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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story2 Chapter1

2007-03-10T19:19:41Z

Lambchopsil: lamb's work

== [[zeroNT:Gandvol01editchpter04control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 04 - Part One ==
=== Chapter Four: A Familiar's Day ===

It had been a week since Saito started his life as Louise's familiar at Tristain Magic Academy. If one were to explain an average day for Saito, it would read like the following: 

First, like the majority of animals and humans in Tristain, he woke up in the morning. His bed was, as usual, the floor, though compared to the first day it had mostly improved. Finding that his body hurt in the middle of the night if he slept on the hard floor, Saito had asked the maid Siesta for some of the hay that was fed to the horses and had packed it into a corner of the room. Saito slept on the pile of  hay, wrapped in the blanket that Louise had so "graciously" bestowed upon him.

Louise called Saito's makeshift bed "the chicken's nest," which was appropriate as chickens slept on hay, and as the first thing Saito did every morning was to wake Louise up, like a rooster.

But he had to, because there would be trouble for him if Louise woke up first. 

"A stupid familiar that has to be woken by its master needs to be punished." Louise never forgot to remind him. 

=== Page 121 ===

If Saito ever slept in, he'd be denied breakfast.

Once woken up, Louise gets changed. She puts on underwear by herself, but makes Saito put on her uniform. This has already been mentioned before.

With her enchanting looks, Saito was breathless every time he saw Louise in her underwear. They say you get used to a beautiful lover in three days, but it didn't seem Saito would get used to her anytime soon.

Maybe because he was a familiar, not a lover. Still, being always by her side, he essentially was one. The only difference was in the attitude and treatment.

Getting to see Louise like this everyday wasn't at all bad. However, it was a persistent wound to his pride. When getting Louise into her shoes, for example, he couldn't hide the irritation from his face.

At least that much was tolerated, but if Saito ever said anything to set Louise off, then things got bothersome.

"A rude familiar that displeases its master this early in the morning needs to be punished." was another of Louise's "modes."

If ever Saito teased Louise about her breast size, or got pouty and said something like "do up the buttons yourself," he'd be denied breakfast.

Dressed in her uniform of a black cloak, a white blouse, and a grey pleated skirt, Louise then washes her face and brushes her teeth. Water pipes or the like weren't installed in the bedrooms, so Saito had to go

=== Page 122 ===

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down to the fountain and bring up water for Louise's use in a bucket. And of course, Louise doesn't wash her face herself. She makes Saito do it.

One morning, as he was wiping her face with a towel, he lightly traced along Louise's face with a piece of charcoal he found.

Seeing his masterwork drawn on Louise's face, Saito barely held in a snigger. Then in pretend obsequience, he politely bowed his head to Louise.

"Mistress. You are the epitome of beauty this day." 

Louise, who had low blood pressure, could only manage a sleepy reply. 

"...Are you plotting something?"

"Who, me? I am simply a familiar serving the orders of my mistress. I would not dare to plot!"

Louise thought suspiciously of Saito's sudden and excessive politeness, but as she was about to be late to class, she didn't question him any further than that.

With her vividly rosy cheeks, charming hazel eyes, and lips that seemed carved of fine coral, Louise knew she didn't need to decorate herself nor did she wear any kind of make-up. In other words, this meant she didn't look at the mirror much. And this day was no different. The result: she had absolutely no idea of the "make-up" that Saito had applied on her.

Louise headed out to class in this state. Being the time as it was, she encountered nobody in the hallways or stairs.

=== Page 123 ===

Louise opened the classroom door panting. As one, her classmates looked at her and exploded with laughter.

"Hey, looking good, Louise!"

"Oh my god! That's '''so''' you!"

Afterwards, when Mister Colbert kindly complimented the stylish glasses and moustache sketched on her face, Louise went berserk. She went out into the hallway where Saito was holding his stomach as he rolled on the floor in hysteric laughter, slapped him a dozen times, and cut his meals for the entire day.

According to Louise, a familiar that treats its master's face like a piece of canvas is akin to the demons of old that opposed the Founder Brimir and his many allied gods, and such demons were not worthy of the bread and soup granted by the Lady Queen.

After breakfast, Saito cleans Louise's room. This involved sweeping the floor with a broom and wiping the table and windows with a cloth.

And then there was the oh-so-enjoyable laundry. He takes the laundry down to the fountain and scrubs them clean against a washboard. There was no warm water, only icy cold water that bit fiercely at his fingers. Louise's underwear were all expensive looking pieces with lots of lace and frills attached. He would get a meal cut if he happened to damage one, so he has to wash them gently. It was painful work. Tired of it all, one day, he just left in the pile one particular pair with a slightly torn elastic band. Merely few days later,

=== Page 124 ===

''(paragraph continued)''

Louise walked out obliviously wearing that particular pair, when the elastic snapped entirely. Her panties slid down to her ankles, entangling both of Louise's legs like a trapper's snare. 

It just so happened that she was at the top of a staircase, so she tumbled spectacularly down them.

Most fortunately, there wasn't anyone else around to see her roll down the stairs with her lower half shamefully exposed, so at least her reputation was spared. Realizing that it had been overkill, Saito was careful not to peek inside her skirt as he apologized profusely to Louise, who lay unconscious at the staircase landing. He hadn't meant for the joke to derail like this. Ideally, he had envisioned it happening in a hallway for optimum embarrassment.

Once Louise regained consciousness and realized what had happened, she thrust the torn pair of panties accusingly at Saito, who was sitting subserviently by the bedside.

"There was a torn pair."

"Indeed there was, Mistress."

Louise's voice quavered with fury.

"Explain yourself. And concisely."

"It must have been the fountain water, ojousama. Why, it's so cold it could freeze fingers right off. I believe the elastic couldn't endure that."

Saito replied curtly.

=== Page 125 ===

"So you're saying it's the elastic's fault?"

"I'm saying it's the water's fault. It was bad water. I'm convinced that there must be some kind of curse on it to make it cold, but also affect elastic somehow."

"In that case, I should not feed such a loyal familiar soup made from that kind of bad water."

"Most gracious of you."

"Three days should do, I think, for the water to return to normal."

Saito had his meals cut for the mentioned three days.

However, Saito remained completely fine for those three days. He'd just pretend to be withering and visit the kitchen behind the Hall of Alviss, where the energetic and lovely Siesta would serve him stuff like stew and meat on the bone. He went there even when his meals weren't cut. The soup that Louise declared as "The Widespread Blessing of Her Lady Queen" was never enough of a blessing to fill him up.

Naturally, he kept his visits to the kitchen a secret from Louise. She was adamant on not giving him more until he had corrected his behavior, so there would be trouble if she found out about the meat and stew Siesta kindly provided him with. Louise would surely forbid him visiting for the sake of "educating" her familiar.

=== Page 126 ===

Currently though, she was totally unaware. In any case, Saito preferred Siesta and the kitchen a hundred times more than some Lady Queen and Founder Brimir he'd never met before.

One morning, after hungrily drinking down the soup in front of Louise, he went to the kitchen. Saito, who had beaten the noble Guiche at the Vestri Courts, was hugely popular there.

"'Our Sword' is here!"

The one who yelled that was Marteau, the head chef, a well-rounded man well into his forties.  Naturally, he was also a commoner himself, but with his position of head chef at the Academy, he earned as much as a lower class noble, a fact he could be proud of.

Dressed in simple but fine clothes, he commanded the kitchen with a wave and flourish of his hand.

Despite his highly respectable position as head chef of a magic academy for nobles, Marteau wasn't the least bit arrogant, and surprisingly enough, disliked both magic and nobles.

He called Saito, who had used a sword to defeat Guiche, by the nickname "Our Sword" and treated the boy like a king. Thanks to him, the kitchen was an oasis to Saito.

Saito sat down at his chair, and with a smile, Siesta promptly brought him a bowl of warm stew and soft white bread.

"Thanks."

----

=== Chapter 04 - Part One signing ===

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== Chapter 04 - Part Two ==
=== Page 127 ===

"Today's stew is extra special,"

Siesta declared, looking particularly happy. Saito curiously lifted a spoonful to his mouth and his face instantly lit up.

"Wow, this is delicious! It's worlds apart from that gruel I get!"

At this, Marteau approached the table holding a kitchen knife.

"Well of course. That there stew's the same stuff we serve to the noble kids." 

"I can't believe this is the kind of stuff they get to eat everyday..."

Marteau snorted loudly at Saito's comment.

"Hmph! Sure, they can use magic. Making pots and pans and castles from dirt, conjuring up unbelievable gems, even controlling dragons - so what! But see, creating such exquisite dishes like this is a kind of magic itself. Wouldn't you agree, Saito?"

Saito nodded.

"Totally."

"A fine fellow! You're a good man!"

He put an arm around Saito's shoulders.

"Here, "Our Sword"! Let me place a kiss upon your forehead! Come on! I insist!"

"I'd rather you not. And don't call me that either,"

=== Page 128 ===

''(paragraph continued)''

Saito said.

"Why not?"

"It's just... weird."

The man let go of Saito and spread his arms out in protest.

"But you cut a mage's golem to pieces! Don't you get it?"

"I suppose."

"Say, just where did you learn to use a sword? Tell me where I should go to learn how to swing a sword like that."

Marteau stared earnestly at Saito. He asked the same thing every time Saito came to eat, and Saito's answer was the same every time.

"I don't know. I've never held a sword before. My body just moved by itself."

"You guys! Did you hear that?!"

He yelled, his voice echoing around the kitchen.

The younger cooks and the apprentices shouted back.

"We hear you, boss!"

"This is what they call a true master! They never boast about their skill! Look and learn! A true master never boasts!"

=== Page 129 ===

The cooks chanted happily.

"A true master never boasts!"

Then Marteau turned back around to face Saito.

"You know, "Our Sword," I'm starting to like you more and more. So how about it?"

"Um, how about what...?"

He was simply telling the truth, but Marteau always thought he was just being modest. It was somewhat frustrating. It made him want to shut the good-natured man up. Saito's gaze dropped down to the runes on his left hand.

''Since that day, it doesn't glow anymore. Just what was that, I wonder...'' Even when Saito tried to make a point of staring at his own runes, Marteau interpreted that as him being reserved.

The chef turned to Siesta.

"Siesta!"

"Yes?"

Siesta, who had been cheerfully watching the two of them get along, responded brightly.

"Bring our hero here some of Albion's finest."

Her smile widened, and retrieving a bottle of vintage wine from the rack,

=== Page 130 ===

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she poured some into Saito's glass. Siesta looked on absorbedly as Saito's face grew redder and redder from the wine. The events repeat almost routinely:

Saito visits the kitchen, Marteau becomes more attached to Saito, and Siesta's respect for him deepens further.

Although that particular day... there was a crimson shadow  spying on Saito from a window of the kitchen. One of the young cooks took notice of it.

"Hey, there's something outside the window."

The shadow gave a garbled 'kyuru kyuru' and slinked away.

So far, the day has consisted of breakfast, cleaning, and laundry. After that, he accompanies Louise in class. Originally, he was made to sit on the floor, but after Louise realized he became rather transfixed with peering up other girls' skirts, she reluctantly let him sit on a chair. And she made it clear to Saito that should his vision ever stray too far from the blackboard, he would be denied lunch.

In the beginning, the lessons fascinated Saito with their marvels: turning water into wine, combining various reagents to brew special potions, materializing fireballs out of nothing, levitating boxes and nuts and balls

=== Page 131 ===

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out of the class windows for their familiars to fetch, etc... but after a while, the novelty wore off.

And so he took up napping instead. The professor and Louise would give Saito evil looks every once in a while, but there were no rules that forbid familiars from sleeping during lessons. And just looking around the class, all the nocturnal familiars and even someone's crow were snoozing away. In fact, if they were to wake Saito up, it would mean that they were acknowledging him as a human. Louise chewed her lips with the overwhelming desire to give the sleeping Saito a piece of her mind, but she couldn't because doing so would mean contradicting herself about him being nothing more than a familiar.

That same day, bathed in sunlight, Saito was fast asleep during another lesson.

The wine he drank that morning was taking its effect on him, and Saito dreamed.

It was quite an unbelievable dream.

''"What's wrong, Louise...?"''

At hearing her name being called, Louise shot a glare at Saito.

''"You can't sleep? Oh, alright... can't be helped. Munya~"'' 

Oh, he's just muttering in his sleep, she thought, and faced the front again.

=== Page 132 ===

''"...Munya. H-hey, don't hug me all of a sudden."''

Louise's gaze snapped to Saito once more. The other students were starting to take notice of the situation, and perked their ears to listen.

''"...Jeez, for the slave driver you are during the day, you're such a sweet little thing in bed."''

A trickle of drool ran down from the corner of Saito's mouth as he continued to enjoy his dream.

Louise grabbed his shoulders and shook him vigorously.

"Hey! Just what kind of dream are you having?!"

Her classmates burst out laughing. Malicorne the Windward made a passing comment.

"Oi oi, Louise! Is that the kind of thing you do with your familiar at night? I'm surprised!"

The female students whispered something amongst themselves.

"Wait! This is just some stupid sleep-talk! Ah, jeez! Wake up already!"

''"Louise, Louise, you're like a kitten, licking me there like that..."''

At this, the laughter threatened to burst through the ceiling.

Louise kicked Saito off the chair, violently returning him to reality from his soft and gentle dreamscape.

"Wh-what was that for?!"

"Since when have I ever snuck into your haystack?!"

=== Page 133 - Illustration ===

Illustration -- ''Set phasers to 'tsun'...''

=== Page 134 ===

Louise crossed her arms and looked down imposingly on Saito.

Saito shook his head profusely, only further amusing the class.

"Saito, explain to these rather rude people that I never take one step out of my own bed during the night."

"That's right, everyone. I was simply dreaming out loud just now. Louise would never do such a thing."

The students turned away disappointedly.

"Isn't it obvious? Like I would ever do something like that! With this thing, no less! This thing! To even think that I would curl up in bed with this lower life form is far beyond being a joke!"

Louise huffed haughtily, averting her gaze upwards.

"But, my dreams often come true."

Saito piped up.

"Indeed! Dreams do have the power to foretell the future, after all!" Someone in the room supplied in agreement.

"My master here, with her personality, probably won't ever find herself a lover."

A vast majority of the students nodded. Louise shot Saito another evil look, but it was too late. Saito was on a roll.

----

=== Chapter 04 - Part Two signing ===

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== Chapter 04 - Part Three ==
=== Page 135 ===

"My poor master gets quite "frustrated" as a result, and instead resorts to slipping into this familiar's humble haystack."

Louise put her hands on her hips and strongly reprimanded Saito.

"Close that unclean mouth of yours immediately, you hear?"

That didn't stop Saito from continuing either.

"When she does, I have to fend her off a bit..."

By this point, he was too far gone. Louise's shoulders began to tremble angrily.

"And tell her, 'this isn't where you sleep.'"

The class applauded. Saito mimicked an elegant bow and went to sit back down.

Louise kicked him away, sending him rolling across the floor.

"Don't kick me!"

But Louise was beyond the point of reasoning. Her gaze was fixed firmly forward, and like always, her shoulders shook with barely contained fury,

Once again, there was a crimson shadow watching Saito.

It was Kirche's salamander. With its belly to the floor, it stared at Saito through the gap in the row of chairs.

"Hm?"

===Page 136 ===

Noticing it, Saito waved his hand at it.

"You're Kirche's salamander, aren't you? I know you have a name. What was it... Oh yeah, it's Flame. Flame-"

Saito motioned for it to come closer, but the salamander flicked its tail around and spat out a few embers before running back to its master.

"Why would a lizard be so interested in me?"

Saito tilted his head in puzzlement.

And while Saito was having a staring contest with a salamander during class...

At the Headmaster's Office, Miss Longueville the secretary was busily scribing away at something.

She stopped writing for a moment and glanced over at the sequoia desk at which Sir Osmond was busy taking a nap.

The corner of Miss Longueville's lips rose in a faint smirk, an expression she had never shown anyone before.

She stood up from her desk.

In a low voice, she murmured the incantation for a "Silence" spell. Dampening her footsteps as not to wake Osmond, she crept out of the office.

=== Page 137 ===

Her destination was the treasury, located on the floor directly below the Headmaster's Office.

Stepping off the stairs, she confronted enormous iron doors. It was kept shut with a thick bolt mechanism, which in turn was secured with an equally large padlock.

This place was where artifacts dating even before the Academy's establishment were contained. After cautiously surveying her surroundings, Miss Longueville withdrew her wand from a pocket. It was about the length of a pencil, but at the flick of a wrist, it extended to the length of an conductor's baton, which she whirled expertly.

Miss Longueville cast another spell.

Once the invocation was complete, she pointed the baton at the padlock.

However... nothing happened.

"Well, it's not like I really expected an "Unlock" spell to work anyway."

Smiling deviously, she began reciting the words to one of her specialty spells.

It was a Transmutation spell. Chanting loud and clear, she waved her baton at the heavy lock. The magic cascaded over it... but even after a considerable wait, there was no visible change.

"Looks like it's been magically reinforced by a Square-class mage."

She whispered that a "Reinforcement" spell was one that prevented the oxidation and decomposition of matter. Any substance that had this spell cast on it was protected from any chemical reactions, and allowed it to be preserved

=== Page 138 ===

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forever in that state. Even transmutation magic would have no effect against something protected like this. Only if one's magical skill surpassed that of the mage who cast the reinforcement could the spell be overcome.

As it was, the mage who had enchanted this door was apparently an extremely powerful mage. Considering not even Miss Longueville, an expert in Earth magic and transmutation in particular, was able to affect the door.

Taking off her glasses, she stared at the door once more. At this point, she heard footsteps coming up the staircase.

She shrunk down her baton and slipped it back into her pocket.

The person who appeared was Colbert.

"Greetings, Miss Longueville. What are you doing here?"

"Mister Colbert, I was going to catalogue the contents of the treasury, but..."

"Oh, that's quite some work. It'd probably take you all day to go over each and every item. There's a lot of junk mixed together with them, and it's a rather narrow little space they've been arranged in too."

"Indeed."

"Why don't you just borrow the key from Old Osmond?"

The woman smiled.

=== Page 139 ===

"Well... I didn't want to disturb his sleep. In any case, I'm in no immediate hurry to complete the catalogue..."

"I see. Sleep, you say. That old man, I mean, Old Osmond, is quite a deep sleeper. It seems I shall have to visit him another time."

Mister Colbert began to walk off, but paused in his tracks, and even retraced them.

"Err... Miss Longueville?"

"Is something the matter?"

Colbert looked slightly embarrassed as he opened his mouth to speak.

"If it would be alright, how would you like to, say... join me for lunch?"

She took a moment to consider, then smiled brightly as she accepted the offer.

"Sure, it'd be my pleasure."

The two of them headed down the stairs.

"Hey, Mister Colbert."

In slightly informal tones, Miss Longueville struck up conversation again.

"Y-yes? What is it?"

Emboldened by how easily his invitation had been taken up, Colbert responded quite eagerly to her.

"Is anything actually inside the treasury?"

=== Page 140 ===

"There is."

"Then, do you know of the 'Staff of Destruction'?"

"Ah, that is quite a curiously shaped item, indeed."

Her eyes glinted.

"What... kind of shape?"

"It's extremely difficult to describe, except as simply strange, yes. But never mind that, what would you like to eat? Today's menu is flounder baked in herbs... but I'm quite well-acquainted with Marteau the head chef, and I can have him make any of the world's finest delica--"

"Mister."

Miss Longueville interrupted Colbert's babbling.

"Y-yes?"

"I must say, the treasury is quite amazingly built. No matter what kind of magic is tried, it would be impossible to open, I assume?"

"That's quite right. It's impossible for just any one mage. After all, it's been designed to be only neutralized by multiple Square-class mages."

"I'm very impressed that you're so knowledgeable about this, Mister Colbert."

She regarded him with a comfortable expression.

=== Page 141 ===

"Eh? Well... Haha, I just happened to come across a lot of the documents pertaining to this floor, that's all... I like to consider it a part of my research, haha. Thanks to that, I'm still single at this age... yes."

"I'm sure the woman that you find will be very happy to be with you. After all, you can teach her so much about things that nobody else knows..."

Miss Longueville fixed him with a fascinated look.

"Oh, no! Please don't tease me like that!"

Colbert flustered nervously as he wiped sweat from his balding forehead. Then, regaining composure, he faced her seriously.

"Miss Longueville. Have you heard of the Ball of Frigg that is being held on the day of Yule?" 

"No, I haven't."

"Haha, I guess it's because you've only been in Tristain for two months. Well, it's nothing spectacular, just a party of sorts. However, it's said that a couple who dances at this ball will be destined to be together or something like that. It's just a petty legend of course! Yes!"

"So?"

Smiling, she pressed him to continue.

"So... if it would be alright, I was wondering if you would dance with me, yes."

"I would love to. While ball parties are fabulous, I'd like to know more about the treasury right now. I'm

=== Page 142 ===

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quite fascinated by magical items, you see."

Wanting to further impress Miss Longueville, Colbert racked his brains. ''Treasury, treasury, she says...''

Remembering something she might find interesting, he put on an important air and started to talk.

"Ah yes, there's one thing I can tell you. Although it's not particularly important..."

"By all means, do tell."

"Certainly, the treasury is invincible against magical attacks, but I believe it has one fatal weakness."

"Oh, that's intriguing."

"That weakness is... physical force."

"Physical force?"

"Yes! For example, well, not that this is ever likely, but a giant golem could--"

"A giant golem?"

Colbert stated his opinion quite proudly to Miss Longueville. And once he was done talking, she couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.

"That was most intriguing indeed, Mister Colbert."

----

=== Chapter 04 - Part Three signing ===

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Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-17T02:48:47Z

Lambchopsil: ...

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and naturally, he was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing but the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Colbert was now in a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry to.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the title of the book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" he gasped in surprise. At that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

<center>* * *</center>

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with his elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and collected Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only gave hints to the history of his life. People guessed him to be a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knew. It's possible he himself didn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

"Chuchu," the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

This "peaceful" moment was interrupted by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly a quick recovery.  

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-P-Please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... What was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talked so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun, what is it about this book?"

"Please take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us?"

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

<center>* * *</center>

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatized.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed to the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he'd had to do all that manual labor

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito who had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito who had moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who had wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise had done was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

"'Louise the Zero.' Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only 'the Zero' screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom," mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familiar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's all right! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

<center>* * *</center>

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow, she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realized he'd gone too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero!' And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leaned one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seemed she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite a rumor, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.


"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

<center>* * *</center>

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different from the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero.'"

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be happy to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... It's just that it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay," Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So, Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out?' I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

At that moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something, playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realized where the bottle came from and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation, but..."

As Guiche was about to say more, a girl, who wore a brown cloak and had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. According to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"They’re misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognized her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was first summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..." Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought! You've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured its contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existence."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that,'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now?"

Guiche spun his body about on the chair and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputation of two ladies has been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly, Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that "Louise the Zero." To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you over-pretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper etiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls - though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's all right. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... You're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about?'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo, Louise."

"This is no time to be "yo"-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologize to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologize. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologize?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'll be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, right?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah, jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

<center>* * *</center>

Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day, but it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumors.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here instead!" Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin," said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person’s, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... Its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is "the Bronze." Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem "Valkyrie" shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh, Louise! My bad. I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
The following Editors Approve:

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Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm all right, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?" said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to stop! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

"Shut up," Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple "I'm sorry." Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

""But..." What?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

<center>* * *</center>

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond about the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning... About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise... And that when he had gone to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womanizer. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the "Bell of Sleep" to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying the situation at Vestri Courts.

<center>* * *</center>

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realized the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed like an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get?''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again.

'Stupid tin can.''

The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junk pile?''

Saito leapt into action.

<center>* * *</center>

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding "clang."

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether, seven golems was Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.


The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud "thunk"...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said,

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as "Woah, that familiar is awesome!" or "Oh man, Guiche lost!"

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

<center>* * *</center>

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to "just a commoner.""

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the students amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

<center>* * *</center>

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot  mage, but even so, he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"


"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have been created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However, that made his spells very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spell casting. Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere, but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just can't see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologize for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least an arm and a hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now, those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now, Saito-san?"

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell, so don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot for that reagent?"

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologize about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

''Although I really have no clue how I actually won.''

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realized he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-Yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What?"

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still an injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:42:55Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 84 */

== Signing Off ==

'''Editors please sign off when you are satisfied that section is finished.

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'''
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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
The following Editors Agree:

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----

===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a "peaceful" time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talked so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun, what is it about this book?"

"Please take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatized.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labor

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

""Louise the Zero." Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only "the Zero" screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom," mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familiar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow, she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realized he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said "Zero"! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leaned one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seemed she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumor, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain,'' Saito thought about saying, but he decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different than the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her "Louise the Zero.""

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay," Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So, Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

""Go out"? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:41:24Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 82 */

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a "peaceful" time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talked so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun, what is it about this book?"

"Please take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatized.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labor

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

""Louise the Zero." Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only "the Zero" screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom," mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familiar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow, she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realized he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said "Zero"! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leaned one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seemed she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumor, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain,'' Saito thought about saying, but he decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different than the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her "Louise the Zero.""

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

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== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:39:47Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 81 */

== Signing Off ==

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==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a "peaceful" time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talked so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun, what is it about this book?"

"Please take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatized.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labor

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

""Louise the Zero." Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only "the Zero" screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom," mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familiar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow, she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realized he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said "Zero"! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leaned one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seemed she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumor, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain,'' Saito thought about saying, but he decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different than the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:38:36Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 80 */

== Signing Off ==

'''Editors please sign off when you are satisfied that section is finished.

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'''
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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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----

===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a "peaceful" time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talked so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun, what is it about this book?"

"Please take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatized.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labor

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

""Louise the Zero." Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only "the Zero" screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom," mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familiar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow, she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realized he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said "Zero"! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leaned one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seemed she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumor, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain,'' Saito thought about saying, but he decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:36:07Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 79 */

== Signing Off ==

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a "peaceful" time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talked so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun, what is it about this book?"

"Please take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatized.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labor

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

""Louise the Zero." Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only "the Zero" screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom," mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familiar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow, she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realized he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said "Zero"! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leaned one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

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== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:33:51Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 77 */

== Signing Off ==

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==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a "peaceful" time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talked so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun, what is it about this book?"

"Please take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatized.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labor

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

""Louise the Zero." Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only "the Zero" screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom," mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familiar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realised he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero'! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leant one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:31:51Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 76 */

== Signing Off ==

'''Editors please sign off when you are satisfied that section is finished.

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'''
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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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----

===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a "peaceful" time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talked so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun, what is it about this book?"

"Please take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatized.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labor

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

"'Louise the Zero.' Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only 'the Zero' screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom", mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow  was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realised he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero'! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leant one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:29:33Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 75 */

== Signing Off ==

'''Editors please sign off when you are satisfied that section is finished.

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a "peaceful" time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is "The Familiars of the Founder Brimir," is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talk so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun. What is it about this book?"

"Pleast take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatised.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labour

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

"'Louise the Zero.' Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only 'the Zero' screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom", mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow  was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realised he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero'! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leant one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

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== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:28:28Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 74 */

== Signing Off ==

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==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah, yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a 'peaceful' time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is 'The Familiars of the Founder Brimir', is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talk so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun. What is it about this book?"

"Pleast take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatised.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labour

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

"'Louise the Zero.' Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only 'the Zero' screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom", mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow  was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realised he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero'! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leant one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:27:05Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 73 */

== Signing Off ==

'''Editors please sign off when you are satisfied that section is finished.

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'''
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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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----

===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad," Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White, and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a 'peaceful' time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is 'The Familiars of the Founder Brimir', is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talk so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun. What is it about this book?"

"Pleast take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatised.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labour

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

"'Louise the Zero.' Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only 'the Zero' screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom", mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow  was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realised he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero'! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leant one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:15:39Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 72 */

== Signing Off ==

'''Editors please sign off when you are satisfied that section is finished.

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it, he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly, "Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair and walked up to the cool and looked at Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond," Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly, and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad."

Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White, and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a 'peaceful' time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is 'The Familiars of the Founder Brimir', is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talk so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun. What is it about this book?"

"Pleast take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatised.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labour

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

"'Louise the Zero.' Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only 'the Zero' screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom", mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow  was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realised he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero'! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leant one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

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== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T08:04:56Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 71 */

== Signing Off ==

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==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

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== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

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===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air, and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly.

"Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair, and walked up to the cool and collected Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond."

Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly, and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad."

Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White, and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a 'peaceful' time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is 'The Familiars of the Founder Brimir', is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talk so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun. What is it about this book?"

"Pleast take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatised.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labour

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

"'Louise the Zero.' Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only 'the Zero' screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom", mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow  was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realised he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero'! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leant one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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Revision 2 - This section is finished and is ready for Baka-Tsuki pdf release.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-12-14T06:36:39Z

Lambchopsil: /* Page 70 */

== Signing Off ==

'''Editors please sign off when you are satisfied that section is finished.

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*Each page is now its own section. This is to aid editing (though it makes the TOC box pretty ugly). Please try to edit individual sections whenever possible (by clicking on the "edit" link on the right side of the page), to minimize the chance of your changes colliding with edits by another contributer. [[User:BlckKnght|BlckKnght]] 02:52, 20 August 2006 (PDT)

==[[zeroNT:Komgvol03editcontrol|Raw English Translation Available Here]]==

This page is for reference purposes, as a 'control'

It is protected to prevent mishaps.

== Chapter 03 ==

==== Chapter 03 - Part 1.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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----

===Page 70===

'''Chapter Three: Legend'''

Mister Colbert was a teacher who had dedicated twenty years to Tristein Magic Academy and was by now a mainstay figure.

His Runic name was "Colbert the Flame Snake," and he naturally was a mage specializing in fire magic.

Since the Springtime Familiar Summoning a few days ago, he'd been concerned about the commoner boy that Louise had summoned. Or more precisely, he'd been concerned with nothing apart from the runes that had appeared on that boy's left hand. They were rare runes indeed, so for the last few nights, he'd confined himself to the library and had been researching various texts.

Tristein Magic Academy's library was located in the same tower as the dining hall was. The bookshelves were unbelievably tall, about 30 meters in height, and the way they were lined up against the walls was a spectacle to behold. And rightly so, since this place was crammed with the history of everything following the creation of the new world in Halkeginia by the Founder Brimir.

Where Colbert was now was a section of the library called "Fenir's Library" which only teachers were allowed entry.

===Page 71===

The ordinary bookshelves that even students had free access to didn't hold any answers that could satisfy him.

Using a Levitation spell, he floated up to an out-of-reach shelf and scanned it intently for a particular book.

His efforts were rewarded, as his gaze fell upon the description of one book.

It was a very old text, which held descriptions of the familiars that had been used by the Founder Brimir.

His attention was focused on one particular paragraph written in it, and as he read on in fascination, his eyes grew wide.

He compared the book with the sketch he'd made of the runes on the boy's left hand.

"Ah!" He gasped in surprise. In that moment, he lost the concentration necessary for maintaining his Levitation, and almost fell to the floor.

Holding the book in his arms, he hurriedly descended to the floor and ran out of the library.

His destination was the Headmaster's Office.

The Headmaster's Office was located on the topmost floor of the tower. Sir Osmond, the current Headmaster of Tristein Magic Academy, sat with elbows propped on his elegantly built sequoia  desk, looking unbearably bored as he shook his white beard and hair.

===Page 72===

He'd been idly plucking out nose hairs, but he slowly murmured "hrm" and pulled out a desk drawer.

From inside it he procured a smoking pipe.

As he did, Miss Longueville, the secretary who had been writing something at the other desk placed to the side of the room, waved her feather quill.

The pipe floated into the air, and landed in Miss Longueville's palm. Sir Osmond muttered dejectedly.

"Is it fun taking away an old man's little pleasures? Miss..."

"Managing your health is also part of my job, Old Osmond."

Sir Osmond stood up from his chair, and walked up to the cool and collected Miss Longueville. Stopping behind the seated Longueville, he closed his eyes with a serious expression.

"If the days keep passing by so peacefully, figuring out how to spend time is going to become a rather big problem."

The wrinkles etched deeply on Osmond's face only hinted to the history of his life. People say he's a hundred years old, even three hundred years old. But as to his true age, no one really knows. It's possible he himself doesn't know anymore either.

"Old Osmond."

Miss Longueville called to him, without taking her eyes off the feather quill that was scribbling away on the parchment.

===Page 73===

"What is it? Miss..."

"Please stop saying you have nothing to do as an excuse to touch my bottom."

Sir Osmond then opened his mouth slightly, and began walking around in tottering steps.

"Please stop pretending to be senile whenever a situation goes bad."

Longueville added calmly. Sir Osmond sighed deeply. It was a sigh bearing the weight of many troubles.

"Where do you think the ultimate truth may be? Haven't you ever wondered that? Miss..."

"Wherever it is, I assure it's not in my skirt, so please stop sneaking your mouse under the desk."

Sir Osmond's face fell, and he murmured sadly.

"Montsognir."

From under Miss Longueville's desk scurried out a little mouse. It dashed up Osmond's leg and perched on his shoulder, twitching its tiny head. He fished out some nuts from a pocket and held one out to the mouse.

Chuchu, the mouse chittered, apparently pleased.


"You're my only truly trustworthy friend, Montsognir."

The mouse began nibbling on the nut. It disappeared quickly, and the mouse chittered "chuchu" once more.

===Page 74===

"Ah yes, yes. You want more? Very well, I shall give you more. But first, I would ask that you report back, Montsognir."

Chuchu.

"I see. White, and plain white too, hrm. But Miss Longueville should really stick to black. Wouldn't you agree, my cute Montsognir?"

Miss Longueville's eyebrows twitched.

"Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

"The next time you do that, I'm reporting it to the palace."

"Kah! Do you think I could be Headmaster of this Academy if I was scared of the palace all the time?!"

Sir Osmond flashed his eyes wide and yelled angrily. It was an impressive display, completely unexpected of a frail-looking old man.

"Don't get all prissy just because I peeked at your underwear! At this rate, you'll never get married! Haa~~ To be young again~~ Miss..."

Old Osmond began stroking Miss Longueville's bottom without hesitation.

Miss Longueville stood up and wordlessly kicked her boss around.

"Sorry. Stop. Ow. I won't do it anymore. Really."

Old Osmond covered his head and cowered. Miss Longueville breathed heavily as she

===Page 75===

''(paragraph continued)''

continued kicking Osmond.

"Ack! How can you! Treat a senior! In this way! Hey! Ouch!"

Such a 'peaceful' time was upturned by a sudden intrusion.

The door was thrown open with a slam, and Colbert rushed inside.

"Old Osmond!"

"What is it?"

Miss Longueville was back at her desk, sitting there as if nothing had happened. Sir Osmond had his arms behind him, and turned to face the visitor with a serious expression. That was certainly some quick acting.

"I-I-I have some big news!"

"There is no such thing as big news. Everything is but a collection of small events."

"P-p-please take a look at this!"

Colbert handed Osmond the book he had been reading just before.

"This is 'The Familiars of the Founder Brimir', is it not? Are you still going around digging up old literature like this? If you have time to do that, why don't you think up some better ways of collecting school fees from those slack nobles? Mister, err... what was it again?"

Sir Osmond cocked his head.

"It's Colbert! You forgot?!"

===Page 76===

"Right, right. Now I remember. It's just that you talk so fast I never really caught it. So, Colbert-kun. What is it about this book?"

"Pleast take a look at this also!"

Colbert then handed him the sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

The moment he saw that, Osmond's expression changed. His eyes took on a solemn light.

"Miss Longueville, would you please excuse us."

Miss Longueville stood up and left the room. Osmond spoke only after he confirmed she was properly outside.

"Explain this to me with every detail, Mister Colbert..."

It was just before lunchtime when they were finally done tidying up the classroom that Louise had made a mess of. As punishment, using magic to clean up had been forbidden, so it had taken considerable time to finish. But then again, Louise couldn't really use most spells anyway, so it didn't affect her much. Mrs. Chevreuse regained consciousness two hours after she'd been caught in the explosion, and while she did return to class, she didn't give any more lectures on Transmutation for that entire day. It would seem she was rather traumatised.

Having finished tidying up, Louise and Saito headed for the dining hall for lunch.
Along the way, Saito made fun of Louise over and over. After all, it was Louise's fault that he had to do all that manual labour

===Page 77===

''(paragraph continued)''

just now. It was Saito that had carried over the new window glass. It was Saito that moved all the heavy desks. And of course, it was Saito who wiped the soot-blackened classroom clean with a cloth. All Louise did was wipe down a few desks, and reluctantly at that.

''I have to sleep on the floor. The food sucks. And on top of that, I have to wash underwear. (Not that I've done it yet.)''

With all that mistreatment from Louise, there was no way Saito could keep quiet about her new-found weakness. He teased Louise like there was no tomorrow.

"'Louise the Zero.' Now I get it~ That's just perfect~ Rate of success is zero. But a noble despite that... wonderful!"

Louise didn't say a word, which only roused Saito further.

"Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Transmutation! Ah! Kaboom! Oh, I screwed up! Only 'the Zero' screws this up!"

Saito danced circles around Louise like this, raising his arms every time he said "kaboom", mimicking an explosion. It was quite a detailed performance.

"Louise-ojousama. This humble familar has made a song for you."

Saito said, bowing his head respectfully. Of course, it was an empty gesture, a complete mockery.

Louise's eyebrow  was twitching furiously. She was on the verge of blowing her top, but Saito was too absorbed in his excitement to notice that.

===Page 78===

"Why don't you go ahead and sing it?"

"'Lou-Lou-Louise is such a hopeless case~ A magician that can't even use magic! But that's alright! Because she's a girl...'"

Saito held his stomach as he burst into laughter.

"Bwahahaha!!"

He was laughing at his own joke. Perhaps he was just as hopeless.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Saito pulled out a chair for Louise.

"Just remember, ojousama. Don't cast any spells on the food. Just imagine the mess if it exploded."

Louise took the seat wordlessly. Saito was feeling thoroughly satisfied, having got one back on the rude and arrogant Louise with his putdowns. Even the usual excuse for a meal didn't bother him as much.

While the meager soup and bread he got served was still painful to behold, it was a pretty even trade-off for getting to laugh so much just earlier.

"Right then, Founder someone-or-another. Your Highness the Queen. Thanks a bunch for the crappy food. Itadakimasu."

As he went to eat, the plate was snatched away.

"What are you doing?!"

===Page 79===

"Th-th-th..."

"'Th-th-th'?"

Louise's shoulders shook angrily, as did her voice. Somehow she'd managed to reign in her overflowing fury until they'd arrived at the dining table. Probably so that she could bestow an appropriate punishment.

"Th-th-th-this familiar, how dare it say s-s-s-such things to its m-m-m-master?"

Saito realised he went too far.

"I'm sorry! I won't say any more, so give me back my food!"

"No! Absolu~~tely not!"

Louise screamed, twisting her cute face in rage.

"One meal cut for every time you've said 'Zero'! And that's final! No exceptions!"

In the end, Saito left the dining hall without having eaten anything.

''I shouldn't have been so sarcastic about it...'' But it was too late to regret.

"Haa, I'm starving... Damn..."

Clutching his stomach, he leant one hand on a wall.

"Is something the matter?"

He turned around to see a normal-looking girl in a maid's outfit carrying a big silver tray,

===Page 80===

''(paragraph continued)''

looking concernedly at him. Her black hair was neatly adorned with a headband, and her freckles were cute.

"It's nothing..." Saito waved his left hand.

"Are you by any chance, the one who became Miss Valliere's familiar...?"

It seems she noticed the runes inscribed on Saito's left hand.

"You know me?"

"A little. It's become quite the rumour, you know, that a commoner was called by the summoning magic."

The girl smiled sweetly. It was the first carefree smile Saito had seen since he came to this world.

"Are you a mage too?" Saito asked.

"Oh no, not me. I'm a commoner just like you. I serve the nobility here by doing domestic duties."

''I'm actually from Earth, and not a commoner, but it's probably useless to try explain.'' Saito decided to just introduce himself.

"I see... Well, I'm Hiraga Saito. Nice to meet you."

"That's quite a strange name... I'm Siesta."

At that point, Saito's stomach grumbled.

"You must be hungry."

"Yeah..."

===Page 81===

"Please follow me this way."

Siesta walked off.

Saito was led to the kitchen located at the rear of the dining hall. Lots of large pots and ovens were lined up inside. Cooks and other maids like Siesta were busily preparing food.

"Please wait one moment, okay?"

Siesta had Saito sit on a chair placed in the corner of the kitchen, and disappeared hastily into the back.

She soon returned with a bowl full of warm stew in her hands.

"This is some stew made from the leftovers of the nobles' meals. If you don't mind, please eat this."

"Can I?"

"Yes. It's only the staff meal though..."

Her kindness was touching. This was completely different to the soup that Louise had given him. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. ''Delicious. I'm going to cry.''


"This is so good~!"

"That's great. There's plenty if you want seconds, so take your time."

Saito ate the stew as if in a dream. Siesta stood watching him,

===Page 82===

''(paragraph continued)''

smiling sweetly all the while.

"Weren't you given anything to eat?"

"That girl went and took my plate away when I called her 'Louise the Zero'."

"Oh no! You shouldn't say things like that to nobles!"

"Noble schmoble. Getting all high-horsed just because they can use magic."

"You must have a lot of courage..."

Siesta looked at Saito with an expression of amazement.

Saito gave Siesta back the empty bowl.

"That was really tasty. Thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it. Feel free to visit whenever you're hungry. If you don't mind having whatever we're having, I'd be pleased to share."

Such a kind offer. Saito was even more touched.

"Thanks..."

Saito suddenly broke out in tears, surprising Siesta.

"Wh-what's the matter?"

"No... it's just that I, it's the first time anyone's been so nice to me since I came to this world... I got a bit emotional..."

"Th-that's an exaggeration."

===Page 83===

Illustration -- ''Do you do takeaways here too?''

===Page 84===

"It's not. If there's anything I can do for you, just tell me. I'll lend a hand."

He wasn't particularly interested in something like washing Louise's underwear, and would much rather help this girl instead.

"In that case, please help me serve the desserts."

Siesta said with a smile.

"Okay." Saito nodded enthusiastically.

Lots of dessert cakes were arranged on a big silver tray. Saito carried the tray, while Siesta picked up the cakes with tongs and served them one by one to the nobles.

One mage in particular stood out. He had curly blonde hair, wore a frill-trimmed shirt, and looked rather self-important. There was a rose stuck in his shirt pocket too. His friends around him were poking all kinds of fun at him.

"So Guiche! Who're you going out with now?"

"Who's your lover, Guiche?"

So it seemed the prideful mage was called Guiche. He gently raised a finger to his lips.

"'Go out'? I hold no one woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."

''This guy's likening himself to a rose. An egotist like this is far beyond help.'' He was the kind of narcissist that made onlookers more embarrassed than himself. Saito glared at him, hoping he'd just die.

===Page 85===

That moment, something fell out of Guiche's pocket. It was a small glass bottle, with a purple liquid swirling inside it.

''I don't really like this guy, but I should still tell him he dropped something.''

Saito called out to Guiche.

"Oi, you dropped this bottle from your pocket."

But Guiche didn't turn around. ''This guy's ignoring me!''

Saito passed the tray to Siesta, and bent down to pick up the bottle.

"I said, you dropped something. Playboy."

He placed it on the table. Guiche shot Saito a dirty look, and pushed the bottle away.

"This is not mine. What are you talking about?"

Guiche's friends then realised were the bottle came from, and raised a loud commotion.

"Ooh? That perfume, isn't that Montmorency's?"

"Yeah! That vivid purple color is the perfume that Montmorency only mixes for herself!"

"So to have something like that fall out of your pocket, Guiche, means that you're going out with Montmorency now, right?"

===Page 86===

"No wait, listen to me. I'm saying this for the sake of her reputation but..."

As Guiche was about to say something further, a girl wearing a brown cloak that had been sitting at the table behind them, stood up and walked over to Guiche's seat.

She was a cute girl sporting chestnut-colored hair. And according to the color of the cloak she wore, she was a first year student.

"Guiche-sama..."

And with that, she started crying uncontrollably.

"I knew it, you and Miss Montmorency are..."

"It's their misunderstanding. Katie, listen. The only person I hold in my heart is you..."

But the girl called Katie slapped Guiche's face as hard as she could.

"That perfume you dropped from your pocket is more than enough proof! Goodbye!"

Guiche rubbed his cheek.

At this point, a girl with tightly rolled hair stood up from a seat further down the table. Saito recognised her as the girl who had an argument with Louise when he was summoned to this world.

Wearing a severe expression, she approached Guiche with quick clipped steps.

"Montmorency. This is a misunderstanding. All I did was accompany her on a long trip to the forests

===Page 87===

''(paragraph continued)''

of La Rochelle..."

Guiche said, shaking his head. While he was pretending to remain composed, a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead.

"Just as I thought, you've been making moves on that first year, haven't you?!"

"Please, Montmorency the Perfume. Don't twist your rose-like face in anger like that. It makes saddens me to see it!"

Montmorency grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured it contents out audibly on Guiche's head.

And then...

"You liar!"

She yelled, and stormed off.

Silence fell upon the hall.

Guiche pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped at his face. Shaking his head, he spoke dramatically.

"It would seem those ladies do not understand the meaning of a rose's existance."

''Yeah, and you just keep trying that.'' Saito thought, as he took the tray back from Siesta and began walking off.

Guiche called him to a stop.

===Page 88===

"Stop right there."

"What now."

Guiche spun his body about on the chair, and crossed his legs with a flourish. It gave Saito a headache to see such arrogance exude from every action.

"Thanks to you thoughtlessly picking up some bottle of perfume, the reputations of two ladies have been damaged. How will you take responsibility?"

Saito replied in an exasperated tone.

"Hey, it's your fault for two-timing."

Guiche's friends burst out laughing.

"Exactly Guiche! It's your fault!"

Guiche's face flushed crimson.

"Listen, server. When you put the bottle of perfume on the table, I pretended not to know anything, didn't I? Would it have hurt to be a little bit tactful and just went along with it?"

"Whatever. Either way, your two-timing would've been blown anyway. And also, I'm not a server."

"Hmph... Ah, you are..."

Guiche snorted, as if looking down on Saito.

"You must be the commoner summoned by that 'Louise the Zero'. To have expected a noble's wits from a commoner

===Page 89===

''(paragraph continued)''

was completely my mistake. You may leave."

Saito snapped then. Pretty boy or not, there was no way Saito was just going to stand there quietly taking all this from such a conceited narcissist. He couldn't help but make one inflammatory comment.

"Shut up you overpretentious bastard. Why don't you go suck on roses for the rest of your life?"

Guiche's eyes narrowed.

"It would seem that you don't know the proper ettiquette for addressing a noble."

"Unfortunately, I come from a world where there are no such people as nobles."

Saito raised his right hand and spoke imperiously, mimicking Guiche's actions.

"Very well. Then I shall teach you a lesson about respect. A perfect way to relieve some stress." 

Guiche stood up.

"How amusing."

Saito bared his teeth and growled. ''First, I didn't like this guy right from the start. Second, he's going out with two fairly cute girls -- though neither are as cute as Louise. And last, he made a fool of me personally.''

''That's more than enough reason for me to fight. And while I'm at it, I'll hit him a couple more times on Louise's behalf. After all, she's still a girl!''

"You wanna do it here?"

===Page 90===

Saito said. Despite being taller than Saito, Guiche was the lanky type, and looked rather weak. Playboys are said to be lacking both money and power. Saito wasn't particularly strong himself, but he didn't think he'd lose.

Guiche turned in the other direction.

"Are you running away?"

"Don't be stupid. I can't taint the dining table of nobles with the blood of a commoner, can I? I'll be waiting at the Vestri Court. Come once you're finished delivering those cakes."

Looking excited, Guiche's friends stood up and followed him off.

One person remained though, as if to make sure Saito didn't run away himself.

Siesta gazed at Saito, her entire body quivering. Saito spoke with a grin.

"It's alright. There's no way I'll lose to that weakling. Some noble, huh?"

"You... you're going to get killed."

"What?"

"If you truly anger a noble..."

Siesta dashed off in a hurry.

''What was that about,'' Saito muttered. ''Is that guy really that strong?''

Louise ran up to him from behind.

===Page 91===

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! I saw all that!"

"Yo Louise."

"This is no time to be 'yo'-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?!"

"But that guy was really irritating me..."

Saito said indignantly.

Louise sighed, and shrugged disappointedly.

"Apologise to him."

"Why?"

"If you don't want to be hurt, go and apologise. If you do it now, he might forgive you."

"Are you kidding! Why do '''I''' have to apologise?! He insulted me first! And besides, I was only being helpful..."

"Just do it."

Louise fixed Saito with a firm look.

"No way."

"So stubborn... But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'd be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."

"I won't know that unless I try, will I?"

===Page 92===

"Listen, a commoner can never beat a mage!"

"So where's this Vestri Court?"

Saito walked off. The friend of Guiche that had been watching Louise and Saito's exchange, pointed with his chin.

"This way, commoner."

"Aaah jeez! Really! Why does this familiar keep going off and doing stuff on its own?!"

With that, Louise chased after Saito.

The Vestri Court was the central garden situated between the Wind and Fire elemental towers. Being located to the west, the Court didn't receive much sunshine, even in the middle of the day. But it was the perfect place for a duel.

Right now... the place was packed with people who had heard the rumours.

"Gentlemen! It's a duel!"

Guiche lifted his artificial rose high, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Guiche is going to duel! His opponent is Louise's commoner!"

''I have a name too y'know...'' Saito thought bitterly.

Waving his arms about, Guiche acknowledged the cheering.

===Page 93===

And then, as if finally noticing Saito's presence there, he turned to face him.

Saito and Guiche stood in the middle of the Court, glaring intently at each other.

"First of all, I commend you for not running away and coming here!"

Guiche remarked in a sing-song voice, as he twirled his rose.

"Like anyone would run away!"

"Right then, let us begin."

Said Guiche.

''Less talk, more action.'' Saito rushed forward. ''Fights are won by whoever gets in the first strike!''

''It's roughly ten paces to where Guiche is. I don't care much for nobles or mages; I'm just going to crush that arrogant nose of yours down to size!''

Guiche watched Saito with a leisurely smile and flicked his rose.

A petal floated down as if dancing in the air...

And became the armor-clad shape of a female warrior.

Its height was about the same as a person, but it appeared to be constructed from some hard metal. Under the pale sunlight, its skin... its armor gleamed.

It stood stoically in Saito's way.

"Wh-what the heck is this?!"

===Page 94===

"I am a mage, therefore I fight using magic. Surely you have no complaints?"

"Wh-why you..."

"I guess I forgot to mention earlier. My Runic name is 'the Bronze'. Guiche the Bronze. Accordingly, my bronze golem 'Valkyrie' shall be your real opponent."

"Eh?"

The warrior-shaped golem charged towards Saito.

Its right fist impacted heavily with Saito's stomach.

"Harg!"


Saito groaned and collapsed to the ground. Not at all surprising, considering he'd been gut-punched by a bronze fist.

The golem looked down on Saito emotionlessly.

He couldn't stand up through the pain. ''I guess this is what it feels like to be hit by a pro boxer,'' he thought.

"What, over already?"

Guiche sounded dissatisfied. From the mass of people, Louise burst out.

"Guiche!"

"Oh Louise! My bad, I'm just borrowing your familiar for a bit."

Louise shook her long hair and yelled angrily at Guiche.

----

==== Chapter 03 - Part 2.0 signing ====

Revision 0.5 - This section has issues that should be considered.
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Revision 1 - This section is in satisfactory condition ready for processing.
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----

== Chapter 03 part 2.0 ==

===Page 95===

"That's quite enough! And besides, dueling is strictly forbidden!"

"Only dueling between nobles is forbidden. Nobody has forbidden duels between commoners and nobles."

Louise was at a momentary loss for words.

"Th-that's because nothing like this has ever happened before..."

"Louise, do you like this commoner?"

Louise's face burned an angry scarlet.

"No! Don't be ridiculous! It's just that I won't put up with having my familiar beaten up before my eyes!"

"...Wh-who's being beaten up? I'm just fine."

"Saito!"

Seeing Saito was up again, Louise practically screamed out his name.

"...Hehehe, you've finally called me by my name."

Louise was trembling.

"You understand now, right? A commoner can never beat a mage!"

"...I was a little careless, that's all. I'm alright, so step back."

Saito pushed Louise away.

===Page 96===

"What's this? I didn't think you could stand up again... Maybe I went too easy on you?"

Said Guiche, provoking Saito further.

Saito walked slowly towards Guiche. Louise followed him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to rest! Idiot! Why are you still standing?"

He shook her hand off his shoulder.

"Because he pisses me off."

"He pisses you off? Look, there's no embarrassment in losing to a mage!"

Saito muttered as he kept taking unsteady steps forward.

"Shut up."

"Eh?"

"Really, you're starting to get on my nerves too... I know next to nothing about mages or nobles, but to me you're all the same bunch of ego-inflated brats. Just what's so brilliant about magic? Idiots."

Guiche watched Saito with a tired smile painted on his face.

"The more you try, the more pointless this becomes."

Saito's characteristic fighting spirit flared, and he uttered a short growl.

"That was nothing. Your little statue, it's too weak."

===Page 97===

The smile fell away. The golem's right hand lashed out to strike Saito's face. He caught the blow square in the cheek and was knocked to the ground.

Blood dripped from his broken nose.

Trying to stem the blood flow, Saito was taken aback.

''Crap... So this is a mage's power. I've been in a few fights here and there, but that punch was like nothing else I'd received before.''

Despite that, he rose shakily to a stand. Guiche's golem mercilessly sent him flying once more with a kick.

He got up again. And was struck down again.

Over and over, the process was repeated.

The eighth punch connected with Saito's right arm. There was a sick snapping noise.

Unable to see out of his swollen shut left eye, he checked his arm with just the right. It was bent at a wrong angle.

While Saito stared blankly at his arm, the golem came over and planted a foot on his face.

His head hit the earth hard, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he could see Louise's face framed by a backdrop of blue sky.

"Please. Just stop now."

===Page 98===

Louise's hazel eyes were wet with tears.

Saito tried to speak, but the pain in his chest from repeated blows was hard to overcome.

Regardless, he concentrated his willpower and managed to croak in a hoarse voice.

"...Are you crying?"

"I am not! Who would cry here? Anyway, this is enough. You did very well. I've never seen a commoner like you before."

His broken arm throbbed with agony. Saito grimaced.

"That... hurts."

"Of course it hurts! That's obvious! Just what were you thinking?"

Tears ran down Louise's face and fell on Saito's cheek.

"You're my familiar, understand? I'm not going to forgive you for any more stupid acts."

Guiche's voice called out to the pair.

"Are we quite done yet?"

"...Hold your horses. I'm just catching my breath."

"Saito!"

Guiche smiled, and flicked his rose. This time, the petal transformed into a sword. Guiche grabbed it and threw it in Saito's direction. The blade point stabbed into the ground not too far from

===Page 99===

''(paragraph continued)''

where Saito lay.

"If you're still willing to continue, then take that sword. If not, all you need to say is a simple 'I'm sorry'. Then I can just forgive you and be done with it."

"Don't insult him!"

Louise yelled, standing up. But Guiche gave no indication that he heard her and kept talking.

"Understand? The sword. In other words, a weapon. It's the very least you commoners will need if you want to take revenge against us nobles. So as I said, if you're still up for it, take that sword."

Saito reached out for the blade with his right hand. But with that arm broken, he couldn't put much strength in his fingers.

That hand was stopped by Louise.

"No! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you do this! The moment you grasp that sword, Guiche really won't forgive you!"

"I can't go back to my world... Which means I'm stuck living in this one, right?"
Saito muttered, almost to himself. He didn't look at Louise.

"That's right. So what about it?! Right now that doesn't matter!!"

Louise held his right hand tightly. Saito declared in a clear strong voice.

"I don't mind being a familiar... I can take sleeping on the floor... I don't care if the food sucks... Washing underwear? I'll do that too. It's not like I really have a choice."

===Page 100===

Saito paused there and curled his left hand into a fist.

"But..."

"'But...' what?"

"I will not lower my head. I cannot!"

Drawing on his last reserves of strength, Saito forced himself to a stand. Pushing Louise aside, he grabbed the blade stuck in the ground with his left hand.

In that instant...

The runes inscribed on that hand began glowing brightly.

Let us change locations for a moment and return to the Headmaster's Office.

Mister Colbert was fervently explaining everything to Sir Osmond.

About the commoner boy that was summoned by Louise at the Springtime Familiar Summoning.

About how he was concerned about the runes that had appeared on the boy's hand as proof of the contract between him and Louise.

And that when he went to find out more...

"You discovered that he is the Founder Brimir's familiar Gandalfr?"

Osmond intently examined Colbert's sketch of the runes on Saito's left hand.

===Page 101===

"Yes! The runes that appeared on that boy's left hand are exactly the same as the runes that were inscribed on the legendary familiar Gandalfr!"

"So, your conclusion?"

"That boy is Gandalfr! If this isn't big news, then what is, Old Osmond?"

Colbert stood up as he wiped his balding head with a handkerchief.

"Hrm... Certainly, the runes are the same. But for an ordinary commoner boy to become Gandalfr just by having the same runes... I wonder how that could've happened."

"What shall we do?"

"However, it is probably too early to be making definite claims."

"That's true."

Sir Osmond drummed his fingers on the desk.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

From behind the door came Miss Longueville's voice.

"It's me, Old Osmond."

"What is it?"

===Page 102===

"It seems there are some students dueling at the Vestri Courts. It's causing quite the commotion. A few teachers have gone there to try and stop it, but their attempts are being impeded by the sheer number of students."

"For heaven's sake, these noble kids have far too much free time to stir up trouble with. So, who's involved?"

"One of them is Guiche de Gramont."

"Ah, that idiot son of Gramont. The skirt-chasing must run in the family, considering his father's even more of a womaniser. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy knows every girl in school. And his opponent is?"

"...Well, it's not a mage. I've been told it's Miss Valliere's familiar."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged a look.

"The teachers are requesting to use the 'Bell of Sleep' to stop the duel."

Osmond's eyes glinted like a hawk's.

"Ridiculous. There's no need to use such an important artifact just to stop a children's fight. Leave them be."

"Understood."

Miss Longueville's footsteps disappeared down the hallway.

Colbert swallowed audibly and verbally pressed Osmond.

"Old Osmond."

===Page 103===

"Hrm."

Sir Osmond waved his staff, and a big mirror set in one wall began scrying on the situation at the Vestri Courts.

Saito was surprised. The moment he grabbed the sword, all the pain in his body disappeared.

He realised the runes on his left hand were glowing.

And then...

''My body feels as light as a feather. I could almost take off and fly.''

In addition, the blade he held in his left hand felt so familiar that it seemed an extension of his body.

''That's so strange. I've never even touched a sword before...''

Seeing Saito with the weapon in hand, Guiche smiled coldly.

"Firstly, let me congratulate you. I'm honestly quite impressed that a commoner would come this far against a mage."

With that, he twirled the rose in his hand.

''That artificial rose must be his wand. Really, how vain can you get.''

Saito was astonished that he even had the leisure to think such things.

''I was beaten up so badly just now. What in the world happened to me?''

Guiche's golem attacked again. ''Stupid tin can.'' The statue modeled in the shape of the mythical Valkyrie

===Page 104===

''(paragraph continued)''

came towards Saito in what seemed like slow motion.

''What the hell,'' Saito thought.

''I got kicked around like a rag doll by '''this''' crawling junkpile?''

Saito leapt into action.

Guiche uttered a tormented moan at seeing his golem get cut through like a lump of clay.

The two halves of the golem each struck the ground with a resounding 'clang'.

Meanwhile, Saito bolted towards Guiche in a whirlwind of action.

Panicking, Guiche waved his rose wand wildly. Petals danced, and six new golems appeared.

Altogether seven golems were Guiche's full arsenal. Never had he thought that a mere commoner could be a match for even one.

The golems surrounded Saito and sprang at him all at once.

And just when it looked like they had him, five of them were slashed apart. It had been so fast that nobody even saw the blade, making everyone wonder just what kind of superhuman ability this was.

The remaining golem promptly dashed over to guard Guiche.

But it too was taken down by an unseen sword-stroke.

===Page 105===

Illustration -- ''I am the bone of my sword...''

===Page 106===

"Hiii!!"

A kick to the face sent Guiche sprawling to the ground.

He saw Saito leap at him.

''I'm gonna die!'' he thought, as he shielded his head.

Something made a loud 'thunk'...

When he timidly opened his eyes again...

Saito had driven the blade into the ground just to the right of Guiche's head.

"You want to continue?"

Saito asked.

Guiche shook his head furiously. He'd totally lost any will to fight.

And in a failing voice he said.

"I... I yield."

Saito released his hand and walked away.

He could hear rowdy cheering from the audience such as 'woah, that familiar is awesome!' or 'oh man, Guiche lost!'.

''I... won?''

===Page 107===

''How?''

Saito's thoughts were in a haze.

''...Just what happened to me?''

''I was getting knocked around so mercilessly.''

''And then, the moment my hand touched that sword, my body felt like a feather. The next thing I know, all of Guiche's golems were in pieces.''

''I didn't even know I could use a sword.''

''I don't quite understand it, but whatever. I won somehow, and that's that. I'll think about it later. Because right now, I feel really really tired. I want to sleep.''

He could see Louise running over to him.

'Hey, I won!' he wanted to yell, but his knees buckled.

The feeling of fatigue overwhelmed him, and he could feel his consciousness drift far away. Saito collapsed.

As she saw Saito begin to teeter, Louise ran faster to try and support him, but she didn't quite make it. Saito toppled over onto hard ground with a heavy thud.

"Saito!"

Louise shook him. No, it seemed he wasn't dead.

===Page 108===

"Guu..."

She could hear snoring. Instead, he was sleeping.

"He's asleep..."

Louise looked thoroughly relieved as she let out a sigh.

Guiche stood up and shook his head in amazement.

"Louise, just what is this guy? All of my Valkyries were so easily defeated..."

"He's just a commoner."

"There's no way my golems could have lost to 'just a commoner'."

"Hmph. Wasn't it just because you were weaker?"

Louise went to lift Saito up, but unable to properly support him, ended up falling down with him on top of her.

"Aaah, jeez! You're so heavy! Idiot!"

One of the student amidst the crowd cast a Levitation spell on Saito.

Louise began to gently push Saito's floating body away. She needed to take him back up to her room and patch him up.

With the corner of a sleeve, Louise dabbed at her eyes. He looked so in pain, so pitiful, she couldn't help but cry. He'd become so strong all of a sudden when he grabbed the sword, but if it hadn't been for that, he really might have died.

Right now, that was more important than Saito winning. ''I bet this idiot thought it probably wouldn't matter if he died. Going around being so headstrong like that, when you're just a commoner...''

===Page 109===

"You're just a familiar, so why do you keep doing stuff on your own?!"

Louise yelled at the sleeping Saito. Her relief was quickly being replaced by annoyance.

Sir Osmond and Colbert finished watching the entire event via the Mirror of Far-Seeing. They exchanged another look.

"Old Osmond."

"Hrm."

"That commoner, actually ended up winning..."

"Hrm."

"Guiche is only a first level Dot mage, but even so he shouldn't have been beaten by an average commoner. What amazing speed! I've never seen a commoner like him before! There's no doubt that he's Gandalfr!"

"Hrmm..."

Mister Colbert urged Osmond.

"Old Osmond. We should report this to the palace immediately, and ask for instructions..."

"There will be no need for that."

Sir Osmond nodded sternly, ruffling his white beard.

"But sir! This is the biggest discovery of the century! A Gandalfr reborn in the modern world!"

"Mister Colbert. Gandalfr was no ordinary familiar."

"Exactly! The familiar used by the Founder Brimir, Gandalfr! There was never any description of its appearance, but it's said to have created specifically for the purpose of protecting the Founder Brimir during his spell incantations."

"Correct. Founder Brimir's incantations were especially long... However that made his spells were very powerful. And as you know, mages are most vulnerable while spellcasting. And Gandalfr was the familiar that he used to protect himself in those times of vulnerability. Its strength..."

Colbert eagerly cut in at this point, looking extremely excited.

"It could annihilate an army of one thousand all by itself! Ordinary mages were said to be no match for it!"

"So, Mister Colbert."

"Yes?"

"That boy, he really is just an average commoner, right?"

"Yes. No matter how I looked, he was just an average commoner. I even confirmed it with a Detect Magic spell when Miss Valliere initially summoned him, but he was still a genuine average commoner."

"And who was it that turned him into a modern Gandalfr?"

===Page 111===

"That would be Miss Valliere but..."

"She must be a very talented mage, I take it?"

"Not at all. Rather, one might say she's ''un''-talented..."

"A puzzling duo to be sure."

"Yes."

"So how did an average boy that was contracted by an untalented mage become Gandalfr? What an utter paradox. I just cant see where the ends meet."

"Indeed..."

"In any case, there is no need for us to hand over Gandalfr and its master to those fools at the palace. Give them a toy like this and they'll just cause another unnecessary war. Court advisors have too much free time on their hands and like fighting far too much."

"O-oh, I see. I apologise for overlooking such important matters."

"I will take responsibility of this case myself. You will not speak of this to anyone else, Mister Colbert."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

Sir Osmond took hold of his staff and turned to look out the window. He immersed his thoughts in the far reaches of history.

"The legendary familiar Gandalfr... Just what kind of form had it taken before, I cannot help but wonder."

===Page 112===

Colbert murmured as if dreaming.

"Gandalfr was said to be able to use any weapon to take down its enemies..."

"Hrm."

"So it must have at least had an arm and hand, I think."

The morning light woke Saito up. His body was wrapped all over in bandages.

''That's right.''

''I got into a duel with that Guiche, and got beaten up really badly...''

''Then I pulled off some miraculous win using that sword...''

''And I fainted.''

He was in Louise's room. For some reason, he'd been sleeping in Louise's bed too.

Louise herself was sitting at a table and sleeping soundly over it.

His eyes fell upon the runes on his left hand. When those runes had been glowing, his body had felt as light as a feather, a sword he had never held before felt like an extension of his arm, and he had sliced up Guiche's golems like nothing.

Right now those runes weren't glowing.

''What exactly was that, I wonder...''

While he stared at his left hand curiously, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

===Page 113===

It was Siesta. The commoner girl who had fed him stew at the kitchen. She was in her usual maid outfit, complete with the headband adorning her hair.

She looked at Saito and smiled. On the silver tray she carried was some bread and water.

"Siesta...?"

"So you're awake now? Saito-san."

"Yeah... I..."

"After all that, Miss Valliere had you brought up here to sleep. She had to get a teacher to cast a spell of healing on you too. It was quite serious."

"Spell of healing?"

"Yes. It's magic to help treat injuries or illness. You didn't know?"

"No..."

Saito shook his head. It confused Siesta that Saito didn't know some of the basic terminology, but she wouldn't get anywhere by not saying anything.

"Miss Valliere paid for the reagent that was required for the healing spell. So don't be concerned about it."

His silence was a clear indicator that he was concerned about the money.

"Does it cost a lot? For that reagent."

===Page 114===

"Well, it's certainly not something a commoner could pay."

Saito made an attempt to get up, but cried out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Ah, you shouldn't move! Your injuries were so severe even the healing spells couldn't completely fix them! You still need to take it easy!"

Saito nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I brought you some food. Please eat."

Siesta placed the tray by Saito's bedside.

"Thanks... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days and nights straight. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up."

"Everyone?"

"All the kitchen staff..."

Siesta cast her eyes down shyly.

"What's the matter?"

"Um... I'm sorry. That I ran away that time."

She was talking of how she had run away in fright when Saito had gotten Guiche angry

===Page 115===

''(paragraph continued)''

at the dining hall.

"Don't worry. It's nothing to apologise about."

"Nobles were always so scary to us commoners, since we couldn't use magic..."

Siesta suddenly raised her head. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"But, I'm not so scared anymore! I was so inspired, Saito-san! You won against a noble, though you're a commoner!"

"Okay... Haha."

Although I really have no clue how I actually won.

Somewhat embarrassed, Saito just scratched his head. Then he realised he was using the arm that had been broken. It looked completely fine. It still ached a bit when he moved it, but it seemed the bones were whole again.

''Wow, so this is magic.'' Saito thought in slight admiration.

''...I guess it is something to be proud about.''

"By the way, did you tend to me all this time?"

"Oh no, not me. It was actually Miss Valliere..."

"Louise did?"

"Yes. She changed all the bandages, and wiped the sweat from your face... She didn't sleep one bit,

===Page 116===

''(paragraph continued)''

so she must be exhausted."

As she slept, Louise's breathing was even and gentle. There were heavy dark circles under her eyes though.

''Her sleeping face is always so adorable. It's doll-like.''

''So she '''can''' be nice sometimes,'' he thought. Suddenly her side profile looked intensely cuter.

Louise's eyes flickered open.

"Fuaaaaaaaaa~~"

She made a great big yawning stretch, and then her gaze fell upon Saito, who was sitting on the bed blinking in surprise.

"Ara. You're awake."

"Y-yeah..."

Saito cast his eyes downward. He figured he should thank her.

"Um, Louise."

"What."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I made you worry."

Louise stood up.

And drew closer to Saito.

Saito's heartbeat accelerated. ''Is she going to say something like "good job, you were really cool out there"''

===Page 117===

''(paragraph continued)''

''and maybe kiss me?''

But that was not to be.

Louise pulled away Saito's blanket and grabbed him by the scruff.

"If you're better now, get out of my bed!"

Still holding him by the scruff, Louise pulled Saito out of the bed.

"Wah! Ow!"

Saito tumbled to the floor.

"Hey, I'm still a injured person!"

"If you're well enough to complain, you're well enough for anything else."

Saito stood up. His body still objected, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with. Still, she could've let him sleep for a little bit longer.

"Uh, in that case, I will take my leave now..."

Siesta left the room wearing a crooked smile. Or more precisely, she fled the room.

Louise threw a mountain of clothes and underwear at Saito.

"Ack!"

"That's the laundry that's piled up while you were asleep. Once you're done with that, clean up the room. Hop to it!"

"Um, you know..."

===Page 118===

Louise glared fiercely at Saito.

"What? Just with something like beating Guiche, did you think you'd be treated differently? Did you think you'd be congratulated? Are you an idiot?"

Saito looked resentfully at Louise.

He decided to take back his earlier thought about her being cute.

Still... the way Louise sat on her bed swinging her legs was an undeniable level of cuteness beyond this world.

Her long strawberry blonde hair rippled. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. She was rude, arrogant, and selfish, but try as he might to deny it, her appearance was enchanting.

Raising a finger triumphantly, Louise declared.

"Don't you forget! You're my familiar!"

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter3

2006-10-21T02:43:58Z

Lambchopsil: A TON of tense errors. Someone double check...

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-20T07:00:29Z

Lambchopsil: There, the rest of ch2 in one go...

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

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

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----

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 47 ====

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

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

"It's morning, milady." 

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

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

''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

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

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

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

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

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

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

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

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

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

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

Louise pouted in displeasure.

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

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

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

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

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

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning, Kirche."

"Is that... your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

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

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

==== Page 50 ====

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

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

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

"Really."

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

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

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

Kirche smiled.

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

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

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

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

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

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

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right?"

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

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

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

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.1 ==
=== Chapter 02 - Part 1.1 signing ===

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==== Page 53 ====

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

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"Hiraga Saito? What a strange name."

"Hey!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

"Flew?"

"That reminds me... This girl..."

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

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

==== Page 55 ====

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

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

"Why is that?" Saito wondered.

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

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

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

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

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

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

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

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

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

"Right..."

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

"Right..."

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

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

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

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

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

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It's a bowl."

"Yes, it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.0 ==
=== Chapter 02 - Part 2.0 signing ===

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----

==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

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

"Jeez..."

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

"What about the meat?"

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

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

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

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

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

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

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

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

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

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus thing?"

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

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

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

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

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

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

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise cast her eyes downward.

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

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

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

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

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 ==
=== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 signing ===

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==== Page 62 ====

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

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

The rest of the students chuckled.

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

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

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

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

This put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

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

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

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

Chevreuse nodded.

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

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

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

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

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

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

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

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

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

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

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

"Oh, I see."

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

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

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

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

----

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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

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

"Eh? Me?"

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

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

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

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

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

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

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

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

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

"Dangerous? How so?"

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

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

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

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

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

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

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

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

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

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

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

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

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

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

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

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

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

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

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

Saito was in a daze.

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

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

Still, what an amazing girl.

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

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

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

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

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

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

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

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-19T07:52:19Z

Lambchopsil: Pg52 and still minor stuff...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

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

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

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

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. "Is this girl okay?"

"Hiraga Saito."

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

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

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

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

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

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

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

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

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

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

Louise pouted in displeasure.

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

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

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

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

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

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning, Kirche."

"Is that... your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

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

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

==== Page 50 ====

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

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

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

"Really."

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

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

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

Kirche smiled.

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

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

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

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

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

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

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right?"

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

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

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

----

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==== Page 53 ====

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

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

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

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

==== Page 55 ====

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

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

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

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

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

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

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

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

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

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

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

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

"Right..."

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

"Right..."

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

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

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

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

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

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

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

"Jeez..."

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

"What about the meat?"

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

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

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

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

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

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

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

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

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

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

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

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

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

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

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

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

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise cast her eyes downward.

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

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

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

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

----

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==== Page 62 ====

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

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

The rest of the students chuckled.

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

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

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

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

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

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

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

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

Chevreuse nodded.

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

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

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

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

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

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

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

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

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

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

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

"Oh, I see."

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

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

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

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

----

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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

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

"Eh? Me?"

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

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

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

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

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

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

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

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

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

"Dangerous? How so?"

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

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

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

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

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

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

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

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

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

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

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

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

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

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

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

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

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

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

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

Saito was in a daze.

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

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

Still, what an amazing girl.

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

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

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

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

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

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

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

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-19T07:50:28Z

Lambchopsil: Still minor (pg50)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

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

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

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

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. "Is this girl okay?"

"Hiraga Saito."

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

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

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

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

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

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

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

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

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

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

Louise pouted in displeasure.

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

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

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

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

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

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning, Kirche."

"Is that... your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

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

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

==== Page 50 ====

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

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

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

"Really."

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

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

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

Kirche smiled.

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

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

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

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

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

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

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

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

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

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

----

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

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

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

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

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

==== Page 55 ====

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

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

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

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

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

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

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

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

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

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

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

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

"Right..."

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

"Right..."

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

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

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

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

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

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

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

"Jeez..."

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

"What about the meat?"

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

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

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

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

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

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

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

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

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

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

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

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

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

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

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

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

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise cast her eyes downward.

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

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

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

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

----

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

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

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

The rest of the students chuckled.

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

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

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

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

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

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

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

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

Chevreuse nodded.

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

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

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

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

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

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

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

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

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

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

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

"Oh, I see."

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

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

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

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

----

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

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

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

"Eh? Me?"

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

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

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

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

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

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

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

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

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

"Dangerous? How so?"

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

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

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

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

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

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

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

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

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

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

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

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

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

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

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

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

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

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

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

Saito was in a daze.

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

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

Still, what an amazing girl.

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

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

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

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

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

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

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

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-19T07:48:21Z

Lambchopsil: More and more minor...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

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

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

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

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. "Is this girl okay?"

"Hiraga Saito."

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

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

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

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

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

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

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

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

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

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

Louise pouted in displeasure.

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

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

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

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

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

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning, Kirche."

"Is that... your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

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

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

==== Page 50 ====

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

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

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

"Really."

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

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

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

Kirche smiled.

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

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

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

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

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

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

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

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

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

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

----

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==== Page 53 ====

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

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

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

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

==== Page 55 ====

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

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

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

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

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

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

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

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

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

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

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

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

"Right..."

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

"Right..."

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

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

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

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

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

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

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

"Jeez..."

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

"What about the meat?"

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

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

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

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

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

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

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

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

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

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

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

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

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

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

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

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

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise cast her eyes downward.

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

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

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

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

----

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

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

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

The rest of the students chuckled.

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

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

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

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

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

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

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

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

Chevreuse nodded.

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

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

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

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

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

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

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

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

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

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

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

"Oh, I see."

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

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

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

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

----

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

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

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

"Eh? Me?"

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

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

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

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

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

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

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

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

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

"Dangerous? How so?"

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

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

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

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

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

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

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

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

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

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

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

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

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

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

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

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

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

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

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

Saito was in a daze.

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

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

Still, what an amazing girl.

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

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

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

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

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

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

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

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-19T07:46:26Z

Lambchopsil: Minor again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

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

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

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

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. "Is this girl okay?"

"Hiraga Saito."

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

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

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

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

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

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

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

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

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

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

Louise pouted in displeasure.

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

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

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

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

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

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

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

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

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

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."

"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

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

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

==== Page 50 ====

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

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

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

"Really."

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

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

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

Kirche smiled.

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

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

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

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

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

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

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

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

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

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

----

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

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

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

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

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

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

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

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

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

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

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

==== Page 55 ====

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

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

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

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

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

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

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

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

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

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

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

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

"Right..."

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

"Right..."

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

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

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

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

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

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

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

"Jeez..."

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

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in mid-air. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice, and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed on it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a voluminous purple robe, and wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom, and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière."

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street, just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 ==
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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string, and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke. But for Louise it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialised on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-yes, Mrs Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total -- as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce necessary metals, or process them. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I understand now, the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations. So let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles, and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualise strongly in your mind, the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation -- it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-coloured) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect -- almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem too popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her looks-wise.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight, and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. But seeing from the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-19T07:44:14Z

Lambchopsil: Minor...

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It had somehow rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke - noble this, magician that - but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished that she'd stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. "So last night really wasn't a dream." He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously, it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.

Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.

The morning sun triggered off his characteristic curiosity again. "If I think about it, this is kinda like a sightseeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is. While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of that rude magician girl snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case," he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. "Is this girl okay?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seemed she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened the said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he'd seen any female underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing one randomly, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

''Don't play with me,'' he turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he threw her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health, and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."

"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That's amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning, that's just like you. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat."

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot, being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. ''Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic.''

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smouldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.1 ==
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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh. I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know."
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite, and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

The Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged in parallel. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the colour of their cloaks. Viewing from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-side table looked a little older, and wore purple cloaks -- third years.

The students sitting on the right-side table wore brown cloaks -- first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously, and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility by the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

As she described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't, like, come alive during the night or anything do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar."
ouise remarked, crossing her arms and cocked her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine, and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I've specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat, floating around in a thin soup. And to the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir, and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in mid-air. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice, and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed on it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a voluminous purple robe, and wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom, and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière."

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street, just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 ==
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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string, and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke. But for Louise it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialised on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-yes, Mrs Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total -- as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce necessary metals, or process them. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I understand now, the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations. So let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles, and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualise strongly in your mind, the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation -- it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-coloured) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect -- almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem too popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her looks-wise.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight, and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. But seeing from the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'

Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story1 Chapter2

2006-10-19T07:41:35Z

Lambchopsil: /* Chapter Two: Louise the Zero */

== [[zeroNT:Komgvol01editchpter02control|Raw English Translation Available Here]] ==

== Chapter 02 - Part 1.0 ==
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----

==== Chapter Two: Louise the Zero ====

When Saito woke up, the first thing he laid his eyes on was the underwear that Louise had stripped off.

It had somehow rolled into his line of sight, having been tossed away carelessly.

Louise was still asleep in bed, snoring gently. Her sleeping face was simply cherubic. Looking at her like this, she seemed a lot more childish. She was a loud and annoying girl when she spoke - noble this, magician that - but while she slept, she was cute. Saito almost wished that she'd stay asleep forever.

Then the reality sank in. "So last night really wasn't a dream." He had thought he would find himself back in his own room, but obviously, it wasn't so. He felt dispirited.

Regardless, it was a refreshing morning. Dazzling light shone down into the room.

The morning sun triggered off his characteristic curiosity again. "If I think about it, this is kinda like a sightseeing tour. I wonder what kind of world this is. While I don't like the idea of being the familiar of that rude magician girl snoring her head off, I should try to make the most of this in any case," he concluded.

==== Page 47 ====

First of all, he went and flung the blanket off Louise.

"Wh-What? What's going on!"

"It's morning, milady." (note: 'ojousama')

"Huh? O-Oh... Wait, who are you!?"

Louise yelled groggily. Her expression was vacant as she trailed off into a pitiful mumble. ''Is this girl okay?''

"Hiraga Saito."

"Oh, the familiar. That's right, I summoned you yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise got up and yawned. Then she ordered Saito.

"Clothes."

He tossed her the uniform that had been draped over a chair. Louise began to sluggishly undress.

Saito quickly turned the other way to hide his blushing face.

"Underwear."

"G-Get that yourself."

"They're in the lowest drawer... Of that closet... Over there."

It seems she thoroughly planned to make the most out of Saito.

Holding his tongue, he went and opened said drawer. Lo and behold, it was packed full of underwear. It was the first time he'd seen any female's underwear in this manner, except for his mother's. Grabbing one randomly, he threw it over his shoulder without looking back.

==== Page 48 ====

Once Louise had put them on, she murmured again.

"Clothes."

"I just gave them to you."

"Dress me."

''Don't play with me,'' he turned to object angrily, only to find Louise sitting sleepily on the bed wearing only what he threw her. He suddenly didn't know where to look.

Louise pouted in displeasure.

"You must not know because you're a commoner, but nobles will not dress by themselves if a ready servant is there."

That irked him.

"You can at least dress yourself."

"Right then. A punishment for a disrespectful familiar. No breakfast."

Louise raised a finger and declared triumphantly.

Saito reluctantly took the blouse in his hand.

When he left the room with Louise, he saw three similar wooden doors along the wall. One of them opened, and from inside appeared a girl with flaming red hair. She was taller than Louise,

==== Page 49 ====

(paragraph continued)

roughly the same height as Saito. She gave off a heavily flirtatious aura. Her face was attractive, and she sported a captivating bustline. They were like melons.

The top two buttons of her blouse were undone, revealing impressive cleavage that impulsively drew in eyes. Her skin was tanned, giving her a look of health, and natural beauty.

Her height, skin color, atmosphere, and breast size... All of it directly contrasted with Louise, who lacked in all of those charming points.

When she saw Louise, she grinned broadly.

"Good morning, Louise."

Louise returned the greeting with a frown.

"Good morning. Kirche."

"Is that... Your familiar?"

Kirche asked somewhat mockingly, pointing at Saito.

"That's right."

"Ahaha! So it really is a human! That's amazing!"

Saito resented that. ''Sorry for being human. But what are you then?'' He stared at Kirche's breasts. ''You're just a big-breasted alien. Yeah, a big b-b-breasted alien.'' His gaze drew in closer.

==== Page 50 ====

"But to summon a commoner with the Spell of Summoning, that's just like you. As expected of Louise the Zero."

Louise's white cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Shut up."

"I summoned a familiar yesterday too. Unlike somebody, mine was an instant success."

"Really."

"After all, if you're going to have a familiar, it should be a good one like this~ Right, Flame?"

Kirche called her familiar triumphantly. From her room, a large dark-red lizard slithered out. A wave of heat hit Saito.

"Uwah! What the heck is this red thing?"

Kirche smiled.

"Ohoho! Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a fire lizard?"

"Put a chain on it or something! It's dangerous! And just what is it?"

"Don't worry. As long as I order it not to, it won't attack. Aren't you the scaredy-cat."

Kirche put a hand to her chin, and tilted her head teasingly.

It was about as big as a tiger, if not larger. The tail was tipped with flame, and from its mouth

==== Page 51 ====

Illustration -- Kirche shows off her familiar.

==== Page 52 ====

(paragraph continued)

it spat out embers as it breathed.

"Don't you get hot, being near it?"
Saito asked. He calmed himself down and looked at it again. ''Wow, it's a monster... Fantastic.''

"It's actually fairly cool to me."

"Is this a salamander?"
Louise asked jealously.

"That's right! A fire lizard! See, look at the tail. A flame this vivid and large is without a doubt a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! It's like a brand! Collectors can't even put a price on these!"

"That's nice," said Louise bitterly.

"Isn't it just? It matches perfectly with my affinity!"

"Because your affinity is for Fire, right."

"Of course. After all, I'm Kirche the Ardent. The ardent of gently smouldering passion. Everywhere I go, I have boys falling for me. Unlike you, right?" (Cala: I like the name 'Ardent' better than any other alternative)

Kirche puffed her chest out proudly. Not wanting to lose, Louise did the same, but the difference in volume was just too sad.

Despite this, Louise glared at Kirche. It really looked like she hated losing.

----

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==== Page 53 ====

"I don't have the leisure to go around flirting with everything I see, like you do."

Kirche only smiled calmly. Then she turned to Saito.

"And what's your name?"

"Hiraga Saito."

"'Hiragasaito?' What a strange name."

"Hey!"

"Well then, I'll be off now."

She stroked her flaming red hair back and dashed off. The salamander followed her, in a cute shuffling movement unseemly of such a large creature.

As she disappeared, Louise shook a fist in her direction.

"Ooh, that girl gets on my nerves! Just because she summoned a salamander from the fire dragon mountains! Argh!"

"Calm down, it's just a summoning."

"No it's not! You can determine a mage's true power just by looking at their familiar! Why did that idiot get a salamander, while I got you?"

"Jeez, sorry for being human. But you're human too, y'know."

"Comparing mages and commoners is like comparing a wolf and a dog!"

==== Page 54 ====

(paragraph continued)

Louise exclaimed haughtily.

"...Okay okay. By the way, she just called you 'Louise the Zero,' but what's the 'Zero?' Is it your surname?"

"No way! My name is Louise de la Vallière! 'Zero' is just a nickname."

"A nickname, huh. I can understand why she's called 'Ardent,' but why are you 'Zero?'"

"You don't need to know."
Louise answered uncomfortably.

"Is it your breasts?"
Saito asked, glancing at Louise. ''Yup, flat as a board.''

Louise's hand flew out. He dodged it.

"Come back here!"

"Don't hit me!"

''Flew?''

''That reminds me, this girl...''

''Yesterday, even when everyone else flew away, she walked.''

''And that night, when I grabbed her, she kicked me in the groin.''

==== Page 55 ====

''If she'd really wanted to chastise me, wouldn't if be better to use magic, instead of hitting or kicking?''

''That would be more definite, and more magician-like.''

''Why is that?'' Saito wondered.

The Tristein Magic Academy's dining hall was the tallest and most central building in the premise. Inside the hall, three extremely long tables were arranged in parallel. Each one looked like it could easily seat a hundred people. The table at which Louise and all the second years sat was the middle table.

It appeared that students could be identified by the colour of their cloaks. Viewing from the entrance, everyone sitting on the left-side table looked a little older, and wore purple cloaks -- third years.

The students sitting on the right-side table wore brown cloaks -- first years. ''So they're like year-level jerseys,'' Saito thought.

Every single mage in the school grounds, students and teachers alike, gathered here for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Overhead, there was another level where he could see teachers enjoying pleasant chatter.

All of the tables were magnificently decorated.

==== Page 56 ====

Numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit...

Saito's mouth was agape with amazement at the sheer grandeur of the dining hall. Louise raised a finger imperiously, and began to explain. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Tristein Magic Academy doesn't teach just magic, you know."

"Right..."

"Almost all mages are nobles. The motto 'nobles achieve nobility by the use of magic' is a foundation for the education we receive as nobles. Thus, our dining halls must also be fitting of a noble's status."

"Right..."

"Understand? Normally, a commoner like you would never set foot inside the Hall of Arvys. Be grateful."

"Right... Hey, what's 'Arvys?'"

"It the name for the little people. See all those statues over there?" (Cala: I hesitate to put dwarves/gnomes/etc)

As she described, lined along the walls were elaborate sculptures of small people.

"They're well-made. Err, those things don't, like, come alive during the night or anything do they?"

"Oh, you knew that?"

"So they do?!"

==== Page 57 ====

"Well, they dance. Enough of that, pull out my chair, will you? You're not a very competent familiar."
ouise remarked, crossing her arms and cocked her head, making her strawberry-blonde hair ripple. ''Oh well, ladies first.'' Saito pulled Louise's chair out for her.

Louise didn't even thank him as she sat down. Saito also brought over a chair to sit on.

"This is amazing!"
Saito cried. It was far too grand for a breakfast. A huge roasted chicken taunted Saito. Other than that, there was also wine, and a pie baked in the shape of a trout.

"I can't eat all this! I'll die if I do! Hey, oi! Miss!" (note: 'ojousama')

He prodded Louise's shoulder, only to find her already glaring at him.

"What?"
Saito asked dubiously. Louise kept her gaze fixed.

"Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself. I should act more like nobility! Even though I'm not a noble."

Louise pointed to the floor, where a bowl had been placed.

"Its a bowl."

"Yes it is."

"There's something suspicious in there."

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.0 ==
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==== Page 58 ====

Louise propped her chin on her hands and spoke.

"You know, familiars are supposed to be outside. You're only in here because I've specially requested it."

Saito was sitting dumbly on the floor, staring at the bowl that had been placed in front of him. In it were some sorry-looking scraps of meat, floating around in a thin soup. And to the edge of that was half a loaf of hard-looking bread.

Extending his neck, he peered over the edge of the tabletop.

He could only gaze longingly at the spectacular feast that was laid out on it. It was far beyond comparing with his meager bowl of scraps.

"O Great Founder Brimir, and our lady the Queen. We thank you for this humble meal that you have graciously provided us this morning."

The harmonious sound of prayer was raised. Louise also joined in, closing her eyes.

''Just how is that a 'humble meal?''' Saito griped, still staring at the food. ''That's more than a banquet. If anyone's got a 'humble meal,' it'd be me. I mean, just what the heck is in this bowl? This is worse than what you'd feed a pet.'' He wanted to protest. ''Even pets in Japan eat better than this!''

Irritated at this mistreatment, he laid a hand on the tabletop. But that hand was slapped away by Louise.

==== Page 59 ====

Saito looked up resentfully at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me some chicken. Just a bit will do."

"Jeez..."

Grumbling, Louise stripped a bit of skin and dropped it into Saito's bowl.

"What about the meat?"

"No, I'm not going to help start a habit."

Louise herself began digging enthusiastically into the grand feast.

"Ah, it's delicious. Delicious! I think I'm going to cry,"
Saito muttered, while he gnawed on his hard bread.

The classrooms in the Magic Academy were similar to university lecture halls. And like everything else, they too were constructed from stone. The lecturing teacher would stand at the lowest level, and the seats were arranged upward like stairs. When Saito and Louise entered, every student in the room simultaneously turned their heads towards them.

And then the laughing began. Kirche was there also, surrounded by a group of boys.

''I see, so she really does have them wrapped around her little finger. She's being treated like a queen''

==== Page 60 ====

(paragraph continued)

''by basically all of those guys. Well, it's not surprising, with her impressive bust. I guess big breasts are big breasts, no matter where you go.''

The familiars that everyone had brought along were a varied bunch.

Kirche's salamander was curled asleep under her chair. There were also students with owls resting on one shoulder. From a window, a gigantic snake peered into the class. One boy whistled, and the snake withdrew its head. Other than those, there were also ravens and cats.

But what drew Saito's attention the most were the creatures that would've been considered fantasy monsters back in his world. He was suddenly excited. All sorts of amazing beasts were milling around around him.

He spotted a lizard with six legs. ''That's gotta be...'' Saito tried to recall what little fantasy lore he knew. ''A basilisk! I've seen one in a game.'' There was also a huge eyeball floating gently in mid-air. What could that be? He decided to ask Louise.

"What's that freaky eyeball monster?"

"A bugbear."

"Then what about that octopus-thing?"

"Skua." (note: text reads as 'sukyua,' like 'skewer;' 'skua' is a type of seabird, but that's not relevant)

Louise answered him in a sullen voice, and sat herself down on a seat. Saito also sat down beside her. She glared at him.

"What?"

==== Page 61 ====

"That's a mage's seat. Familiars are not allowed on it."

Begrudgingly, he lowered himself to the floor. ''I hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast at the table either. And this desk is really getting in the way. I'm not sitting here,'' he resolved, and sat back on the chair.

Louise glanced at him, but didn't say anything this time.

The door opened, and the teacher entered the class.

She was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a voluminous purple robe, and wearing a hat. She had a plump, round face that gave off a friendly impression.

"Is that lady a magician too?" Saito whispered to Louise.

"Isn't it obvious?" Louise hissed back.

The woman gazed around the classroom, and spoke with a satisfied smile.

"Well everyone, it seems that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was a great success. I, Chevreuse, always enjoy seeing the new familiars that are summoned each spring."

Louise cast her eyes downward.

"My my. You've summoned quite a... Peculiar familiar, Miss Vallière."

She remarked as she looked at Saito. The comment was fairly innocent, but the classroom exploded with laughter.

"Louise the Zero! Don't go around grabbing random commoners off the street, just because you can't summon anything!"

Louise's long blonde hair billowed as she stood up. She raised her cute voice in anger.

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.1 ==
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==== Page 62 ====

"No! I did everything properly! He was all that appeared!"

"Don't lie! I bet you couldn't even cast the spell of Summoning, right?"

The rest of the students chuckled.

"Mrs Chevreuse! I've been insulted! Malicorne the 'Common Cold' just insulted me!"

Louise banged a fist against the tabletop in protest.

"Common cold? I'm Malicorne the Windward! I haven't caught any cold!"

"Well your hoarse voice sounds exactly like you've caught one!"

The boy called Malicorne stood up and glared at Louise. Chevreuse pointed at them with the wand in her hand. The two suddenly jerked about like puppets on a string, and rigidly sat back down.

"Miss Vallière, Mister Malicorne. Please stop this unnecessary argument."

Louise looked visibly dejected. All that vivacity that she'd shown just earlier seemed to have evaporated.

"Calling friends 'Zero' or 'Common Cold' is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Mrs Chevreuse, I'm only called that as a joke. But for Louise it's the truth."

A few giggles broke out from somewhere.

==== Page 63 ====

Chevreuse looked around the classroom with a severe expression. She pointed her wand again, and the mouths of the students who'd giggled were suddenly filled with lumps of red clay that nobody knew where they came from.

"You people shall continue the lesson in that state."

That put a firm stopper on any further outbursts.

"Then, let's begin the lesson."

Chevreuse coughed heavily, and waved her wand. A few pebbles materialised on her desktop.

"My Runic name is 'Red Clay.' Chevreuse the Red Clay. This year, I will be teaching you all the magic of the Earth element. Do you know the four great elements of magic, Mister Malicorne?"

"Y-yes, Mrs Chevreuse. They are Fire, Water, Earth and Wind."

Chevreuse nodded.

"And combined with the now-lost element of 'Void,' there are five elements in total -- as everyone should already know. Of the five elements, I believe Earth holds an extremely important position. This isn't just because my affinity is for Earth, nor is it simply a personal preference."

Once again, Chevreuse coughed heavily.

"The magic of Earth is very important magic that governs the creation of all matter. If it weren't for this,

==== Page 64 ====

(paragraph continued)

we wouldn't be able to produce necessary metals, or process them. Raising buildings from large boulders and harvesting crops would also involve much more work. In this manner, the magic of the Earth element is intimately related to everyone's living."

''Aha,'' thought Saito. ''So in this world, magic is the equivalent of science and technology in my world. I think I understand now, the reason why Louise is so proud to call herself a magician.''

"Now everyone, please recall that the basic magic of the Earth element is 'transmutation.' While there will be people here who can already perform this from their first year, basics build foundations. So let's review it once more."

Chevreuse turned her attention to the pebbles, and twirled her wand over them.

She then whispered a rune, and they began to glow brightly.

When the light dimmed away, the pebbles had been changed into sparkling lumps of metal.

"Is that g-g-gold, Mrs Chevreuse!?"

Kirche leaned forward over her desk.

"No, it isn't. It's plain brass. Only Square-class mages are able to transmute to gold. I'm just..."

Chevreuse gave a self-important cough.

==== Page 65 ====

"A Triangle mage..."

"Louise."

Saito poked Louise.

"What? We're in the middle of a lesson here!"

"What's all this about squares and triangles supposed to mean?"

"It's the number of elements that they can add to a spell, which also determines the level of a mage."

"Huh?"

Louise explained to Saito quietly.

"See, for example, you can use an Earth spell on its own. But if you add Fire magic to it, the overall power of the spell increases greatly."

"Oh, I see."

"Those who can stack two elements like Fire and Earth together, are called Line mages. Then, those who can stack three elements, like Mrs Chevreuse who combines Earth, Earth and Fire, are Triangle mages."

"What happens when you add an element to itself?"

"It reinforces that element and makes it stronger."

"I see. So in other words, you could say that teacher over there is a fairly powerful mage, because she's a Triangle?"

----

== Chapter 02 - Part 2.2 ==
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==== Page 66 ====

"Exactly."

"How many can you add, Louise?"

She didn't answer.

While they were talking, the teacher noticed them.

"Miss Vallière!"

"Y-yes?"

"Please refrain from private chatter during lessons."

"I'm sorry..."

"If you are so idle to be talking, why don't I have you demonstrate for me?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. Try changing these pebbles here into a metal of your choice."

Louise didn't stand up. She simply sat there looking troubled and fidgety.

"Hey, come on! She's pointing at you!" Saito nudged her.

"Miss Vallière! Is something the matter?"

Mrs Chevreuse called for her again, but Kirche raised her voice in concern.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

==== Page 67 ====

"I think it would be better if you didn't let her..."

"And why is that?"

"It's dangerous."

Kirche answered plainly. The majority of the class nodded in agreement.

"Dangerous? How so?"

"This is your first time teaching Louise, right?"

"Yes, but I hear she's a hard worker. Now, Miss Vallière. Don't worry, just try it. You won't be able to do anything if you dread mistakes."

"Louise, don't!"

Kirche cried, her face pale.

But Louise stood up.

"I'll do it."

And with a nervous expression, she walked briskly up to the front of the room.

Chevreuse stood next to Louise and smiled.

"Miss Vallière, you have to visualise strongly in your mind, the metal that you wish to transmute."

Giving a cute little nod, Louise waved her wand. And she had never looked so adorable as in that instant she pursed her lips to begin chanting an incantation -- it was almost otherworldly.

==== Page 68 ====

Even knowing her true personality, Saito was momentarily enamored.

Under the morning sunshine streaming in from the window, Louise's strawberry-blonde (note: originally was 'momoiro', peach-coloured) hair sparkled enchantingly. Her hazel eyes seemed like jewels, and her skin a flawless white. And a sculpted nose befitting of nobility...

''If only her breasts were filled out more, she'd be perfect -- almost too good. But no matter how cute she is, that personality of hers is a real pitfall,'' Saito lamented.

But as he sat there pondering, the students sitting in front of him had for some reason hid under their chairs. ''Don't they see how cute Louise is? Still, she doesn't seem too popular. Rather, she gets put down as 'the Zero' and is made fun of. Just look around here, there aren't any girls nearly as cute. Only Kirche rivals her looks-wise.''

Closing her eyes, Louise uttered a short rune and flourished her wand.

The pebbles on the desk promptly exploded.

Louise and Chevreuse caught the blast full-on, and were thrown against the blackboard. People screamed.

Frightened familiars added to the chaos. Kirche's salamander suddenly woke from its sleep and stood up on its hind legs to breathe out a jet of flame. A manticore burst into flight, and smashed through a window to escape. Through the hole, the giant snake that had been peeking in earlier slithered in and swallowed someone's raven.

==== Page 69 ====

The classroom was in a state of pandemonium.

Kirche stood up and pointed a finger at Louise.

"That's why I told you not to let her do it!"

"Jeez, Vallière! Save us some grief and just quit school already!"

"My Lucky got eaten by a snake! Lucky!" (note: the raven just before)

Saito was in a daze.

Mrs Chevreuse didn't move from where she lay. But seeing from the occasional twitching, she wasn't dead.

A soot-blackened Louise rose slowly. She was a miserable sight to behold. Her torn blouse revealed a slender shoulder, and her panties could be seen beneath her ripped skirt.

Still, what an amazing girl.

She didn't seem at all fazed by the discord in the room...

Pulling a handkerchief to wipe the soot off her face, she spoke in a weak voice.

"Looks like I messed up a little..."

Of course, that elicited a vehement response from the other students.

"This isn't 'a little!' Louise the Zero!"

"Your success rate is always ZERO!"

Saito finally understood why Louise was called 'the Zero.'