Zero no Tsukaima:Volume15 Chapter4

Chapter 4: The Jewel of Fire

The Capital city of Gallia, Lutece.

Until then...... the betrayal of the southern vassals had triggered the current royalties and citizens to flee massively, similar to the disturbance at Albion not long ago.

Suddenly titled as an "enemy of God" by the Romalian Church furthermore escalated the confusion of Gallian citizens. For consecutive days, strict believers of Brimir gathered themselves at the church of Lutece, praying for a miracle.

Distancing themselves from the Gallian King Joseph day by day, the priests and preachers, (seeing not a single trace of belief in the Gallian King himself) cautiously made sure that their words were not biased to either side and took a completely neutral stand in the battle between Gallia and Romalia.

A week after Romalia's invasion, Lutece, once delicate to every inch, had already been submerged with a dark, "end of the world" scent.

The elite Knights of the Eastern Roses' defiance and their purge...... the frightening side of those news and their despise towards foreign armies were the only things keeping most of its original army still fighting for King Joseph..... but the morale was at an unprecedented low.

Gallia's defeat could be foreseen by any person. Everyone had developed a genuine feeling of repulsion towards a rule under Romalia, the country about to conquer those territories.

To prove themselves not "heretics", rich merchants, all acting on their own consciousness, transported carriage-full of gold and valuables to the church, the amount of "storage" representing the amount of devotion.

Consisting of plebeian class, the aristocracy and the court, Gallians attempted to seek a small hope of survival for this crumbling country, and became more and more lively with the start of each day.

Yet, whenever those people were at the countryside of Lutece, at the place of Palace of Versailles...... Every glance at the ruins of the collapsed Grand Troyes courts, once containing beautiful clear sky blue walls, they couldn't help but feel the reality that all their work was for naught.

The original owner of the collapsed Grand Troyes courts, had already moved to a spot east of the main palace, the Concierge. As soon as Gallia was declared as "enemy of God", the visiting ambassadors or councilors all fled to their own countries like rats fleeing a building on fire. Naturally, as of then, there wouldn't be any more guests coming forth and eventually settle down at that place.

Sitting on the bed that had replaced the dining hall's long dining table, Joseph quietly gazed at an old chest on the floor. A smile that had no connections with the disturbance outside surfaced between his tidy mustache.

That chest awakened out warm memories in him.

Memories of childhood...... in the middle of the broad palace, a five-year-old Charles and the eight-year-old Joseph were playing a game of hide-and-seek.

Joseph hid in that place after turning the place upside-down with effort. That was a popular chest among the commoners. Although it might not seem to have enough size to fit in a person, the storage space was actually expanded up to 3 times its original size through magic. It was a one-of-its-kind magical tool.

Full of belief that he would not be found if he hid here, he made an exaggerated claim to his little brother. In the end....."pop", the lid to the chest was opened, with Charles poking his head inside.

"I've found you, brother."

"You've actually found this place, wow."

"Heheh, I used 'detection' magic, then this placed started shining. Turns out this thing is a magical item."

"You've already learned how to use 'detection'? Unbelievable."

Charles showed a pleased face.

Softly, Joseph mumbled, "If there were any chance, I'd like to see your regretting face even just once. If that were possible, then none of these ridiculous disturbances would have happened. Take a look; your favorite Grand Troyes court has already vanished. Your beloved Lutece is already situated as if it were in the fiery ovens of hell. Though said, these are all my work of art. I will not be swayed so easily. The betrayal of half a country does seem kind of sad, but this does not affect me at all. Actually, other than 'whatever,' I don't have any particular thoughts."

Then Joseph shook his head with a "Hmm..., Anyways I'll first turn those guys to ashes. Half a country will be sent to your side soon. Just sit tight and wait, Charles."

Joseph sighed, "Feels like I've become very troublesome. Originally I thought I only had to take each street, each country, and destroy them one by one.... on second thought, this is actually a very tough task. It'd be better to turn them all to ashes. Of course, this Gallia would be included as well. So sit tight and build your own kingdom up there, Charles."

As he reached that point, the large doors were suddenly slammed open violently.

"Father"

Walking with wide steps, was his own daughter, princess Isabella. Long blue hair draped over her shoulders, a sign of royalty. Her face, which usually sported an ominous smile, had never been paler.

"What in the world happened? Hearing Romalia's announcement, I had to rush back immediately from my trip at Albion. And when I come back, the entire city is a mess! I also heard that half of the country has betrayed you."

"So what?" Joseph replied, annoyed.

".....'So what' you say? It's all because of you allying with the elves that things turned out like this. Now we've become Halkeginia's public enemy, haven't we?"

"It is my freedom to ally myself with anyone I like. Perhaps those long ears, compared to us Brimir believers, have a more complicated way of thinking. Never mind, none of that matters."

Isabella was scared of her father's attitude, she discovered unexpectedly.

Until now, although she had once thought there was something weird about her father... today was her first day to actually experience the "other side" of her father.

Isabella, as far as her memories served, seldom talked with her father. After her mother passed away, the distance between them increased even more.

Before Isabella had a chance to find anything out of place, she had already grown up.

Their status of royalty, as King and princess, was valued much more than as family.

The growing Isabella was surrounded by tons of maids, butlers, playmates, so she never had much loneliness in her childhood.

Of course, once in a while, there was a desire to be with her family, but she would always comfort herself with the reason that "father is busy with his work."

So in the end, other than showing up for the public every now and then, they barely had any time to see each other.

His attitude, the title of "incompetent king", rumors of murdering her uncle Harold.... those things had slowly turned unimportant to Isabella. No matter what she desired, Joseph would always satisfy her needs.

But now..... different from his usual, varying, difficult to approach attitude, facing him directly made Isabella tremble.

Standing in front of her was a completely unfamiliar person.

Even so, Isabella drew out her courage and cried out, "F-father, I do not understand at all! Isn't the country about to collapse! What would happen to me!"

"Who knows. If you don't like it then leave this country."

Violently trembling, Isabella's teeth chattered loudly. "....what are you thinking right now, father?"

"Disappear from my sight. Looking at you feels like staring at myself, urg."

Unable to stand the frighteningly deep low voice words, Isabella quickly dashed out of her father's bedroom.

In replacement, with completely black hair, Sheffield appeared.

"Mjöðvitnir?"

"Bidashal has a message for you. Says that 'it' is almost complete."

Joseph smiled lightly, and stood up.

Joseph and Mjöðvitnir walked slowly towards the church deeper into the palace Versailles.

Facing the master and familiar, who never brought anyone else with them, the knights guarding Versailles saluted and then bowed.

Both their hands were shaking but not because of the fact that their lord could use magic to bury traitors together with the entire Grand Troyes to his pleasure.

No, it was because... of the "research" going on brazenly in the middle of the palace and its crucial "researcher," for the purpose of suppressing the rebellion at the port of San Marin.

Since the start of said research, which would soon be experimented on San Marin, a rumor began to spread among the knights and army.

"There are elves supporting Joseph."

At Romalia, announcing a crusade because of that reason was 'just an excuse' to most of Versailles's nobles and soldiers. Few others knew otherwise.....

The guards here realized that, contrary to popular belief, that was not an excuse.

Using the same pace as ever, Joseph, and his female officer, dressed black like a crow from top to bottom, strolled..... their destination was Versailles's church, which was also the lab for the elves' frightening research.

The differently dressed man who called himself Bidashal didn't even attempt to hide his long ears anymore. Those kind of conversations continued to spread out in the city in clandestine.

"Romalia is taking us as an 'enemy of God', you really can't do anything about it. More unbelievable is our country allying with heretics..... feels like we're in a nightmare." The knight sighed after watching Joseph leave. He was exactly one of those who saw Castlemont of the Eastern Roses' betrayal. The relatively older knight next to him was also one of the first to be alerted after those events.

"Perhaps that night, I should have followed Castlemont and left."

"Why would you think like that?" The old knight asked his student with a soothing voice.

"If so, at least we won't be standing up against God and Founder. Compared to our founder, our lord seems to be much more interested in the elves than the church."

"It's still not too late. Like the southern vassals, just go and join the crusade."

"If you grant me permission......". The young knight looked towards the older one. Their conversation was like one between a father and child. Letting out a sigh, the old knight said, "Without land or the title of a baron, people like me who live only on our salary... what can we do after we leave the kingdom?"

That was very true of most nobles of the Gallian army as well. With such giant events happening within their country's own borders, it was impossible to have no complaints at all. However, all of them relied on their country. Even if they were to join the crusade, there was no one in Romalia who could guarantee their status. Those of lower status may even be interrogated and tortured for being a heretic.

Similarly a noble, but those with land and actual power, unlike military men, had completely different standing.

Recalling the day he was knighted, the old aristocrat scrunched his eyes and said, "Listen well. Swearing loyalty is nothing but just that. You won't have peace anyhow. We, in meaning, were a part of this kingdom since a long time ago."

"Yes." The young knight replied without any signs of grimace.

"Like always, just focus on guarding this place. In reality, our existence is nothing more than seaweed on the bottom of a ship. But... seaweed won't dry out. No matter if the ship is sailing smoothly, or is sinking right now, the seaweed will always be attached to this ship."

The old knight looked far away.

"Frandal, everything will be fine as long as you do your part quietly. That's how I survived on the battlefields."

While walking, Mjöðvitnir gave Joseph a report of everything that happened the past week.

"About not finding Castlemont's dead body.... it seems like he's still alive. Most likely mixed in with the army placed by the river Lelion."

"Is that so."

"He may try and contact Charlotte. I believe we should take action as soon as possible....."

Joseph shook his head, "There's no need."

"Why?"

"Because despair has the greatest effect when you're drowned in hope. Let those guys dreaming 'maybe bringing me down' die with their hopes. I really admire them for never being able to feel this amount of despair before." Those were the thoughts from the deepest parts of his mind.

"Will do." Afterwards, Mjöðvitnir took half a step backwards, and bowed deeply. ".....I'm deeply sorry. After losing ten 'Jörmungandr'..... then not being able to control the riot at San Marin." Her voice sounded really apologetic.

"About this matter, I've already heard. Don't mention it anymore."

".....But, please give me your punishments."

"Honestly, even if I wanted to punish you, I can't think of any. I gave my orders, you failed. Afterwards, half the country rebelled. It's just that simple. How do both things relate?"

"Don't you feel angry?"

"Angry? Me? If I had an emotion called anger, maybe I wouldn't be thinking about turning the entire world into ashes right now." Joseph said in a self-mocking tone.

"Then..... I hope you can listen to me privately. In reality, I am very anxious." As soon as Mjöðvitnir finished, she blushed. Describing the reason for her anxiousness... voicing her inner thoughts in public felt unbearable.

"Anxious? You? Now that's something unusual."

"Yes.....that, because I saw it..... a metal war chariot with a fire power never heard of. Now I'm extremely confused. Like previous reports, a cannon excellent in every field possible brought down our Jörmungandr one after another. Putting also that miraculously flying ship into consideration, the enemy may have large amounts of weaponry comparable with elven technology. This point is undeniable."

"Those weapons, don't they originate from where you came from, the 'Orient'?"

"No". Mjöðvitnir shook her head. "We people of the Orient, although we did develop our own technology to protect ourselves against the elves, merely created an imitation of elven technology."

"I hear it's relatively powerful."

"Relatively...... can't really say for sure. I am, after all, nothing more than a priest's daughter."

"Oh, I remember something like that." Losing interest, Joseph turned back and looked forward again.

"Your highness, don't you love Miss Isabella?" Remembering Joseph's attitude previously, Sheffield asked her master.

"Isabella? How's could I. 'There is not a father in the world that doesn't love his daughter.' To me, this phrase is nothing but a praise for fathers. I don't see anything special between our relationship. After all, there are plenty of other parents in this world who don't love their children."

"Suppose I actually loved her....", Joseph wondered with a dull tone. "Un, I would definitely take care of her first. But I don't think she's a human that worthy to begin with. Every time I see her face I find traces of myself, so disgust always comes out first."

"No matter what she does, just not obstruct your work. Is that it?"

"I guess that's pretty much it."

Sheffield hung her head at the ground sadly. Joseph, who was walking alongside with her, didn't even bother to take notice.

Flowers blossomed on both sides of the road. After multiple stone paved walkways, a church with a shining sacred object on top of its pointed tower came into their sights. In front of the church, not a single guard could be seen. It was due to the person conducting experiments inside not needing any to begin with. Those people called elves, since ancient times they had long formed a contract with the spirits of the earth. The energy of the ground could be called the most powerful existence ever.

Joseph and Mjöðvitnir just stepped into the church, yet already a bone chilling wind welcomed them. Even though it was the beginning of summer, and that wacky wind didn't seem like a product of the building structure itself either.

Joseph lightly sneezed.

"Have you already noticed?" Mjöðvitnir asked.

"Unn, although it's not as apparent to me as to you. Looks like I really am a 'bearer of the void'. Feeling the true power of the enemy, my body is shaking at such a magnitude."

Deep inside the church, Mjöðvitnir pulled open the veil behind the altar. What it was hiding was a flight of stairs leading downwards.

It used to lead to the storage room of the church, but not anymore. From the look of the faint smoke coming out, it was as if there was a fire going on below.

Every step down the flight of stairs, the amount of smoke became denser.

Around halfway down, one could already see a fierce burning fire deep down. Loud crackling sounds echoed throughout the tunnel, more painful to the ears with every step taken.

It came from a large bonfire fueling on over-sized logs.

Its sides, of length around 3 mails, formed a huge square-shaped pile of wood.

There were a total of four piles like that.

One placed at each corner of the room, each one of them spouting black smoke. From a crudely made hole in the wall, large amounts of air continuously poured in, making sounds like a trumpet.

More incredible was that despite the enormous amount of fire generated, there was not an inch in the basement that could be called hot. On the contrary, it was as if one was in mid-winter.

"Although I have heard most of it before, it is still one heck of a sight."

"By absorbing the heat around it, formed by condensing. The thing called the jewel of fire....."

The inexplicable reason for the contradicting sights and temperature had been revealed. A faint smile floated on Mjöðvitnir's face.

In the exact center of the room, there was a small sized altar. In front of the altar, with long, almost transparent, golden hair, the elf had his hands raised high, completely focused of chanting spells.

It was the figure of Bidashal.

"O'Flames. O'Flames by thee contract, heed my words and reside here"

Chanting, the so called 'elemental' magic, in Bidashal's hands, laid a fist sized red gem.

"......"

Red, or more accurately, a brilliant glow came from the flame-like interiors of the transparent gem.

Realizing Joseph walking close, Bidashal raised his head.

"I heard it's already done."

"I merely nodded my head when that woman asked 'Is it ready to a degree that can be used?'. There's no definite concept to define the completion of 'the jewel of fire'. It's a gem that condenses the power of fire. Regardless of size, the gem is just that. Finished or not, that will depend on your judgements."

After hearing his words, Joseph laughed loudly.

"Elves really are a different kind! These sort of things, just make your own sensible judgements."

"My kin abhors ambiguity." Bidashal winced his eyes, staring straight down at Joseph. A natural jewel of fire was made from the natural energy underground. A level so deep that it would be impossible for humans to reach. To the elves, even if they were to dig such a hole, its gain would not be nearly enough to cover its losses.

To control the powers of the fire requires immense skill, definitely out of a human's capability, explaining how only a tiny population in Halkeginia knew of its existence. Unfortunately, right beside Joseph..... the mysterious lady called Mjöðvitnir was part of that tiny population, and had raised Joseph's interest in it.

"And how do you plan to use it?"

"Jewel of wind is a gem containing the powers of wind..... Jewel of fire is a gem containing the powers of fire, no?"

Even in the elven populations, only a few highly regarded powerful users had the ability to produce one. Bidashal was one of those few.

"Simply said, yes. I do not believe you nobles can correctly understand the concept anyway."

"Concept or whatever, the result is everything. Then, this small little stone... how many acres of land can it turn into ashes?"

Bidashal frowned hard. From Joseph's words he had a fair concept of Joseph's intention. For the elves, the jewel of fire was only a tool for warming the streets in the winter, or illuminating the streets at night...... using it for destruction, they'd never dared to think about it.

"According to me..... if you release all the stored energy instantaneously..... in terms of your units, a 10 square miles, no, if it's this size, nothing within 20 square miles will be spared. But, how do you plan to release it? Against something powerful enough to seal this amount of energy, it's impossible to just unlock it."

"Using your 'void', you should be able to do it, no? Mjöðvitnir?"

Mjöðvitnir smiled even more. "Affirmative."

Hearing this, Bidashal's face lost color. "Using void magic? You? How, possible.... you?"

"What, you never knew?"

"How could, no, is it true? You are the bearer of that evil power? How could it....." Bidashal shook his head in disbelief.

"Who else did you think would be more worthy of being Gallia's King?"

"At least I never thought it would be you. This is such a coincidence."

"Why would you say that? I never intended to hide anything from you."

"I completely don't understand what you're thinking. Are humans creatures at all? And yet you stand in front of me like nothing! To you guys, isn't this the final blow? What you're doing right now, isn't it, what you call, 'revealing your final card' to your enemies?" Feeling disgust for the first time in his life, Bidashal gave Joseph a look of hatred.

"Is that so. So, what do you plan to do after you know? Kill me? You can bury the man capable of 'reviving the void', your worst nightmares, in your own hands. Or, do you continue to insist what you said 'I don't like wars' that kind of thing?" Joseph said, as if gleeful from the bottom of his heart. Bidashal gave expressions of regret.

".....It will only cause a new demon to revive."

"Oh, interesting. Do you mean there will be something else to replace me after I die?"

"....It's about time for that to happen. If it's you, you can stop it."

"Great. Like those Romalian idiots, in addition now we have an even more horrible nightmare. Therefore you must protect me with all your power, follow my words." Joseph patted Bidashal's shoulders sarcastically.

"Maybe I will turn out to be the person who understands elves most."

"This is not something to 'understand'." Bidashal said, trying to control his raged voice.

"Different point of views. Let me answer your question just now. But, seeing how smart you are, I'm sure you already know how I'm going to use this gem."

Bidashal understood everything in an instant. "Are you serious!?!? You. There will not be a single strand of grass, a single bug left. This is not even a metaphor! Can you do that kind of thing to your own kind?"

"If it's me, of course."

"Demon!"

"I wonder who of us is the real demon? The person who made this terrible terrible crystal, who was that person? And from where again? No matter how much you point at me, you know that I won't change my mind. Come back to your senses. You don't care how many I kill anyway, my dear elf."

Bidashal's eyes showed signs of fury. To an elf that seldom shows any emotions at all, this was a very rare occasion. "I shouldn't have come here after all."

"No, you shouldn't have. That way you would've never noticed the demon inside yourself. But relax, bows and bullets have done no wrong. To do good or evil is up to the free will of the user. Just look at things simply like that."

Joseph left Bidashal's side.

"Make 2 or 3 more of things like that. Relax. You are not going to be the person who gets to use it.

I am."

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