Zero no Tsukaima:Volume2 Chapter5 ~Preview~

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Louise shakes her head, thinking Wardes is joking. It is true that Saito’s speed increase dramatically when he wield a weapon, and become extremely strong, but to say he is the legendary familiar is unbelievable. If it is really like that, then something must be wrong. I am after all “Louise the zero”.

I am always a failure, there is no way I could have the power Wardes mentioned.

“You could become a great mage. Yes, like founder Brimir, and leave your name in history as a great Mage. I believe so.”

Wardes stared at Louise warmly.

“After this mission marry me, Louise”

“Ah…”

The sudden marriage proposal left Louise speechless.

“I am not only just a Mage captain of the Magic Knights, some day, the entire nation, become (something untranslatable involve shocking) Halkeginia’s noble’s (something untranslatable)”

“No, But..”

“But what?”

“I...I am still..still”

“You are not a child anymore, you are 16 years old. You have reached the age when you can decide things. Your father agreed too. But…”

Wardes stopped here. Then he raised his head, and leaned next to Louise’s face.

“It is true, I never came to look for you, and I have to apologize. Marriage is not something to be spoken easily, this I also know. But Louise, to me you are the most important of all.”

”Wardes…”

Louise thought about it. She don’t know why Saito suddenly appeared in her mind. After she marries Wardes, then she will leave Saito the familiar somewhere out of her control.

I don’t understand why, but I constantly feel this is wrong. If it is a Crow, Owl type of familiar it wouldn’t be so troublesome. If, no one take care of this idiot from another world, what will happen to him?

Kirche or…. Saito don’t know Louise knows, often the maid from the kitchen who feed him…. They will take care of him right?

I don’t understand why this is extremely annoying. Louise think this is just a girl’s innate competitiveness . Although Saito is an idiot, and often made me mad, but I don’t want him to become someone else’s property. Because he is mine, Louise’s property.

Louise raised her head.

"Still… Still…"

"Still?"

“That, that I am not a mage of your caliber yet, I still need to study..”

Louise lower her head, and kept it lower and murmured.

“Wardes, when I was young, that is what I always thought, someday, I must make everyone recognize me, become a great mage, and make my mother and father proud.”

Louise raise her head, staring at the older man.

“I, I still cannot reach that yet.”

“Is it because someone already stole your heart?”

“It is nothing like that, there is no chance for that to happen!”

Louise replied in a panic.

“It's not important, I understand, I understand. For now, I won’t ask for an answer. But, after this journey is over, I will certainly lighten your heart.”

Louise nodded in reply.

“In that case, lets go to bed, you are already tired right?”

Suddenly, Wardes came close to Louise, wanting to kiss her.

Louise’s body suddenly flew backward, then caught Wardes and pushed him away.

“Louise?”

Louise pridefully stared at Wardes, Wardes smiled bitterly, and shaked his head.

“I am not in a hurry”

Louise lowered her head again.

Why even though Wardes is so gentle, handsome and strong. And I am an easily shocked bird . Not even happy when I am being proposed to. But I don’t know why in my heart it feels like I just suffered a strong blow.

That blow is reverberating, and Louise don’t want accept the reality in front of her.

Outside the window, Saito had his hand around the Window-Bars, desperately checking the situation in Louise and Wardes’s room.

Holding Deflinger in his left hand made his body became light as a feather, allowing him to observe everything inside the room. Peeking through the curtains, Saito saw two figures sitting by the table.

What are they talking about? Every time when Wardes’s face got closer to Louise, Saito would bite his lips. Every time when the two appear to about to kiss, the boy would almost stop breathing. But since Louise never connected the kiss, Saito’s breathe didn’t stop either.

“Ah, closing in again, this ******, ah, so it is like that!” Saito whispered. Derflinger [unable to translate the way he talked, but we can assume is fairly sarcastic]

“How shameful.”

“Shut up.”

“Like this, like a [some kind of bug] peeking into a window, looking at the girl you have a crush on and her lover cheerfully converse, and my partner biting his lips, it is so shameful it hurts, and almost making me cry!”

“I don’t have an crush on her! What is so good about that kind of girl? Explosive temper, treat me like an dog, twisted personality.”

Saito mumbled, biting his lips at the same time.

“So, why are we peeking?”

“I am only worried, just worried that’s all.”

Just as the two spoke, something fell from above.

Pa-ta (sound of something falling). Something fell on Saito’s shoulder and covered his face, and everything in front of him turned black.

“Wha, what?”

“What are you doing here? Do you like to take strolls on the wall? Geez, took me forever to find you.”

It was Kirche who landed on his shoulder, and our hero’s eyes were blinded because his face was covered by the Germanian’s mini-skirt.

“Get off me, quick” Saito replied as he pulled his face out of Kirche’s skirt.

“Why, is it not good? Hey, what are you looking at?”

Kirche took one look at the window, turned around to face Saito and put her arms around him: “No, don’t peek at newly weds, we shouldn’t care about them”

“This is what I think; a quiet date on the wall is so romantic. Look how beautiful the lights from the city are, don’t you think they are cheering for us?”

“First thing first, you get off first.”

The two panicked, and suddenly the window slammed open. Saito remain frozen in place, and hug the wall like a cockroach (Some kind of bug).

One look and we can see is Louise with her hands crossed around her hips. But, her lovely face twisted into a demonic mask, focused on Kirche and Saito.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEXT TO MY WINDOW????”

Saito with his sword in one hand, another clutching the window frames. And the same time Kirche hugged her arms tightly around Saito.

One can’t say this is a surprise, but it still looked pretty amazing.

“Can’t understand it even after you see it? This is a date.”

Saito tried to say something, but his lips were covered by Kirche’s hands. (the rest of the sentence is sort of hard to translate, but it mention Kirche’s usual facial expression when caught with Saito in tow). Louise’s shoulders start to quake in fury.

“Go, go, go, go have romance somewhere else. You, you, you two wild dogs!”

Using an exiggrated voice, Kirche replied,“But darling want to have a date here.”

In an instant Louise’s foot flew in this direction, Kirche docked then climbed on to the wall, so the shorter girl’s foot connected straight with Saito’s face, sending the Japanese boy flying.

Luckily Saito had the sword in his hand, and used the weapon to gauge an hole on the wall to stop his own decent . Then he howled in rage:

“DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME???”

“Someone like you who don’t understand kindness deserve to DIE!”

Wardes sat in his room and watched the whole thing with amusement.

Second day, Saito wake up to someone knocking on his door. Since Guiche is still sleeping soundly to the bed next to him, without another choice the Japanese could only climb out the bed to answer.

There is no ship today, I wanted to have a good day sleep, geez. Saito thought angrily as he opened the door.

Wardes with his usual hat looked down at Saito, who is about a head and half shorter than the knight.

“Good morning, Familiar.”

With Louise’s fiance calling him like this, it really felt bad in Saito’s heart.

Saito replied: “Morning, but the departure date is tomorrow right? Do you have anything important to say this morning? I've been riding a horse all day yesterday, I still want to sleep.”

Wardes only smiled faintly.

“Are you the Gandalf of the legend?”

“AH”

Saito stared at Wardes in a stunned expression.

Wardes is trying to clear something (This is a really garbled sentence), and bend his head and said “ That, that case with Fouquet, I hold an great interest in you. I asked Louise earlier, and I heard you are from another world. And I also heard you are the legendary Gandalfr.”

“Ha” (Some kind of expression)

Who talked about Gandalfr anyway? Old Osman shouldn’t have talked about this.

「我對歷史和戰爭都很有興趣的呢。向芙凱尋問的時候，就對你抱有了興趣，然後在王室的圖書館裡調查了一下呢。調查的結果就是，你是傳說的使魔『綱達魯烏』。」

　　 原來如此，真是個學習家呢。

　　 「我想知道那個逮捕芙凱的力量到底有多強。能否讓我見識下呢？」

“Show you?”

Wardes pulled out his wand from his belt, “Let us put it that way.”

“A duel?” Saito replied with an icy smile.

“Exactly.”

Wardes and Saito smiled together. Taking one look at the still sleeping Guiche, the Japanese boy thought: I am not sure just how strong is Wardes anyway, but I had beaten Guiche already, and captured Fouquet. Although he is the Captain of the Magic Knights, and look like he have some abilities too. But I shouldn’t be so far behind.

Lets show Louise’s fiance what a Gandalfr is capable of Saito thought.

“Where do you want to duel?”

“This hotel used to be a castle designed for repelling Albion invasions, there is a parade ground in the center of it.”

The two then left for the parade ground for nobles together. The ancient practice ground is now a place for debris and refuse, with empty beer barrels and crates scattered all over the place. 好像在訴說往日的榮譽的石製的升旗台，現在已經佈滿了青苔。(The sentence is untranslated, but it meant an once great parade ground is now an wasteland, using an ancient Chinese phase for an failing dynasty)

“Before, maybe you don’t know, under the reign of Philip the 3rd, this often used to be a place to host duels between nobility.”

“Ha Ha.”

Saito took out Derflinger from his shoulder, and the rune on his left hand burst flared into light.

“In a long time ago, the king still had the power to duel, Noble from the king’s time…a time when Nobles were Nobles, risked for fame and honor, we nobles fought with magic. But it is usually fought over boring issues, right, as if the two were fighting for an lover”

Suddenly Saito’s face grew serious, pulled out his sword, but Wardes stopped him with his left hand.

“What?”

“There are certain rules regarding dueling, we don’t have a witness here”

“Witness?”

“Calm down, one is coming” Wardes replied, and Louise appeared from nearby. She was dumbfound as she saw the two.

“Wardes, you called me over and I came, what are you two preparing to do?”

“I want to test his abilities a little”

“Really, let’s stop this nonsense. Now is not the time for this kind of stupidities.”

“It is true, but the noble-born want a duel, he really want to find out if I am strong or weak”

Louise stared at her familiar, “Stop now, this is an order”

Saito did not reply, only stared at Wardes.

“What? Really?”

“Since the witness is here, let us begin."

Wardes pulled out his Wand from his belt again, enter a combat stance, with his wand pointing at Saito.

Saito responded: “I am not that reliable, so I don’t know how to go hard or light.”

Wardes responded with a light laughter, “No problem, hit me with everything.”

Saito pulled out Derflinger and leaped forward with a slash. The magic knight parried the attack with his wand, and the two weapons rang solidly as steel clashed steel, sending sparks in all directions. While Wardes’ weapon is merely a small wand, yet it was able to block Saito’s long sword without a sweat.

One expected Wardes to retreat backward, but no one expected the hurricane like wind that caused when the two clashed, and Wardes’ increased speed as he charged toward Saito. The Japanese boy responded with a chopping strike that broke Wardes’ advance, with the Black cape of the Magic Knights flipping in the wind. The captain in response leaped a few steps back, and then reversed back to his stance.

Why isn’t that guy using his magic? Saito thought.

Derflinger mumbled in response, “You can’t make it, he is looking down on you.”

Saito’s heart burst in fury. Wardes that bastard, he can have the same speed than me with the Gandalfr runes glowing. Only one exchange, Saito could tell the difference between Guiche and Wardes.

“A Magic Knight isn’t someone who only chant Magic.” Wardes answered with a tip of his hat.

“The way we chant are all specialized for battle, the way we hold our wand, the motion we used to charge…the way we use our Wand as swords, complete with Spellcraft. This is the basic of the basic for soldiers”

Saito lowered his body slightly, and begin to spin his blade like a windmill. Wardes apparently already saw through Saito’s attack style, and parried the next attack without even taking a breath.

“You are really fast; no one can mistake you for a commoner, truly the familiar of the legends.” Blocking Saito’s blow, Wardes used his wand and swing at the back of Saito’s head. With his brains and nose on fire, the Japanese boy collapsed on the ground with a thud.

“But everything is (Untranslated, something about broken), everything lies with the speed, but with the move of a amateur, you cannot beat a real mage with this.”

Saito leaped forward like a bullet, and unreleased a brand new assault.

But (untranslated action), (untranslated action), Wardes blocked Satio again with the speed of the wind.

“In other words, you are unable to protect Louise.” For the first time, Wardes entered combat stance, with a speed impossible for a normal person to track, launched an attack on Saito. Just as the boy realized what was going on, he took the full attack head on.

“Dell yill soll la windy.” With one hand waving the sparking wand, Wardes chanted with a low voice.

Saito realized Wardes’ movement and attack all have a pattern.

“Partner! Bad news! Magic is coming!” Derflinger screamed. When he realized the whisper chant was magic…

(Noise), suddenly the winds rushed together, creating an invisible force that slammed into Saito with the strength of a hammer, knocking Saito a good 10 meters away and into a pile of Beer barrels, smashing all of them as he crashed down.

In the instant Saito landed on the wine barrels he dropped his sword. As Saito tried to retrieve the weapon, Wardes stepped on it, then struck Saito with the wand. Derflinger screamed “Get your foot of me!”, but Wardes paid it no heed and spoke: “

“Did you find out who is the winner and loser?”

Saito tried to get up, but the pain prevented him from moving. The boy then realized blood was flowing down his head.

Louise fearfully came over.

“Do you understand Louise? He cannot protect you.” Wardes told her calmly.

“Because…BECAUSE AREN”T YOU THE COMMANDER OF THE MAGIC KNIGHTS? THE GROUP THAT IS ASSIGNED TO PROTECT THE QUEEN?? ISN”T IT NATURAL TO BE STRONG?”

“True, but aren’t you going to Albion and might do battle? When you are surrounded by strong enemies, you also plan to say ‘we are weak, please put away the wand?’”

Louise became silent, and then looked at Saito with worry. From his head came more fresh blood, and the little girl panicky drew out her handkerchief, but was stopped by Wardes.

“Leave him, Louise.”

Wardes gripped on to Louise’s hands.

“But…”

”Lets leave him there for a bit.”

With Saito left behind, the boy was on his knees, unable to move a single bit.

Derflinger quipped, “Lost.”

Saito didn’t respond. Losing in front of Louise, made him very sad.

“But that noble is very strong! Don’t worry about it partner, That guy have a lot of skills. Maybe even a Square Mage. Even if you lost, it is not shameful.”

Even if this is true, Saito could not respond.

“Losing in front the girl you have a crush on, is truly a despicable event. But don’t look so down, Or I will cry as well….. Hey, I remember something, what was it? It happened a long time ago… Oh that! Wait!”

Saito put Derflinger back to his sheave, silencing it in the process. Dusting off his pants, the boy took a heavy step forward.

That night, Saito stared at the moon from his balcony window. Guiche and co were drinking in the bar at the first floor. Tomorrow they are heading for Albion, so everyone is partying below. Kirche came with an invitation, but he refused. Our hero have little heart for drinking now.

Apparently, the group can leave with the two moon ellipses, it is the day with Albion is closest to the world.

Saito looked up to the starlit night sky, in the sea of stars, the pink moon hid behind the white moon, and thus became one moon sparking with a peach color. That moon reminded him the moon of his homeland, the moon of Earth.

The depressed Saito never stop mumbling wanting to go home, to go back to his homeland. Also losing to Wardes in front of Louise made Saito more homesick than ever.

Without realizing it, tears were falling from Saito’s eyes. The tears rolled down his face pass his chin then fell on to the ground. The boy continue to cry as he stared at the Moons, then he heard something behind him.

“Saito.”

Turning around, he saw Louise standing behind him with her arms crossed.

“…Just because you lost does not mean you should cry, that is unbecoming.”

The boy in response wiped his face, no wanting Louise to see his tears.

“Is not right.”

”what is not right?”

“I am only doing it because I am homesick. To return to Earth. To return to Japan.”

Louise lowered her head.

“…I know, it is my fault.”

“You are just treating me like a dog.”

“There is nothing I can do about it, I am a member of the nobility, and if I don’t do it there would be rumors.”

“So what is the way to return me to my old world? I really don’t want to be in this world anymore.”

(Something about Saito having thought so evil coming out his heart-untranslated.)

“….What, you know you are very troublesome for me too”

“If you say so, then help me find a way back. Promise me you will find a way to send me to my original world.”

“….When this mission is over, I will do my best to find you a way home.”

“Really?”

Louise put her arms around her belt, nodding her head in a cute expression.

“I am a member of the nobility, I will not lie.”

“But what happen if I cannot find a way back?”

Her face redden a little, Louise harden her heart and replied, “…If that happens, I will ask you to continue to serve (literal translation is worry about) me.”

“Even if you are married?”

“This has nothing to do with marriage.”

Louise stared at Saito.

Saito commented with a little sarcastic humor, “Ok ok, a person like you, with such an awful personality and there is a person who is willing to marry you, that noble is really a miracle. You are really lucky.”

Louise raised her arms with a tint of anger, “What? Didn’t Kirche fall in love with you? That idiot can fall in love with you. Forget it, no matter what can be said. Both of you are morons, and would make a lovely pair.”

The two turned away from each other. Louise closed her eyes, and calmed herself then said: “In summary, during the time you are in Halkeginia, you are my familiar. So regardless the fact I get married or not. It is your duty to protect me, and do laundry as well as other duties.”

Saito turned around to face Louise.

Under that peach colored hair, Louise’s tea-green eyes sparked with fury. Her normally pale face was also tinted with color of anger, which made her puckered lips extremely cute.

Saito’s heart begins to race as he stared at her. He did get yelled at by Louise, but she is still so beautiful.

But, it is truly only this? Just because she is beautiful, my heart is racing? I feel it is not just this alone. No matter how beautiful she is, how cute, when I hear such hurtful words my heart should not race.

Louise held her hands together. Red faced Louise. Louise who nursed me. Althrough she is zero, Louise who confronted Fouquet's golem. Called as zero by others, self a-shamed Louise.

For a moment we see the real girl. The part that combine with courage and beauty together.

Saito thought really deeply, “Then why is it really this way?”

He finally understood, why he had been staring at the moon every night until tonight, yet never thought about going home.

But, he really hate wanting to admit this reason.

This really sucks!

Why would I…Saito could not stop the line of thought.

Saito asked, “Why don’t you just let Wardes protect you?”

“(curse, but in English it is “hateful” or “making me angry), You are still not over losing to him?”

Saito remained silent.

“You are MY FAMILIAR right? Just because you lost, you have to be strong. That defeated look would sully the La Vallière name.”

Being defeated is not that simple. It is only losing in front of Louise, and losing to her fiance. How can he still be strong? Saito curled his lips, and angrily slam into the balcony frame.

Louise replied angrily, “Ok, I understand. Do what you like, I will let Wardes protect me.”

“Ok, be like that.” Saito countered maliciously, and this line made Louise even angrier.

“That person is really reliable. He won’t make me worry. I don’t have to tell a familiar like you, but I will tell you now. Now I have decided, I will marry Wardes.”

Louise looked at Saito, but Saito remained silent, not caring. What? Louise thought.

“I am going to Marry Warde.”

Louise repeated herself again, But Saito remained silent and didn’t say anything. With his head lowered in anger.

At first she expected Saito to say something to stop her, but Saito didn’t even say a single word.

You already crawled into my bed, What? Louise thought. She got even more unhappy as her pride had been hurt.

“A person like you should spend the rest of your life staring at the moon!” Louise howled as she dashed away.

Just at this moment…

“WOA!” Saito screamed. Louise turned her head around, and to her surprise, something appeared that swallowed the moon, and it is no where to be seen.

Beneath the moon’s shadow, there appeared to be a giant. If we look at it closely, the huge shadow turned out to be a golem made of stone. The person controlling the golem turned out to be…

“Fouquet!” Saito and Louise shouted in unison. The figure above them sat on the golem’s shoulder, cheerfully answered, “Oh it is such an honor to be remembered!”

The sword on Saito’s shoulder asked, “Shouldn’t you be rotting in jail?”

Fouquet shouted back, “Somebody had a kind heart, a beauty like myself should be contriving to the welfare of the world, so they let me escape.”

It is dark so not many people can see it, but there is a figure in the black cape of nobility standing next to the woman. Is that guy the person who helped her escape? The noble supported Fouquet’s action, but remained silent. Because the figure wore a mask, no one can see anything clear, but it appears to be a man.

“…So you are someone who can’t mind her business, what are you doing here?” Saito brandished his sword with his left hand.

“I am here to thank you for the long vacation you gave me, I am here to send you my appreciation!”

Fouquet howled in laughter, and the huge golem pulverized the fence on the balcony with one hit. The fence was carved right out of solid stone, so it appear the power of the golem had increased significantly.

“There is only stone, not dirt, If you tried to be calm heart (translation is clear but not understand why) it won’t happen!”

“No one is trying to be calm hearted!” (??)

Saito grabbed Louise’s hands and ran away, escaping the room, the duo leaped down the stairs.

The room below became (Some kind of field). Suddenly a group of soldiers came to assault Wardes and co. who were drinking.

Guiche, Kirche, Tabitha and Wardes were using Magic to defend themselves. However, there were too many people. It appeared every soldier from La Rochelle came attacking.

It appeared they were losing.

Kirche broke one of the table’s legs, and decided to use the table as a shield against the coming foes. The attacking soldiers were used to fighting Magic using foes already. While they were fighting, they observed Kirche and their ally’s range and style. Then moved out the magic’s range to attack with bows. The soldiers hidden from the dark had the advantage of the field, leaving those inside the room a bitter battle.

If anyone stood up to chant magic, they were answered with a torrential volley of arrows.

Saito lowered his body charged to the Kirche’s shield-table wall, letting her know Fouquet is above them and attacking, but the giant’s huge feet is already visible, so there is no need to tell them.

The other nobles and guests were hiding under the counter and shake in fear. The fat innkeeper called out to the soldiers “What are you dong to my establishment??” But one arrow slammed into his shoulder, leaving him slumped on the ground.

“This is really troublesome.” Listening to Wardes’ words, Kirche nodded.

“It appear this band is not only just interested in a simple little robbery.”

“That Fouquet in control is the noble behind this?”

Kirche raised her wand, and mumbled, “…Those guys are planning for us to use our magic, exhaust ourselves then come in with an charge, what can we do?”

“My Valkyries will protect us”

“Guiche, your Valkyries are only a small squad, these are seasoned mercenaries.”

“If we don’t try we will never know.”

“But Guiche, if it come to warfare I am a far better expert than you are”

“But I am the son of General de Gramont, how could I lose to this band of idiot soldiers?”

“This is intolerable, the nobles of Tristain are only tough with their words, but their actual combat capabilities are pretty weak.”

Guiche stood up, preparing to chant his magic. But Wardes stopped him by grapping on to the young noble’s shirt.

“Everyone listen carefully.” Wardes whispered. Saito and the others became silent to listen.

“This mission counts as complete if one half of the group arrives safely at the destination.”

At this moment the cute Tabitha also closed her book, looked at Wardes’ direction. The girl used her wand and point at herself, Kirche and Guiche and uttered one word, “Bait.”

Then Tabitha continued and point at Saito, Wardes, and Louise then uttered another word, “Go to the harbor.”

“The time?” Wardes asked the young girl.

“We carry it out right now.”

“Just liked we planned a while ago, go from the backdoor.”

“Ah? AH!” Saito and Louise shouted out in surprise.

“They are responsible for holding the situation; we should be able to confuse their sight. Using this time we should be able to escape, toward the harbor, just like that.”

“But…But…”

Saito looked at Kirche, and the girl ran her hand through her red hair. And puckered her lips then added,

“Bah, can’t help it anyway, we really didn’t want to go to Albion with you anyway.”

Guiche sniffed at his rose, “ Heh, I might die here. What would happen then? If I die then I won’t be able to meet Princess Henrietta again.”

Tabitha nodded at Saito. “Go.”

“But..”

Kirche begin to push Saito, “Ok, time to go. When you come back…I will let you kiss me.”

Then, she turned around to face Louise, “Ah, Louise, please don’t make any misinterpretation of this, I am not here to be bait for you.”

”I know, I know!” Although she said it, Louise still lowered her head in a salute to Kirche and others.

Saito and the others lowered their body to the floor, and began to run. Arrows flew at their direction, but with a wave of Tabitha’s wand, the roaring wind protected them from the onslaught.

The group left the Bar into the kitchen and toward the other exit, and then there was a huge explosion behind them.

“…Look like it begins.” Louise mouthed.

Wardes couch close to the door, then listened at the situation outside.

“There don’t appear to be anyone.”

Opening the door, the three leaped into the night streets of La Rochelle.

“The docks are this way.”

Wardes is in the lead, Louise followed behind. Saito came in the back.

Under the Moonlight, the trio’s shadow extended, and followed closely behind.