Zero no Tsukaima:Volume8 Chapter1 - MTL

Warning: This translation is considered a PREVIEW Script. Be warned that the degree of translation error may be higher than usual due to the translation method employed.

Please read Template:PREVIEW for further information.

Chapter One: Each End of the War

“How about it? This was a reward from bristle spirits of the dead.”

Guiche, proud as a peacock, showed his White Hair Soul‘s medal to the classmates.

“Waah“ classmates sighed.

“Could it be that it’s not white hair but bristles?”

Someone commented, Guiche blushed.

“Aah! Don’t say that! White hair reward!”

Guiche glimpsed at the nook of the classroom. Montmorency was there. Though all classmates have gathered around Guiche's, Montmorency, on the other hand, rested her elbows on a desk and stared outside window, looking disinterested. Hey, look this way, I want you to hear the story… Guiche felt hurt for a moment.

“Great…Guiche, you commanded the company that lunged first into the City of South Gotha?”

“Don't mention it.”

Guiche proudly nodded. Everyone praised their classmate who had great military achievements.

“No way, Guiche. Honesty before now we though that you were just big mouthed rascal, but now we can recognize the mistake without fail!

“Great! Guiche! You are awesome!”

Guiche leaned back listening. Then he crossed his legs, and put up a finger still looking as proud as a peacock.

“Now, I will tell you the story about the brave army fights against the orcs.”

Aaaah, the stir happened.

Guiche looked at Montmorency again. And sighed painfully. The reason is that Montmorency still looks the other way ... why she is acting this way… Guiche became sadder. He then raised he voice higher than needed. “When wall broke, orcs came from inside, one after another! At that time, I calmly commanded my sub ordinate's from gun corps. First platoon! Load! Aim! Fire!”

When saying ‘Fire’ Guiche rose and lowered his wand.

“Still, the enemy doesn't flinch! The magic was needed! I rose and started casting - Earth Hand!”

He cast the spell where the hand expands from ground and grabs one’s feet.

However, there was no soil in the classroom. Nothing happened. A strange silence stelled.

“Ka-boom! Valkyrie emerged!“

Guiche rejects the cane trying to cover himself up again. Petals of the artificial rose scattered around…and changed into seven Valkyries.

“Towards the upcoming orcs, my brave golems jumped out!”

Valkyries began to dance imitating the fight.

Someone recited the winds spell towards Guiche’s golems.

Valkyries were blown off and fell on the floor.

“Who?!”

With a sarcastic smile on his lips, De Lorraine watched Guiche. Before Tabitha’s fabulous results, he was counted to be the strongest in duels among the boys.

“If your golems were blown off by the wind magic, how were they able to withstand orcs blows?”

“Uuh…”

Guiche dropped in a cold sweat. Feeling on a roll, he has enlarged the story without thinking.”

“Well… A decoy! My golems were a decoy, used to distract the attacking enemies!”

“Hey hey, I heard a while ago, that it was all musketeers doing. Did your magic failed? You are not so great, Guiche!”

“S-subordinate soldier's were under commander's control!”

“ But heven’t you just said that it was all about your magic? Please give my sincere admiration to your company once you meet them. However, where you really a decent lead? Maybe you were leaving most things on your sub-commanders shoulders?”

Bull’s eye, Guiche felt petrified. This way there was a contradiction in Guiche’s story. Well, hee needed to keep on talking to buy some time… meanwhile Montmorency stood up and left the classroom.

Guiche ran after her in panic.

“Montmorency!”

Guiche shouted in a corridor paved with stone. Yet, Montmorency didn’t turn around, she just walked away briskly. Feeling an anger emanating from her shoulders, Guiche ran up closer.

“Oi oi, please wait! Are you mad because of what I said? Darling! Listen me out, stop ignoring me!”

Guiche puts a hand on Montmorency's shoulder and made her halt.

“Here, look at it. A medal! Be happy! You are a girlfriend of someone worthy of an award! As I said, here, you...“

“That doesn’t make my opinion of you any better.”

After finally turning around, Montmorency declared.

“W-why?”

“Is the reward all that you care? You left me without telling, that’s the problem!”

Not expecting such attack, Guiche flinched. Spoiled by the praises, he could not imagine to be blamed this way. “D-don’t you know! As an royal army volunteer, I could not write you letters!”

Montmorency, stared at Guiche with cold eyes. Feeling that this anger was different from usual, Guiche become silent.

“Even if it was so! This doesn’t mean you could not contact me! There are some things that are more important than a reward!”

He thought for a while.

“For instance?”

Because Guiche asked seriously, Montmorency’s cheeks turned red.

“Aya! Why you are hitting me!”

“Me. M-E.”

“Y-yes.”

“aren’t you my knight? Haven’t you told me, that if there would be a war you would stay near, protecting me? Remember?”

Ye-yes.”

Guiche stood upright and nodded.

“Since you left with boys, dreadful things happened in the Academy! Meanwhile you were going crazy attacking enemies for medals!”

That’s right… Guiche nodded. Upon returning he heard the story

“Because you were not here, a teacher saved us paying with his life. If only I would have been more skillful in water magic…”

Montmorency closed her eyes, recalling that time. She started curing Colbert who was wounded by the magic arrows, but even though the water magic was used...she reached her willpower’s limit and feinted. 　

Guiche quietly lowered his head.

“I, I will study more. As a member of Montmorency house that negotiated with water spirit for generations… I will ask for help to train more. If I were better at water healing…I might have helped the teacher.”

Since Colbert didn’t had any relatives, Kirche took his remains. Since Kirche left home for now, she wasn’t around. It was unclear if she was going to bury the same ‘fire’ element user in the land of Germania. The tiny girl with short blue hair, disappeared as well.

“Furthermore, even that child lost her important person. So be a little more considerate. Is this really a time for joy? Even you, should not be so happy.

Guiche remembered.

There was a rumor that Louise’s familiar Saito fought alone against Albion’s army and made them retreat from Rosais.

Shaken Louise, many times she met with generals, but even though she made lots of noise, the escaping fleet would not turn back for the familiar.

Moreover,warship commanders just laughed from that rumor. They did not thought it was possible for a single person to stop an army. You cannot stop 70.000 soldiers all alone.

As for the Albion’s army delay, there had to other reason, it was blamed on their poor army management. They also though that this familiar boy just simply ran away.

All people around Louise kept on saying that.

And even if you would assume he confronted an army of 70,000 – there were no way he would be still alive. Sadly, but she should give up…

However, Louise was not consented to such opinion, she kept denying that. Once the fleet returned, the news about Albion’s army surrendering to Galia made raised the confusion to the maximum. They stopped worrying about the rumors of the boy who stopped Albion’s army, thinking it to madman’s palaver. 　 After all, besides Saito there were many people missing or killed.

As a result, after returning to the magical academy Louise became severely depressed and hasn’t talked to anyone. As if her mind was somewhere else, she shut herself in the dormitory room and does not go out.

Saito’s fate was also part of the rumors in the Academy. Anyhow, right now Saito was famous in the academy for two things , for being a ‘legendary familiar’ and the one that ‘should be credited for everything’.

Montmorency who also heard those rumors, was worrying about Louise who shut herself and never left the room.

“Therefore, I want to comfort her at least. I will pay her a sympathy visit for a now.

“Now you're talking. Montmorency, you are very kind.”

“I am not really kind. You know, until now though we were in a war… Even though it was a war, I never really fought in a war until just now…”

“Yes.”

“I am a ‘water‘ in so many different ways. I will fight my way ... I only wish I were stronger.“

Through the window, Montmorency looked up at the sky and muttered.

“I can’t allow this sadness to exist. I cannot cure if I feel sorry for myself.”

* * *

And so the sacred Albion’s republic and the war Tristain-Germania union, ended with ringing bells of advent festival.

Due to Saito's sacrifice all Allied Forces withdrew safely, while Galia’s fleet left the union and entered the war, blowing Rosais command base with Cromwell, off, making Albion’s army, that was stationed there, to surrender.

With overwhelming difference in numbers and with the emperor being blown off, Albion’s army has lost their will to fight. Moreover, the Allied Forces army revolts returned to themselves, as if waking up from a long dream and went against Albion’s army again. Because of all this confusion, Albion’s army surrendered without a fight.

Galia’s army settled in Rosais, stopping a war for now to clean up the mess…

Thus a war which lasted for eight months, was ended by an active intervene of Galia’s kingdom.

Two weeks passed since the Albion’s republic fall…

On the third week of the New Years Yara’s month - week of Eolo - Allied Forces' were officially disbanded and the temporary officers from the Academy of Magic students returned to the school one after another.

Prideful, returned those who had military achievements, returned and those who didn’t. But they thought in fierce battles too, and accomplished their duty even if there were no fabulous military results.

Because Magic Academy’s students, with a few exceptions, were used as an army’s back-up, there were almost no casualties and no military achievements either.

Due to that, those students that were military successful were heads above others and their popularity skyrocketed.

So Guiche boasted about his military achievements as well…

* * *

Evening…

Driven from Montmorency’s room, Guiche, feeling a little down, strode. Not many people walk here, in Vestri Courtyard.

When you think about it… It was here where I and Saito met and dueled, he thought. At that time, Saito kept on standing up no matter how much damage he received.

Next thing that caught his eye was Saito made bath and a tent next to the artillery tower. When he was driven out by Louise, he set up a tent and kept on living and sleeping here for a while. Guiche also recalled how he and Saito drank all night in there.

That’s the way Saito burned into his memory…

Somehow, his eyes turned moist. Guiche felt said. Because he was sad he made so much noise back at the classroom.

Saito. Except Louise, no one believed…that he fought against 70,000 Albion’s army and stopped it. But for a man who stood up even while being hit by my Valkyrie… this may be not so impossible after all.

Guiche scrubbed below his eyes.

“Tough just a commoner, you were my friend.”

Wiping of his tears, he noticed someone moving inside the tent.

“Saito…?”

However, the one that came out was…

“Belldandy!”

It was a huge mole, Guiche’s familiar.

“Where were you…”

Guiche squatted down and began to pat his beloved familiar.

“After all, you also miss him?”

The huge mole rubbed his nose against Guiche. Somehow, his round eyes looked sad.

“I see, so you were sad….”

Guiche held Belldandy in his embrace for a while… then he slowly stood up.

“Saito, I think you are a hero. Thefore there is a thing a have to do. Belldandy! Make a big pile of soil!”

Belldandy nodded and began to grub up earth with a severe power. In front of the Guiche the mountain of soil rose.

“I am an earth element user. Therefore I’ll send you a salaam with this soil. I’ll make a huge statue, so that you’d be remembered.”

Guiche cast spell upon the pile of soil. Then, the soil turned into the clay. Thrusting out his both hands, Guiche started making a statue.

“Saito was a great guy. So he deserves a great statue, at least five mails tall. Because you could not use magic…I will make this statue with my bare hands as well. That’s respect to Saito. Noble’s way of respect. Be happy!”

* * *

Though Guiche and Montmorency grieved at heart… The one who mourned the most was Louise.

In her room, Louise was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees. Dressed in a usual school’s attire, she wore a strange looking hat on her head.

It was sweater she gifted to Saito. It looked more similar to a rather avant-garde art piece. Even though not matter how hard she push she couldn’t get head through the collar, she still felt more comfortable when wearing it.

Next to Louise was placed Saito’s notebook computer, his only personal thing. Because there was no power supply, the screen was completely blank.

Louise stared at the computer’s black screen. She remembered how upon the first day when Saito came, he showed the screen to her.

It was beautiful.

When thinking so, the back of her eyelids became hot again.

Saito… showed some scenery to me. Though I did not understood it, it was still beautiful and that mysterious scenery made me feel somewhat excited.

One by one different thoughts, scenes, actions… were revived in her heart.

Louise looked down at the pendant on her neck. Held back tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Saito… he always defended me. Like this pedant hanging on the neck, he always was near, he became my shield.

When I was almost crushed by Fouquet's golem.

When I was almost be killed by Wardes.

When I faced huge battleship.

When Henrietta, who was cheated by the enemy and forgot herself, cast tornado of water.

And… when I was ordered to hold the enemy back till death…

Saito, with his sword unsheathed, stood in front of me.

Legendary Gandalfr, just as his name suggests, became my shield.

But did I treat Saito kindly?

No, I was always stubborn, selfish, hard to please idiot.

“Idiot.”

Tears were burning.

“I was just caring about myself. Such ungrateful selfish, not cute me should have been left and ignored.”

Louise did not try to wipe away the falling tears, and quietly whispered to herself.

“Even though you said that dying fro honor was a nonsense… you did not come after me.”

The blaming words against Saito, were now returning back at her. Her own words became a spear, that scooped the wound in Louise’s heart deeper.

“Though you said you love me… you left me all alone.”

Louise muttered staring at the black screen.

“Without you, I cannot even fall asleep.”

Hugging her knees, Louise continued to sob.

* * *