Editing Zero no Tsukaima:Volume1 Story2 Chapter2

=== Chapter Two: Kirche the Ardent ===

The night after Saito thoroughly shamed Louise in class with his sleep-talking, Louise unceremoniously threw his pile of hay into the hallway.

"What are you doing?"

"It'd be a bother if I snuck into your bed again, right?"

It seemed she was still upset over what happened earlier in class. "But it's kind of cold outside the room with the wind blowing around."

"Well, no doubt I'll come and warm you in your dreams," said Louise, arching her shapely eyebrows. What a bitter girl. She looked determined to make Saito sleep out in the hallway no matter what.

He took his blanket and went out to the hallway. The moment he left the room, the door locked with a loud click. Wind rushed in from the open window, making Saito shiver.
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The evening of that day Louise had been thoroughly shamed, much thanks to Saito's sleep-talking during class...

Louise took Saito's haystack and threw it out into the corridor.

"What are you doing?"

"It would be troublesome if I snuck in, right?"

Clearly, that incident was still on her mind.

"But it's kinda cold outside with the wind."

"No doubt my dream-self will warm you up plenty,"

said Louise, arching her finely shaped eyebrows. She certainly held her grudges. It seemed she wanted to make Saito sleep in the corridor no matter what.

Grabbing his blanket, Saito exited the room. Immediately, he heard the door being locked.
Wind swept in from the window, making Saito shiver. -->

Muttering about the cold, Saito wrapped the blanket around himself and lay down on the hay. The chill of the stone floor seeped into his body. ''No heaters either. I'm freezing.''

''Making me suffer like this just because of a dream!'' Saito kicked Louise's door. Of course, there was no response.

Saito began plotting his revenge. ''Cutting the elastic in her panties is no longer enough.'' As he lay shivering in his blanket wondering how he would get one back on that little girl...

The door to Kirche's room opened.

Her salamander Flame crawled out, with its burning tail emitting a warm glow. The two stared at each other. The salamander shuffled closer to Saito, who unconsciously began to back away.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Kyurukyuru," it growled comfortingly. It looked harmless before it clamped its jaws on Saito's sleeve, shaking its head as if asking him to follow it.

"Hey, let go! You'll light my blanket on fire!" said Saito to an insistent Flame, which only pulled harder.
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Muttering bitterly about the cold, Saito wrapped the blanket tighter and lay down on the hay. The chill stone floor of the corridor seeped into his body. ''No heaters either. I'm freezing.''

''Making me suffer like this just because of a little dream!'' Saito kicked Louise's door. Of course, there was no response.

Saito began plotting his revenge. ''Cutting the elastic in her underwear is no longer enough.'' As he continued shivering away inside his blanket, wondering how he would get one back on that little girl...

Kirche's door opened up with a click.

From inside, the salamander Flame appeared. ''The flame on the end of its tail looks warm,'' Saito thought, eyes wide.

The salamander shuffled closer to Saito, who unconsciously crept back.

"Wh-what do you want."

Kyurukyuru, the salamander cooed, with the manner of a well-behaved pet.

It didn't seem intent on hurting him.

The salamander grabbed Saito's sleeve in its mouth and pulled, as if telling him to follow.

"Hey, let go. You'll set my blanket on fire."

said Saito. But the salamander kept pulling Saito insistently, with increasing strength. -->

Kirche's room remained open. ''Is it trying to drag me in there?'' Indeed it was. ''I don't think Flame is dragging me for the fun of it. What could Kirche possibly want from me?'' Saito brainstormed the reasons. ''Maybe she just wants to lecture me about quarreling with Louise.'' As if in a trance, Saito stepped into Kirche's room.
<!-- <Cala> Just making a chip in the block, editing-wise. I think I'll write up and post a cross-reference script sometime later, no offense to Fixen's hard work. -->
<!-- <Claies> I don't mind...you made many awkward spots sound so much better. -->


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The room was pitch dark, save for Flame's mild glow. Kirche's voice commanded from the darkness, "Close the door." Saito obliged.

"Welcome to my room."

"It's pretty dark in here."

He heard Kirche snap her fingers. Starting from the one nearest him, lamps lit up one by one towards Kirche like lights floating above a street.
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Kirche's bedroom door was still open. ''Is it trying to drag me in there?'' It certainly seemed so. ''In the case this salamander isn't just being playful, what could Kirche possibly want from me?''

Maybe she was going to complain about Saito and Louise always arguing so loudly with each other. Though he still didn't quite get it, he stepped into Kirche's room anyway.

It was completely dark inside. Only around the salamander was there any source of illumination. From somewhere in the darkness, he heard Kirche's voice.

"Close the door, will you?"

Saito complied.

"Welcome. Step this way."

"It's pitch-black."

There was the sound of Kirche snapping her fingers.

At that, the candles lined up along the room lit up one by one, starting from the one closest to Saito and ending at the one near Kirche. The glow of the candles were arranged almost like street lamps lighting a road. -->

Doused in the mild glow, Kirche sat on her bed, with a look of worry on her face. She was wearing attractive underwear, or rather, just plain underwear. One thing was for sure: supported only by her sexy bra, her full breasts were the size of cantaloupes.

"Don't just stand there. Come to me," Kirche cooed with her most captivating voice.

Saito shakily wandered to a smiling Kirche, as if in a dream.

"Sit down."

Saito sat by her side as he was told. His mind was filled with Kirche's nearly nude body.

"Wh-what is it?" Saito asked nervously. Kirche merely stared at him while slowly waving her fiery red hair. Under the faint lamp light, Kirche's brown skin looked wildly erotic, as if trying to capture Saito to do her bidding.

Kirche made a long sigh, and worriedly shook her head.
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There, bathed in an ephemeral light, Kirche's tantalising form lay across the bed. She was wearing a seductive garment, known as a baby doll. Or rather, she was wearing nothing but that.

He was able to confirm that Kirche's breasts were indeed the real thing. The melon-like orbs filled out the lacy baby doll. //lit: mochiageteiru [is holding (subject) up]//

"Don't just stand there; come over here."

Kirche said in a provocative voice.

With unsteady steps, like those of a sleepwalker, Saito headed towards Kirche. She smiled brightly, and spoke.

"Why don't you sit?"

Saito did so, seating himself on the bed beside Kirche. His thoughts right now were fully occupied on Kirche's state of near-nudity.

"D-did you need something?"

Saito asked nervously. Brushing aside her flaming crimson hair, Kirche stared at Saito. The pale candlelights dancing across her tanned skin amplified her wild allure and almost drove Saito delirious.

Kirche sighed deeply, and shook her head as if troubled. -->

"You must think me a lowly, despicable woman."

"Kirche?"

"To be thought so is inevitable. Do you understand? My runic name is 'Ardent'."

"I know that."

''That cleavage in her bra's gaps is so sexy...''

"My lust is as flammable as hay... that's why I suddenly called you here. Don't you get it? Isn't this really bad of me?"

"That is indeed very bad." Saito seemed unsure and just played along. He never had a foreign girl speak her heart out to him like this, so he was rather nervous.

"But... I'm sure you'll forgive me."

Kirche looked at Saito with moist, watery eyes. Any man would show his most primitive instincts after looking at those eyes.

"For-forgive what?"

Kirche suddenly clasped Saito's hand, enveloping them with her warm palms before slowly caressing through every finger, sending sparks through his spine.

"Loving you, my dear. To you, my love is that sudden."
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"I bet you think I'm a despicable woman."

"Kirche?"

"Guess there's no helping it, if you did. Did you know? My Runic name is 'the Ardent.'"

"That I knew, yeah."

His attention was being sucked in by the luscious valley peering out from underneath the flimsy lace.

"You know, I'm as easily combustible as a torch. That's why ended up calling you here so out of the blue. It's wrong of me, I know."

"Yeah, it's wrong."

Saito responded automatically, despite not really understanding. He'd never been on the receiving end of a confession from a foreign girl before, so he was both nervous and bewildered.

"But I think you'll definitely forgive me."

Kirche gazed at Saito with glistening eyes. There was no doubt that any man would be able to resist his primal urges if Kirche looked at him in this way.

"F-forgive what?"

Kirche gently took Saito's hand in her own warm hand. And then, as if confirming each of Saito's fingers one by one, intertwined hers with them, sending a shiver down Saito's spine.

"I'm in love. With you. Love blooms so very suddenly." -->

"Yeah, that's sudden all right!" Saito's mind was a mess. ''She must be joking.'' Despite that thought, Kirche's face looked serious.

"Your grandeur in defeating Guiche was... just... so cool... like a hero of the legends. Me... when I saw you right that moment I was in love. Can you believe it? I was attracted to you just like that! Passion! Oh, this is a passionate love!"

"Pa-passion, huh? Uh..."

"My runic name, 'Ardent', is quite passionate too. I've been writing love songs since that day! Love songs! Just for you... Saito. You appear in my dreams every night, so I told Flame to see how you're doing... oh, I'm so embarrassed. You must think that too, am I right? But it's all because of you!"

Saito just sat there, at a complete loss of words.

Kirche took his silence as acceptance, and slowly, with closed eyes, approached Saito with her lips. ''So sexy. I mean... Louise is attractive too. But when it comes to sexiness, she is no match for Kirche. Though Louise is really cute, that part of her is just skin deep.''
[[Image:ZNT-page-149.jpg|thumb]]

However, Saito pushed Kirche's shoulders away. He felt like something bad would happen otherwise.  
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"Very suddenly indeed."

Saito was clueless. ''She's gotta be kidding me,'' he thought. However, Kirche's expression was the epitome of sincerity.

"That time when you defeated Guiche... it was spectacular. You seemed like the legendary Hero of Ivaldi! I was instantly smitten at that sight! Can you believe it?! It set ablaze my passion! Aaah, passion!"

"P-passion, you say..."

"My Runic name 'Ardent' is the embodiment of passion! Ever since that day, I've been dreamily memorising the Madrigal. The Madrigal, it's a love song. And it's because of you, Saito. Because you keep appearing in my dreams every night, I made Flame go look for you... Really, I'm such a shameless woman. Maybe you think so too? But it's all your fault."

Saito simply sat there, unsure of how he should react to that. Taking his silence for a 'yes', Kirche slowly closed her eyes and brought her lips closer to his. ''Oh, Kirche is so gorgeous.''

''Louise is attractive too, but in sexiness she's two or three levels behind. For her part, Louise's cuteness is unparalleled. Skin-deep as it may be.''

But Saito gently pushed her shoulders back. -->

Kirche looked at Saito with surprise, as if asking "Why?". Saito looked away from her body.

"W-well... from what you said..."

"Hmm?"

"You... fall in love too easily." Saito stuttered, hitting Kirche's weak point. Her face turned red in an instant.

"Yeah... I guess I have more... passion than others. That can't be helped. Love is sudden, and it burns my body so quickly..."

At that moment, a voice from outside the window interrupted her.

A beautiful playboy looked inside indignantly.

"Kirche... I came to check because you weren't there on time..."

"Berisson! We'll meet two hours later then!" <!-- (Beri(tsu)son - that's how it's romanized, right?)!  (TODO:  Official name here) -->

"That wasn't what we agreed on!" They were on the third floor. ''It looks like this Berisson<!-- [Berisson/Beri(tsu)son] --> guy is floating on air with some magic spell.''

Kirche nonchalantly took out her wand from between her breasts, and waved it without even looking at him. Flame shot out from a nearby lamp and flew into the gentleman at the window like a snake.
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Somehow, he just had a bad feeling about this.

Kirche's expression seemed to ask why not? Turning his eyes away from her, Saito spoke.
"S-s-so anyway, if I summarise what I've heard so far..."

"Yes?"

"You're a pushover."

Saito quipped. As if embarrassed by the word, Kirche's cheeks flushed crimson.

"I guess so... I guess I do fall in love with more people than the average person. But I can't help it. Love is like the sudden spark that sets the flames of my heart alight, after all."

As Kirche said this, there was a knock at the window.

There was a handsome boy shooting a reproachful glare into the room.

"Kirche... no wonder you wouldn't come on time..."

"Perisson! Umm, let's postpone two hours."

"That's not what you told me!"

For the record, this was the third floor. It seemed that this good-looking guy called Perisson was levitating magically.

A frustrated Kirche retrieved a stylish wand from the depths of her cleavage and pointed it in the direction of the window -->

"What an annoying owl."

Saito watched in shock.

"Eh... you didn't hear all that, did you?"

"Uh... who was that?"

"Just a friend. Whatever... right now, my deepest, most passionate love is you, Saito..."

Kirche approached him with her lips again. Saito did not move a muscle, as an irresistible desire invaded him.

At that moment, they were interrupted again.

A sharp-looking man peered into the room with a sad face.

"Kirche! Who is that guy? Aren't you going to heat up the night with me?"

"Styx! How does four hours later sound?"

"Who is that guy, Kirche?"

This Styx guy was getting mad, and as he was about to enter the room, Kirche waved her wand again. The fire flew from the lamp again, hit the man, and sent him to the ground.
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(paragraph continued)
without a second glance.

The flame of the nearest candle stretched out like a big snake and blasted the boy away, window and all.

"Jeez, what a bothersome owl."

Saito could only stare in mute amazement.

"Where was I? Are you listening?"

"Who was that just now?"

"Oh, he's just a friend. Anyway, the one I love the most right now is you, Saito."

Kirche zoned in on Saito's lips once more. Saito couldn't move; her sensual aura was almost smothering.

And then... there was a knock on the windowsill.

They looked to see a young man peering into the room with a sad expression.

"Kirche! Who is that guy?! Weren't you supposed to be spending the night with me?!"

"Styx! Err, four hours later then."

"Who is he?! Kirche!"

Fuming, the boy called Styx tried to climb into the room. Again, Kirche gave an irritated flick of her wand.

Once more, a snake of flame rose up from the candle. Thoroughly toasted by the fire, the boy plummeted to the ground. -->

"...I take that he's your friend too?"

"Instead of 'friend', lets just say that I've only heard of him. Oh well, I don't want to waste our time. Whoever said 'the night is long' didn't know how quickly the sun rises."

Kirche drew near Saito again. And again, a groan came from the window. Saito impatiently turned around.

Three men looked inside, and said the same thing at the same time.

"Kirche! Who the hell is this?! You said you don't have any lovers!"

"Manican! Ajax! Gimli!"

''Oh wow... five completely different people showed up.'' Saito was impressed.

"Well... six hours later then," Kirche waved irritably.

"That's the morning!!!" the three said in unison.  

"Flame." Kirche casually ordered her salamander, who was sleeping in the corner. Flame sent a blaze towards the three men at the window, and they fell to the ground together.
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"...Another friend of yours?"

"He's more of an acquaintance than a friend. Anyway, I don't want to waste any more time. Just who was it that said the night is long?! It seems like only a blink of the eyes before the sun's ready to rise again!"

Kirche pressed forward with her lips.

From the hole in the wall that used to be the window, there was a loud yell. Saito turned tediously towards the noise. // <Cala> Alliteration semi-intentional... //

This time, there were three people at the windowsill.

The trio demanded in perfect unison,

"Kirche! Who is that?! You told me you didn't have any lovers!"

"Manican! Ajax! Gimli!"

Saito was somewhat impressed that every guy that appeared had been different.

"How does six hours sound?"

said Kirche off-handedly.

"That's morning!"

they chorused. Sounding as if she's had enough, Kirche called on her salamander.

"Flame!"

The salamander that had been sleeping in the corner of the room awoke with a 'kyuru kyuru' and spewed a torrent of fire in the direction of the three boys. As one, they too hit solid earth. -->

"And those are...?"

"Them? I don't even know them. But, most of all, I love you!"

Kirche held Saito's face with her hands and went straight for his lips.

"N...nhhhh..."

Saito panicked. Kirche's kiss felt not disgusting, but full of passion. Saito did not resist her from pinning him to the bed.

At that moment...

This time it was the door. Somebody kicked it open.

Saito thought it was just another guy. He was dead wrong. Wearing her thin pajamas, Louise stood and stared at the two from the doorway.

Kirche mildly eyed Louise, and kept her lips locked with Saito's.

Louise murderously moved towards Saito and Kirche, knocking down a few lamps in the process. Louise's hands moved faster than her mouth. More impressively, her legs moved faster than her hands.

"KIRCHE!" Louise howled towards Kirche's general direction. Kirche acted like she just noticed her presence, and slowly removed herself from Saito, while waving her hand indignantly.
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"And just now?"

Saito asked uneasily.

"Who knows? I hardly even recognise them. Like I was saying! I love you!"

Kirche held Saito's face in both hands and finally got what she wanted.

"M-mrrf..."

Saito was flustered. Kirche's kiss was really quite passionate. She pressed into him insistently. Dumbly, Saito just let her continue.

Just then...

The door was flung open with great force.

''Another guy,'' he thought, but was mistaken. Louise stood there in her negligee.

Kirche spared a glance through the corner of her eye, but made no pretense of disconnecting her lips from Saito's.

The candles that had been casting their bewitching glow in the room were kicked down one by one by a vexed Louise as she approached closer to the pair. When Louise was angry, her hands moved faster than her mouth. When further provoked, her feet moved faster than her hands.

"Kirche!"

Louise screamed in their direction. Only then, as if she finally realised, -->

"Don't you see that we're kind of busy here, Vallière?"

"Zerbst! Whose familiar do you think you're touching?"

Saito was at a loss. Louise's brown eyes glimmered with fiery anger.

Kirche raised her hands above her head. Stuck between the two, Saito only panicked. It seemed that letting the whole situation develop into Kirche kissing him had made Louise extraordinarily angry.

"Love and fire are the Zerbst family's destiny. It's a fate that burns in our bodies. It is our lifelong goal to embrace this passionate flame. You should know that." Kirche shrugged, while Louise shook in anger.
<!-- (TO-DO:  it’s a different gesture; shrugging is the best I can think of and by no means the best overall) -->

"Come here, Saito." Louise stared at her familiar.

"Oh? Louise... he is indeed your familiar, but he has his own will too, don't you think? Please respect his choice." Kirche said at the side.

"Sh-she's right! Who I hang out with is my business!" Saito added.

Louise raised her voice. "You... by tomorrow you'll be run through by magic from at least ten nobles! Is that all right with you?!"
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''(paragraph continued)''
did Kirche separate from Saito and turned to face her.

"I'm in the middle of something, Vallière."

"Zerbst! Whose familiar do you think you're touching?!"

Saito was on edge. Louise's hazel eyes were ablaze with the light of fury.

"I can't help it if I've come to like him."

Kirche lifted both hands nonchalantly. Stuck between the two, Saito began to panic. He hadn't exactly been in control of this course of events, but it seemed to have infuriated Louise all the same.

"Love and flames are the von Zerbst's destiny. It's a fate that kindles our bodies. To be consumed by the blaze of ardor is the truest desire of my lineage. You're well aware of that, aren't you?"
Kirche shrugged. Louise's hands were shaking like leaves.

"Come here, Saito."

Louise shot a glare at Saito.

"Hey Louise, while he may be your familiar, he still has his own feelings. You should respect that." Kirche threw out a lifeline.

"Th-that's right. Who I'm around with is my business."

Louise spoke in clipped tones.

"When tomorrow comes, you'll be run through with magic by more than ten nobles. Are you okay with that?" -->

"Oh, no problem with that. Didn't you see how good he was in the Vestri Court ?"

Louise flapped her right hand. "Hmph... so his swordfighting skills are good, but that doesn't matter when he's attacked by fireballs from the back and whirlwinds from the front."

"No problem! I'll protect him!" Kirche gave Saito a passionate look.

However, because of Louise's words, Saito thought it over.

''If those guys that just visited us at the window find out about me, maybe they would attack me. Kirche won't be able to cover me all the time, even if she said she would. That and Kirche changes her mind pretty often. She'll be bored of protecting me in no time.''

After some calm reasoning, Saito reluctantly stood up. 
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"That's fine. You saw how capable he was at the Vestri Courts too, right?"

Louise waved a hand dismissively.

"Hmph. He might be good at a little sword fighting, but if he gets attacked from behind with a [Fireball] or blown away with a [Wind Break], being skilled with blades is useless."

"It's all right! I'll protect him!"

Kirche cupped her chin with one hand and sent Saito a passionate gaze.

However... Louise's words snapped Saito back to reality.

He was troubled about those guys that had been clamoring at the window. If they found out it had been him sitting beside Kirche, it'll turn out exactly as Louise says, and Saito would probably be turned into a magical shish kabob. Even though Kirche said she'll protect him, there was no way she could be there around the clock, and from seeing just now she seemed prone to acting on a whim.
There was no doubt that she'd easily bore of defending him.

Having calmly thought it over, Saito stood up reluctantly.

"Oh, are you leaving already?"

Kirche looked sadly at Saito. Her sparkling eyes began to tear up. -->

"Aww... are you leaving so soon?" Kirche sadly peered at Saito, with her hair spread to her back, and her twinkling eyes seemed to painfully tear. ''Kirche is one addicting beauty... If a girl like her sticks to me, who cares if I get hit with magic left and right?'' Saito thought wildly.

"That's her usual tactic! Don't be fooled by her." Louise tugged Saito's hand, and walked out.


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Back in her room, she closed the door with a deadly silence, and faced Saito. Forcefully biting her lip, she sent him a murderous glare.

"Like some stray dog in heat..." her voice was quivering. Louise's hands moved faster than her mouth, and her feet moved faster than her hands. Her voice was getting shaky, and anger filled her face.

"W-what now?"

"I almost saw you as a person. Looks like I was wrong."

"You're kidding me, right?" ''Yeah. See me as a person? Sounds like a lie no matter how I think about it.''

"And you went to wag your tail at that Zerbst witch..." Louise reached into a drawer in her desk for something. A whip.
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Hesitation gripped him. ''Kirche is amazingly beautiful, and being liked by someone like her might not be a bad trade-off for getting roasted by spells,'' he couldn't help but think.

"That's just her usual trick! Don't fall for it!"

Louise grabbed Saito's hand and walked out.


Upon returning to her room, Louise mirthlessly locked the door and turned to Saito.

Biting her lower lip hard, she flashed her eyes in fury.

"You're just like a stray dog in heat~~!!"

Her voice was quavering. When Louise was angry, her hands moved faster than her mouth. When further provoked, her feet moved faster than her hands. At the peak of her rage, her voice would tremble.

Louise gritted her teeth.

"Wh-what?"

"Kneel over there. I was sorely mistaken. It seems I was treating you like a person from the start."

"Yeah right!"

''Treat me like a person?'' It sounded like a lie no matter how he thought about it.

"How dare you go wagging your tail at a Zerbst woman--!! You dog--!! -->

"Uhh... M-miss..." Saito started to stutter.

"Dogs must be treated like dogs. I've been too soft on you."

"But why the whip?" Saito eyed the whip in Louise's hand. It was quite well-made.

"I'm going far out of my way to use a horse's whip on you. You're just a dog."

"A dog, huh?"

Louise started whipping. Pishi-Pishi-! <!-- (Pishi(tsu)! Pishi(tsu)!) -->

"Ow! It hurts! Stop, you idiot!"

"What? How is that girl better? What is so good about her?" Louise yelled and whipped.

Saito noticed an opening, and grabbed Louise's hands. She struggled, but the strength of the girl was not enough. Saito kept his grip on her wrists, and then she stopped.

"Ahh! Let go, you moron!"
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Pulling open a drawer of her desk, she retrieved an object from it. It was a whip.

"O-ojousama?" // alt: "M-mistress?" //

Saito cried in dumb surprise.

Louise cracked the whip against the floor.

"A s-s-s-stray dog needs to be treated like one. I was too s-s-s-soft on you."

"Why do you have a whip?"

asked Saito, unable to take his attention off the rather fine whip Louise held. Indeed, it was quite a quality craft of leather.

"It's a riding crop, so it's perfect for you. Because you're just a stray dog, right?!"

"A stray dog?!"

Louise started hitting Saito with it.

Crack! Crack! went the whip as it sliced through the air. Saito was busy trying to run away from the blows.

"Ow! Cut it out! Idiot!"

"What?! Just what's so good about that girl?!"

yelled Louise.

Saito suddenly realised something, and managed to catch hold of Louise by both wrists. She struggled, but her strength was only so much. Saito stayed his grip, and she soon gave up.

"Let go...! You stupid!" -->

"Are you..." Saito bore into Louise. Brown eyes stared back. Up close, one can see an irresistible face.

''Cute. Kirche is a beauty, quite sexy. But Louise is like an empty canvas. Not a single speck of dirt... a clean canvas. It's just that her character is a bit...'' No matter how Saito said it, he liked Louise better. His heart started beating in sixteenth notes. ''Is she jealous? Does she have a crush on me?'' In Saito's eyes, thinking like this made Louise look even cuter. All things considered, Saito was as weak as Kirche in romance.

"Are you jealous? Do you like me?" said Saito. "Were you angry because I didn't sleep with you and went off with Kirche doing all that? Oh, I didn't notice. I am sorry." He lowered his head, and raised Louise's chin.

"I think you're not bad either. Look, when you helped bandage me you were really..."

Louise's shoulders shivered.
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"Err, don't tell me you're..."

Saito stared into Louise's hazel eyes, receiving an intense glare in return. ''Looking at her from this close, she really is charming. Cute. Though Kirche is a stunner too. Ah, she's so sexy.'' In comparison, Louise was like a blank canvas. Innocent and pure, without a single blemish. Except perhaps, that personality of hers.

Faced with a choice, he had to admit that he personally preferred Louise's type looks-wise. // <Cala> Oh shi- he is a binyuu-moe... >.>;; //

Saito's heartbeat drummed to the rhythm of a 16-beat pop tune. ''Jealousy? Does she like me?'' In thinking so, Louise appeared even cuter to him.

To put in bluntly, Saito was as much of a pushover as Kirche was.

"Are you jealous? Have you fallen for me?" asked Saito.

"Could it be that you're angry that I went and sat on Kirche's bed instead of sneaking into yours? In that case, I'm sorry."

Saito looked down at Louise, cupping her chin.

"I've been thinking about you a bit as well. Y'know, that time when you changed my bandages for me..."

Louise's shoulders began to shudder. -->

"...I should be going for you because I'm a guy. Tonight, I will sleep on your bed, so you won't have to go to mine."

Louise's right foot suddenly moved like a gust, and shot Saito one between his legs.

"...ahhh... ohhh..." Saito went on his knees, his body covered in cold sweat. ''Oh... that hurt. I think I'm going to die. That REALLY hurt.''

"Like? Why... would I... like you?" Louise angrily stepped on his head.

"Did... did I get that wrong?"

"Obviously so!" she continued stepping.

"Al-all right... I was wrong..."

Louise sat on a chair, crossing her legs, her breathing still uneven. After fiercely torturing Saito for a while, her mood seemed to slightly improve.

"Sure... you can go out with anybody you choose. But, no matter what, you must not go out with that woman."

"W-why?" Saito hopped around as if to minimize the pain.

"First, Kirche isn't a Tristainian; she's a noble from neighboring Germania. Just that makes going out with her completely unacceptable. I hate Germanians."
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"...As a man, I should've approached you properly. Tonight, I'll sneak into your bed, so that you don't have sneak into my haystack."

Louise's right foot arced up, fast as lightning, and met Saito's groin. // lit: shippuu no you ni ugoki [moved like a stormwind] //

"...Urk. Gyaaaaaaaaarh." // <Cala> Any approximation will do. We all know the feeling. //

Dropping to his knees, Saito broke out into a cold sweat. ''That hurts. It hurts so much I feel like I'm dying.''

"Who's fallen for who? Me? For you? Why should I?"

Louise pressed Saito's face to the floor with a foot.

"...Y-you haven't?"

She applied some more pressure to his head.

"Isn't it obvious~~"

"Y-yes, quite. I must've misunderstood..."

Louise sat down at a chair and crossed her legs. She was still breathing heavily, but after having blown off some steam on Saito, she seemed to be a bit calmer.

"Certainly, who you're around with is your business. But Kirche is an exception."

"Wh-why?" asked Saito, as he hopped around trying to restore his jewels to their original position. // lit: merikonda tama wo [sunken/caved in balls/spheres/jewels] modosu tame ni [in order to restore/return] //

"Firstly, Kirche's isn't a Tristanian. She's a noble of a neighbouring country, Germania. That alone -->

"How do you expect me to know these things?"

"My house, Vallière, has estates on Germania's borders, so we're the first on the field against Germanians the moment any war starts. Even worse, right opposite to us on that border is Kirche's birthplace." Louise bit down hard on her teeth. "So basically, the Zerbst family is our sworn enemy."

"And they call themselves a passionate family."

"Just a low, unworthy family. Kirche's great-great-grandfather stole away my great-great-grandfather's lover! That was around two hundred years ago."

"That's quite a while ago."

"Plus, that Zerbst constantly slanders Vallière. My great-great-grandfather's fiancé was stolen away because of that." 

"Huh?"

"My great-great-grandfather's! His wife was taken away just like that."
<!-- Page 160: Cross-reference
''(paragraph continued)''
is unacceptable. I hate Germania with a passion." // <Cala> Extra emphasis to reflect "daikirai" over just "kirai"; though passion is really, Kirche's area of specialty... //

"Like I care about that."

"The lands that the Vallière family possesses are right next to the border of Germania. So whenever a war breaks out we've always been the first to fight against the Germanians. What's more, right across that border is the von Zerbst's turf! The place that Kirche was born!" yelled Louise, gritting her teeth.

"In other words, Kirche's family... the von Zerbsts are... sworn enemies of the Vallière lineage. At home we're practically next door neighbours! And to end up in adjacent dorm rooms! Unacceptable!"

"Haa. Apparently they're a passionate bunch."

"They're just immoral simpletons, the lot of them! Kirche's great-great-great-grandfather Zerbst stole away my great-great-great-grandfather's lover! About 200 years ago!"

"That's quite a while back."

"And since then, those of the Zerbst family have insulted the Vallière name on numerous occasions! My great-great-grandfather's fiancee was also stolen away by Kirche's great-great-grandfather."

"I see."

"My great-grandfather, Safran de Vallière too! His wife was stolen from him! -->

"Okay, whatever... so basically, this is all because your family lost a lover to Kirche's family?"

"Not just that. We've lost count of how many family members we've lost from the wars."

"I'm just a lowly little familiar... it's not like I'm worth being stolen."

"No. I will not let Kirche steal a single bird. I'll shame my ancestors if that happens." With that, Louise poured a glass of water, and downed it in one gulp. "That is why Kirche's forbidden."

"Your ancestors have nothing to do with me."

"Yes they do! You're my familiar, right? As long as you eat from the Vallière family, you are to follow my orders."

"Familiar this, familiar that..." Saito stared discontently at Louise.

"You have a problem with that?"
<!-- Page 161: Cross-reference
By that girl's great-grandfather, Maximilli von Zerbst! Wait, maybe it was his brother Baron Dudiche.."

"Either way, you're saying that Kirche's family has kept stealing away the Vallière family's lovers?"

"That's not all. We've been at each other's throats during war too. The sheer number of family members lost in battle is, why, almost countless!"

"Since I'm just a lowly familiar, it doesn't really matter that much, does it?"

"No way! Do you think I'd let Kirche have even a fledgling bird?! I would be a shame to my ancestors!"

Having said that much, Louise poured herself a glass of water and downed it instantly.

"So that's how it is. Kirche is absolutely forbidden."

"Your ancestors have nothing to do with me."

"Yes they do! You're my familiar! Whatever the case, you're still provided for by the duchy of Vallière, so do what I tell you."

"Familiar, schamiliar..."

Saito glared reproachfully at Louise.

"Do you have a complaint?" -->

"No, because I can't live if I don't do what you say, so I'll just have to live with it..." Saito stuck up his lip, and sat on the ground with a thump.

"And I think you should thank me."

"Thank you for what?"

"If the word that a commoner became Kirche's lover gets out, do you think you'll survive?"

Saito remembered the men Kirche shooed away, and blasted like flies to the ground... ''If that was me... what would that feel like?'' Saito also remembered his fight with Guiche, and a shiver went down his spine.

"...Louise."

"What?"

"Give me a sword. A sword." Saito wanted to protect himself.

"Don't you have one?"

"How would I? The one from last time was Guiche's."

Louise crossed her arms. "Are you a swordsman?"
<!-- Page 162: Cross-reference
"No... otherwise, well, I won't be able to live, so I'll have to put up with it..."

Pouting, Saito plopped himself down on the floor.

"You know, you should be thanking me."

"For what?"

"If word got out that a commoner became Kirche's lover, how long do you think you'd last?"

Saito thought back to those boys at the windowsill. They'd been given a nice toasting by Kirche's magic, and a free trip down to earth but...

''What would happen if they found out I was there?''

Remembering the fight he had with Guiche, Saito shuddered a little.

"...Louise."

"What?"

"A sword. Get me a sword." // Neo: "I need guns. Lots of guns." //

He wanted one to protect himself.

"Don't you have one?"

"Of course not. The one I used last time was Guiche's."

Louise folded her arms as if fed up.

"You're a swordsman, aren't you?" -->

"No... I've never held one before."

"But you looked like a natural in that fight."

"But still..."

"Hmm..." Louise went into deep thought.

"What?"

"I heard familiars get special powers when the contract is made."

"Special powers?"

"Yeah... like when a black cat became a familiar..." Louise raised a finger in the air and explained.

"Uh-huh..."

"It gets the ability to talk to people."

"But I'm not a cat."

"I know. Thing is... a human as a familiar is something totally unheard of, so it's not impossible that you can just pick up a sword and use it like a natural."
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"No. I've never even held a sword before."

"But you were wielding one so freely that time."

"Yeah, but..."

"Hmm..."

Louise looked deep in thought.

"What is it?"

"I've been told that familiars can gain special abilities when they become contracted; maybe it's that."

"Special abilities?"

"That's right. For instance, black cats are often taken as familiars, right?"

Louise raised a finger as she explained to Saito.

"Yeah."

"It gains the ability of human speech or something else."

"I'm not a cat."

"I know that. Historically, there's never been an instance of a human becoming a familiar... so nothing can be considered too mysterious. The fact that you're now able swing a blade around so easily, is is entirely feasible." -->

"Huh..." ''I didn't just use it like a natural. My body felt light and fast like a feather. Besides, Guiche's statues were made of bronze. There's no way you can cut into metal that easily, no matter how skilled a swordsman you are.''

"If it's that incredible, we should go ask Tristain's Academia."<!-- [[TODO:  Not sure about “academia” - BaKaFiSh no noto! - It says Academi-. ^.^ - Would "Academy" be fine? - Shiki no noto]] -->

"Academia?"

"Yeah. It's the Royal Court's magic research agency."

"What would they do to me for research?"

"Ah... many kinds of experiments. Like... autopsies."

"You're kidding me." Saito stood up. ''Human experimentation? No, thanks!''

"If you think that's disgusting, then don't spread that 'using a sword like a master in an instant' around for no good reason."

"I got it. We can keep that quiet." Saito nodded in fear.

"Ah... I get it now..." Louise nodded in understanding.
<!-- Page 164: Cross-reference
"Hmm..."

''But that was far beyond swinging it freely. My body moved as if it was as light as a feather.''

''What's more, Guiche's golems were made of bronze. No matter how much a person has trained, surely it can't be that easy to chop metal to bits like that?''

"If you're that curious, do you want to ask at the Tristain Academy?"

"Academy?"

"Yes. It's the royal court's exclusive magical research facility."

"And what would they do to me?"

"Let's see. Probably all sorts of experiments. Or maybe a dissection."

"You're kidding, right?!"

Saito bolted to a stand. Human experiments were a definite no-no.

"If you don't want that to happen, don't go around telling people that you can suddenly use a sword."

"Gotcha. Will do."

Saito nodded fearfully.

"Okay... I got it."

Louise then nodded to herself in some sort of self-agreement. -->

"Get what?"

"I'll buy you a sword."

"Oh?" ''Well that was sudden. Louise is always so stingy.''

"You never have enough lives if Kirche has her eyes on you. We brought that on ourselves, so we'll have to take care of it," Louise weakly said.

"How rare..."

"What?" Louise stared at Saito.

"I thought you're such a miser. You even freak out about my food."

"I can't let a familiar get used to luxury. It makes for bad habits. If it's absolutely necessary, I'll buy it. I'm not a stingy person," Louise said proudly.

"Huh?!"

"Now that you get it, go to sleep. Tomorrow is the Day of Void, so I'll take you shopping."

''Oh... so this world has Sundays too,'' Saito thought as he moved towards the hallway.
<!-- Page 165: Cross-reference
"Get what?"

"I'll buy you a sword."

"Eh?"

That was certainly unexpected. Saito had thought Louise was a cheapskate.

"Now that you've caught Kirche's fancy, you'll never have enough lives to spare. You're going to need to put out any stray embers yourself," said Louise off-handedly.

"That's unusual..."

"Why?"

Louise fixed him a glare.

"I thought you were a miser, what with the food you give me and all..."

"If I indulge my familiar, it'll become a bad habit. I'll happily buy something that's actually necessary. I'm not really a miser," countered Louise.

"Right."

"Now if you understood all that, go to sleep! Tomorrow is the Day of Void, so I'll take you to town."

Oh, so this world has weekends too, thought Saito as he made to -->

"Where are you going?"

"Where? To the hallway."

"It's all right. You can sleep in my room. If Kirche grabs you again it will be troublesome."

Saito looked at Louise. "You really are..."

Louise was about to take her whip again when Saito stopped, dove on his straw bed, and wrapped himself in the blanket. He looked at the inscriptions in his left hand.  

''By lighting up, this thing helped me defeat Guiche, got Kirche head over heels for me, and got Louise to buy a sword for me. What else is this thing going to bring me?'' As he thought, drowsiness attacked him. ''What a long day...'' as he thought it, Saito fell fast asleep.
<!-- Page 166: Cross-reference
''(paragraph continued)''
leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

"The corridor, that's where."

"It's fine, just sleep inside. It'd be a bother if Kirche came for you again."

Saito stared at Louise.

"What?"

"You really do..."

Louise reached out for the whip, but Saito quickly shut his mouth and brought his haystack into the room. Wrapping the blanket around himself, he lay down on it.

And stared at the runes on his left hand.

''Thanks to these glowing, I beat Guiche, charmed Kirche, and got Louise to buy me a sword.''
''Just where what do these markings have in store for me in the future...''
As he lay there thinking, drowsiness swept over him. ''Today was a long day too...'' he thought, as he finally drifted off to sleep.
-->
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