a clip-clop sound, the ball of fate entered a pocket. Louise's expression glittered with hope for a moment, but it changed into despair right away. The pocket was the one beside the number Louise had bet on.

While rubbing his nether regions, Saito got up and pulled on Louise.

"Let's go."

"What are you saying?"

"Heh?"

"My neighbor's pocket. Next, it's going to visit my house."

"We don't have any money left to bet, right?!"

"The money in your pocket will help."

"Idiot! This is my money!"

Saito covered his pouch. He couldn't have this be gambled. If he did, even he would be broke.

"You know? The familiar's things are the master's things. That's obvious."

"Don't joke around!"

But compared to Siesta, it didn't reach the ears of Louise, whose brain had been burnt by her fervor for gambling. She tried to kick Saito's nether regions at lightning speed.
But Saito was different from usual. He quickly closed his two legs and guarded. Then he grabbed Louise's raised ankle.

"Like I'll let you kick me again!"

Louise muttered in a cold voice

"Vasra."

The magic restriction tool enveloped Saito's body and let off a electric current.

Convulsing violently, Saito tumbled back onto the floor.

"...I see, I didn't watch out for that."

Saito said weakly while cursing his curiosity. ''Aah, if I didn't have interest in this gambling area, something like this wouldn't have...''

Louise searched Saito's pouch, took all of the remaining gold coins, and quickly exchanged
them for chips. Saito was slightly relieved. Even if it's someone like Louise who has zero talent for gambling, she wouldn't lose all of those chips before his body recovered from the numbness. After the numbness were gone, he'll cover Louise's mouth and leave the place without letting her say anything. That is what Saito decided.

"Betting on one place won't work, it seems. I'll return to the basics."

"That's right... Red and black. Only a small amount on red and black. At least do that..."

"To show my respect for my loyal familiar, I'll bet on that hair and eye color."

"Black?"

"That's right." Nodding, Louise placed coins on black.

All of it... Two-hundred and seventy écus worth of chips, all of it.

Saito almost leaked.

"S! T! O! P!"

Louise smiled brightly at Saito.

"Silly. Even if the payoff is double, money is money. If I win, we'll get back all that we've lost plus more. What's more, just once. We only have to win one time."

"P! L! E! A! S! E!"

"I should have done this in the first place."

The shooter spun the roulette. The small ball began to spin, holding the master and familiar's huge fate on it.

Making a dry sound, the ball spun on top of the wheel. The rotation slowly lost speed and, as if to divide fate, aimed for the right pocket. Louise had bet a large sum of money on black, so the other guests had bet on red. The only one betting on black was Louise. It entered red, left it, then it entered black, left it... Louise spoke as if she had caught a fever.

"I'm a legend. I'll never lose, right, at a place like this."

And then the ball entered a pocket... and stopped.

Louise closed her eyes without thinking.

Around her, sighs of sadness leaked out.

"...Eh?"

Everyone besides Louise had placed on red. The sighs came from them. In other words, the ones that placed on red lost. Which means...

"I really am the user of 'Zero' after all!"

Shouting that, Louise opened her eyes. Right afterwards, her mouth gaped open.

The ball... did not enter black or red, but the single existing green pocket. On the center of the pocket..., as if to give blessing to Louise, the number "0" was glittering there.

Saito and Louise were sitting in a daze at the corner of the sunsetting city's central plaza.

The bell at the church of Saint Rémy rang six at evening.

They were tired and hungry but had no place to go.

Louise was wearing the plain, brown one-piece Saito had bought earlier. On her feet were crude wooden shoes. Her mantle and wand were placed inside the bag Saito was carrying.
Just from her clothes, she looked like some country girl, but thanks to her high-class face and her pink-blonde hair, she gave off a mismatched feeling similar to that of a destitute girl in the middle of a play.

Saito was wearing his usual clothes, but because he could not walk around the city with a drawn sword, he wrapped Derflinger in some cloth and carried him on the back.
Louise muttered quietly in a way showing that she had realized just how troublesome of a deed she had done.

"Wh-what should we do?"

Saito glared at Louise

"I'll never let you carry money around again."

"Uuu..."

Louise moaned sadly, hugging her knees.

"Well, what should we do. Money. If we can't find an inn to stay at, we won't be able to eat food. What about the mission? O' mighty, mighty court lady of Her Majesty, please teach this humble familiar. Please?"

Saito said with plenty of spite. Even his money was used. He'll have her pay him back properly someday, but right now was the immediate problem of an inn and food to eat.

"I'm thinking about it right now."

Louise said with a sullen face.

"Let's obediently lower our heads to Princess-sama and get some more money."

"That's impossible. Princess-sama gave me this secret mission at her own discretion. The cabinet probably would not let the money pass. She probably can't use more than she freely has. Probably, that was already the best she could do."

"You threw away that money in thirty minutes. What were you thinking?"

"That's because I can't get satisfying services with just four-hundred!"

"That's because you always want luxuries!"

"They're necessary!"

"Then, how about that? Contact your home. Yeah, hey, Duke-sama."

"Not possible. It's a secret mission. I can't tell my family either."

While hugging her knees, Louise rested her chin on it.

She really is a young mistress ignorant of the world's ways... She can't even properly shop for something. Even Saito, who came from another world, could haggle better. Nothing will get done letting her do things.

But he couldn't think of a good idea. He gazed at the plaza's fountain dazedly, but...

"Nn?"

He realized the passing people were gazing impressed at Louise.

Even if she didn't want to, Louise's loveliness and nobleness attracted attention. Especially if she was hugging her knees looking like a village girl. The people stole glances at Louise with a look that said "She probably ran away from some playhouse."
Saito got up in a flash.

Louise was surprised.

"What's wrong?"

Ignoring Louise's words, Saito faced the people in the street and started stating

"Eeh- Ladies and Gentlemen!"

The passing people stopped, wondering what was going on.

"Eeh- This girl here is a wolf-girl that escaped from the circus."

"What?"

What is this guy saying?

"Being raised by wolves, she howls and barks! It's really troublesome! But the most amazing thing is that she can scratch her neck with her feet! Now stand by! She will scratch her neck with her foot right now!"

Saito whispered to Louise quietly

"Well, scratch your neck with your foot. Come on."

Saito taunted her with his chin. Louise stomped on that face with the sole of her foot. Saito tumbled onto the ground.

"What are you thinking?! Y-y-you want me to act like a beast?!"

Saito also got up, pulled on Louise's arm, and shouted

"We have no choice but to perform, right?! Is there any other way to earn money?! Aah?!"

Violently swinging her hair, Louise began arguing with Saito. "She really is a wolf-girl."

The audience was oddly satisfied.

But soon realizing it was just a quarrel, the audience quickly got bored and left. They didn't get anything. His strength left him and Saito laid down on the ground. Louise was also tired and quickly lost her physical strength, so she sat on his back.

"I'm hungry..."

"Me too..."

To these two sitting like this, someone tossed a copper coin. Saito jumped up and picked it up. Louise stood up with an enraged voice.

"Who is it?! Come out now!"

After saying that, a strange man came out of the crowd.

"Oh my... I thought you were beggars..."

Oddly, he talked in a feminine way.

"Haah? State yourself! You know, I, amazingly enough, am from a Duke's family..."

When she tried to say that, Saito stood up and covered Louise's mouth.

"Duke's family?"

"It-it's nothing! Yes! Her brain's just a bit like that. Yes."

Muffled, Louise thrashed around, but Saito ignored that and continued to cover her mouth.
If they stood out anymore, it wouldn't be a secret mission anymore.

The man looked very interestedly at Saito and Louise. He was wearing rather showy clothes. Guiche's clothes were showy too, but the vector was strangely different. Black hair covered in oil, a sparkling, violet satin-earth shirt opened up at the chest with disheveled chest hair poking out, under his nose was a magnificent split chin and had a stylish mustache. A strong scent of perfume reached Saito's nose.

"Then why are you sleeping on the ground?"

"Well, we don't have a place to sleep or eat..."

"But we're not beggars."

Louise said bluntly. The man looked deeply at Louise's face.

"I see. Well then, come to my place. My name is Scarron. I run an inn. I'll prepare a room."

The man said that smiling. The way he talked and dressed was gross, but he seemed like a generous person. Saito's face glittered.

"Really?!"

"Yep, but there's one condition."

"I'll do anything."

"I'm managing a store on the first floor. This girl will help. That is the condition. Okay?"

Louise looked reluctant, but she obediently nodded when Saito stared at her.

"Très bien."

Scarron grouped his hands together and rest them on his cheek, and narrowing his lips, smiled. He acted like a gay. Actually, he couldn't be anything but a gay. Gross. There are gays in other worlds too... And there's that "très bien"... Saito became strangely depressed.

"Then it's decided. Follow me."

The man started walking, swinging his hips as if to a rhythm. Saito reluctantly took Louise's hand and followed.

"I kind of don't want to. He's weird."

Saito looked at Louise with blazing anger in his eyes.

"Do you think you're in a position to choose?"

==== Chapter 2 ====

"Good words! Fairies!"

Scarron said as he moved his hips while looking around the store.

"Yes! Mr. Scarron!"

Cheered the girls wrapped in flashy clothes.

"Wrooooongg!"

Scarron shouted while exaggeratedly moving his hips around, upon hearing the girls' cheers.

"Not Mister, but call me as Mi Mademoiselle, alright?"

"Yes! Mi mademoiselle!"

"Très bien."

Scarron trembled pleasantly while moving his hips. Looking at the middle-aged man that took him here, Saito felt sick.

But the girls in the store, who were used to this habit, didn't even show a change in their faces.

"All right, we'll start with a saddening notice from Mi Mademoiselle. Recently, the 'Charming Faeries' Inn's sales have been dropping. A shop called a 'cafe' has been bringing out 'tea' that has been recently imported from the East and are stealing our customers... Sniff..."

"Don't cry! Mi mademoiselle!"

"You're right. If we lost to this 'tea', the words 'Charming Faeries' would cry."

"Yes! Mi mademoiselle!"

Scarron jumped onto the table and posed intensely.

"The Charming Faeries' promise! Un~~"

"Serve with a cheerful smile!"

"The Charming Faeries' promise! Deux~~"

"A clean, sparkling store interior!"

"The Charming Faeries' promise! Trois~~"

"Receive lots of tips!"

"Très bien."

Scarron smiled in a satisfied way. Then he bent his hips and made a pose. Gastric juice
went up his throat, but Saito desperately swallowed it back down.

"Well then, I have a wonderful announcement for you faeries. We get to make a new comrade today."

The girls applauded.

"Then, let me introduce her! Louise-chan! Come in here!"

Surrounded by applause, Louise appeared, completely red in the face from shyness and anger.

Saito swallowed his breath. The store's hairdresser had put up Louise's pink-blonde hair and made the hair on her left and right into small braided cords. She was also wearing a suggestively short camisole, sticking to her like a corset and making her body's lines more pronounced. It was open at the back, letting off an obvious charm. That appearance was very much like a lovely fairy.

"Louise-chan was about to be sold off to the circus, but just in time managed to escape with her brother. She's very cute but poor girl."

Sighs of sympathy came from the girls. That was a lie that Saito had come up with along their way to the store. In desperation, he had decided to be Louise's older brother. They didn't look like siblings no matter how one looked, but Scarron didn't get too caught up in that part. It seems it didn't really matter.

"Well then, Louise-chan. Greet the faeries that are going to become your co-workers."
Louise was shaking all over. It seemed she was angry. Intensely. Strongly. A prideful noble like Louise was being told to bow her head to commoners in that clothing. Saito was afraid she'd go berserk and let off continuous "Explosion"s.

But... The sense of responsibility telling her to fulfill the mission suppressed Louise's anger.

Come to think about it, rumors tend to collect at bars. It was perfect for information gathering. Plus, they were broke. Telling herself this was a mission, Louise bowed with a forced smile.

"I-I-I-I'm Louise. Ni-ni-ni-nice to meet you."

"Okay, applause!"

Scarron demanded. A great applause echoed through the store. Scarron looked at the clock set on the wall. It was finally time for the store to open.

He snapped his fingers. Reacting to it, the magic-made dolls at the corner of the store began to play gaudy music. It was the rhythm to a march. Scarron talked in an excited voice.

"Now! Time to open!"

The feather doors opened with a "bam" as the waiting customers crowded into the store.

The "Charming Faeries" Inn that Saito and Louise arrived at looked like just a bar, but it was actually a popular store where cute girls in suggestive clothing brought customers their drinks. Scarron had noticed Louise's beauty and loveliness and brought her here to work as a waitress.

Given an apron with the store's embroidery on it, Saito was given the job of washing dishes. As long as he was living at the inn, he had to do some work.

The store was thriving, so mountains of tableware were delivered to him.

It seemed that no matter where someone was, even in another world, dish washing was a job for newcomers. Saito did not want to wash dishes from that gay man's store, but he endured it.

It was for the sake of Louise's mission. She was lacking, selfish, strong-willed, and an arrogant little girl that never listened to what he said, but it couldn't be helped since he had fallen for her. Despite all of her complaining, it seemed like she was trying hard this time to succeed in information gathering. And also, Henrietta's sad face he saw on Ragdorian Lake's shores... He wanted to do something for that pitiful princess. If he could help the people he liked by doing what he could, he wouldn't mind searching for a way back to his world later. Though a bundle of troublesomeness, his simplicity had himself think that way.

Saito grappled with the dishes. But everything has a "limit". After a while, he could no longer move his tired hands. But even if he became exhausted, the amount of plates he had to wash wouldn't disappear and started to pile up.

A showy-looking girl appeared near Saito, who was just blankly looking at the mountain of plates while tired senseless in front of the sink. The cute girl had long, straight black hair. Her thick eyebrows let off a lively aura. It seemed that she was close to Saito in age. Saito quickly snapped out of it when his eyes fell upon the cleavage of her breasts which appeared from her green one-piece that opened up at the chest.

"Hey! We don't have any plates left!"

She shouted, resting her arms on her waist.

"I-I'm sorry! Right away!"
[[Image:ZnT05-041.jpg|thumb]]

Being used to getting ordered around by cute girls, Saito jumped right up and reflexively started to wash the dishes. Seeing the inexperienced way he moved his hands, the black-haired girl tilted her head.

"Let me see them."

Saying that, she took the cloth used for dish washing out of Saito's hands and began scrubbing in an experienced manner. With smooth movements that did not have any wastefulness in them, the plates were gradually cleaned up. Saito realized there was a secret to dish washing.

"It takes time to polish one side at a time, right? You can put both sides in-between with the cloth like this and then scrub really hard."

"Amazing," Saito said. Seeing that he really was impressed, the girl smiled.

"I'm Jessica. You're that new girl's brother, right? Your name?"

"Saito. Hiraga Saito."

"That's a strange name."

"Leave it alone."

Saito began washing dishes with Jessica. After looking around her surroundings, she whispered to Saito in a small voice.

"Hey, that thing about you being siblings with Louise was a lie, right?"

"Nope. 100% genuine older brother and younger sister."

Saito said stiffly.

"You two's hair color, eye color, and face shape are completely different. There isn't anybody who would believe you."

Saito was speechless.

"Though it doesn't matter. The girls here are all fine with any reason. There isn't a person here who would pry into someone's past. Relax."

"I-I see..."

Jessica stared into Saito's eyes. For a moment, he was startled.

"But can you secretly just tell me? Just what is the relationship between you two? Did you run away from somewhere?"

It seemed Jessica tended to be just as curious as Saito sometimes was. She looked at Saito excitedly. But there was no way he could tell the truth.

Saito glanced at Jessica's showy outfit. She was probably one of the "fairy" waitresses. Unneeded prying was bothersome, so Saito waved his hands to make her go away.

"Is it okay for you to be slacking here? You have your own work to do. Go and carry some wine or ale. Manager Scarron will get mad at you."

"It's okay for me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm Scarron's daughter."

Saito dropped a plate. Making a shattering sound, the plate was scattered into pieces.

"Ah! What are you breaking?! You're going to pay from your wages!"

"Daughter?"

"That's right."

For such a cute daughter to be born from that gay store manager... Saito wondered what genes thought they were doing.

"Come on! Don't just talk and start moving your hands! The store's going to get busier
from now on!"

Saito had some hardships, but Louise was suffering much worse.

"...H-here is your order."

Desperately trying to smile... she left a bottle of wine and a ceramic glass on the table. In front of her, a man was looking at Louise while smiling vulgarly.

"Little girl, pour me some."

''Me pour alcohol for a commoner, a commoner, a commoner? A noble like me? A noble like me? A noble like me?''

Such humiliating thoughts spun around in her head.

"Anh? What's wrong? Didn't I tell you to hurry and pour me some?"

Louise exhaled and tried to calm herself down.
[[Image:ZnT05-005.jpg|thumb]]
''This is a mission. This is a mission. Information gathering while disguised as commoners. Information gathering...''

Muttering that like a spell, she somehow managed to smile.

"We-well then, I'll pour some for you."

"Huun..."

Louise picked up the bottle and started to slowly pour the wine into the man's glass.

But... Because she was shaking from anger, she missed and spilled the wine on the man's shirt.

"Uwah! You spilled it!"

"I-I'm sor.....ry."

"Like an apology is going to help!"

Then the man began to stare at Louise.

"You... don't have any breasts, but you're considerably pretty."

The feeling of blood left Louise's face.

"I've taken a liking to you. Maybe I'll have you feed me mouth-to-mouth. Then I'll forgive you! Gahaha!"

Louise picked up the bottle, drank the wine into her mouth, and spat it back out onto the man's face.

"What are you doing, you brat?!"

"Bam!"

Placing one leg on the table, Louise looked down at the seated man.

For a moment, the man winced at the intensity released from this little girl.

"L-l-l-lowlife. Wh-wh-wh-who do you think I am?"

"Wh-what?"

"F-f-f-for your information, d-d-d.....duk..."

At the moment she was about to say "duke family", Louise was sent flying from behind.

"I'm~~ sorry~~!"

It was Scarron. Sitting down beside the man, he started to wipe the man's shirt with the dish cloth in his hand.

"Wh-what's with you, you gay bastard... I don't need you..."

"This won't do! It's soaked in wine! Hey, Louise-chan! Bring along some new wine! While she's fetching it, mi mademoiselle will keep you company!"

Scarron leaned closely to the man. The man looked like he wanted to cry, but Scarron held him back with superhuman strength and couldn't move.

"Ye-yes!" Louise said, finally snapping back to reality, and ran into the kitchen.

"Eh-, well then, thanks for the hard work!"

When the store closed, the sky had started to whiten. Saito and Louise were standing there unsteadily. They were so tired, they felt like they were going to die. They were completely exhausted doing a job that they were not accustomed to.

"You all worked your best, it seems. We're in the green this month."

Scarron started handing out the wages to the girls that worked in his store and the cooks
in the kitchen, who were all letting out shouts of joy.

It seemed today was payday.

"Here, Louise-chan, Saito-kun."

Thinking "We're getting some too?", Saito and Louise's faces lit up for a moment, but... the only thing in it was one thin scrap of paper.

"What is this?"

Saito asked. The smile from Scarron's face disappeared.

"A bill. Saito-kun, how many plates did you break? Louise-chan, how many customers did you anger?"

Louise and Saito looked at each other and sighed.

"It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes at the beginning. Just try your best from now on and pay back the bill."

And... the sighing didn't stop after that.

The room given to Louise and Saito was reached by following a corridor lined up with the guest room door... and using a ladder to climb up and reach the attic.

No matter how you saw it, it wasn't a room that was made for people to live in. Being dusty and dim, it seemed to have been used as a storage room. Broken cabinets and chairs, wooden cases holding wine bottles, and barrels... All kinds of objects were piled up. A rough, wooden bed had been placed there. When Louise sat, her legs gave in which caused her to flop right down.

"What is this?!"

"A bed, right?"

While wiping away a spider's nest, Saito opened the small window. Doing so, the bats that seemed to live in the antic flew in screeching and hung onto a beam.

"What's that?!"

"Probably our roommates."

Saito said with a calm voice.

"You want a noble like me to sleep here?!" Louise screamed angrily.

Saito silently picked up the blanket on top of the bed and cleared away the dust. Then he laid down and put the blanket on himself.

"Come on, let's sleep. Scarron-san already said it. I wake up at noon and prepare the store. You're going to clean the store."

"Why are you fine with this?!"

"It's not much different from the way a certain someone usually treats me."

Saying that, Saito, probably because he was tired, quickly fell asleep.

Louise moaned "uu~" and "mu~", but she gave up after a while and snuggled in with
Saito. Worming around, she placed her head on Saito's arm.

It was definitely a horrible place... but there was one thing to be happy about.

That maid wasn't here.

''Geez, I don't know, what's so good, about this, familiar! That maid that likes Saito isn't here. That is honestly very wonderful. I-, don't really, like-, this but...'' Louise muttered in a slightly happy mood, moving her cheek near Saito and closing her eyes.

Blushing, she whispered, "I'll have you treat me kindly during this summer holiday."

''And also... pick up the rumors in the city and give detailed reports to Princess-sama''. Thinking that it was going to get busy soon, Louise fell asleep.

But.

Louise's little bit of happiness was splendidly crushed. The cause was the night of the next day. The "Charming Faeries" Inn was thriving that day too. Louise was wearily carrying food or drinks out just like the previous day.

The drunken men had two types of reactions when they saw Louise.

First were the people that looked at Louise, who was small at various parts of her body, and said "This store is using kids?" angrily. To these customers, Louise served them plenty of wine. She had them drink the bottle too.

On the other side, there were the customers that had special interests.

Only Louise's outer appearance was idiotically cute, so in reverse, it was a wonderful thing to people with this line of thought. These people underestimated Louise because she looked obedient when she was quiet and reached their hands out towards her small butt or thighs. To those people, Louise decided to serve them her palm.

She served that on both cheeks, and at times, even on the nose.

Unable to act with courtesy at all, just like that, Louise didn't end up receiving any tips and was told "Stay here and observe what the other girls do" by Scarron and forced to stand in a corner.

Yes, the other girls were skilled. They smiled brightly and didn't get mad no matter what someone said or did. They smoothly conversed and complimented the men... And when the men tried to touch them, they would kindly grab that hand and prevent them from touching. Doing so, the men would try to win the girl's favor and splurged out on tip. ''There's no way I could do that.'' Louise frowned.

''The family I was born to in this world is the Vallière family, who are nobles and mages. And what's more is that they are a duke family! If I go back to my territory, I'm a princess!'' Louise thought. ''Even if you told me the world will end tomorrow, I couldn't act that courtly towards them. What's more, in this embarrassing outfit......''

Outfit?

Louise realized at that moment. She was in the same camisole outfit as yesterday. Even she thought that interiorly, she's not cute, but she was quite something on the outside. She scanned and found a mirror in the store. Then she made numerous poses in front of the mirror. She tried holding her thumb in her mouth and fidgeting.

''Yep. These clothes are embarrassing, but I'm cute. A noble even if I rot. None of the girls here can match the nobility I let off. Right. Surely. Probably.''

''Maybe Saito is enchanted by my appearance,'' she thought and became happy. ''What, idiot? You're late to realize my charm. Surely he'll be like "aah, Louise is cute, amazing, aah, such a cute girl was beside me... I didn't realize it... Yet I was so engrossed with a maid... Having her wear a sailor outfit and twirling around... I regret it... This stupid dog is regretting it."''

''Hmph. Are you an idiot? Sure took you a long time to realize your master's charms. But you're just a familiar, so don't look at your master in that rude way. Go and polish my shoes or something! What? You can't. You can't touch your master. For a dog, where are you touching? But if you promise to serve me for the rest of your life, I'll let you do it for a little bit. But in return, kneel down on the ground. Kneel down on the ground and apologize for all of the times you slighted me. Got it?''

Fantasizing that far, Louise covered her mouth to restrain her chuckling. Then looking sideways... she stole a glance at the kitchen thinking that he was entranced by her by now.

''There! That stupid dog is washing dishes with that stupid look!''

Eh?

Indeed, Saito was intently observing the area that Louise was at while absent-mindedly washing the dishes. But... He was not looking at Louise. Louise followed his glance. What was there was a girl with long black hair that was rolling with laughter with a customer. It was Jessica.

Louise's pink-blond hair started surging.

''Again, you and that. That black hair.''

Observing Jessica even more, she followed his glance by milli-units. Jessica was wearing a tidy one-piece that opened at her big breasts. Saito's eyesight was homing into the cleavage that poked out of her one-piece.

''Her breasts. Do you really love those apple-like things so much?''

''Why do dogs like breasts like those? Huh?!''

"Hou~" Saito let out a sad sigh. Then with a spellbound face, he drew circles with his two hands as if measuring the circumference of Jessica's breasts. Something snapped inside Louise's mind, so for now, she decided to throw a nearby glass with all her might.

Directly hitting around his temple, Saito fell down in front of the sink.

"What are you doing?!"

The man whose own glass was thrown stood up and tried to grab Louise's shoulder. Louise raised her body by grabbing onto a table and serviced the man's face with the bottom of both of her shoes. It was a special, double-the-content service.

Looking back at Scarron who had went "Louise-chan" and rushed over, Louise firmly gripped her fists while trembling all over.

"That familiar... Just you watch. I'll give you some proper service!"

When Saito woke up... what was there were Jessica's big breasts. Thinking "What's this!", his mouth gaped open.

"Wah, you're finally conscious?"

Looking around, he realized he was lying on a bed.

"Where is this?"

"My room."

Sitting on the chair in a way as to hug the chair's back, Jessica smiled.

"Why?"

"You fainted when a glass flew into your head."

"I see... What was that glass...?"

But it seemed Jessica had no interest in the glass.

"Hey, hey, I got it now."

"What?"

"Louise. She's a noble, right?"

Saito started coughing violently.

"You don't have to play dumb. Papa has entrusted me with the management of the store's girls. My ability to discern girls is quite good. Geez, that Louise didn't even know how to carry dishes. Not only that, but her pride was oddly high. And that demeanor... probably a noble."

Saito embraced his head. ''I even had her wear a plain one-piece... It was completely obvious, wasn't it? What "hide your social status"? There was no hiding at all.''

"Hanh! Her a noble? No way! She's so violent, rude, and has no gracefulness at all..."

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone. You have some kind of circumstance, right?"

Seeing Saito remain silent, Jessica smiled. This person really tended to be a mass of curiousity... She wanted to ask him, so she purposely brought him all the way over here.

"It's better if you don't stick your head in on this."

Saito said in a low voice. He wanted to scare her and make her not question him any further. But it didn't work on Jessica.

"Eh-! What's that? Something bad involved? Isn't that interesting?"

Leaning her body even further, she brought her face... breasts nearer. Why is her cleavage so emphasized, is the reason her clothes are bold compared to Siesta's because she's a town girl, and Saito's face started reddening, at which then Jessica put on a meaningful smile.

"Hey."

"What is it?"

"You've never gone out with a girl before, have you?"

"Wh-What? That's, you can't underestimate me or..."

It was a bulls-eye. She's pretty sharp about things... Then cold sweat started flowing.

"I understand it. I'm quite a sharp town girl, after all. It's really easy to figure out what's going on in country peoples' heads."

Being called a country person, Saito snapped a little. ''You know, in Tokyo, regardless about this Tristania, it isn't just some puny structure. You'd cry if you saw Tokyo Tower.'' Thinking that, he said back

"Who's a country person? I don't want to be told by some gay's daughter."

"That's mean. Even if he's like that, he's a kind papa. When my mother died, he said 'Well then, papa will also work in mama's place too...' "

"That très bien?"

Jessica nodded.

"Well, we can put stuff about papa aside. Hey, what are you planning with that noble girl? You're not a noble, right? Her attendant?"

"I'm not her attendant."

Because Saito said rather sullenly, Jessica laughed complacently and grabbed Saito's hands.

"Wh-what?"

"Do you want me to teach you about girls?"

"What?"

Stiffening instantly, Saito looked at Jessica restlessly. This bar girl who knew quite well how to use her charms didn't miss Saito's instantaneous change.

"But, in return, tell me properly, okay? About just what you two are planning..."

Jessica took the hand of Saito's she had grabbed and brought it over to her cleavage.
Saito was stupefied. Getting along with a girl from a bar. Isn't this an excellent way to gather information too? All kinds of customers visit bars. Rumors also gather here. People that are planning something might let their guard down to the girls and tell their secrets.

Making Jessica an ally here would probably be a plus to activities from now on.

Thinking that way, the moment when the feeling of warm skin got to his finger...

The door of Jessica's room was sent flying.

Saito sprung up. Louise, trembling while wearing her pure white camisole, stood there.

"What are you doing?"

Saito looked at his hand and drew it back in panic.

"In-information gathering."

"Who's and what place's information are you gathering?"

While he panicked, Louise walked briskly into the room and kicked Saito's nether region from the front. Saito tumbled. Grabbed by the ankle, when he was about to be dragged off...

Jessica called and stopped Louise.

"Wait a moment, Louise."

"What?"

"What happened to serving customers? Aren't you in the middle of work?"

Being called in such a casual way by a simple town girl, Louise started shaking, but it couldn't be helped right now.

"Just shut up! After I discipline th-this... stupid brother, I'll be right back!"

Saito had become Louise's brother here.

"Do you have that much free time? Even though you can't even get a single tip very well..."

"Th-that's not related."

"It does by a lot. That's because I was left with the management of the girls. Girls like
you are a bother. You anger the regular customers, don't receive orders, throw glasses around, and pick fights."

Louise started to look displeased.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped. Brats like you can't work as a bar's fairy." Jessica said boringly.

"I'm not a brat. I'm sixteen."

"Eh? You were the same age as me?"

Jessica looked genuinely surprised at Louise.

Then she looked at Louise's breasts and then her own. Then she covered her mouth after making a quick laughing sound.

"Good luck then. Though I won't be expecting anything. But if you mess up any further, you're fired, got it?"

Louise snapped at Jessica's behavior.

"Wha-what... Stupid woman and their big breasts... Calling people a brat, or a child, or a weakling..."

Saito, still on the floor, inserted

"No, no one said weakling..."

Louise trampled that face flat. Saito moaned and fell quiet.

"I'll collect enough tips to build a castle."

"Eh~, really? I'm so happy!"

"Because when I try my best, I'm amazing. Those men will all turn around towards me."

"You said it, huh?"

"I said it. Who would lose to someone like you?"

Louise said while staring hatefully at Jessica's breasts. ''The stupid dog looked at those.
The stupid dog thrust his hand there!''

"Perfect timing. There's a tip race next week."

"Tip race?"

"That's right. It's a competition where the store's girls compete to see how many tips they can get. There's also a prize prepared for the winner."

"Doesn't that sound interesting?"

"Try your best. If you beat me in the tip race, I won't ever call you a brat again."

==== Chapter 3 ====

"Faeries! Finally, the awaited week has come!"

"Yes, Mi Mademoiselle!"

"Let's start the tip race with enthusiasm!"

Applause and cheering resounded through the store.

"Now then, as everyone knows... The establishment of this 'Charming Faeries' Inn dates back four-hundred years, during the reign of His Majesty, Henry III, also called Tristain Attraction King. His Majesty Henry III, known to be a peerlessly handsome man, was said to be the reincarnation of a fairy."

Scarron began to speak in an absorbed manner.

"One day, that king visited the city in secret. And then, amazingly, he set his foot in this unopened bar. At that time, the store's name was 'Eel's Bed' Inn, which didn't have a bit of appeal or anything at all. There, the king, how about it! Fell in love with a waitress girl he met there!"

Then Scarron shook his head sadly.

"But... a king should not fall in love with a girl from a bar... In the end, the king gave up on this love. Then... the king prepared a bustier and sent it to the girl as a memento of their love. My ancestors were greatly impressed by that love and changed the store's name, basing it on the bustier. What a beautiful story..."

"What a beautiful story! Mi mademoiselle!"

"That is this 'Charming Faeries' Bustier'!"

Emphatically, Scarron stripped off his outer garments and trousers. This time, Saito, who had been watching distantly, went "Ouue" and vomited. That was because Scarron was wearing a short and sexy, black bustier that fit his body perfectly.

"This 'Charming Faeries' Bustier' that the king sent to the girl he loved four-hundred years ago is my family's heirloom! This bustier has a magic that allows it to change its size depending on its wearer's constitution as well as the magic "Attraction" cast on it."

"It's wonderful! Mi mademoiselle!"

"Nnnn~! Très bien!"

Scarron posed with an ecstatic voice.

At that time... Surprisingly, the feeling "It's not too bad" rose up inside Saito. Good will towards Scarron... that type of feeling. Even though his appearance was that disgusting, wasn't it okay in its own way? Saito started feeling.

Saito then realized it. This was the identity of the "Attraction" magic! But Scarron's appearance in it was so much of a minus, the effect could only get to "It fits so-so".

''I see. Because the wearer is Scarron, I only thought to that level. If a normal girl wore it... I might see her as a peerless beauty. Magic really is scary,'' Saito nodded.

Still posing, Scarron continued his speech.

"The fairy that wins the tip race that starts this week will be given the rights to
wear this 'Charming Faeries' Bustier' for a da-y! Geez! I wonder how much tips one would get on the day she wears it! I get excited just thinking about it! And that's why everyone should try her best!"

"Yes! Mi mademoiselle!"

"Very good! Well then, everyone! Hold your glass!"

The girls held up their glasses all at once.

"To the tip race's success and business, prosperity and..."

There, Scarron cut off his words and stood up straight with a serious look after clearing his throat. And then, not in his usual feminine language, but in a proper middle-aged man's voice, he said, "a prayer to Her Majesty the Queen's health. Cheers."

And raised his wine cup.

Now then, the tip race started like this, but...

Because she thought that at this rate, she wouldn't get any tips, Louise decided to stop talking. Louise realized that she would anger the customer whenever she opened her mouth. That's why she decided to be as silent as she could. Deciding that, she was pouring wine for a certain customer when he talked to her. Success. It's a chance to get a tip.

"Hey, you, just for a bit. Show me your hand."

Louise put out her hand.

"I practice divination, so I'll divine for you."

The customer looked at Louise's palm and said this

"According to my divination, you... were born as a flour grinder. Am I right?"

''How dare you compare the likes of a flour grinder to a noble like me? What a thing.''

The man divined further.

"Oh! You're like that right? Got a guy you like?"

She thought of her familiar's face. She couldn't forgive herself for thinking that. ''I don't have one.'' Louise shook her head.

"No? You do, don't you?! Then I'll divine your compatibility with him... Wah! I'm surprised!"

The man tragically shook his head.

"Worst."

''I know that even if you don't tell me. I know it too well. Besides, I don't like him in the first place.''

Offended, Louise gave her thanks for the divination with her foot. To Louise, the person closest to her of the opposite sex was Saito. Her habit of treating Saito accidentally came out. Habits are scary.

"Wh-what's with you?! You brat!"

I'm not a brat. I'm sixteen. She wanted to respond, but firmly stayed quiet. ''I decided to stay quiet just a moment again, didn't I?''

"Say something! You pipsqueak!"

''I'm just slow to grow. What a mean thing to say.''

Thinking to properly tell the customer her age, Louise kicked the customer's face up sixteen times. The guest was flattened.

Well, it was this way the whole time, so Louise didn't get any tips that day.

Louise shuddered that as a result of trying to remain silent, the number of times the sole of her foot would fly increased in place of her abusive language. It seemed the feelings she could not express out loud were said by her foot's sole instead.

On the next morning, Louise consulted with Saito on what to do. Saito proposed that to prevent her foot's sole from flying, Louise should take off her panties and do work, and was hit.

The second day.

Louise was careful to not let her foot fly.

To keep herself smiling no matter what someone said, she placed wire in her mouth and fixated her face into a smile. The fully prepared waitress Louise never stopped smiling. But... She didn't receive any tips. She held back and kept the bottom of her feet from flying, and she fixated her smile. But even then.

Wow, the problem came from her hand.

A customer took interest in the waitering Louise. It seems he liked her face.

"Oh, you're... a bit cute, aren't ya? Pour for me."

The man was satisfied with Louise's face, but soon realized a certain fault. Her chest. What's this. Completely flat. Unintentionally, teasing words came spilling out.

"What's with you? Don't tell me you're a boy? Well, your face is so-so though... Listen, let me teach you a trick. At least round up some cloths and stuff it in there. If you do that, you'll become number one here! Gahaha! Now pour some for me."
By that man's words, her face's muscles started twitching, but her smile was safely fixated by the wire. At this rate, it was supposed to go well thanks to the wire.

But it wasn't so.

Louise had poured the wine onto the man's head.

"What are you doin'?!"

The man stood up. Louise, sensing danger to her body, slammed the wine bottle into his head.

The man crumbled to the floor so she did not have to pour for him anymore, but she didn't get any tips.

Like this, Louise was shocked that every time someone made fun of her breasts' size, her hand would move on its own and have the customer's head drink the wine.

On the next morning, Louise consulted with Saito. Saito proposed that to keep herself from letting the customers' head drink the wine, she should place the wine bottle in-between her breasts and pour.

The wine bottle will not physically reach the customer's head if her hands are positioned at her breasts. Plus, the pose is very enjoyable to the customer.

But Louise, thinking that he was saying something bad about her breasts' size, hit Saito.

The third day.

Louise was careful to keep her hands from moving. After she placed the wine on top of the table, she grouped her hands together behind her and smiled brightly. Even if she was told to pour something, all she did was smile.

"Pour me some."

She smiled brightly.

"I said pour me some."

She smiled brightly.

"I'm telling you to pour me some!"

She smiled brightly.

"What is up with you?!"

There was no way she would get a tip. When she consulted with Saito, he told her to hold it in her mouth while she poured it. Louise's mouth was small. A wine bottle couldn't fit in there. Looking carefully, Saito looked like he was sleepy. Just because you're sleepy doesn't mean you should say random things. And Louise hit Saito.

The fourth day.

The competition was half-way done. The number of tips so far was zero. As expected, Louise had gotten desperate. Louise waitered while taking caution of the sole of her foot, the position that she poured wine in, and her words.

"You seem unskilled, but your manners are oddly refined. You can have this."

Possibly because of her efforts, Louise got a gold coin for a tip from what seemed to be the first noble customer she had served.

"Re-really? Can I have this?"

"Aah. Take it."

"Waai!"

Jumping up from happiness, she turned over a plate and spilt the food onto the customer's shirt.

"I-I'm sorry..."

Louise apologized, but the noble customer did not forgive her.

"You... This shirt was a gem made from silk that your wages could never pay for. What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm really sorry... Auu..."

"Well then, just what will you do about this?"

"I-I'll pay for it..."

"Hmph, then let's do this. I'll have you compensate for this with something you can do."

"What should I do?"

"Not much, just come to my room in the middle of the night."

"And then?"

"You understand what happens after that, right? You're not a child, right? A child."

"Wh-what does that mean?"

"I mean that you'll compensate quite a lot with your body. That's what I mean. Muhoho!"

Blood flew to Louise's head.

''E, e-e, even though you're a noble, what a thing to do!'' The third daughter of a duke family became enraged. ''Don't even place the nobles near that lewdness. As Her Majesty's representative, I have to conclude and punish this disgrace of a noble.''

"You disgrace! It's because people like you exist! The kingdom's authority! Authority! And my authority as well!"

"Wh-what are you doing? Uwah! Stop! Stop, I say!"

Her foot, words, and the wine flew out all at once.

"I'm returning this to you!"

She slapped the tip she finally got on his face.

Louise was called out by Scarron and was told to wash dishes all day tomorrow as punishment. Louise was very irritated and decided to hit Saito.

The fifth day... While Louise was washing dishes with Saito, Jessica came up to them.

"How are you doing? Ojou-sama, I've collected one-hundred and twenty écus so far."

"Isn't that amazing?"

Louise replied sullenly.

"You won't get any tips while washing dishes."

"I know that."

Louise said while washing the dishes amateurishly.

"Sheesh. You can't even wash a dish properly?"

Jessica complained while looking at the dish Louise had washed.

"...I am properly washing the dishes, you know."

"See, there is still oil remaining. You don't call this washed."

Jessica took the plate from Louise and cleaned it up with quick hand movements.
Louise watched her in an offended way.

"Hey."

Jessica glared at Louise.

"What?"

"Someone's teaching you. What's with that attitude?"

"......Uu..."

Saito watched over the two's exchange with a surprised look.

"When someone's teaching you something, it's 'thank you' right? It's the basics, the basics."

"...Th-thank you."

"Geez, it's because you make that face that you don't get any tips. Tomorrow's the last day, got it? Get it together, Ojou-sama."

Leaving that said, Jessica disappeared back to the bar. Louise hung her head dejectedly.

As the day headed toward morning...

Louise, after washing dishes through the night, looked at her own hands and sighed. Louise's fingers that had never washed anything before had become bright red due to unaccustomed kitchen work and were hurting thanks to the cold water and soap.

''Why do I have to do something like this?'' She thought. Even though she herself was a noble, she had to wash dishes... Having to serve all of those commoners...

Plus, a bar girl talked so impertinently to me......

"No more." Louise muttered. ''Whether it's information gathering or whatever, this isn't my job. I'm a legend. I'm the user of Void, you know. Yet why do I have to be a waitress at a bar? Shouldn't, like, a more showy mission be waiting for me?''

Thinking like that, tears felt like pouring out from the sadness. Opening a board of the floor, Saito poked his head out from downstairs so Louise crawled into the bed. She didn't want him to see her crying.

"Here, some food."

Saito called out to Louise, placing a plate filled with stew on the table. But Louise just answered tiredly from inside the bed.

"I don't need it."

"There's no way you don't need it. You won't hold up if you don't eat."

"It's not tasty."

"Even if you say it's not tasty, there is nothing else to eat so there's no helping it."

Even then, Louise wrapped herself in the blanket and didn't come out of the bed.
Saito approached the bed and pulled off the blanket. Louise was crouching inside the futon in her pajamas.

"Eat. Your body will break down."

"My hands hurt. I can't hold up a spoon."

Louise whined like a child. Seeing that it was no use, Saito scooped up the stew with the spoon and carried it to Louise's mouth.

"Then, here, I'll feed you. Eat. Okay?"

Louise finally took a sip. Tears poured out from her eyes.

"I don't want this anymore. I'm going back to the academy."

"What about the mission?"

"Don't care. This isn't my mission."

Saito withdrew the spoon and looked at Louise.

"You know."

"What."

"Do you have any motivation at all?"

"I do."

"Princess-sama entrusted you with this job because she trusted you, right? Blend in with commoners and gather information. Because if she used someone from the royal court, she'd be denied... She couldn't depend on anyone so she depended on you, right?"

"That's right."

"Yet what's with you. You lost all of our money in the gambling area because you got pissed off, and you drag along your noble's pride here and can't get a single tip. You also anger the customers. Not even close to information gathering."

"Just shut up. But what does that mission have to do with stupid dish washing and serving? I want to do bigger jobs. No more of this. Why does a noble like me..."

Saito grabbed Louise's shoulders and turned her to face him.

"What?!"

"Guess what, Ojou-sama? Everyone's working. They're trying their best at this job you call stupid and eating this meal. Only you nobles play around and have people feed you."

Saito said in a serious voice. Louise, fearing the cold anger in his eyes, looked downwards without thinking.
[[Image:ZnT05-073.jpg|thumb]]

"I can't say too many cocky things because I was raised similar to you, but after coming here, I've suffered in many ways and understand. That it is pretty troublesome just to live."

Somehow not being able to say anything back, Louise remained silent. Saito continued his words.

"I don't understand too well, but perhaps people that concern themselves about their stupid pride so much can't do big jobs? I think so anyways. Well, if you tell me to quit, I'll quit. I don't really care either way. Because it's not my job after all."
Louise closed her mouth quietly.

"You don't want it anymore?"

Saito asked, sticking out the spoon. Louise jumped out of bed, took the spoon from Saito, and started devouring the stew.

Saito spread out his hands, turned his head, and took out something. It was a small ceramics case.

"....What is that?"

"Cream that works on water-chapped skin. Jessica gave it to me."

Then Saito told Louise to extend her hand. Louise did so obediently.

Louise looked guiltily at Saito's face while he smeared the cream, but... soon muttered in a small voice.

"Hey..."

"What?"

"I'll serve. I'll wash the dishes. Is this fine?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Saito said in a relieved voice.

"But, are you okay?"

"What is?"

"Is this okay?"

Louise blushed and said in a displeased voice.

"Serving is fine. I'll even say a word of courtesy. But..."

"But what?"

"I-is it fine if customers touch your master all over?"

Saito firmly fell silent.

"Hey. What about it? Don't say such selfish things and properly answer if it is okay or bad."

Saito began to eat the stew quietly.

"I said hey. Which one is it? Say it."

Louise asked while pulling on Saito's ear. Looking heavily at the stew, Saito murmured

"...I-if you allowed that kind of touching, I'd slap 'em."

"Who would you slap?"

"...You."

Louise looked sharply into Saito's eyes.

"Why? The master is going to be slapped by the familiar, so explain the reason."

Silence fell.

Looking to the side, Saito said dully

"I-I'll forgive holding hands though."

"What's with that?"

Louise sent Saito flying.

"What's with 'I'll forgive hands'?! I'm asking you for the reason for slapping me! Idiot!"

"Be-because......"

"Besides, what do you mean by 'forgive'? Acting so proudly. Whether I hold hands or do whatever isn't decided by you. It's me, me! Hmph!"

Louise combed up her pink-blond hair and put on a composed expression. She grouped her arms together.

"Fine. Was it that 'Charming Faeries' Bustier'? I'll wear that and charm all of the customers. Yeah, for the sake of tips. I'll forgive. Not just my hand..."

Saito jumped up and shouted at Louise.

"Don't joke around!"

Louise turned her head around and crawled back into the bed. Right then, Saito managed to get himself back under control and shook his head.

"Well, the 'Charming Faeries' Bustier' is impossible. It's the victory prize. Right now, you're probably the last place on tips."

Louise did not reply.

Becoming worried, Saito asked.

"...Would you really forgive them? Putting the tip race victory aside, are you that determined? Isn't that a bit extreme? Come on."

Louise did not answer back.

"Hey, are you really going to?"

In an almost crying voice, Saito persistently asked Louise. But, "Shut up! I'm going to sleep!" Louise shouted... and Saito down-heartedly crawled into bed.

==== Chapter 4 ====

The final day of the tip race had come. On the evening of that day, Scarron announced the progress so far.

"Now I will now announce the current top three! First is third place! Marlene-chan! Eighty-four écus, fifty-two sous, and six deniers!"

Applause resounded. The blond girl called Marlene gave an elegant bow.

"Second place! Jeanne-chan! Ninety-eight écus, sixty-five sous, and three deniers!"

Applause once again. The chestnut-haired girl called Jeanne smiled and nodded.

"And then... First place!"

Scarron slowly scanned over the girls and nodded repeatedly.

"Without match, my daughter! Jessica! One-hundred-sixty écus, seventy sous, and eight deniers!"

"Wahhhhhh!" As cheers of joy rang out. Jessica, wearing a suggestive dress with a profound slit that was prepared for this day, bowed.

"Now! Whether you cry or laugh, today is the last day! But today is the day of daeg in the week of teuz! Because it is the end of the month, lots of customers will come! If you try hard, you might get lots of tips. The top places are still in range!"

"Yes! Mi mademoiselleー"

Saito poked the serious-looking Louise. Louise had the type of face that said she had resolved to something.

"How much do you have?"

Without answering, Louise opened her tightly gripped fist. What was there... were several glittering copper coins.

Saito stroked his chest down. With that, victory was impossible even if Louise tried her very best.

Louise's words "If I obtain the Charming Faeries' Bustier, I'd charm the customers and forgive everything" were still bothering him even now.

''What is "forgive everything"?! What do you mean?! Even though, I... I haven't even done anything! Though it's not like I have the right to do so. Not at all though.''

''After all, I'm just a familiar......''

'I want her to try her best, but not to that level' was the type of convenient emotion that ran through Saito.

Scarron shouted in a loud voice.

"Then let's do this with enthusiasm!"

Cheering filled with all kinds of feelings resounded through the store.

Now then... Louise was a bit different this day. She took out the wire that fixed her smile and revealed a natural smile.

She would smile brightly and then fidget embarrassedly. Doing so, the customer would ask.

"Is there something wrong?"

Louise would nibble her thumb and continue fidgeting. And then as if saying something really difficult to say,

"Well, Mr. customer, because you're so wonderful..." She would try hard and mutter.

But the customer himself seemed to be used to that level of flattery. Without moving, he held out his wine cup. Here, Louise would unleash her finishing move.

Pinching the hem of her camisole, she bowed gracefully. As expected of a duke family, she did it perfectly. The bow, which was done as if in front of a king, was filled with the spirit of a noble. None of the girls there could imitate such a manner.

Doing so, the customer would become interested in Louise's background. I see. When I get a better look, her features are quite similar to a noble's.

"You were born in the upper class, right?"

Even then, Louise would not cease showing embarrassment. Then sorrowfully and with melancholy, she looked outside. The man became more and more enchanted at Louise's refined behavior. Bending himself forward, he spoke his expectations.

"Did you serve at some noble's house? They taught you good etiquette there, right?" Louise continued to smile brightly. The delusions inside the customer started to become as overexaggerated as he pleased.

"If a cute and quiet girl like you served them, it probably didn't end there. Not just etiquette, but those type of things and these type of things... were forcibly trained into you, perhaps?"

Louise gave a graceful bow. Louise's only weapons were that smile and the bow.

"Kuh! What a cruel story! A cute girl like you... But how did a servant like you come to work at this store... I see! I got it! You got tired of that forcible master who was trying to get you to do those type of things and these type of things and ran out of the mansion, right? But the debt left behind by your parents still remains. To return the money, you're desperately working. Something like that, right?!"

Louise smiled while looking at the customer. Being gazed at like that by Louise's jewel-like reddish-brown eyes, the customer, as if enchanted by some spell, wanted to loosen the string on his wallet.

"What a poor child. Hmm, then use this to help repay your debt. By the way, well, those type of things and these type of things... are what kind of things? Please tell me. Okay?"

The customer, who believed in his own delusions because of Louise's demeanor, would give Louise silver and gold coins. The moment she got it, she ran at full speed back into the kitchen, squatted, and let out a rough breath. Her forcing herself to be courteous and her act that caught people's sympathy felt like leprosy, so Louise decided to hit Saito, who was washing dishes, for now. Doing so, she felt a bit refreshed. Then she rushed back to the table.

Afterwards, it was time for her "job". It was the information gathering entrusted to her by Princess-sama. She didn't want to lose at the tip race, but this job was more important.

Sitting beside the customer, she asked

"Geez, they say it's a war. You'd get tired of this..."

"Pretty much so. They behold her as a "holy woman", but how about the government!"

"What does that mean?"

"I'm saying that that ignorant princess can't govern this country!"

He was insulting Henrietta, but she firmly endured it. She had to hear all kinds of stories from him.

"Like that battle in Tarbes... it was like we won by chance! I'm not so sure about next time!"

"Is that so..."

Just like that, Louise slowly collected the rumors in the town. The drunkards liked to discuss about the situations in the world. When Louise brought up the subject to interest them, they would start criticizing the government as if they were waiting for her to ask. The drunkards would talk about the government as if they had become a cabinet minister.

"Besides, it’d be better for the country if Albion governed us, right?"

If such an outrageous opinion was said,

"I'm saying we should hurry up and attack Albion!" such a brave opinion would jump out.

Someone,

"There's a rumor that the army will be strengthened! The taxes will increase again! They've got to be kidding us!"

said this and,

"Can the current armaments protect the country? I wish they'd hurry and organize the armada!" a completely opposite opinion comes up.

Anyways... putting it together, the popularity Henrietta received for defeating Albion at the battle of Terbes seemed to have started to darken.

'The war remains unfinished... Looks like the depression will continue. Henrietta is young. Can she guide this country well from now on?' Was the anxiety everyone was feeling.

''It's probably a painful story to Henrietta, but I have to properly report to her...'' Louise thought.

Like that, Louise started collecting tips and information but...

Jessica's tip collecting was simply unmatchable.

Anyway, Jessica was good at making customers think "She has fallen for me."

Louise started to observe how Jessica did things. If you do not know the enemy, you cannot win the fight.

Jessica would first act cold to the customer she chose.

She placed the food in front of the customer while looking angry. The customer was surprised at that attitude.

"Hey, what's this, Jessica? Aren't you in a bad mood?"

Jessica glared at the customer with cold eyes.

"Who were you talking to earlier?"

Whether you call it a skill or otherwise, that jealousy was godly. After all, it really looked like she was jealous. At that moment, the customer misunderstood and thought that she was in love with him and currently very jealous.

"Wh-what... Cheer up."

"It's nothing... You like that girl, right?"

"Stupid! The one I love the most is you! Come on..."

He said and tried to hand over a tip. But Jessica brushed away that money.

"It's not money! What I want are kind words! What you said before... was that a lie? I was really serious! What?! I don't care anymore!"

"There's no way that was a lie."

The man became desperate and tried to soothe Jessica.

"Please cheer up... You're the only one for me. Okay?"

"You say that to everyone. Just because you're a bit popular with girls..."

No matter how you looked, the man did not have a popular face. Usually, he would not believe such flattery. But condemning words were coming out of Jessica's mouth. In a way that seemed as if she did so unintentionally. The man was completely tricked.

"I'm not popular! Really!"

"You're right. The only one who would think to kiss your lips is me."

"That's right. Very much so!"

"Hau... But I'm tired."

"What's wrong?"

"You know, right now, we're doing this stupid race called a tip race. I don't really care about tips but... I'd get scolded if I only get a small amount."

"If it's tips, I'll give you some."

"It's okay! You give me kind words, so it's okay! In exchange, I'll get mad at you if you say the same thing to other girls, got it?"

Then she looked upwards at him. With this, the man was completely defeated.

"Hah... But it is really tiring to give flattery for the sake of tips... Because honestly revealing your feelings to the person you love and flattery are different..."

"I understand. I'll give you this, so don't go sucking up to other people. Okay?"

"I said it's fine! I don't need it!"

"It's my feelings. My feelings."

The man made the refusing Jessica take the tip. "Thank you" Jessica whispered embarrassedly and grasped the man's hand. The man then tried to get that Jessica into going on a date with him.

"Then, today, when the store's closed..."

"Ah! This isn't good! The food will burn!"

After she got what she wanted, there was no need for him anymore. Jessica stood up.

"Ah, hey..."

"Let's talk again later sometime! Don't look at other girls amorously!"

Turning her back on the man, Jessica stuck out her tongue. Everything was just acting.

After Jessica left, the customer turned to his friends and went, "Iyah, getting jealous like that..."

Louise was completely impressed. The truly fearsome techniques of a town girl that made Kirche look like a child.

Her coaxing ability, that would make people wonder how many ways she had for showing jealousy, allowed her to collect tips as if she swept them up with a broom.

Jessica wasn't really outstandingly beautiful. But... she was at the border of the line that made men think "At this level, maybe even I can do something." These type of girls tend to be more popular in the world compared to the people that were peerlessly beautiful.

Louise, who had been observing, met eyes with Jessica. Jessica grinned and showed Louise her placing the tip in between her cleavage.

Probably, even if she didn't gamble, Saito would have become penniless, Louise thought. If that town girl knew he had money, no one would know just what she would do. And that stupid familiar... would be rolled up and sun-dried in no time.

She thought of Siesta's face.

She thought of Jessica's face.

She thought of Saito's face as he looked at the two's cleavages.

''Like I'll lose''. Louise firmly squeezed her fist... puffed up her flat chest, and triumphantly rose up on her feet.

While the girls were competing for the number of tips like that...

The feather door opened, and a new group of customers appeared. At the head was a middle-aged man who was wearing a mantle that meant he was a noble. He seemed to be growing fat, and thinning hair was stuck on his smooth forehead. The ones with him seemed to be lower class nobles. They had rapier-like wands hung on their hips, and there were some nobles wearing military uniforms mixed in.

When the noble entered, everything in the store fell silent. Scarron quickly rushed over to the new guest while rubbing his hands together.

"If it isn't Turenne-sama. Welcome to the 'Charming Faeries' Inn."

The noble called Turenne twisted his catfish-like mustache and bent it backwards.

"Hmm. Cough. The store seems to be flourishing, huh, shop manager?"

"No, no. Not at all. It's just a coincidence today. Usually, the only thing that happens is the cuckoo sounding. I was soon going to consult with my daughter about visiting the temple tomorrow to get permission to save my neck. Yes."

"What, it isn't a job today. You don't have to make such excuses."

Sorrily, Scarron continued his words.

"It's just my words, Turenne-sama, but as you can see, the store is fully occupied today..."

"I do not see such a thing though?"

When Turenne exaggerated like that, the nobles that followed him pulled out their wands. The customers, afraid of the nobles' shining wands, woke from their drunkenness, stood up, and disappeared out of the entrance at full speed. The store became empty at once.

"It seems that speaking of a cuckoo was true after all."

His belly quivering, Turenne's party reached the seat in the middle.

When Saito realized it, Jessica was beside him, looking frustratingly at Turenne.

"Who is that guy?"

When Saito asked that, Jessica explained angrily.

"Turenne, the tax collector around here. Just like that, he comes to the stores under his jurisdiction and swarms around us. A horrible person! He won't even pay a single copper coin."

"Is that how it is..."

"Swaggering like that just because he's a noble. If you displease him, he'll place an outrageous tax on you and bankrupt your store, so everyone is listening to what he says."

It seemed that in any world, there are people who abuse their power and extort off the common people. No one came to serve him, so Turenne became irritated. In time, he started complaining.

"Oh! This store seems to be making quite the profit! Isn't this wine a well-aged burgundy? And those clothes that girl is wearing are clearly Gallian in style! It looks as if I'll have to reassess this year's tax rates!"

The surrounding nobles went "That's right!" or nodded in agreement to Turenne.

"Is there not a girl who will pour alcohol for Her Majesty the Queen's tax collector?! This store at least sells that, right?!"

Turenne shouted. But, none of the store's girls approached him.

"Who would pour for you, when you won't hand over a single tip no matter how much you touch us?"

When Jessica muttered that detestably......

A small shadow wearing a white camisole approached him while carrying a tray with wine placed on it.

It was Louise.

She had many faults... one of them was "not being able to read the mood". Her head was so full of "working hard as a waitress" that she didn't bother to understand the atmosphere around the customers and the store.

"What? Who are you?"

Turenne looked suspiciously at Louise. Smiling, Louise left the wine in front of Turenne.

"Th-that idiot..." Saito murmured in shock while looking at her worriedly

"Mister... you're so dreamy."

Acting as if following a manual, Louise, unable to read the mood, complimented him. But, it seemed Turenne didn't find Louise to his tastes.

"What's this?! The store is using children?!"

Without moving, Louise held her camisole and bowed. That was all she could do.

"Now, go away, go away. I have no need for children. Off with you."

Saito saw Louise's temple twitch. It seemed she was angry. Saito prayed. ''Louise, don't snap! That guy's too dangerous!''

"Oh, looking closer, you're not a kid... just a girl with small breasts."

Louise's face went pale. Her legs started to tremble slowly. Turenne's face twisted with lust.

And then... extended his hands out towards Louise's small breasts.

"Now, how about this Turenne-sama checks and see just how big they are."

At that moment...

The sole of a foot exploded onto Turenne's face.

Toppling the chair, Turenne rolled backwards.

"Wha, why you!"

The surrounding nobles pulled out their wands all at once.

In the front... was the silhouette of a boy who's shoulders were shaking with anger.

"Saito..."

Louise looked at the back of Saito, who had stood up to protect her. While looking at that back.... something hot filled her chest that had been shaking with anger.

As expected, Saito couldn't endure it anymore. ''Louise is trying her best, isn't she? My master doesn't have breasts, but she's cute, right? That Louise tried hard to compliment you, and what do you do? Just complain!''

''Well, complaining is fine. I say some at times too. It's Louise, so there's no helping that.''

''But... But...''

''There is one thing I can't forgive.''

"Hey, old man, cut it out already."

"Da-damn you... To a noble's face, you..."

"Whether they're a noble, a prince, or a god... I definitely won't allow them to do it. It's my own special privilege. Who cares about nobles?! The only one that can touch Louise is me!"

Saito shouted.

Without thinking, Louise blushed. ''Even though you're just a familiar, what kind of conceited things are you saying?! You don't have that right either!'' She tried to say, but... for some reason, those words did not come out. Her brain was growing blank, as if being boiled. Even with the situation around her like it was, Louise ended up spacing out.

"Seize those people! I'll have them hanged!"

Turenne's subordinates surrounded Saito.

Saito slowly looked around him.

"Who's going to catch who? Unfortunately for you, I..."

"Unfortunately, what?"

"Fortunately or unfortunately, I received this thing called a legendary power..."

Muttering that, he turned his hand to his back. And... realized that Derflinger, who was supposed to be there, wasn't there.

"Eh?"

Troubled, Saito scratched his head.

"That's right... I left the legend in the attic... After all, it would be only a bother while washing dishes."

"Seize him and that washboard girl!"

The nobles brandished their wands.

"Ti-time out!"

But there was no time out. The enraged nobles chanted their spells. A small rope appeared like a tornado, and the moment it tried to wrap around Saito...

A pure white light flashed through the store and blew the armed nobles all the way to the entrance.

After the light slowly disappeared... Louise appeared, having raised herself to full height on top of a table. The attack was Louise's "Void" spell, 'Explosion'.

Her whole body shaking with anger, her favorite, inherited wand was glittering in her hand. Louise had tied it to her thigh and hidden it, just in case something happened.

Confused, the nobles fell into panic.

Louise muttered in a small voice.

"...Washboard wasn't necessary, was it?"

Her rarely attained happy mood was blown away with that single statement. She recalled a lot of her dark past with that single word "washboard". She thought of Jessica's and Siesta's cleavages in her mind.

''It's too much. For you to say something like that when someone finally goes to serve you.''

"Hii! Hiiiiiiii!"

The intensity of the legend... "Void's" intensity frightened the nobles.

"Why do you have to go so far and say those things? Isn't it too much for you to call me a washboard when I came to pour you some alcohol? You better prepare yourself!"

The nobles scrambled to escape.

Without moving, Louise waved her wand.

The ground in front of the entrance was annihilated, creating a large hole. The nobles all dropped into it nicely.

Those nobles piled onto each other and looked up. Louise slowly appeared, and the nobles started trembling even more.

"Wh-what are you? Who are you? From which renowned mage?!"

Turenne, while trembling, asked Louise. He had never seen or heard of that light that blew people away.

Without answering, Louise took out the permit she got from Henrietta and thrust it in Turenne's face.

"...H-H-Her Majesty's permit?"

"I am Her Majesty the Queen's court lady, and the third daughter of an esteemed family lineage that boasts of a righteous history. I have no name to tell some petty official like you."

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

Turenne bent his fattened body and forcibly bowed in the hole. The nobles that got pushed by him let out moans.

Louise stood up.

"Spare me! At least my life!"

Saying that, Turenne rummaged through his body and threw his entire wallet to Louise. He urged the nobles around him, and had them do the same and present their wallets to Louise.

"With these! Ignore what has happened! I beg of you!"

Without even looking at the wallets, Louise declared.

"Forget everything you've seen and heard today. Otherwise, no matter how many lives you have, it won't be enough."

"Yes! I swear! I swear to Her Majesty and the Founder that I will not reveal what has happened today to anyone!"

While yelling that, he got out of the hole in a tumbling manner, and Turenne and his men disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Louise gallantly returned back inside the store. Earsplitting applause assaulted Louise.

"That was amazing! Louise-chan!"

"Couldn't get enough of that look on Turenne's face!"

"I feel refreshed! That was great!"

Scarron, Jessica, and the store's girls surrounded Louise all at once.

There, Louise returned to her senses, though "Now I've done it...", and hung her head in shame. She had lost it when she was called a washboard. Saito was about to get caught, so she chanted the spell without thinking.

Saito approached her and whispered to her

"...Idiot! You shouldn't use magic, right?!"

"Uu... But..."

"Sheesh... Hah, good grief...... Now we have to start back from zero..."

Scarron patted Louise's and Saito's shoulders.

"It's fine."

"Heh?"

"I knew Louise-chan was a noble beforehand."

Saito glared at Jessica. Panicking, Jessica waved her hands in front of her face to tell him "I didn't say anything."

"Ho-how?"

Louise asked while dumbfounded.

"Because, well, that is..."

The store's girls took over for Scarron.

"It was completely obvious from your attitude and behavior!"

''Uu, so that's it...'' Louise thought, feeling disheartened.

"Just how many years do you think we've been running this bar? My eye for discerning people is top class. But you have circumstances right? Relax. There isn't a girl here that would expose a co-worker's past's secrets."

The girls all nodded at once.

''I see.'' Saito thought. ''Jessica wasn't the only sharp one here.''

"The girls here all are pretty accepting. That's why you can relax... Continue earning tips from now on, okay?"

Louise nodded. Saito felt relieved.

Clapping his hands together, Scarron said in a cheerful voice

"Now! All of the customers have gone home now, so I will announce the results of the tip race."

Cheering voices erupted.

"Well, there is no need to count, right?"

Scarron said after looking at the wallets Turenne and his men left on the ground.

Looking at the wallets, Louise realized what he meant. Inside... a large amount of money was stuffed there.

"Eh? This is..."

"Tip, right?"

Scarron said and winked an eye. Then he seized her hand and raised it up.

"Winner! Louise-chan!"

Applause resounded through the store.

The evening of the next day... Louise did not come out of her bed.

"Hey, let's go to work."

"I'm resting today."

"Heh?"

Saito looked blankly at her. Then he rethought. ''Well, it's been a while since she used magic, so she's probably tired. I guess it's fine if she rests today.''

"Got it. Tell me when you are feeling bad."

The winning prize, "Charming Faeries' Bustier", was hung on the wall. Even though it was a prize... she could only wear it today. Well, it was an heirloom after all.

Descending the stairs, Scarron came up to him.

"Oh? What happened to Louise-chan?"

"It seems she plans to rest for the day."

"My... No way, what a waste..."

"Why is that?"

"Because, she can only wear the 'Charming Faeries' Bustier' today. I'm going to have her return it tomorrow."

"Guess that's true."

"If you wear that, you can get as many tips as you want... What a waste, what a waste."

Murmuring that, Scarron disappeared into the store, which was starting to get tumultuous.

Saito went to his dish-washing, unable to make sense of what was going on.

After working hard and finishing his job, Saito returned to the attic. Looking up from the corridor... light was leaking through the room's floorboards. It seemed that Louise was still awake.

''What's with her... Even though she said she was tired and was going to rest, she isn't sleeping at all. She should have just wore the bustier and earned some money in this case.''

Pushing the attic's floorboard up, Saito poked his head up. Instantly, astonishment.

The room had been swept clean, and it seemed a dust cloth had been used since not a bit of dust fluttered about. The piled up junk had been placed in one spot, and the room had been adjusted so it actually looked like someone could possibly live there.

“What… happened?”

“I did it. It’s disgusting to live in a dirty place all of the time.”

Facing her voice, Saito became even more astonished.
[[Image:ZnT05-101.jpg|thumb]]

Food and wine had been lined up on top of the table... and a candle was illuminating it.

And that light... was also shining on Saito's beautifully dressed master.

Saito swallowed his saliva. The fatigue from the day's manual labor started to fly away.

Louise was sitting on a chair beside the table. Crossing her legs, her hair had been done with a barrette just like some time before. And... Her divine appearance also included the "Charming Faeries' Bustier". The black bustier made Louise's beauty even more prominent.

Gaping, Saito just stared at her.

"How long do you intend to put on that stupid expression? Come on, let us eat." Louise said in an awkward tone. A feast had been lined up on the table.

"What is this?!"

"I made those."

Saito stared at Louise, who seemed to be embarrassed.

"Seriously?"

"I had Jessica teach me."

Looking at Louise, who blushed and said that, Saito's heart throbbing intensified. The line of the center of her upper body became a mesh, allowing her white skin to peak through.  The black bustier fitted her perfectly, making her body's lines more pronounced. The considerably short-lengthed pannier was overturned around her waist at an apologetic level. It looked more erotic than her naked.

Saito unintentionally averted his eyes. He felt like he'd go crazy if he stared at her. Whether he felt he'd go crazy because he had already been in love with her, or if it was because of the "Attraction" magic that was cast on the bustier, Saito did not know, but... there was one certain thing.

It was charming.

But without being able to say that, Saito spoke in an angry voice.

"...Weren't you going to wear that and service the customers to your heart's content?"

"If I let them touch, you would slap me, right?"

Louise replied in a pouting manner.

"Well, let's eat."

Saito nodded, and began to eat the food Louise made. But... blood had rushed to his head and prevented him from figuring out the taste. This was probably bad. But, either way was fine. Louise made it. That was progress.

"How is the taste?"

Louise asked.

"I-isn't it delicious?"

Saito answered in a manner to avoid the main point.

"I cleaned up the room. How is it?"

"Whew, it's quite something."

"But, how about, me?"

Leaning on her elbow, Louise leaned and peered at Saito.

The light of morning plunged in through the skylight. The morning light covered the attic, invigorating it. He had firmly shut his mouth up until now, but Saito finally thought up some words.

"Très bien."

"...At least compliment me with a different word."

Louise sighed. ''Is an attraction magic really cast on this? What? Even though I was thinking of having him treat me kindly. His attitude is the same as ever. As if he is mad, as if he is troubled, that kind of attitude.''

''Boring. I thought he would court me like an idiot if I wore this. Then I would treat him as coldly as possible. It's too late to realize how charming your master is! What, you idiot? Don't touch me. But, yeah, when you said "The only one that can touch Louise is me!", I was a bit happy for some reason, so I'll allow a little bit. But, a little. Only a little, got it?''

Even though she imagined that, despite her spending the whole day to prepare, Saito only looked elsewhere.

''How boring'' Louise thought sourly.

In the end, Louise never realized it.

Saito had been madly in love with her since a long time ago... so, that "Attraction" magic was already meaningless.

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| [[Zero no Tsukaima:Volume5 Story2|Forward to Story 2]]
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</noinclude>

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story2 Chapter5

2026-06-07T00:07:34Z

KaiserVonMegalo: the kana here is ギトー, not ギムリ. Gimli is a student at the academy, so I can see how this got mixed up

===Chapter Five: The Staff of Destruction===

The next morning…

At the Tristain Academy of Magic, there was much commotion from the last night's events, just as though a wasp's nest had been stirred.

Why? Because the Staff of Destruction had been stolen.

And it was brazenly stolen by using an earth golem to break through the wall of the vault.

The teachers of the Academy of Magic who gathered inside the vault were speechless when they saw the gaping hole in the wall.

The inscription on the wall etched by Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt said it all:

[I have the Staff of Destruction. – Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt.]

At this point in time, all the teachers at the academy could do was gripe and whine.

"It's that thief who had looted the nobles clean, Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt! How daring of him to target the academy!"

"What were the guards doing?"

"Even if the guards are around, they're useless! They're only commoners! Speaking of which, which noble was supposed to be on duty last night?"

Mrs. Chevreuse felt anxious. She was supposed to be on duty last night. "But who would steal from the academy?" she thought while sleeping soundly in her own room instead of being next to the vault door like all nobles on watch duty must do.


One of the teachers immediately pointed out and said, "Mrs. Chevreuse! You were supposed to be on duty last night! Am I right?"

Mrs. Chevreuse broke into tears, "I'm very sorry… Very sorry…"

"Even if you cried your heart out, would it come back? Or are you going to pay for it?"

"But… but I just finished paying for my house." Mrs. Chevreuse knelt down on the floor and wept.

Just then, Old Osman arrived. "Erm… This is not the best time to be hard on the ladies, right?"

The fellow teacher who reprimanded Mrs. Chevreuse retorted, "But Osman, Mrs. Chevreuse failed in her duty! She was sleeping soundly in her bed when she was supposed to be on watch!"

Old Osman gently stroke his long beard while looking at the very shaken and stirred teacher.

"Erm… What's your name again?"

"It's Guiteau! Have you forgotten?"

"Oh, right! Guiteau! Well, Mr. Guiteau, don't get angry. Honestly speaking, how many of you here can say that you're always vigilant throughout your tour of duty?" Old Osman replied.

The teachers looked at each other and hung their heads in shame. There was silence.

"Well, that's the situation that we're in now. Talking about responsibility, I think all of us, including myself, have to be held accountable for this incident. Why did we think that a thief could never infiltrate the academy? Is it because of the number of mages we have in the academy here that gives us the assurance that we won't be attacked? This type of thinking is wrong from the beginning."

Old Osman gazed at the hole in the wall and continued, "It's our complacency that has gave Fouquet the courage to trespass, and steal the Staff of Destruction. We're all at fault."

Mrs. Chevreuse looked upon Old Osman with gratitude and said, "Oh! Osman, Mr. Osman! Thank you for your benevolence. From now on I'll look upon you as though you're my father."

"Well, that… Hehe… Miss…" Old Osman started to stroke Mrs. Chevreuse's bottom.

"If that's okay with you… It's up to the headmaster then."

Old Osman, not wanting to put the blame on anybody, decided that was the best way to loosen the uptight atmosphere. After that he proceeded to clear his throat, with everybody remaining solemn waiting for him to speak.

"Well then, who were the ones who witnessed the theft?" Osman asked.

"It was these three," said Mr. Colbert while pointing to the three people behind him.

It was Louise, Kirche and Tabitha. Saito was also present but due to the fact that he was a familiar, he wasn't counted as a "person".

"Oh… It's you guys…" Osman said as he looked at Saito with great interest.

Saito did not know why he was being stared at, but remained courteous nonetheless.

"Please tell us about the event in depth."

Louise stepped forward and described what she saw. "Mm… A great clay golem appeared and broke the wall. The hooded magician standing on its shoulder went in and took something… I think it most probably was the Staff of Destruction… After that the hooded mage rode on the golem and escaped beyond the school walls… The golem became a big mound of earth in the end."

"After that, what happened?"

"Later, all we saw was a mound of earth, with no sign of the hooded mage."

"So… that is what happened…" Osman said while stroking his beard.

"Even though we wanted to carry on the chase, without any leads we couldn't. So…"

At this point in time Old Osman suddenly remembered a question to ask Mr. Colbert, "Ah, Where is Miss Longueville?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't seen her since morning."

"Where could she have gone to during these trying times?"

"That's right, where could she be?"

In the midst of those mutterings, Miss Longueville finally appeared.

"Miss Longueville! Where have you been? Something terrible has happened!" said Mr. Colbert anxiously.

Miss Longueville spoke to Old Osman in a very cool and calm manner. "I'm extremely sorry to be late! I was doing some investigations. So…"

"Investigations?"

"Yes. When I woke up this morning there was already a lot of commotion happening, so then I went to the vault and saw the inscription on the wall made by Fouquet. I knew that the thief infamous throughout the land had struck again. Therefore, I immediately started investigations."

"You're really very efficient, Miss Longueville." Mr. Colbert then asked again in an urgent manner, "But in the end, did you find out anything?"

"Yes, I have gotten hold of the whereabouts of Fouquet."

"What!?" Mr. Colbert spoke with amazement. "Where did you get this information from Miss Longueville?"

"According to the commoners around the area, they saw what seemed to be like a person wearing a black-hooded cloak entering an abandoned house in the nearby forest. I think that the person is most probably Fouquet and that abandoned house is most probably his hideout."

Louise upon hearing that exclaimed, "A black hooded cloak? Unmistakable, that must be Fouquet!"

Old Osman too got psyched up and asked Miss Longueville, "How far is it from here?"

"By foot it takes half a day, by horse it should only take four hours."

"We must report this to the Imperial Court right away! We must seek reinforcements from the imperial army!" Mr. Colbert shouted yet again.

Old Osman shook his head and stared at Colbert, and with a vigor unfitting for an old man shouted, "You fool! By the time we report this to the imperial court, Fouquet would have gotten away scot-free! Besides, if we can't even handle such a small problem on our own, we're not fit to be called nobles! Since the staff was stolen from the academy, then it's the academy's responsibility to get back the staff ourselves!"

Miss Longueville smiled, as though she was waiting for this answer all along.

Old Osman coughed for a while, and then started recruiting volunteers. "Now, we're going to organize a search team to find Fouquet. Those willing to join, please raise up your wands."

All of the nobles looked at each other awkwardly, not one raising a wand.

"No one? That's peculiar. No one wants to be known as the hero who caught Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt?"

Louise was among those who lowered their heads but she decided to raise her wand.

"Miss Vallière!" Mrs. Chevreuse exclaimed in surprise. "You mustn't do this! You're still a student! Please leave this to the teachers!"

"But none of you are willing to help…" Louise muttered.

Saito looked at Louise with his mouth wide open. The rather serious look on Louise coupled with her gently biting her lips looked so stunning that it had captivated Saito.

Seeing that Louise had raised her wand, Kirche too raised her wand, with a little reluctance though.

Mr. Colbert even more surprised, exclaimed, "Miss Zerbst! Aren't you a student too?"

Kirche replied nonchalantly, "Well, I simply cannot lose to the Vallière family."

Seeing Kirche raising her wand, Tabitha did the same.

"Tabitha! You need not do this! This does not concern you at all!" Kirche said.

Tabitha just answered, "I'm worried."

Feeling touched, Kirche looked at Tabitha with gratitude.

Louise at the same time also muttered, "Thank you… Tabitha."

Seeing the three of them, Old Osman laughed and said, "Well then, it's all up to you three now."

"Sir! Headmaster Osman! I strongly object! We must not put the life of a student in danger!"

"Well, would you then go in their stead, Mrs. Chevreuse?"

"Ah… Erm… Well… I'm not feeling very well recently, so…"

"They have seen Fouquet before plus, even though Miss Tabitha here is very young, I have heard that she has already been conferred the title of chevalier, am I right?"

Tabitha did not answer and just stood quietly.

All the teachers looked at Tabitha in astonishment.

"Is that true, Tabitha?" asked Kirche in similar astonishment.

Even though chevalier is the lowest title that the Imperial family can confer to a person, Kirche was still amazed that Tabitha could attain it at such a young age. If it's a title of "Baron" or even "Marquis", the titles could be obtained by purchasing large amounts of land. However for a person to be called a chevalier, the only way is to render great service for the country. It's a title that can only be conferred by merit.

Once again, there was great commotion inside the vault.

Old Osman went on and looked at Kirche and said, "Miss Zerbst from Germania comes from a family of distinguished war heroes, and she herself has a very strong background in fire magic."

Kirche flicked her hair with confidence.

Louise, thinking that it was time for her to be praised too, cutely stood to attention.

Old Osman was now in a pinch. There was almost nothing to praise about Louise…

"Ahem!" Clearing his throat, Osman veered his sight clear of Louise and said; "That… Miss Vallière comes from the prestigious Vallière Family, a family renowned for their mages. And… She'll be a promising one in the future… and as for her familiar…"

Placing his gaze on Saito, Osman continued saying; "Even though he's a commoner, he has defeated General Gramont's son, Guiche de Gramont in battle." Old Osman thought to himself, ''And if he really is the legendary Gandálfr…'' "Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt should not be a match for him."

Mr. Colbert also enthusiastically added; "Yes! Yes! Because he is the legendary Gand…"

Old Osman hastily covered Mr. Colbert's mouth before he could finish his sentence. "A.. Hahaha… He's talking nonsense! Haha!…"

Then there was silence again.

Then Headmaster Osman in a solemn tone spoke, "If anyone thinks that they're more capable than the mentioned three, please step forward."

No one stepped forward.

Therefore Old Osman turned to the group of four and said, "The academy awaits the capture of Fouquet then!"

Louise, Kirche and Tabitha stood to attention and said, "We swear upon our wands to capture Fouquet!"

After that they pulled the edges of their skirts and made a curtsy. Saito also hastily followed. As he wasn't wearing a skirt, he pulled the end of his jacket.

"Well then, ready the carriage and set off right away. You must conserve your energy before you reach your destination."

"Miss Longueville, could you go with them, too?"

"Yes, Headmaster Old Osman. I had wanted to go with them as well," said Miss Longueville.

<center>* * *</center>

So under the lead of Miss Longueville, the four quickly set off.

Even though it was considered a carriage, in actual fact it was just a cart with wooden planks attached as a seat. The good thing about it though was that if they were attacked, they could easily jump out of the carriage right way.

Miss Longueville was in charge of driving the carriage.

Kirche asked the silent Longueville who was concentrating on the reins, "Miss Longueville, this type of job could be done by a commoner. Why do you have to do it yourself?"

Miss Longueville smiled and answered, "It's all right. I'm not a noble anyway."

Kirche paused for a while, and asked again, "But aren't you Headmaster Osman's secretary?"

"Yes, I am. But Old Osman isn't a person who is concerned by a person's status when looking for help. Whether if he's a noble or commoner."

"If it's possible, tell me in depth how you lost your status, please."

But Miss Longueville just smiled at Kirche. It seemed like she did not want to speak anymore.

"Just tell me please, even if it's just a little," Kirche pestered as she began leaning closer to Miss Longueville. Just then she felt someone grabbing her shoulder. It was Louise. Kirche then turned around and said, "What is it that you want, Vallière?"

"Forget it. Stop raking up someone's past."

"Humph, I'm bored, that's why I needed some one to talk to," Kirche replied while placing her hands behind her head and laying against the side of the carriage.

"I do not know if this applies to your country, but in Tristain, it's a shameful act to force someone to reveal something that he or she does not want to say."

Kirche did not answer her. She got up and sat in a cross legged position and began saying, "It's all because of your impetuousness that I got into this mess. Capturing Fouquet…"

Louise gave an angry stare at Kirche, "What do you mean by that? Didn't you volunteer yourself in?"

"If you had come alone, wouldn't Saito be in danger, too? Am I right, Louise the Zero?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Anyways, if that large golem appears again, you would surely run to the rear and let Saito do all the fighting, right?"

"Why would I run away? I would use my magic, you'll see!"

"You, using magic? What a joke!"

The two started bickering again. Tabitha continued reading her book.

"That's enough! Would you both please stop it?" Saito interrupted.

Kirche did a gesture and said, "Humph, I'll stop. I'm not the one at fault anyway."

Louise bit her lips.

"Well then darling, this is for you." Kirche looked at Saito seductively, and then placed in his arms the sword that she had bought for him.

"Wow! Thanks!" Saito said while taking the sword.

"I won that time round, or do you have something to say, Louise the Zero?"

Louise stared at the both of them, but kept quiet.

Suddenly, it turned dark. The carriage had entered the forest. The darkness and the weird smell present in the forest sent shivers down their spines.

"We'll have to walk from here onward," Miss Longueville said. The group then disembarked from the carriage, and proceeded to the small path into the forest.

"I'm afraid of the dark and don't like the feeling around here…" Kirche said while wrapping her arms around Saito's.

"Could you not keep so close to me?"

"But I'm afraid!" Kirche said with exaggerated reaction. Anyone could tell that she was lying…

Saito, worried about Louise, glanced at her.

Louise turned her head away. "Humph."

The group reached a clearing in the forest. It was roughly the size of the Vestri Court and in the middle was an abandoned house. The house was built from wood with a corroded stove. Next to it was a completely run-down warehouse.

The group hid behind the bushes and observed the house.

Miss Longueville pointed to the house and said, "From the information I've gathered, that should be the place."

"Looks like no one is inside. Is Fouquet really hiding there?"

The group started discussing, using sticks to draw their battle plan on the ground. They all agreed that ambushing him was the best way. All the better if he was sleeping.

Firstly, they would need to scout around the house and find out what is going on inside. After that, if Fouquet was inside, the scout would draw him out, because there was not enough earth inside the house for him to create an earth golem. Once outside, the rest would all cast their magic against him, without letting him have a chance to summon his golem.

"So who is going to lure him out?" Saito asked.

Tabitha replied, "The one with the best reflexes."

All stared at Saito.

"Me?" Saito sighed. He drew out the sword that Kirche gave to him.

The runes on his left hand started glowing. At the same time Saito felt his body becoming as light as a feather.

Saito moved closer to the house and peered through the window in the house. There was only one room in the whole house, with a table and a reclining chair that were both covered in dust. There was also a bottle of wine on the table and in one corner of the room there was firewood.

There was no one inside and there did not seem to be any place to hide inside the house either.

Had he already left this place?

But their opponent was Fouquet, a Triangle mage. So he could still be hiding inside even though there did not seem to be a hiding place.

So Saito decided to call everyone over.

Saito used his hand to make an "X" sign on top of his head, a sign that means the house is empty.

The rest of the group who were hiding carefully approached the house.

"There's no one inside," Saito said while pointing at the window.

Tabitha waved her staff at near the door and muttered, "There's no trap." She then opened the door and went inside the house.

Kirche and Saito followed suit and entered the house.

Louise told the rest she would stand guard and stayed behind.

Miss Longueville said that she would investigate the area around the forest and disappeared.

Saito's group went into the house and started to look for any clues to Fouquet's whereabouts.

Then, Tabitha found inside a box… the Staff of Destruction.

"The Staff of Destruction," Tabitha said while waving it around.

"Isn't this too easy?" Kirche exclaimed.

Saito looked at the Staff of Destruction and said with astonishment, "Kirche, is this really the Staff of Destruction?"

Kirche nodded and said, "Unmistakably, I saw it once during my tour of the treasure vault."

Saito brought the staff closer and examined it closely. "If I'm not wrong this is a …"

Just then, Louise who was standing guard outside gave a chilling shriek. "Ahhhh!"'

"What happened, Louise?!"

Just as everyone looked outside the house, a loud sound could be heard. Crack!
Suddenly the house was without a roof and everyone looked up.

In place of the roof was a giant earth golem.

"It's an earth golem!" Kirche screamed.

Tabitha was the first to react. Waving her staff, she started chanting her magical inscriptions. A whirlwind appeared out of her staff and struck the golem.

After the whirlwind dissipated, the golem remained unscathed.

Following Tabitha, Kirche took out her wand hidden in her cleavage and started chanting.

A fireball shot out of her wand and engulfed the golem. Even though the whole golem was on fire, it did not seem to be affected by the fire at all.

"It's too tough for the few of us!" Kirche shouted.

"Retreat," Tabitha said softly.

Kirche and Tabitha went different ways and ran out of the house.

Meanwhile, Saito was looking for Louise.

"Over there!"

Louise stood behind the golem, chanted something and pointed her wand towards the golem.

Something exploded on the surface of the golem. It was Louise's magic! The golem realized this, turned around and faced Louise.

Saito, standing near the door of the house 20 mails away from Louise shouted, "Run! Louise!"

Louise refused, "No! If I subdue this, no one will ever call me Louise the Zero ever again." Louise appeared to be very serious. The golem tilted its head, pondering whether to deal with Louise or Kirche and Tabitha who were escaping.

"Look at the size difference between you and the golem! You can't possibly win!"

"You'll never know if you don't try."

"It's too hard! It's impossible!"

Louise stared at Saito and said, "Haven't you said this before?"

"What?"

"When you were badly beaten by Guiche's Valkyries, when you kept standing up and said, ''you did not want to lower your head, and you never will.''"

"Yes… I did say that… but…"

"I feel the same way. Even though I cannot accomplish anything, this is a matter of pride. If I run away now, people will say, 'because she's Louise the Zero, that's why she ran away'."

"Does it matter? Let people say whatever they want!"

"But I'm a noble. Nobles are people that can use magic." Louise tightened her grip on her wand. "And nobles never turn their backs on their enemies."

The golem decided that it would deal with Louise first, it raised its leg, preparing to crush her.

Louise raised her wand towards the golem and started chanting again…

But it failed, even though Louise used 'fireball'.

Then a small explosion occurred on the golem's chest and small fragments of earth fell out from its chest. The golem was not affected by the attack at all.

Saito grabbed his sword and dashed towards Louise.

Louise saw the golem's foot getting nearer and nearer. She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

At that instant, Saito approached her at the speed of a whirlwind, grabbed her and rolled away from the golem's stomp.

Saito gave a slap on Louise's face. Pak!

"Do you really wish to die?"

Louise looked at Saito, stunned.

"To hell with your noble's pride! Once you die, nothing really matters anymore! Idiot!"

Tears began to flow out of Louise's eyes like a waterfall.

"Please don't cry!"

"But… but I cannot take this lying down… I'm always being treated like a fool by others…"

Looking at the crying Louise, Saito felt hapless.

Being constantly called "Zero", being treated like an idiot, no one could take that lying down. He recalled his fight with Guiche. Louise cried that time, too. Even though Louise is stubborn and haughty, in reality she actually hates fighting and she's not good at it either.

She's only a girl… Louise's beautiful face was now covered in tears, just like a crying child.

But this was not the time to console her. Saito turned his head over and saw the golem raising its fists, ready to pound them.

"Can't you even console me a little?" Louise protested as Saito carried her and escaped.

The golem chased after them, even though the golem was nowhere near agile, its speed was still on par with Saito.

Tabitha's Wind Dragon landed in front of Saito to help in their escape.

"Get on," Tabitha said.

Saito placed Louise on the dragon's back.

"You too, quickly!" Tabitha said to Saito with urgency unlike her normal self.

But Saito did not get on, instead he ran towards the golem.

"Saito!" Louise shouted.

"Fly away now!" Saito shouted.

Tabitha stared at Saito emotionlessly for a while, and was forced to make Sylphid fly up as the golem was approaching them.

Bang!

The golem's fist smashed onto the place Saito stood on. Just in the nick of time, Saito jumped and evaded the blow. The golem removed its fist from the ground and a crater a meter wide was formed.

Saito mumbled to himself, "Don't cry if you can't take it lying down. Stupid! This really makes me feel like doing something for you!" Saito faced the golem and said, "You better not look down on me! You're just a pile of dirt!"

He grabbed hold on his sword and said, "I'm Louise's familiar!"

"Saito!" Louise attempted to jump down from Sylphid which was in mid air, but was grabbed by Tabitha.

"Please save Saito!" Louise pleaded.

Tabitha shook her head.

"Impossible to get near."

Whenever Sylphid tried to get near, the golem would try to attack it. So Tabitha was not able to approach Saito at all.

"Saito!" Louise shouted again.

Louise saw Saito wielding his sword in a stand off against the golem.

The golem moved and threw a punch. In mid-flight the fist morphed into steel.

Saito saw this, and parried the attack with his sword.

Pang! The sword broke from the hilt upon impact.

Saito was stunned. ''Was this sword really made by the famous Germanian Alchemist Lord Shupei? It's totally useless!''

Without a weapon, all Saito could do was evade the golem's attack.

Seeing Saito in a pinch, Louise was desperate. Wasn't there anyway to help him? Just then, Louise noticed the Staff of Destruction held by Tabitha.

"Tabitha! Pass that to me!"

She nodded and passed the Staff of Destruction to Louise.

The Staff of Destruction had an unusual shape that Louise had never seen before.

But since Louise's magic did not work, all she could depend on now was the Staff of Destruction.

Louise closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening her eyes again she said, "Tabitha! Use levitation on me." And jumped off the Sylphid's back. Tabitha hastily cast "Levitation" on Louise.

Under the effect of the spell, Louise slowly descended and, facing Saito and the golem, waved the Staff of Destruction.

Nothing happened at all. There was no response from the Staff of Destruction.

"Is this really a magical staff?" Louise shouted urgently.

Were there any special requirements in order to activate it?

Saito looked at the descending Louise and was shocked. Why did she come back? It would have been better for her to stay on the dragon!

At the same time, Saito saw the Staff of Destruction that Louise was holding.

''Looks like Louise doesn't know how to use the staff and is just waving it around…''

Saito rushed towards Louise.

''If we could use this, maybe we could defeat the golem!''

"Saito!" Louise shouted to Saito who was running towards her.

Saito grabbed the Staff of Destruction away from Louise.

"I don't know how to use this!"

"It's to be used like this!"

Saito grabbed hold of the Staff of Destruction, took out the arming handle, opened the rear cover and pulled out and extended the inner tube.

''…Why do I know how to do this?''

But that was not the time to think.

He flipped up the telescope sight on the tube and aimed.

Seeing his proficiency in handling the Staff of Destruction, Louise was too shocked to say anything.

Saito placed the Staff of Destruction on his shoulder and pointed the front of the staff towards the golem.[[Image:ZNT-page-241.jpg|thumb]]

Due to the short distance between him and the golem, Saito decided to aim directly at the golem.

''As the distance is very close, the arming range might not be attained and therefore even if hit directly, it might not explode.''

''Forget about that, just try it!'' Saito thought while shouting at Louise, "Don't stand behind the staff, there will be a backblast!"

Louise hurriedly moved out of the way.

The golem approached closer and closer to Saito.

Saito released the safety latch and fired the weapon.

Immediately, a loud thunder came from the staff and a projectile with wings flew towards the golem.

The projectile met with the golem with a terrific explosion.

Saito instinctively closed his eyes.

A deafening roar occurred and the upper body of the golem pulverized and flew out in all directions, causing a rain of earth.

Saito slowly opened his eyes.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, only the lower body of the golem was left standing.

What was left, took one last step forward before it finally stopped moving, and knelt down.

Then slowly from the waist, it crumbled… and returned into what it originally was — dirt.

Just like last time, the golem was reduced into a mound of earth.

Louise, who had witnessed everything, felt her legs weaken and sat on the floor.

Kirche, who was hiding near the bushes, came running out.

Saito finally gave a sigh of relief.

Kirche hugged Saito and said, "Saito, My darling! You did it!"

Sylphid, who was carrying Tabitha, descended. Tabitha looked at the mound of earth and asked, "Where is Miss Longueville?"

Everyone realized that Miss Longueville was missing.

Just then she came out from the forest.

"Miss Longueville! Did you find out where Fouquet was controlling the golem from?" Kirche asked.

She shook her head.

The four of them started searching the mound of earth for clues. Saito looked at them, and then looked at the Staff of Destruction, thinking to himself, ''Why did this thing appear in this world?''

Just as he was thinking, Miss Longueville took the Staff of Destruction away from Saito.

"Miss Longueville?" said the puzzled Saito.

Miss Longueville widened the distance between the group and then said, "Great job, people!"

"Miss Longueville!" Kirche shouted. "What's the meaning of this?"

Louise stared at Miss Longueville, too shocked to say anything.

"The one controlling the golem was me all along."

"What? That means… You're…"

Miss Longueville removed her glasses, her once gentle expression had changed into one full of killing intent.

"Yes, I am Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt. The Staff of Destruction is really powerful; it actually can defeat my golem in just one hit!"

Fouquet held the Staff of Destruction on her shoulders like Saito had done just now.

Tabitha waved her staff and began chanting.

"All of you don't move! I have the Staff of Destruction pointed towards you. Drop your wands now."

They had no choice but to obey. Without their wands, they could not cast any magic.

"Mr. Agile Familiar, please drop your broken sword too. You're a threat to me if you're holding a weapon."

Saito obeyed her orders and dropped the sword.

"Why?" Louise asked angrily.

"Hmm… I'd better explain to you all so you can rest in peace," Fouquet said with a coquettish smile on her face.

"I had gotten hold of the Staff of Destruction, but I did not know how to use it."

"The way to use it?"

"Yes. No matter how I waved the staff or applied my magic on it, there was no response at all. That frustrated me. After all, if I do not know how to use it, it would be just as useful as a decorative item. Wouldn't it?"

Louise wanted to dash out towards Fouquet, but was stopped by Saito.

"Saito!"

"Let her finish."

"How considerate of you, Mr. Familiar. Then I will continue. Since I did not know how to use it, the only way was to let other people show me how to use it."

"So therefore you brought us here."

"If it's the students from the academy, there may be a chance that someone knows how to use the staff."

"If none of us knew how to use the Staff of Destruction, what would you have done?"

"If that was the case, you all would be crushed by my golem. After that I would bring the next group of students here. But thanks to you, I finally know how to use the Staff of Destruction."

Fouquet smiled and said, "Even though the time spent with you all was short, I'm really happy. Goodbye."

Kirche feeling hopeless, closed her eyes.

Tabitha and Louise closed their eyes, too.

But Saito did not.

"You're really brave."

"Well, actually it's not bravery." Saito replied.

Fouquet pressed the trigger as Saito had done before.

But the magic that happened before did not happen again.

"Huh? Why?" Fouquet pressed the trigger again.

"It has only one shot; it won't be able to fire again."

"What do you mean one shot?" Fouquet shouted deliriously.

"Even if I explained, you would not be able to understand. That is not a magical staff from your world."

"What did you say?" Fouquet dropped the Staff of Destruction and took out her own wand.

Saito moved as fast as lightning, delivering a blow to Fouquet's stomach with the hilt of his sword.

"This is a weapon from my world. Hmm… To be precise, it's called an M72 rocket launcher."

Fouquet fell onto the ground.

Saito then picked up the Staff of Destruction.

"Saito?" Louise and the other two all stared at Saito.

Saito answered, "We've caught Fouquet and retrieved the Staff of Destruction."

Louise, Kirche and Tabitha looked at each other, and then ran towards Saito.

Saito, with mixed feelings, hugged the three of them together.

<center>* * *</center>

Inside the headmaster's office, Headmaster Osman listened to the group's account of what happened.

"Hmm… So Miss Longueville is Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt… Because she's such a beauty I did not think twice about hiring her as my secretary."

"How did you go about hiring her?" Mr. Colbert, who was also present, asked.

"In a tavern. I was a customer while she was a waitress there. Where I slowly caressed her from her hands down to her buttocks…"

"Then what happened?" Mr. Colbert asked again.

Headmaster Osman embarrassingly confessed, "Because she wasn't angry at all after what I did, I asked her whether she wanted to become my secretary or not."

"Why?" the bewildered Mr. Colbert continued asking.

"Anyways!" Headmaster Osman cried out using vigor unfitting for an old man.

Osman started coughing. And said sedately, "And she could use magic, too."

"Yeah, magic that could kill," Mr. Colbert mumbled to himself.

Headmaster Osman coughed again then told Mr. Colbert in a prudent manner, "Come to think of it, the reason that Fouquet allowed me to touch her all over the place, served me wine happily, and praised that I was handsome man, while I was in the tavern, was just to infiltrate the academy. All those praises were most probably just lies…"

Mr. Colbert upon hearing that immediately remembered that he was also bewitched by Fouquet once, and had revealed the weakness of the vault walls to her.

Mr. Colbert decided that he would take that secret with him to his grave.

"Yes. Beautiful women are deadly mages."

"I couldn't agree more with you, Colbert."

Saito, Louise, Kirche and Tabitha stared blankly at the two.

Realizing that the students had given them the cold stare, the embarrassed Osman cleared his throat and regained his solemn composure.

"A job well done for all of you, you have returned the Staff of Destruction and captured Fouquet."

The three besides Saito acknowledged proudly.

"Fouquet will be handed over to the town guards, and the Staff of Destruction will be returned back to the treasure vault. Finally the case is closed."

Gently caressing each of the trio's heads, Osman said, "I have requested the imperial court to confer upon you the title of Chevalier, I believe that we should have news of it soon. And since Tabitha already has the title of chevalier, I have requested that she be given the Elven Medallion."

The trio's faces brightened up upon hearing the news.

"Really?" Kirche said astoundingly.

"Yes. You have done more than enough to deserve this title. Haven't you?"

Louise gazed at Saito who was listless since they entered the office.

"Headmaster Osman, Saito… won't get anything?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Because he's not a noble…"

Saito replied, "I don't need anything."

Headmaster Osman gently clapped his hands and said, "I almost forgot, Tonight's Ball of Frigg will resume as planned since we have gotten back the Staff of Destruction.

Kirche's face brightened up. "That's right. Let's forget about Fouquet and dance all night long!"

"The main attraction of the ball will be you three. So go get ready and dress up!"

The three bowed, and left through the door.

Louise stopped and looked at Saito.

"You go first," Saito told Louise.

Even though Louise was still worried, she nodded and left the room.

Osman turned to Saito and said, "You have something to ask me?"

Saito nodded.

"Please ask. I'll try to answer your question to the best of my abilities. Even though I couldn't confer you a title, this is the least I can do to show my appreciation."

Immediately after, he asked Mr. Colbert to leave the room. Mr. Colbert, who had been waiting for Saito to speak, was expressing displeasure as he exited the room.

After Mr. Colbert left, Saito said, "That, the Staff of Destruction was originally from my world."

Osman's eyes gleamed. "Originally from your world?"

"I'm not from this world."

"Is this true?"

"It's true. I was transported to this world due to Louise's summoning."

"I see. If that's the case…" Osman squinted his eyes.

"The Staff of Destruction was a weapon from my world. Who was the person who brought it to this world?"

Osman sighed and said, "The one who gave the Staff of Destruction was my savior."

"Where is the person now? That person is definitely from the same world as me."

"He died. That was over thirty years ago…"

"What did you say?"

"Thirty years ago, while I was strolling inside the forest, I was attacked by a two-headed dragon. The one who saved me was the owner of the Staff of Destruction. He used another Staff of Destruction to kill the two headed dragon and then collapsed. He was already injured at that time. I transported him to the academy and treated his wounds. But to no avail…"

"And he died?"

Headmaster Osman nodded.

"I buried the Staff of Destruction that he had used to save me along with him in his grave. The other one I named the Staff of Destruction and kept it inside the vault in order to commemorate my savior…"

Osman gazed far away and said, "While he was resting on the bed till the day he died, he kept saying repeatedly 'Where is this place? I want to go back to my world.' I guess that he must have been from the same world as yours."

"Who was the one who brought him to this world then?"

"I don't know. Right till the end, I still had no idea how he ended up here."

"Damn it! Just when I thought that I had a clue," Saito lamented. The clue had led him into a dead end. Osman's savior was most probably a soldier of ''that'' country. But how did he end up in this world? Even though Saito wanted to know badly, there was no way to know anymore.

Osman held Saito's left hand. "The runes on your hand…"

"Oh yes. I wanted to ask about that, too. Once the runes glow, I can use any weapon proficiently. Not just swords, even the weapons from my world too…"

Osman pondered for a moment and said, "…That I know. Those are the runes of 'Gandálfr', the legendary familiar."

"The runes of the legendary familiar?"

"Yes. Gandálfr was a legendary familiar who could use any weapon at will. That is most likely the reason that you could use the Staff of Destruction."

Saito was confused. "…Then, why am I the legendary familiar?"

"I don't know," Osman quickly replied. "I'm sorry. But there is a possibility that the runes of Gandálfr are related to you being transported to this world."

"Haa…" Saito sighed.

Saito thought that he could get the answers that he wanted from the headmaster, but apparently he did not know much either…

"I'm sorry that I could not be of much help. I'll always be on your side, Gandálfr!" Osman hugged Saito. "I must thank you once again for bringing back the possession of my benefactor."

"It's all right…" Saito said tiredly.

"I tried to find out for you how you arrived in this world but…"

"But what?"

"But I could not find anything, please do not be dismayed. You'll get used to this world as time goes by. Maybe by then you could find a wife here too…"

Saito sighed again. The clue to return to his original world slipped through his fingers just like that.

<center>* * *</center>

On top of Alvíss Dining Hall, there was a great hall. That was where the ball was being held. Saito leaned on the railings of the balcony and looked at the grand reception.

The students and teachers who were dressed grandly gathered around tables filled with exquisite food and chatted amongst themselves. Saito arrived there through a flight of stairs leading up to the balcony. Seeing them, Saito felt that he would not fit in at all and therefore, decided not to enter.

Next to Saito were some food and a bottle of wine that Siesta had brought for him earlier. Saito poured for himself a glass of wine and drank it.

"Eh, haven't you got a drop too much?" said Derflinger, who was leaning on the balcony worryingly. As the sword that Kirche gave to Saito broke during the ordeal, Saito brought Derflinger for protection. As usual it had a rotten tongue but it still had a happy-go-lucky personality, so having him for company still had its merits.

"You're noisy. To think that I had found the way to go back home, in the end it's just a dream… can't I drink to drown away my sorrow?"

Just before the ball started Kirche, who was beautifully dressed in an evening gown, was accompanying Saito. But as soon as the ball started she was nowhere to be seen.

Saito had no choice but to use Derflinger as a companion to drive away boredom.

In the middle of the dance floor, Kirche was surrounded by a group of young males, talking and laughing. Even though Kirche promised to dance with him, it would be quite some time before Saito had his chance.

Tabitha dressed in a black gown feasted away on the sumptuous food on the table.

Looked like everyone was enjoying the dance to the fullest…

The doors to the great hall opened and Louise appeared.

The guards at the door notified everyone on Louise's arrival. "The daughter of Duke of La Vallière, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière arrives!"

Saito held his breath. Louise was dressed in a white evening gown with her long, strawberry-blonde hair tied up into a pony tail. Her hands were covered by pure white gloves which adorned her grandeur. Her petite face along with her low cut evening gown made her sparkle like a gem.

After confirming that the guest had arrived, the musicians started playing music that was extremely soothing to the ears. All around Louise were males that were captivated by Louise's beauty asking for a dance with her. Before this, no one ever realized Louise's beauty and only thought of her as "Louise the Zero." Now, that same group of males were trying to win her heart.

The nobles started dancing gracefully on the dance floor. Louise turned down everyone's invitation for a dance, saw Saito on the balcony and headed over. Louise stood in front of the slightly drunk Saito and placed her arms on her waist, "Looks like you're enjoying yourself," she said.

"Not really…" Saito moved his gaze away from the dazzling Louise, thinking to himself that it was lucky he had drank some wine, so Louise would not realize that he was blushing.

Derflinger looked at Louise and said, "Haha. Clothes really ''do'' make the man!"

"None of your business." Louise stared at the sword and crossed her arms.

"Aren't you going to dance?" Saito asked while avoiding Louise's gaze.

"I have no dance partner," Louise replied.

"Didn't a lot of people ask you for a dance just now?" Saito asked.

Louise did not answer and extended her hand.

"Huh?"

"Even though you're just a familiar, I could make an exception," the blushing Louise said while avoiding Saito's gaze.

"Don't you mean 'Could I have this dance?'" Saito said while trying to avoid Louise's gaze too.

After a moment of silence, Louise sighed.

"Only for today!" she said.

Louise then held the ends of her dress and made a curtsy.

"May I have a dance, sir?"

These actions made the bashful Louise look even more cute and alluring than ever before.

Saito, trembling held Louise's hands and together, they walked towards the dance floor.

"I have never danced before," Saito said.

"Just follow my rhythm," Louise said, and then gently held onto Saito's hand. Saito imitated Louise's actions and followed her rhythm. Louise did not seem to mind Saito's stiff actions at all and concentrated on dancing.
"Saito, I believe you now," she said.
[[Image:ZNT-page-259.jpg|thumb]]

"What?"

"…You said that you were from another world," Louise replied while dancing gracefully.

"Huh? Didn't you believe me already before that?"

"I originally only took what you said with a pinch of salt… but the Staff of Destruction… It's a weapon from your world isn't it? When I saw that, all I could do was to believe," Louise lowered her head and asked, "Do you wish to go back?"

"Yes. I want to go back, but since there's no way to go back yet, I'll have to get used to life here for a while."

"You're right…" Louise muttered to herself then continued dancing.

After that, Louise was still blushing and did not dare look at Saito. "Thank you," she abruptly uttered.

Hearing that, Saito was puzzled. Why is she acting so funny today?

"Well… Didn't you save me when I was almost crushed by Fouquet's golem?" Louise replied.

The musicians played an even more encouraging tune. Slowly bit by bit, Saito was cheering up. ''Someday… I will be able to finally return back home… but being here isn't really that bad either.''

''Louise is really very dainty today, I should be satisfied.''

"You're welcome. That's what I'm supposed to do."

"Why?"

"Because I'm your familiar."

Louise smiled.

Derflinger which was still leaning on the balcony looked at the both of them, "Unbelievable!" it said to itself.

The twin moons in the sky shone onto the dance floor, and along with the candle lights, created a romantic atmosphere on the dance floor.

"Partner! You amaze me!"

Looking at his partner dancing with his master, "A familiar dancing with his Master? That's the first time I've seen this happening!"


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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume15 Chapter7

2026-04-11T12:33:58Z

KaiserVonMegalo: /* Chapter 7: Henrietta's Diplomatic Plan */ OG Kanji:"聖戦に敗退したあと、潰れた小国は数に限りがない。元はといえばゲルマニアが生まれたのも、聖戦に疲弊した諸侯が反乱を起こした結果である。" Have no clue how this got past the proof reading phase

===Chapter 7: Henrietta's Diplomatic Plan===

As the royal escort was about to arrive above the grounds of Gallia's capital, Lutece, Henrietta stared in front of her with dignity. Across her, the Captain of the Tristain Musketeers, Agnès double checked the handgun carried on her waist.

"What is it my captain?"

"No...., I find it hard to remain at ease." Agnès said without attempting to cover up her surrendering to her feelings. Despite that, Henrietta's expression was as calm as ever.

Outside the windows of the sedan chair hanging under a dragon's belly, they could see the formation of Gallian dragon riders flying in parallel. Armed more heavily than usual, though by name their task was to be an escort, actually they were putting Henrietta's royal transport under close watch.

"But your majesty...., rather than calling our current situation 'rash', I believe 'temerity' would fit better, visiting a country we just had a battle with a few days ago." Agnès said while sighing.

"Oh? Those people my army fought a few days ago were 'Gallian Rebels'. Besides, Romalia may have raised a crusade, my country remains at peace with Gallia. Therefore, officially there was never a conflict between my country and Gallia to begin with." Henrietta replied, her expressions continued to remain as calm as ever. However....., her slightly trembling hands did not go unnoticed by Agnès. She might be keeping a good act, but in reality she must be very distressed.

"The Water Spirit Ondine Knights and the so-called Saint of Aquilleia Miss Françoise are the headlines of the Romalian army, if Gallia condemned us for it, how do you plan to respond?"

"I'll simply tell them 'They belong to the Romalian army', it's not like this had never happened before. As for Louise, that's right, I'll say she is a Romalian nun fighting under the name of God for Romalia. Mmn, no matter what reason it is, it'll work out."

Agnès looked discontent and shook her head.

With no other company, Henrietta brought only Agnès with her. It could almost be said as charging barehanded into "enemy territory" Gallia.

Romalia's sudden announcement of a "Crusade" had caused quite a bit of a stir in Tristain. Almost all aristocrats and lords bore a grieving frown on their forehead.

Except for the over religious believers, Crusade was a synonym for nightmare. All nobles in the country would be gathered, young teens would be conscripted into armies and the treasury would be emptied for a war. Plus...., even if they appeared victorious at the end, the only prize they got was an undeveloped desert and honor, hardly enough to cover the losses in the war. Most important of all, the chances of losing was considerably higher than the chances of winning. It is impossible to number the small states that have collapsed as a result of failed crusades. To begin with, the birth of Germania was the result of an uprising of noble lords who had become exhausted by the crusades.

Too many people. Compared to an unseen plot of land, their lives in front of them were much more important.

Since Henrietta's return to her own country, she had sworn to end that crusade and shut herself in her office thereafter to build a diplomatic plan towards Gallia.

A week later, after completion, Henrietta gathered all important nobles and told them, "I will negotiate directly with the Gallian King."

Of course, Tristain's nobles, including Mazarin, even her own mother Queen Marion rejected the idea of Henrietta heading towards Gallia. The reasons were more than obvious. The head of a country heading towards a rather hostile country to "negotiate", never had an adventure so daring ever occurred since the long establishment of Halkeginia. It is no wonder Agnès was feeling uneasy.

Henrietta even went as far as suggesting stepping down from the throne if they continued to refuse. Only then did the nobles agree.

"Your highness....., can you promise me one thing?"

"What is it"

"I understand that you feel responsible for the cause of this 'Crusade', but....., your majesty's life does not hold only the future of one person. If anything terrible happened to your majesty, our country will turn into chaos. Moreover, the possibility for this to happen isn't exactly low either."

"After defeating Gallia, Romalia will build their own army to recover the Holy lands. If we refuse to offer support, I will be forced to step down. Which means, either way our country can't escape the future of becoming chaotic. Heh, maybe things could turn even worse....., I'm sure you know how past armies set forth to recover the Holy lands have put the entire Halkeginia into grieving."

Agnès could not make a good counter. Just the fact of stepping down from the throne was already too large a matter.

"Without me, the country can still work normally. Whether it's Prime Minister Mazarin, my mother, or the rest of the lords, the structure is still intact. On the other hand....., if anything as close as a large scaled war happened between us and the elves, the entire Halkeginia will crumble soon afterwards." Henrietta gripped her hands even tighter.

"With my own life...., if that's already enough to place a bet, it is certainly, very inexpensive indeed."

"Looks like you have successfully refuted me." Agnès replied as if losing interest. Suddenly sensing something, Henrietta turned apologetic, "Oh, sorry about bringing you into this as well."

"That's alright. Since I volunteered for the army I was ready for anything. As the captain of your majesty's personal guards, compared to the safety of Halkeginia, I am more concerned about your highness's safety."

"Ah, but I did not plan to come here just to lose my bet. I also made my own preparations. To King Joseph, this suggestion is just as exquisite." Henrietta directly pointed out, hugging her briefcase full of documents. Within the briefcase, the contents of the diplomatic plans were almost under disagreement by all valued lords.

"Impossible", so the lords said. On the contrary, there was one single person who voted in approval.

That was Prime Minster Cardinal Mazarin. Kneeling in front of Henrietta, who had spent days without sleep planning every detail. "I'm very glad to witness the growth of your majesty", was all he said.

Soon after the Palace Versailles, famous for its vast empty area, appeared in front of them, the dragon riders who had been accompanying Henrietta's sedan chair from the borders onward landed in the courtyard forming a circle.

The sedan chair Henrietta was riding in slowly landed in the middle of the circle. Guards who had been awaiting her arrival immediately rushed forward to open her door.

The simplicity of Henrietta's welcome shocked Agnès. There was no guards of honor, nor any sign of a band. Gallia was still considered as an influential empire of Halkeginia, despite being at war, there were still standards for welcoming a Queen.

Agnès finally had a good feel of what a country with half of its people rebelling looked like. After surveying their welcome, Henrietta began to observe the Palace itself with no visible expression on her face.

There, she stopped, turning still like a statue.

"What's wrong, your highness?" Agnes also turned to where Henrietta was looking at, and could not help but gulp. Across the courtyard, what should originally be Joseph's castle, the remains of Grand Troyes. The blue, beautiful palace had collapsed into a wreck.

"There were rumors of a rebel...., was that the cause of it." Agnes asked. The knights around them were just as unreadable, but with much experience in battle, Agnes could easily see what they were thinking - terror.

"....Looks good for a negotiation."

Under pressure from the chaos within, the morale of the small amount of knights plunging, if Gallia was under so much trouble already, then the chances of agreeing to Henrietta's plans most certainly were higher.

A female wearing headbands appeared from the surrounding knights. Dressed in full black clothing emitting some sort of suspicious aura. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Gallia. We heartily welcome Queen Henrietta's arrival."

The woman took a deep bow. Facing the head of country, yet not taking any attempt to remove their cloaks, Henrietta did not feel the need to return a bow, ignoring them as thin air.

"This way please. My master has been waiting." Not worried at all, the woman began walking. With no choice, Henrietta followed. Although displeased by the rude treatment, recalling the memory of Joseph's attitude at the international meeting helped Henrietta think otherwise.

The woman's voice sounded familiar to Agnes, who slightly frowned. Where exactly did they meet before? After some extensive searching through her memories, she finally remembered.

"I seem to have met you and your partners before." The woman turned her head around, smiling ominously towards Agnes.

"At Albion, no?" Agnes responded under her breath. Henrietta looked at Agnes from the corner of her eye.

"....She is the female who have assaulted Miss Françoise a few times. I fear the giant armoured golems were also led by her..."

This time, Henrietta gave a stern look.

"For your information, those are called '''Golomontas'''". The woman said without care.

The Queen and her Captain were brought to the dining room of the Guest Hall. Sitting at the other end of the dining table was Joseph, waiting alone.

Without guards or maids, the dining hall looked empty and lonely. There was not much food prepared on the desk either.

The woman wearing the headband......, like a shadow, Myoznitnirn stood motionless behind Joseph.

Agnes pulled the out the chair facing Joseph, allowing Henrietta to sit down on it. As if replacing a greeting, Joseph yawned loudly.

"Morning, Queen Henrietta!"

"Good day, King Joseph!"

Across the long dining table, the two powers faced each other. With that the greetings ended and so began the negotiations.

Although the day's visit had been notified to Gallia, yet not a single diplomat, advisor, nor clerk was present. It was just a simple, cold talk.

Agnes took out the documents from Henrietta's briefcase and walked beautifully to Joseph's side, placing the documents down in front of him with respect.

Joseph casually held up the documents and flipped through it page by page. With no apparent change in expression after reading, supporting his head with his elbow, he turned towards Henrietta again.

"What an amazing suggestion. On behalf of Halkeginia, announcing new status of one Halkeginia King. All countries must follow his orders..... except for Romalia."

"Mhm. To me, the Pope of Romalia is only here because he gives a symbol of 'authority'."

"This says that there will be other supporters, is that true?"

"It is. Only under one condition, to sever all ties with elves. Just that. Why did you ally yourself with elves, King Joseph, all you wish for is the entire Halkeginia to be under your command, isn't it? I plan to fulfill your wish."

"This is quite a staggering suggestion. But will Germania agree?"

"Germania's king was a filthy king to begin with. He even dare call himself king, this is the symbol of his low self-esteem. Those kind of dirty peasants will not dare go against Tristain and Gallia's combined will."

"This is very surprising indeed, Queen Henrietta. I originally thought you were going to ally with Romalia to invade my country, but here you are instead offering alliance with our country! You are a brilliant politician! I really wronged you!"

"Thank you for your exaggerated praise. Instead of elves, it would be me who will be honoring you with the throne of Halkeginia."

A smile appeared on Joseph's face. "What is your goal?"

Henrietta instantly displayed a charming expression and replied firmly, "If the ties between Gallia and elves are severed, the 'Crusade' will end. Compared to a war involving every single person on this world, I'd rather ally myself with the 'incompetent King'."

"I will be in direct conflict with Romalia, this is fighting fire with fire?"

"Even in the same hell, I'd want to choose the good side."

Joseph nodded his head in pleasure. "Now this is what politics is about. Alright. Well then, I have my own request"

"What would it me?"

"Be my wife."

Henrietta couldn't help but widen her eyes. "Oh my, you are actually serious."

Henrietta bit her lips. For the first time in their meeting hatred could be seen in her eyes. Henrietta nodded her head. "I agree"

"Your Highness!" Agnes who was silent all along cried out. Henrietta held her back with her hand, then nodded again.

"It would be my pleasure to do so." Henrietta's body was in complete rejection.

Agnes understood that when Henrietta said "she would do anything to stop this crusade", she meant it.

Joseph seemed to look at Henrietta happily, eventually bursting into laughter. Joseph's laughter echoed through the entire dining hall.

[[Image:ZnT15-177.jpg|thumb]]

"Hahaahahahhaah! Don't take it seriously! I'm not very forgiving. I would never sleep with a woman who doesn't like me."

Henrietta blushed from her self brought shame. Joseph stood up and walked towards Henrietta. With his big hands, he held Henrietta's chin.

Just about to draw her sword out, Agnes suddenly felt the statue behind her hold down her hands stealthily.

"You sly fox," Joseph said teasingly. "Do you plan to cut off my head at night."

Henrietta used her best bluffing voice and replied, "You, you have seen through me!"

Joseph's smile slowly became fixed on his face. "I like it. I like it more and more. I can't believe I took you as just another little girl! This is going to be the best joke ever! You are absolutely comparable to the ancient warlords! Plus you are brave and smart. You will become a good Queen, Queen Henrietta."

Joseph returned to his seat. With a snap of his fingers, the status released Agnes's wrists. Agnes coughed painfully.

With a quick glance at Agnes, Henrietta continued, "....then, please hurry and send out notices. With the support of Tristain, Albion and Germania behind you, Romalia will lose their will as well."

Yet, Joseph did not reply.

"King Joseph?"

Joseph scratched his head as if finding it hard to speak. "But, very sadly, I have no intention to go with this suggestion."

"Is there something missing? Is it not enough to have the world?"

"If I were an ambitious man....., I would go with your plan without hesitation. But, that is not all. Not all." Joseph shook his head. Using a gangster's tone, he firmly said, "I do not want this world."

"What do you mean?" Henrietta felt an ominous aura seep into her mind, rapidly filling her up. For some reason, she was reminded of those terrifying stories she read when she was small.

"Oh, there is no need to be ashamed of your 'misconception'. No one would have complaints against your suggestions. Even myself can't think up of better 'plans'. This is outstanding work. But..., you are heading in the wrong direction. I'm afraid even god himself could not have expected this."

"What are you suggesting?"

"You mentioned before - 'even in the same hell, you'd want to choose the good side'."

"That's right."

"I simply want to see that hell."

"You must be joking."

"By no means. I simply just want to witness hell. I want to see the unbearable, the never seen before, the hell corrupting my mind."

Henrietta felt weak all over. Agnes nervously supported the almost falling Henrietta. This made less and less sense. Originally she thought Joseph was an ambitious man trying to get the whole world, seeing his actions of assaulting "void" and now allying with elves, even going as far as attacking Romalia with a so called "rebellion".

But the man in front of her eyes was denying all of it.

Not only saying "that's not all", he went on and said that he "simply want to see that hell" those kind of senseless lines.

But....., he was serious about what he said. The solemn expression of Joseph saying all this, seemed kind of sad.

"Therefore, I decided to create a small version of hell with the 'crusade'. It's also the only reason why you are so active. Since you are here already, why don't you visit some of Gallia, Queen Henrietta."

Meanwhile, at Carcassonne.....

As mentioned the night before, Saito at day was as if a different person from last night, as if the things never happened last night, Saito went on to have a conversation at the dining hall with a completely natural face.

"Hey, Tabitha, morning."

Tabitha responded with a nod, all while her eyes fixed on her book. Afterwards Saito joined the Water Spirit Ondine Knights and began their usual talks.

Louise was together with Tiffania eating bread. Looking both of them Tabitha couldn't help but slightly sigh, the guilty feelings towards Louise conflicting with the unexpectedly warm, sweet ones lingering in her heart. Did the things really happen last night?

Yet.... the warm touch still lingering on her neck confirmed its genuineness, the places touched by Saito's lips burning ever so hot.

Tabitha bit her lips and casually flipped another page of the book.

Since when, Kirche had already sat down next to her. Instantly Kirche realized something was off with her best friend. After resisting and finally succumbing to her urge, she whispered in Tabitha's ears. "You, it's time for a confession, what happened?"

Tabitha shook her head. "....Nothing"

About the events of succeeding the throne,..... or the things that occurred last night, none of them could be mentioned to Kirche.

"You know that there are no secrets between us, right?"

Tabitha decided to ignore problems of their friendship for the time being and stood up, indicating she hoped Kirche would leave that matter for now.

Carcassonne's view was bathed in the warm morning sunlight. Tabitha suddenly found the true meaning of finding the "warmth" of the sun, her body given a new supply of happiness.

A feeling was persistently nagging her, nagging her how the night was so much to look forward to. That unbearable anxious wait surpassed even coronation, surpassed all desire to seek revenge....

Next to a flowerbed at the side of the road, Tabitha stopped her footsteps.

A handful of sky blue coloured irises were blossoming furiously. Remembering her dull room, Tabitha couldn't help but reach out and picked a few. Seeing flowers of the same colour as her own hair, Tabitha felt herself grow red.

At night, when her door was knocked on....

Tabitha gave the already asleep Silpheed one more spell of tranquility, allowing it to enter an even deeper slumber. Silpheed's breathing became even heavier.

Anxious all over, Tabitha hurriedly opened the door. Dressed the same as last night, Saito suddenly hugged her. Letting it go, Tabitha buried her head into Saito's chest.

Without saying anything else, Saito lifted Tabitha's chin and planted a kiss.

Tabitha closed her eyes, allowing the other to do whatever he wished. Since last night, she had realized that it felt very comfortable.

Saito lightly carried Tabitha and put her onto bed.

Tabitha's face had a very uncommon colour - faint red. Her cute small chest also puffed up and down out of anxiousness and excitement.

Discovering that the desk was decorated with a blue iris inside a winebottle, Saito smiled.

"Flower picking? Now this is unusual."

"....It's because this room, doesn't have much in it."

[[Image:ZnT15-185.jpg|thumb]]

"That's better." Saito took the flower out from the wine-bottle and placed it into Tabitha's hair. Like a hairband, the iris fitted perfectly into Tabitha's hair.

Saito took off the shy Tabitha's glasses.

"...Glasses."

"You look prettier without it."

"can't see anything."

"Don't you shut your eyes when you're shy?" Saito pressed his lips against hers, lasting for quite a moment before leaving.

".....Eh?"

"I have to go, there's not much time, it's alright, there's nothing to worry about." Just as sudden as his entry, Saito took his leave.

Left behind Tabitha could only stare at his silhouette.

When the door was knocked on again, full of expectations, Tabitha opened her door wide just to find Julio behind it, her facial expressions immediately fading.

"That really fits you, Princess Charlotte."

Tabitha covered her head. After plucking the beautifully placed flower, she carefully returned it to its wine-bottle.

Julio changed to his solemn expression and bowed.

"I am here to receive you, although I believe you have already heard of it from Saito."

That was how Saito put it last night, that the messenger from Romalia will arrive soon....., forgetting all "suspicions" Tabitha earnestly followed the orders of the other, nodding her head in agreement.

Her first romance had dulled her assessment abilities.

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