Zero no Tsukaima:Volume2 Chapter7 - MTL

Chapter 7 - The Prince of a Dying Country

This is a preview script. Please be aware that the degree of translation error may be higher than usual due to the translation speed.

---

Saito was imprisoned by the pirates. It seemed Mary Galante's (?) crew had helped in taking over the ship.

Saito’s sword was taken from him, as were Warde and Louise’s wands. Their hands and feet were otherwise free. Without wands, the mages were as harmless as the weaponless Saito. The same could not be said about Louise. (?)

In the background, barrels of wine, sacks of grain and casks of gunpowder were disorderly spread about. Heavy cannonballs were piled in the corner of the hold.

Warde explored the cargo with great interest.

Saito sat down in a corner of the hold. He frowned due to the pain in his injured arm.

Louise looked worriedly at Saito in this state. “As I thought, the injury hurts after all!"

"It's nothing," Saito said snappishly.

"It's not nothing - show me!" Louise forcefully grabbed Saito's arm and tugged at his sleeve.

"Kya!"

It looked awful. The severe injury extended from left shoulder to wrist and was inflicted by Masked Man’s lightning spell. It seemed to be getting worse.

The shoulder was under an awful convulsion.

"Isn’t that an awful burn?! Should I feel relieved now?!" Louse shouted. She stood up and started knocking on the door.

"Somebody! Somebody come!"

The guard stood up. "Eh?"

"Water! Is there a mage? We need a water mage! There is an injured person! We need to heal him!"

"There is no such thing."

"Lies! It is so!"

Warde, who was taken back with a surprise, watched Louise dumbfounded. Saito gripped Louise's shoulder.

"Be obedient. You are the prisoner here."

"No! I won't, you are injured!"

"Stop saying that!" Saito shouted. Louise cringed under Saito's threatening attitude. Her pupils started getting moist. However, Louise gulped and tried to hold back the oncoming tears.

"D-do not cry."

"I am not crying. There is no master who would cry in front of her familiar!"

Saito turned his face away. "I see."

"I would never cry in front of you."

Louise walked to the other wall and sat down, facing away from Saito. Her body was shivering. Saito went to Warde and tapped his shoulder.

"Please comfort her."

"Why?"

"Aren't you Louise's fiancé?"

Wardes nodded and turned towards Louise, hugging her shoulders from behind. Saito collapsed to the ground, averting his eyes from Warde and Louise. The pain in his arm kept getting worse. It was Saito's fault for preventing Louise from helping him.

It is a suitable punishment for a being as worthless as myself. My punishment... doesn't hurt that much. Uwaa-"

His muttering was interrupted by the opening door. A fat man with a plate of soup entered. "Rice."

When Saito, who was near the door, tried to take it, the man suddenly lifted the plate up. "Only after you answered few questions."

Louise, whose eyes were puffy, stood up. "Ask."

"What business have you in Albion?"

"Travelling." Louise said in a decisive voice, putting her hand to her waist.

"Noble of Tristain, why would you travel to Albion? Why would you be sightseeing in such a place?"

"I do not have to tell you such things."

"Still pretending to be tough, despite being scared and crying?"

Louise turned her face away when the pirate started laughing. She grabbed a plate with soup and water to throw at him, but Saito took it from her.

"Hey! I cannot eat soup made by such people!" Louise faced away again.

"It's not healthy to stay hungry." Hearing Warde say this, Louise took the plate of soup while pouting.

The three ate soup from one plate. In normal circumstances, this would never happen.

Warde leaned against the wall with a tired expression.

Louise tore up the sleeve of her shirt and soaked it in water, trying to cool down Saito's wound with it.

"It's alright."

"It's not alright!" Louise stared firmly at Saito with her puffy eyes. "Because you are my familiar, you have to listen to what I tell you!"

Saito averted his face. Louise, who was treating his arm softly, looked up at him. "What is it?"

"You have more important duties to take care of."

"That is so, but this injury is also very important! Clear?!"

Saito continued to look away, finally noticing the casks of gunpowder. "We could escape using that."

"Eh?" Louise suspiciously followed Saito's gaze. Saito opened the barrel and filled the plate with gunpowder.

Wardes muttered tiredly. "And where would you run? Only emptiness surrounds us."

Saito sat down again with a thump. "...but, sitting like this and doing nothing..."

Then the door opened again. This time it was a thin pirate standing before them. The pirate looked at the three with piercing eyes and asked, "Good evening, are you the aristocrats going to Albion?"

Louise did not answer.

"Oi oi, judging from your silence it’s the truth. Though we may not look like it, we respect nobles. Thanks to the aristocrats our business goes well."

"But, isn't this a warship of rebels?"

"No, no, though we are employed, we cooperate in a fifty-fifty relationship with each other. We are related to both factions. So how is it? Are you nobles? If it is true, then you will be let free at the closest port."

Saito felt relieved. Since Louise was an aristocrat everything would be settled peacefully then. They would be taken to the nearest port.

However, Louise did not nod her head in agreement. Instead, she continued glaring at the pirate's forehead. "How dare you have anything to do with those dirty rebels? Do not disregard Albion’s nobles. I myself am from one of the noble families. Albion is still a kingdom, as the royal family is still the legitimate government of Albion. As I am an aristocrat who comes here on behalf of Tristain, I am an ambassador. I demand ambassadorial treatment from you."

Saito wildly opened his mouth and muttered, "Are you an idiot?"

"Who are you calling an idiot? You’re the idiot! Trying to act cool while being injured so badly!" Louise turned to Saito and shouted angrily.

"But, you should choose the time and place for your straightforwardness better!"

"Shut up! You are my familiar and should listen to what I say! Anyway, show your arm! Hey!"

Surprised Saito clasped his arm to his side, while Louise tried to pull Saito's arm with a jerk.

The pirate laughed at the scene.

"Honestly, you should stop doing that!"

"You are wrong, I can't let you be hurt so carelessly," Louise asserted.

"Eh?” Saito said in a surprised voice.

"It's because you are my familiar... t-that's why..."

"I'll go report to the boss then," the pirate left laughing.

Saito was so surprised that he wasn't able to reply to Louise properly.

"Your arm, show it."

"Don't act this way. Aren't there more important things to be concerned about? Like our present situation."

Louise said decisively, "I won't let such things weigh me down, as long as we have the slightest chance of survival."

Louise stood up straightly. Though the thought of marrying Warde made her feel awkward initially, the feeling was no longer so strong.

"…… In any case, you lied to them."

"Don't talk nonsense. Do you seriously think that lying to such people is a bad thing?"

Saito sighed tiredly. Wardes came over and tapped Louise's shoulder. "Don't say such things Louise, you are still my bride."

Saito looked away dejectedly. Louise face showed mixed feelings, as she looked down.

The door opened again, it was the same thin pirate who said, "The boss calls. "

***

The pirate climbed the narrow stairs and took the three to a splendid room. It was build on the upper part of the deck.

The Boss ... He seemed to be the leader or captain of the pirates.

As the door opened, one could see a gorgeous dinner table with a pirate sitting at one end. He was playing with a cane topped by a large crystal. It seemed he was a mage himself. The Boss’ room was very different from what one would expect of a pirate.

He looked intensively at Louise as she entered the room. The thin pirate who had lead them here poked her slightly from behind. "Hey, you are standing in front of the Boss, so greet him properly." 　 However, Louise just stood there glaring at the Boss, who smiled at her.

"Ah, I like a strong willed woman. You are not a child at all. "

"I demand ambassadorial treatment," Louise, ignoring the Boss’ words, repeated her demand.

"And what would be the message you are trying to send?" The Boss said, ignoring Louise's words. "And did you say royal?"

"Yes, I did."

"Do you go to [Nanashi]? They will be gone tomorrow."

"I won't tell you."

But the Boss said to Louise in a joyful voice, "Are you willing to betray the nobles? Otherwise, even if you are a mage, I might not guarantee your safety even for a considerable ransom."

"I'd rather die."

Saito poked Louise, noticing her trembling body. She was scared. But even so, she looked straight into the Boss’ eyes. Saito remembered his duel with Guiche. I was scared at that time. I thought I was going to die. But I didn’t bow my head. Today, Louise is in the same situation, standing in front of a scary opponent but able to withstand it because she has something important to her. This Louise looked really amazing.

"I'll ask you again. Are you willing to betray the nobles?"

Louise looked up. She put her hands to her waist, and put out her chest. However, Saito interrupted her before she could open her mouth. "She answered you already."

"And who are you?" The Boss looked at Saito with a piercing glare, with eyes that seemed to see his deepest secrets. But Saito looked straight back at the Boss, just as Louise had.

"A familiar."

"Familiar?"

"Seems so."

The Boss started laughing. He laughed loudly.

"I knew that Tristain’s nobles were weird, but not that they were so helplessly. Oh my, my stomach hurts," the Boss said while standing up and laughing. Saito and the others were puzzled by the sudden change in atmosphere and looked at each other.

"Oh, I am sorry. As a noble, I should properly introduce myself as well." The pirate, who was laughing loudly, suddenly stood up straight.

He removed his black curly hair from his head. He had been wearing a wig. He also removed the black eye patch and his fake beard. Standing before them was a young man with blond hair.

"I am general of the Albion Royal Air Force, and the Commander of our country’s fleet. Though, to tell the truth, this warship named the "Eagle" is the only ship in our fleet. A powerless fleet. Oh dear, even commoners could easily beat it." The man bowed as he introduced himself.

"I am prince of the Kingdom of Albion, Wales Tudor."

Louise’s mouth opened wide. Saito couldn't take his eyes from the surprising appearance of the young prince of Albion. Warde watched the Prince with great interest.

Wales smiled charmingly and moved a chair for Louise to sit down.

"Welcome to Albion, Ambassador. Now, let’s talk about your message."

However, Louise was still speechless. She just stood there, dumbfounded, unable to move.

"Why do I dress up as a pirate? To hide myself? No, the rich rebels sent a lot of support to the rebellion, and it is a basic war tactic to cut my enemy's supply line. Even if I have to do that in such an undignified way as to dress myself up as a dirty pirate," Wales said laughingly.

"No, it was really impolite to treat an ambassador like that. But you have to admit you don't look much like one of the royal messengers yourself. And I never thought support would come from other country's nobles. Yet I still should apologize."

Even after Wales’ words, Louise's mouth still opened and closed soundlessly. She wasn't mentally prepared to be in the Prince’s presence so suddenly.

"We brought a secret letter from Her Highness, Princess Henrietta," Warde said while bowing gracefully.

"Oh, from Her Highness. And you are?"

"Captain of Tristain's Griffin Knights, Viscount Warde."

Then Wardes introduced Louise. "And this is Her Highness’ ambassador from the de la Vallière family and her familiar, Your Highness."

"Indeed! Such a splendid noble. And I only have my ten bodyguards to greet you, such a miserable greeting. Then, do you still have the secret letter?"

Louise took out Henrietta's letter from her clothes in a flustered manner. However, she stopped before giving it to Wales. After few moments of hesitation she opened her mouth. "B-but..."

"What?"

"Excuse me, but are you really the Prince?" 　 Wales laughed. "Oh dear, you won't believe me even if I showed you my true face. I am Wales. And I am really the Prince. I will show you some evidence then," Wales said after seeing the water ruby ring shining on Louise's finger.

Louise's hand was taken and the ring that shone on her finger was removed. The Prince brought it close to his ruby ring. The two rings reacted to each other, shining with a brilliant light.

"This ring belongs to the Albion royal family, the ruby of the Wind, while that one belongs to Henrietta from Tristain’s royal family and is a ruby of the Water. Right?"

Louise nodded.

"Water and wind make the rainbow. The rainbow that forms between our royal families."

"True, I am sorry for my impoliteness." Louise handed Wales the letter and bowed.

After looking at the letter lovingly, Wales kissed the seal before removing it carefully. The paper inside was taken out, and Wales began to read. For some time he read with a serious expression.

"Is the Princess marrying? That beautiful Henrietta. My beloved... cousin."

Warde bowed silently, with an affirmative expression. Wales dropped his glance to the letter again and smiled when he read the last line. "Understood. The princess is informing me with this that she wants you to return with the reply to this letter. It's of utmost important. The Princess also hopes that I will get the chance to read it.”

Louise’s face beamed up with pleasure.

"However, I won't give it to you for now. I will properly return it with my answer in Newcastle, instead of this ship," Wales said laughingly. "So, even though its troublesome, please come with me to Newcastle."

The end of Chapter 7.