Zero no Tsukaima:Volume5 Story2

CHAPTER 2 - The Encounter with the Flame and the Friendship with the Wind

Well, this was the Tristine Magic Academy. The summer vacation just started and in the dorm, two Nobles were killing time.

They were the Kirche the “Ardent” and Tabitha the “Snowy Wind”. Kirche was laying lazily on Tabitha’s bed in a very immodest pose. She had undone all her shirt buttons and was fanning her large chest with her hand. Kirche did like heat but could not stand warmth.

She was not able to control the boiling heat in the sun-baked room.

“Hey Tabitha, would you make some wind for me?”

Tabitha waved her staff without looking up from her book.

“Give me a cold one. One that will cool me to the bone, just like your second name. ”

Of course it was to be expected, but there was some ice mixed in the wind. The snowy wind immediately cooled Kirche’s body.

“Ahh- that feels good.”

Drunken in Tabitha’s cool wind, Kirche finally took off her shirt. She crossed her legs in a manner that would never be seen by any of her a dozen of male friends that worships her as a goddess.

Kirche stared at Tabitha who was reading her book the whole time. Tabitha did not shed a single drop of sweat as she was completely immersed in her book. “Maybe her second name “Snowy Wind” cools her body as well as her mind,” Kirche whispered.

“Hey ‘Snowy Wind’? You really like to read books don’t you. Just like a Protestant. Could that be the popular Protestant book about the, ‘The Practical Doctrine’?”

“The Practical Doctrine” was…something that the Protestant sect of religion recited by following the interpretation of the book “The Founder’s Prayer Book” that recorded the great deeds and the teachings of the Founder Brimir.

Although every version of “The Founder’s Prayer Book” claimed to be the “original”, their contents were slightly different. Furthermore, there were theories that “The Founder’s Prayer Book” was written hundreds of years after the fall of the Founder Brimir. “The Founder’s Prayer Book” that had been passed down through the Tristine royal family didn’t even have words on it. Therefore, many theologians interpreted it in such a sketchy way so that it would improve the political powers of the Halkeginia’s churches and themselves. The body of practitioners of the “Practical Doctrine” started in the central religious center of the country Romania and was made of commoners who wanted to reform the corrupted churches that exploited them. This soon became an international matter. It spread out from commoners and farmers and they stripped power and land from the monks and priests, but no one knew if that practice and interpretation was right. Probably the only one that could answer it is the Founder Brimir himself.

Tabitha closed her book, and showed Kirche the title. It wasn’t a religious book but an ancient magical research book.

“Just reading,” said Tabitha.

“I know. There’s no way you are a Protestant anyway. Man, It’s really hot today. REALLY hot. That’s why I invited you to go to Germania with me. It’s much cooler there than here.”

Tabitha reopened her book and continued reading. Kirche, who knew the situation of Tabitha’s family, decided to invite her to Zerbst House, but Tabitha would not agree to come. With no other choice, Kirche decided to keep Tabitha company in the Magic Academy.

She couldn’t stand to let Tabitha be alone.

“We are probably the only ones who would remain in this kind of sauna.”

Kirche thought about having a water bath in the courtyard. Since all the students and teachers had left and gone back to their homes, there shouldn’t be any danger of peepers.

But then…

A scream was heard from the floor below.

Kirche and Tabitha exchanged quick glances.

Kirche quickly put on her shirt and jumped out of the room with her wand. Tabitha soon followed behind her.

In a room a floor below, another pair of students were in middle of a quarrel.

“What were you thinking!”

“Um, I’m…, I thought it was hot, and I was trying to help you!”

The clamor was between Guiche and Montmorency. Why hadn't this pair left the dorm for summer vacation?

“I see, so that was your purpose! ‘Lets make potions together’ my butt! I shouldn’t have listened to your cajolery about been able to make any Forbidden Potions I want. Just what were you trying to do?”

“That was my objective, no lies!”

“You we having weird thoughts because no one is around, right? Sorry, but I’m not gonna forgive you one finger until I’m married!”

Guiche shook his head.

“Don’t come closer!”

“I’ll swear, I’ll swear.”

Guiche put his hands on his chest.

“I swear in the presence of the Founder and God that I, Guiche de Gramont, did not unbutton the sleeping Montmorency because of any bad conscience, but I really thought you looked hot. You were sweating really bad so I was worried you were going to be steamed to death.”

“Really?”

Montmorency stared with a doubtful look.

“Swear to God.”

Guiche answered seriously.

“…not gonna do anything weird?”

“No, not even gonna think about it.”

After Montmorency thought for a while, she raised her skirt and flashed her panties. Because Guiche jumped at her in an instant, she screamed out loud.

“Dear God! A liar! He’s a liar!”

“White! White! It was really white!”

“No! Stop! Please stop!”

After they were fooling around for a while, the door opened with a bang. Kirche and Tabitha came in and their eyes met Montmorency’s eyes, who was just pushed onto a bed by Guiche.

“…oh, you were just about to do it,” sighed Kirche.

Guiche, who suddenly became serious, stood up and said in a very dignified way, “Oh, I was just…straightening the wrinkles in Montmorency’s shirt.”

“By pushing her onto a bed?” Kirche asked with a scoff.

“Straitening the wrinkles,” Guiche repeated himself.

Montmorency said in a cold tone, “Quit it already, that’s all you have in your head.” Guiche flushed.

Kirche opened her mouth and said tiredly, “You two are a really cheap couple. You don’t have to do it in this suffocating dorm.”

“We are not doing anything! …and I should ask what you're doing. It’s summer break.”

“It’s just not worth the trouble for us. Although it is a vacation but it’s a pain to cross the border for that. So what are you two doing anyway?”

“We were um…”

Montmorency fidgeted, as she could not say that she was making Forbidden Portions.

“Ma-, magic research.”

“Well you were doing some kind of research.”

“It was Guiche who wanted to do weird research! He probably fried his brain in this heat!”

The criticized Guiche hung his head.

“I guess.”

Muttered Kirche, “What you mean ‘I guess’.”

“Let’s go out. It wouldn't be a surprise if we get our brains fried in here.”

“Huh? Where?”

“Let’s go to the town. It’s gonna be a long break so let’s have fun.”

“Well I do want to drink something cold…”

Guiche agreed. Montmorency, who didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she was left alone in the dorm with Guiche, also agreed to going out.

“Really cool your head down when you drink, ok?”

“I will, swear to God.”

“So, what about that little fella?”

Montmorency pointed her finger at Tabitha. Kirche answered.

“She’s going.”

“You can tell by just looking at her?”

“I can.”

Kirche said as though it was obvious.

Tabitha then closed her book, walked over to the window cell, and blew a whistle with her mouth. A flapping noise was heard. In a blink, Tabitha jumped out of the window. Kirche followed.

As Montmorency peeked outside the window, she saw Tabitha’s floating Wind Dragon. Kirche was riding on its back and was waving.

“Hurry up or we’ll leave you!”

Both Guiche and Montmorency jumped after her and Guiche, who got ahead, tried to catch Montmorency.

Then Montmorency stared screaming things like ‘don’t touch me’ and ‘don’t look at me’ to tease Guiche.

“But…I was only trying to catch you.”

“Where do you think you’re touching!”

“I thought you two were lovers,” Muttered Kirche surprisedly.

The group finally arrived at Tristine’s castle town and went to a road that forked from Bulton Avenue. It was just into sunset. In the darkening streets, the magic lamps started to color the surroundings. That magical, wondrous sight created a happy atmosphere that wrapped around the street with the summer heat.

If Bulton Avenue was Tristine’s front face, then this Chicton Street was the bowel. Indecent bars and gambling dens were lined up around the street. Montmorency frowned but Kirche walked on unworriedly. While walking, the grouped discussed on which bar to go into. “Do you know any of the bars around here?” Kirche asked Guiche.

Guiche answered with a smile,

“Well, I do know a good one that I've always wanted to go to.”

“It’s not a weird bar is it?” Montmorency asked as she heard an amorous tone to his speech. Guiche shook his head.

“It’s not a weird bar at all!”

“Then what kind is it?”

Guiche fell silent.

“See, it is a weird bar! Just say it!”

Montmorency started to choke Guiche.

“N-, no it’s not! It’s just girls in cute appearance brings wines for you… Arg!”

“That is weird, how is it not!”

“That sounds kind of fun.”

It seemed to have piqued Kirche’s interest. Kirche suggested to Guiche,

“Let’s go there, just some plain bar would be too boring.”