Zero no Tsukaima:Volume2 Chapter1

Chapter one - A secret Boat

Louise, lying on her bed, started dreaming. She dreamt that she was back to her homeland where she was born, which was three days ride away from the Tristain academy.

The young Louise in her dream was running about near the house, eventually hiding in the vegetation which was as complex as a maze to hide from her pursuers.

“Louise, where are you? Come out now!” shouted Louise’s mother. In her dream, Louise was being reprimanded due to her poor results in magical studies. She was constantly being compared with her sisters, whom had much better results than her.

Louise saw a pair of shoes below the bushes.

“Miss Louise is really poor in magic!”

“I totally agree. Why can’t she be like her two elder sisters who are so good with magic?”

Louise, upon hearing that felt sad and dejected at the same time as she bit her lips. The servants have started looking for her in the vegetation. Louise tried her best to escape. She retreated to the place she has name “Secret Garden” – The central lake.

That was the only place that Louise felt at ease. It was a tranquil place with no one else around. Flowers bloomed all around and birds gathered on the benches near the lake. And in the middle of the lake there was a small island which had a small house made of white marble.

Next to the island there was a small boat originally used for leisure but no one comes to row the boat anymore. Her elder sisters had already grown up, and are busy studying magic. Her father, who had retired from his military duties, now mingles around with the nobles who live nearby. Besides hunting for wild game, her father has no other pastime. Her mother is only interested in teaching her daughters and could not care less about anything else.

Therefore, besides Louise, no one ever comes to the forgotten lake anymore, much less remembering that small boat. That is why whenever Louise is reprimanded; she would come to this place.

In Louise’s dream, the younger version of her jumped on to the boat and snuggled into a blanket that was prepared earlier.

As she hid inside her blanket, a noble wearing a cloak appeared out of the mist covered island.

The noble was about sixteen years old. In Louise’s dream, she was only six years old, a ten year difference between them.

“Have you been crying, Louise?” His face could not be seen as it was covered by a large hat that he had worn on his head.

But Louise know exactly who he was, it was the viscount, the noble whom had just inherited the lands around her homeland. Louise felt warm and fuzzy inside, the viscount was the man of her dreams. They had often joined the same banquets together and furthermore, both of their fathers had already made an engagement.

“Is that you, Viscount?”

Louise haphazardly covered her face; she did not want to let the man of her dreams see her crying. It would be embarrassing

“I was invited by your father today regarding the engagement.”

Hearing this, Louise was even more embarrassed to the point that she did not even dare lift her head up.

“Really?”

“But that would not be possible, viscount.”

“Louise, my small and dainty Louise, do you dislike me?” The viscount said in jest.

Louise, gently shook her head and said abashedly,” No, it’s not that. Just that I’m still young and ignorant…”

The face hidden underneath the hat revealed a smile and extended a hand out to Louise.

“Viscount.”

“Lady, please take hold of my hand. Quickly, the banquet is about to start.”

“But…”

“Have you been scolded again? Don’t worry I’ll talk to your father.” the viscount said.

Louise nodded, stood up and reached out to the viscount’s hand. What big hands, isn’t that the hand that I had always dreamt of holding?

Just as she was about to hold the viscount’s hand, a sudden gust of wind blew the hat out of the viscount’s head.

“Eh?!” Louise looked his face and said perplexingly. Because it was a dream, Louise had reverted back to her sixteen year old from god knows when.

“What… What are you doing?”

The person underneath the hat was not the viscount, but her familiar, Saito.

“Louise, come over quickly.”

“It doesn’t matter whether I come over or not, but why are you here?”

“Don’t be so narrow minded, haven’t you fallen for me already?” said replied Saito whom was dressed in the viscount’s clothes impudently

One has to wonder where he got that much confidence from.

“Don’t be stupid, I was just muddle headed that time, you better stop dreaming!”

“Stop making up excuses, my Louise.”

“Who is “Your Louise’!?”

Saito pretended not to hear her at all, and instead went closer to Louise.

“What are you trying to do!? You Idiot?!”

Ignoring her complaints, Saito proceeded and carried Louise whom was in the boat onto his arms.

“Why is it you?” Louise said in frustration while punching Saito. But Saito did not get angry at all instead, his grin became wider. This made Louise to slowly turn red from embarrassment, she did not know the exact reason, but she felt good being in Saito’s arms. This made Louise in dreamland even more anxious.

Saito lying in his bed slowly opened his eyes. The twin moons in full circle shone onto the room, lighting it up brightly. Louise sleeping on her bed made sounds of moaning, as though she was having a nightmare.

Saito prayed that she would continue to be asleep. He got up slowly and slowly approached the sleeping Louise.

“Sheesh…” Saito turned around and put his index finger onto his lips.

“Not wanting me to speak? Why?”

“Sheesh…” Saito shook his head. Once again put his middle finger onto his lips and stared at Derflinger, his partner with annoyance.

“I won’t forgive you for giving me the cold shoulder. My partner wakes up in the middle of the night without tell me the reason. This makes me angry, so depressing!”

After Derflinger said that, he moved and shook his body, looks like he is really angry. What a difficult sword.

Awakened by rattling of the sword, Louise turned around and opened her eyes.

Saito’s heart skipped a heartbeat.

Sitting up, she started to scold Saito.

“Don’t be so full of yourself! You better do some cleaning up, haven’t you see dust gathering all around already? Don’t tell me that you have done it already, you slow witted fellow, and you’re such a dimwit!”

Saito’s body was frozen hard, as though “Harden” had been casted on him.

But after Louise finished scolding Saito, she lay down once more and slept. Looks like she was just talking in her sleep. Even in her sleep Louise was ordering Saito about. Saito felt relived and sad at the same time.

Derflinger which was watching Saito all this time gave a hapless sigh.

“She’s talking in her dreams huh? But it doesn’t seem like music to your ears, Saito.”

Saito stared angrily at Derflinger which almost spoiled his plan and quickly walked towards it and said, “You better keep quiet, you idiot!”

“You’re really too much, I shall not forgive you! If partner wants me to be silent, I would definitely be silent! But for suddenly waking up in the middle of the night and be so sneaky about it, you’ll definitely suffer retribution even if you tell me your reason now.”

Derflinger’s sense of curiosity is the same as its partner, Saito. Looks like it wants to know why Saito’s reason for waking up in the middle of the night no matter what it takes.

Saito sighed, and then pointed to the sleeping Louise.

“What about the Noble’s daughter?”

“What do you think partner?”

Saito used his hands and made a gesture resembling a heart.

“What’s that mean?”

“It represents love.”

“That girl likes you, partner?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”

Saito stood up, and danced while not making any noise.

“Ah… you are you saying what happened during that ball?”

“You should have seen Louise’s expression while we were dancing right?”

“Yeah, I saw it.”

“Her face as so red during that time...” Saito said while in a daze.

“Yeah, it was very red.”

“She looked wanting to hold my hand and not letting them go.”

“Are you sure!?”

“Derf, you’re just a piece of metal, so you’ll never understand a girl’s heart. If a girl looks at a male like that, that means she’s indirectly telling him that she likes him.” Saito said while knocking on the sword.

“True, I’m just a sword and I don’t understand interpersonal relationships at all. But since partner you have already spoken, it most probably must be correct then.”

Saito nodded happily and said, “You’re really sensible, Derflinger!”

“Then my good partner, since you’re sure that she likes you, are you going to make her your girlfriend?”

“Yes! I’m sure that she likes me and I’d like her to my girlfriend!”

“That’s impossible. I’ve been around for such a long time this is a first time I’ve heard of a familiar having a love affair with its master. You’re incredible!”

“Ah… that feels good. Come, praise me again.”

“My partner, you’re fantastic!”

Saito stood up and said buoyantly, “Derf, whose the whose handsome man in this world?”

“Of Course it’s you partner.”

“Who is the greatest person in this world without anything besides magic?”

“Of Course it’s you partner.”