Editing Kaze no Kishihime v2c5

“Do you think this one’s going to be okay?”

Bacchus said, pointing at Karin, who was writhing around on the floor.

Karin lay sprawled on her stomach, listlessly scratching drawings across the floor.

“No idea. Leave him alone.”

Cendrillon shook his head in resignation.

“What are you drawing, anyway?”

Narcissus crouched down to look.

“Go, Knight Karin. Defeat the evil dragon...”

Karin muttered to herself.

“So this vaguely human-shaped thing is the knight?”

Karin nodded.

“And this four-legged creature is the dragon?”

Karin nodded again.

“Apparently he’s drawing a knight slaying a dragon.”

As Narcissus said this, Cendrillon and Bacchus both let out deep sighs.

Three days had passed since Karin had been expelled from the Magic Guard.

And throughout all that time, she had done nothing but this—lying on the floor and drawing. By now, nearly every inch of the floor was covered with crude pictures of what were presumably knights.

At first, Cendrillon tried to stop her and took away her pen, but each time she somehow procured another one from who knew where, so eventually he gave up.

“He really wanted to become a knight, didn’t he...”

Soft-hearted as ever, Bacchus spoke with tears in his eyes. Then he turned to Cendrillon.

“Hey, Cendrillon! Why didn’t you plead his case with His Majesty?”

“I did. But he shot me down immediately. There was nothing I could do.”

Narcissus stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“At this rate, he’ll become a complete wreck.”

“That’s exactly the problem...”

“Can’t you arrange for him to join another order? There are plenty, aren’t there? Come to think of it, the Count of Montmorency is recruiting guards.”

At that, Karin shook her head.

“I don’t want some random place. I want the Magic Guard.”

“What a picky brat. The House of Montmorency is one of the most distinguished families in the kingdom.”

Narcissus spoke in an exasperated tone, but Karin had already returned to drawing on the floor with a vacant expression.

“He’s completely fixated on the Magic Guard. Cendrillon, isn’t there anything you can do? I’m starting to feel sorry for him. Besides, if he hadn’t been there, there’s no telling what would have happened in that brawl. He’s become an indispensable asset to the Magic Guard.”

“I want to help him too. If it weren’t for his wind magic, I’d be dead in Deauville.”

After a moment of thought, Narcissus clapped his hands.

“Then make him your attendant.”

“My attendant?”

“Exactly. Your personal attendant. The Magic Guard has nothing to do with it. Nobleman Cendrillon has simply hired him for private service. Then, when the time is right, you can petition His Majesty again. Once this affair is resolved, I’m sure he’ll reconsider.”

Cendrillon and Bacchus exchanged glances.

“I see. That might actually work. Hey, Karin. Starting today, you’re my attendant. Understood?”

Karin looked up at him resentfully.

“I don’t want to be your attendant.”

“You really are a difficult one! Right now, that’s the only way you can stay involved with the Magic Guard.”

“I want to be a knight.”

“He really is just a child.”

Narcissus said it with an exasperated sigh.

“Well, he is a child. What do you expect?”

Cendrillon just said that when the front door burst open with a bang, and a small girl swept into the room like a whirlwind.

“Kariiiin!”

“Wah! Your Highness!”

Narcissus cried out in surprise.

It was Princess Marianne herself, dressed in her usual town-girl disguise. Sobbing uncontrollably, she threw herself at Karin and shook her head.

“Why? Why do you have to leave the Magic Guard? It’s not fair!”

“...I-I am deeply sorry. It is entirely due to my own failings.”

Marianne turned to Cendrillon and the others.

“Please. Would you leave us alone for a moment?”

She spoke in a pleading tone.

The three knights were in no position to refuse, so Cendrillon and the others retreated to the bedroom.

Naturally, they were too curious to stay away entirely, so they peered through the keyhole.

“Listen to me, Karin! Father is so cruel! I explained everything to him! You drew your wand because they mocked the outfit I gave you, didn’t you? That means you fought the duel to defend my honor!”

The three men exchanged glances.

“So that was why?”

“No idea.”

They returned to spying through the keyhole.

Marianne, her emotions swelling once more, burst into tears.

“I told him all of that! But all Father said was, ‘Even so, no.’ He wouldn’t listen! I hate him! I hate Father!”

She dissolved into sobs.

Karin was deeply moved by Marianne’s tears.

Ah... maybe my dream has been crushed. But if I managed to protect the honor of such an adorable princess, then surely that is an honor worthy of any knight...

With that thought, she felt some of the heaviness in her heart lift.

For the first time in three days, a gentle expression appeared on her face, and she reached out to stroke Marianne’s head.

“I am sorry for causing Your Highness such concern. But Karin is all right. If it is to protect Your Highness’s honor, then I would gladly give my life.”

At those words, Marianne threw her arms around Karin.

“Oh, Karin!”

Then she puckered her lips and leaned in for a kiss.

N-nooo...

Cold sweat ran down Karin’s back.

Marianne was adorable, but that was still a step too far. Besides, this sort of energy was overwhelming when she was already emotionally exhausted.

Karin shook her head and gently pushed Marianne away.

“...Karin?”

“Well... after all, I am your subject, and you are Her Highness...”

Marianne’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Was it because you didn’t like the clothes? Did I put too much of my own taste into them?”

That was hardly the issue.

“I am your subject, and you are Her Highness,” Karin repeated firmly.

Marianne gave her a sad smile.

“You’re right. Because of me, you were forced to leave the Magic Guard...”

With those words, she rose to her feet.

“But... you won’t start hating me, will you?”

Karin nodded. In any case, that was not the issue at all.

“Then that’s enough for me. To tell you the truth, I just wanted to see your face. May I come again?”

“As Your Highness wishes.”

Apparently satisfied with that answer, Marianne said, “Thank you,” and departed.

Left behind, Karin felt all the tension drain from her body, and she collapsed limply onto the floor. Then despair washed over her once more. Somewhere deep inside, she was hoping that Marianne’s plea would change the king’s mind.

''What? You defended my daughter’s honor? Then I have wronged you! Return to the Magic Guard at once! Better yet, I shall knight you while I’m at it...''

“How naive of me...”

She really ought to stop entertaining any thoughts of becoming a knight. After all, she managed to anger the king this badly.

As she lay there in a boneless heap, the three knights emerged from the bedroom and immediately began talking all at once.

“Well, if you’re still dismissed even after the princess came all this way to plead for you, His Majesty must be truly furious.”

Don’t say it. I know.

“More importantly, Karin, your attitude just now was unacceptable.”

Narcissus shook his head as he spoke.

“...What do you mean?”

“Her Highness came all this way to see you, and that was how you treated her.”

“...But she’s the princess, and I’m her subject.”

“That’s true. But before she is a princess, she is also a woman. And when a woman offers her feelings to you, a man ought to respond.”

“D-Don’t be ridiculous.”

Karin’s cheeks flushed faintly, and she pouted.

Narcissus tilted his head.

“Hm?”

Then he draped an arm around Bacchus and Cendrillon and turned them aside.

“Say, Cendrillon.”

“What?”

“Do you think... he might not know anything about women?”

“...How should I know?”

As soon as Cendrillon said that, Bacchus nodded.

“My instincts say he doesn’t.”

Narcissus nodded in agreement.

“Your instincts are usually worthless, but for once I think you’re right. He doesn’t.”

Bacchus furrowed his brow.

“That won’t do. That absolutely will not do.”

“Oh, leave it alone.”

Cendrillon sounded thoroughly exasperated.

“This is important.”

“Why?”

“Because Karin undeniably has talent. I’ll grant him that. But he’s too rigid. Too inflexible. I think that’s what’s holding him back.”

Bacchus nodded.

“Mm-hm. Even I can tell he’s terrible at handling things.”

“And?”

Cendrillon asked.

Narcissus grinned.

“Then let’s make a man out of him. Once he becomes a real man, he’ll loosen up a little and become easier to deal with.”

“Huh?”

Cendrillon stared at him in disbelief, but Bacchus nodded emphatically.

“He’s right. You can’t reason with children. Children!”

Coming from you, that’s rich, Cendrillon thought, but he was too tired to say it aloud.

“Excellent.”

Bacchus and Narcissus exchanged looks, then seized Karin by both arms and hauled her to her feet.

“Funya?”

“Not ‘funya.’ All right, Karin. We’re going to make an adult out of you tonight. Cendrillon, you’re coming too.”

“I’ll pass.”

Cendrillon had a very good idea where this was headed.

“Too bad. I don’t like that attitude of yours. We fight duels together, we fight battles together, and that means we play together too!”

Bacchus grabbed him by the arm, and Cendrillon was dragged along despite himself.

As he had expected, Bacchus and Narcissus brought them to one of the establishments in the Chictonne district where women of the night gathered.

The moment they stepped inside, the proprietress hurried over, rubbing her hands together.

“My, my! Sir Bacchus and Sir Narcissus! What a honor to have you visit so early in the evening. The Angel’s Ark could not be more delighted.”

“Yeah, but we’re not the only ones playing tonight. Take care of this one too.”

With that, Bacchus lifted Karin under the arms and presented her to the proprietress.

“Well now! What an adorable young gentleman. Why, he looks like a girl.”

She studied Karin more closely.

“Could this be the young favorite of the princess? Karin, Corin, Keron, or whatever his name was?”

“That’s him. It’s his first time. Make a man out of him.”

The proprietress nodded without hesitation.

“I understand. Rest assured, not a word will leave this establishment. The Angel’s Ark is famous for its discretion.”

And that was true. It was precisely why so many aristocrats were regular patrons.

“Leave everything to us!”

At once, the women of the establishment poured into the room.

“Me! Pick me!”

“Out of the way! He’s mine!”

“You shameless hussy!”

Because Karin was an extraordinarily beautiful boy—and, on top of that, the princess’s favorite—her value was beyond measure. The women instantly began fighting over her.

Karin herself, however, was so lost in despair that she paid almost no attention to what was happening. She simply allowed herself to be jostled about like a rag doll.

Before long, a booming voice rang out from the second floor.

“Leave that boy to Esmeralda!”

Cendrillon looked up to see a massive woman leaning over the stair railing, built like an orc.

“Esmeralda!”

The women swarming around Karin immediately backed away. Apparently, this orc-like woman was the star attraction of the establishment. She stomped down the stairs and cupped Karin’s cheeks in her thick hands. Cendrillon was suddenly reminded of those deep-sea fish where the female is a hundred times larger than the male.

“What a lovely face. You’re going to become a splendid knight, my dear. Listen well—the Count of Beaufort, Baron Nord, all of them became men thanks to Esmeralda. Every young man whose cherry I’ve popped has gone on to great success.”

Here she goes again… The other women exchanged weary glances. Esmeralda was evidently notorious for her outrageous boasting. As for Karin, she still had no idea what was happening. She simply stared vacantly into the distance.

“Heave-ho.” With that, Esmeralda scooped Karin up and carried her off toward one of the upstairs rooms.

Bacchus and Narcissus also disappeared upstairs with their favorite women. Cendrillon was invited as well, but he merely pointed at a bottle of wine.

“I’ll stick with this.” The first floor also functioned as a tavern, so he stayed behind to drink.

The room was filled with drunken male laughter and the coquettish voices of women. Desire flowed through the place openly, without even the pretense of concealment.

And somehow, Cendrillon did not dislike the noise. To a man weighed down by troubling thoughts, it felt almost soothing. Yet once the wine took hold, his thoughts inevitably returned to Karina.

In the end, all my investigation revealed nothing. But even if I found her... what exactly would I do?

He asked himself that question.

Stop her.

That was what he had decided. But how?

There was only one answer. I’d have to kill her.

But could I really kill Karina?

He did not think so. Vivian’s words resurfaced in his mind.

“You could never bring yourself to hate a woman you once loved.”

I loved her. That much is true...

And Karina loved me… The thought faltered there, crashing into a wall inside his heart.

Why can’t I forget Karine?

Another reason surfaced. No—that was not quite right. It was not something newly remembered, but a question that had always lain submerged at the bottom of his heart.

Because whenever he allowed himself to think about it, he felt as though his mind might shatter. Whenever he called for Karina, she always came. If her words were to be believed, she had even given him her first time. Whenever he told her, “I love you,” she smiled and replied, “I love you too.”

And yet… Cendrillon buried his face in his hands.

She always seemed lonely. No matter how many times she said she loved him, some part of him had always felt that her heart was not fully in those words.

That’s right...  He clutched his head.

Even on that day, when his father discovered their relationship...

His mind drifted back three years.

“After all... we never should have been together.”

Karina said those words beside the spring.

“Why would you say that?”

“Because... our stations are too different.”

He desperately tried to persuade her, and in the end they had fled together.

Looking back, perhaps he was acting recklessly. More than his father, more than anyone, it was Karina’s words that had angered him.

“Then take me away with you.”

That was what he wanted her to say. Perhaps Karine was not the woman he thought she was.

Draining his cup, Cendrillon muttered to himself.

“Maybe she just wanted to see what it was like to be with a nobleman...”

“Who? Me?”

Cendrillon jerked his head up.

At some point, a beautiful blonde woman in black nun’s robes had taken the seat across from him.

Noir.

For an instant, Cendrillon could not comprehend what he was seeing. He had searched everywhere for her and found not a single clue. And now she was sitting directly in front of him.

“You...!”

“My, what a frightening face.”

Noir laughed softly. Cendrillon drew his wand and leveled it at her. 

The tavern on the first floor erupted into chaos.

“I’m not letting you escape this time. Don’t move.”
[[File:ZNTso2 135.jpg|thumb]]
“Oh, I have no intention of running away.”

“Then I suppose you’ll come quietly?”

“What are you saying? I’ve always been your captive.”

Noir looked straight at Cendrillon. At that moment, the proprietress hurried over.

“Hey now, this isn’t the kind of place where some outsider can come in and steal business! And you there, put away that dangerous-looking thing!”

At her words, Cendrillon motioned for Noir to rise.

“Get up.”

Noir stood. Cendrillon chanted a spell, and ropes of water coiled around her wrists, binding them.

“Why are you treating me like this? I came here to talk to you.”

Once he led her outside, Cendrillon walked on in silence.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To the royal palace. You’re under arrest. You’ll stand trial and receive the punishment your crimes deserve. But before that, you’re going to tell me everything—who ordered you to do all this.”

His voice was cold, stripped of emotion. This woman is not my former lover. She’s a devil who turned an entire town into living corpses. He repeated that to himself over and over. 

And yet, another thought rose within him. A fragile hope.

That’s right. She isn’t the Karina I knew.

What if, when she was revived by magic, some other “heart” was born within her?

If that were true, then the sins were not Karina’s. They belonged to this false personality that came into being afterward. Somewhere inside this body, Karina’s real heart might still be sleeping.

Not just her memories… Karine herself.

And if he could awaken that heart...

Cendrillon’s chest throbbed. Then—

Then he could find the one who did this to her and make that person atone.

And then...

He might be able to reclaim the three lost years he spent without Karina.

The temptation was almost unbearably sweet.

“...Who brought you back to life?”

“Someone you don’t know.”

“Take me to them.”

“And what do you intend to do?”

“I’m going to return the body you’re using to its rightful owner.”

Noir smiled.

“I am myself. Who do you think I am?”

“A demonic heart implanted by magic. Something that has taken over Karina’s body.”

“And where, then, is the woman you once knew?”

“The Karina I knew died that day, when my spell pierced her chest. But if the memories remain... then perhaps her heart...”

Still smiling, Noir asked softly:

“How much did you really know about me?”

Those words made Cendrillon freeze.

It felt as though an icy blade had been driven into his chest.

How much did I know about Karina?

Everything. The woman who seemed so gentle, yet danced with fierce passion. The way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled. Her soft body. The faint fragrance that clung to her when he held her. She was one year older than him. And… And...

A woman he had known for only a few weeks.

''What did I truly know about Karina?''

It was in that moment of stunned hesitation that a carriage came barreling down the road.

The window flew open. An arm shot out, seized Noir, and pulled her inside. The carriage thundered away. Caught off guard, Cendrillon stood frozen for only an instant. Then he reacted, chanting a spell and lashing out with a whip of water that wrapped around the carriage railing.

“You’re not getting away!”

The watery rope contracted like a spring, launching him onto the roof of the carriage. Clinging to the top, Cendrillon fired a spell, trying to blast off one of the wheels.

“!”

But the carriage was swaying too violently, and his aim was unsteady. If his spell went astray in the middle of the city… The consequences would be disastrous.

And if he overturned a carriage this large, innocent bystanders could be crushed.

“Damn it!”

He decided to wait until they were outside the city.

The carriage sped onward.

It passed through the gate and onto the highway leading into the countryside. Evening shadows were beginning to gather. Once the roadside houses had disappeared, Cendrillon began to chant again. The wheels were still too difficult to target, so instead, he aimed at the harness connecting the horses to the carriage. His magical arrow flew.

Crack! 

With a sharp report, the connection snapped. The horses tore off into the darkness. Suddenly deprived of its motive force, the carriage lurched violently to the right. It veered off the road and onto the grass, struck a large stone, and was thrown into the air.

Cendrillon leapt free and cast ''Levitation'', descending gently to the ground.

The carriage crashed onto its side in a cloud of dust.

Wand at the ready, Cendrillon stood on guard.

“...”

But no one emerged. Then he sensed movement behind him and quickly spun around.

“Ghn!”

Three orcs were charging at him with spears. Why are there orcs here? He had no time to wonder. Cendrillon instantly cast ''Windy Icicle''. Three razor-sharp ice bolts shot forth, piercing each orc through the throat.

The wounds were unquestionably fatal, but the orcs came on as though nothing had happened.

“So they’re undead after all!”

Cendrillon pressed his left hand against his wand and chanted. Fshh! The moisture in the air condensed in an instant, forming a high-speed rotating blade of water around the wand.

Three undead orcs. Each gripped a massive club. An orc possessed five times the strength of a human, and the clubs they wielded were like cannons. One direct hit would tear him apart.

But to Cendrillon—hailed as the finest practitioner of Blade magic in the kingdom—their attacks were as easy to read as if someone announced their trajectories in advance.

The first orc swung in a straightforward blow, devoid of any feint. Cendrillon slipped inside its guard and cleaved its torso in two. He then sprang lightly into the air and slashed through the second orc’s neck from above. The third he cut apart together with its arm.

The corpses rolled across the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Noir stepping from the overturned carriage.

“Amazing! You really are as strong as ever.”

She sounded genuinely delighted.

Staring at her, Cendrillon shouted:

“You’re not really Karina, are you?! You’re some other thing—something brought back by some twisted magic!”

Noir shook her head.

“I’m exactly the same as I was before. I haven’t changed at all.”

“Prove it.”

“I remember every conversation we ever had. Why, I told you just the other day, didn’t I?”

Cendrillon’s face twisted hideously.

“Don’t forget that I’m here.”

Karina had always said that with a smile. No one else knew of that private exchange between them.

“It’s just memory! Only the memories remain!”

“You say the strangest things. Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be. Can memory and personality really be separated?”

Cendrillon shook his head. He refused to believe it. He refused to accept that the woman standing before him was truly the same Karina he had once loved.

And yet, some cold and rational part of his mind began to connect Noir’s words with his own memories. Karina had always seemed a little lonely. Whenever he told her he loved her, she would answer, “I love you too.” But somehow, her words always seemed just a little hollow.

Even when they ran away together, she had never seemed entirely committed...

''What did I really know about Karine?''

“What could I say to make you believe me? Ah, yes. You always bite my lower lip when we kiss, don’t you?”

Cendrillon looked as though he were about to cry.

“...You.”

“What a terrible expression. What’s wrong? Are you hurt? You were always like that. Always worrying about what I was thinking. About how I felt about you.”

“...You.”

“You never understood anything. Not about me. Not about yourself. Not even about what you were doing.”

This woman...

A primitive, childish rage surged through him. More unforgivable than slaughtering the people of Deauville. More unforgivable than trying to kill him.

“You... you were deceiving me all along, weren’t you?”

Noir did not answer. She merely looked at him with eyes overflowing with gentle compassion.

“You only got involved with me because I was a nobleman. Isn’t that right?”

“That was a long time ago. I hardly remember.”

“So this is your true nature. You were a devil from the very beginning. You probably seduced me back then because you were after my family’s wealth!”

Noir smiled sweetly.

“If believing that makes you feel better, then by all means believe it. If it brings you peace, I don’t mind.”

“Stop dodging the question! What are you plotting with Eustache this time?”

Noir’s smile turned teasing.

“Oh? Are you jealous of the Duke of Eustache and me? It’s true that he provides me with financial support. But not in the way you’re imagining.”

Cendrillon’s face flushed bright red. The truth was, the idea of Noir and Eustache sharing that kind of relationship indeed wounded him, and she saw straight through him.

His imagination ran wild, picturing what Noir might be doing in Eustache’s bed in exchange for his “support.”

“You’re lying!”

The jealous words escaped before he could stop them.

Cendrillon brought his wand down, still wrapped in ''Blade'' spell. The spinning water edge slashed toward Noir.

But she floated lightly into the air and avoided the attack with an agility no ordinary human could possess.

“Demon!”

He lunged forward, but suddenly his feet were caught. Grass had wound itself around his legs in multiple layers.

Magic that drew upon the power of nature itself, not the kind of magic practiced by the nobility, but the primal sorcery of the indigenous peoples. 

“Damn it!”

He sliced through the grass with his wand.

But when he looked up again, Noir had vanished into the night, he rushed to the carriage and looked inside. Empty. And the carriage itself was nothing more than an ordinary post coach.

Cendrillon’s face twisted with fury, and he kicked the carriage with all his strength.

“She was a devil from the very beginning. And I was too blind to see it... Damn it!”

Meanwhile, Karin was trembling inside the Angel’s Ark. Before she realized what was happening, she had found herself in a truly horrifying situation. The only way she could describe it, with her limited vocabulary, was as an “indecent place.”

The bed she lay on was perfectly ordinary, but the room was filled with an unfamiliar incense—an adult scent, sensual enough to seem as though it were stimulating the deepest recesses of her brain. Sultry music played softly, probably from a magical gramophone. The fact that such a thing could be installed in a private room was proof enough that this establishment catered to aristocratic clientele.

And to that music, a “cow” was dancing. No, “cow” was a charitable description. It was more like an enormous mass of flesh, swaying from side to side in time with the music while peeling off her clothes one by one.

“W-What are you doing?”

Karin’s voice trembled.

“I’m going to do something very nice.”

The reply came in a voice as deep as a war drum.

“Who are you? And where am I?”

“This is the Angel’s Ark, and I am Esmeralda.”

Using every scrap of knowledge she possessed, Karin pieced together the truth. This was an establishment where women entertained men. And the mountain of flesh before her was one such woman. Having reached that conclusion, there was only one course of action—escape.

“I’m leaving. Thank you.”

She bowed politely and leapt off the bed, only to be seized instantly. Esmeralda wrapped her in an embrace and pinned her back onto the mattress.

“Mmph! Mmgh!”

“It’s all right. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just leave everything to Esmeralda.”

Esmeralda’s sausage-thick fingers reached for Karin’s jacket. My wand! Where’s my wand?! Karin frantically darted her eyes around the room until she spotted it propped against the wall.

She stretched out her hand, but Esmeralda’s enormous body blocked her reach. As Karin flailed helplessly, Esmeralda gazed into her eyes.

“There, there. Nothing to fear.”

The whole situation was so humiliating and miserable that tears spilled from Karin’s eyes.

At once, Esmeralda froze.

“Do you have someone you love?”

“N-No, it’s not like that...”

There was no way Karin could admit that she was terrified because she was secretly a girl.

Esmeralda, however, drew her own conclusion.

“Protecting your chastity for the sake of the woman you love, eh? Men like you are rare these days.”

She withdrew her massive body and moved to the corner of the room, where she took a long draw from a water pipe and exhaled an enormous cloud of smoke.

“You’re going to become a fine knight. Esmeralda guarantees it.”

At any rate, she seemed to be free. Karin scrambled upright, snatched her wand, and rushed out of the room, not even bothering to straighten her disheveled clothes.

She sprinted through the tavern and burst out into the night. The moment she stepped outside, tears began streaming down her face, as Esmeralda’s words echoed in her mind.

“You’re going to become a fine knight.”

“There’s no way...”

Feeling more pathetic than ever, Karin trudged down the street alone.