Zero no Tsukaima:Volume21 Epilogue

Epilogue

Saito shook his head as he woke up... and found himself lying in a large bed.

What he was wearing wasn't his usual jacket, he didn't know when he put on these comfortable pajamas that he now was wearing.

"...? How did I get here?"

With pain clouding his mind, Saito tried to recall what had happened to his body.

Right, at that time... Tiffania used that amazing Void, and eliminated the Jewels of Fire. And Saito, as the bearer of the void's 'magic power supply', didn't get a chance to enjoy the pleasure of reuniting with Louise, and fainted.

After that he had no memories...

"Speaking of here, shouldn't it be this..."

Saito looked around the room.

That's right, this was the familiar cabin in the 'Ostland'.

"Why am I on the 'Ostland'?"

When the frowning Saito decided to get up from bed, a feeling full of elasticity came from his hands.

"Wha-what's this...? Lou-Louise!"

"Uh, um... um...”

Then he saw Louise kneeling on the ground, sleeping on a pillow next to Saito.

And currently making cute breathing sounds...

Both her cheeks covered by pink hair, crystal clear white skin, and the small ups and downs of her chest.

The lover he had thought of constantly, was now in front of his eyes.

Seeing Louise's figure, Saito temporarily calmed down.

But at the same time, he was also full of doubts.

How did Louise get here...?

While Saito was thinking this, Louise yawned and woke up.

"Um, Sai... to...?"

Louise first rubbed her sleepy eyes, and then, after a bit, she jumped up in shock.

"You're awake, Saito?!"

"Oh, Louise!"

Then she hugged Saito.

"That's great... I thought that you wouldn't wake up again..."

"Louise, don't tell me you've been taking care of me since then?"

"What?"

Hearing Saito's question, Louise's face instantly blushed.

"Wha-what? You slept for two whole days without waking up, I just..."

Louise hastily waved her hands, and tried to divert the conversation.

Seeing Louise acting in this manner, affectionate love rose in Saito's heart.

"Anyway, I slept for so long..."

"Yes, you've been dreaming, talking in your sleep..."

"What happened to us afterwards?"

Saito asked Louise.

"The guys trying to level the entire town were all arrested by the patrol squad that heard the news, this includes the one named Aishmail. It seems that he is be severely punished by the elven council.

Then Louise began to explain the ending to the Eumenes incident.

Fearing Tiffania's Void, the elves of the 'Steel-Blooded Party' all had no will to resist, and were all obediently captured. Afterwards, Louise and the others joined the 'Coalition Army for the Restoration of the Holy Lands' and sent the fainted Saito to the 'Ostland'. The injured Ali and Luctiana appear to have been put up in the Romalian medical ship.

"Tiffa? Is she on this ship?"

"She already went to the Romalian medical ship."

At first, Tiffania took care of Saito with Louise. But after Saito was stable, she left the work of looking after him to Louise, and was instead taking care of the elven girl residing on the Romalian vessel.

It's Fatima, Saito thought. Although the long-standing hatred couldn’t be dissolved overnight, Tiffania's inner gentleness would certainly melt her heart.

"Anyway, this is great..."

Looking at the ceiling of the room, Saito said this.

“We all succeeded in saving Eumenes.”

After Louise finished, the room was suddenly enveloped by a wonderful sense of silence.

In fact, there were many, many things that he wanted to say, since the two of them had been separated for so long. But when the time came to talk, he didn't know what he would say to Louise.

During this time, the two of them just quietly looked at each other.

Then, the two of them, as if by coincidence, slowly brought their lips together.

"Mm..."

And like this, Saito wrapped his arms around Louise's shoulders and embraced her to his chest.

A warm feeling gradually filled Saito's heart...

I really want to feel all of Louise... to touch all of Louise.

Saito, thinking this in his heart, touched a fingertip to Louise's tiny chest.

Saito could feel Louise's body twisting slightly, but there was no particular resistance to his movement.

After the two slowly separated their lips, Saito whispered a question in Louise's ear.

"Can I?"

"...No, it's not okay."

Louise answered in a small voice.

"So, sorry..."

"Oh, I rushed it..." Saito thought.

Every time it's like this, I'm truly useless. I get too carried away, and she may be disillusioned with me...

"No. Draw the curtains. Other people are embarrassing."

Seeing Louise say this with a vivid blush, and constantly revealing her beautiful legs as they twitched from beneath the quilt.

"Wha-what, it was this...?"

Saito exhaled.

"Don't worry Louise, we're in the sky here, nobody will see."

"That's not the issue, but the atmosphere."

Louise said, as she blushed.

"I know."

Then Saito pulled the ship cabin curtains closed.

"Th-then..."

Saito swallowed nervously and gently touched the small bulges on Louise's body.

He saw Louise tightly close her eyes.

God, I really can't take it. Ho-how can m-my master be so cute...

"Ah, also turn out the lights."

"Lights?"

There was a magic lamp next to the bed.

"No, I don't want to turn it off."

But Saito rejected it like this.

"Why?"

"I want to always see your face."

"Saito..."

The blushing Louise heard Saito and shyly lifted her head and looked at him.

Seeing her looking so cute, Saito finally couldn't stand it.

Saito separated the uniform, and used his hand to gently poke that tiny chest, and Louise could help but exhale a sweet "Ah..."

When Saito prepared to undo her blouse button...

"Ah~ Ah~ this is the notice from the wind fairy. You two shouldn't overdo it."

"Whoa--!"

At that moment, Saito rolled off the bed scared.

The sound came from the sound tube located on the ceiling of the cabin.

"Ah, in the beginning the wind fairy wanted to turn a blind eye as well, since it is a touching reunion. But you two are too much... isn't there a limit to my patience?

The wind fairy's voice was trembling... it was Malicorne.

"You, you, you heard it all!"

"Well, the sound tube is connected to all of the cabins. Speaking of your voice, even the bridge can hear it crystal clear. How are you two? Are you also playing with the 'little lemons' in the sky?"

"Wha-what's that!"

Louise shouted towards the sound tube.

"'Draw the curtains. Other people are embarrassing'."

"Wah!"

Hearing Malicorne's nauseating voice imitating her, Louise flushed, and kept twisting around.

"'Ah, also turn out the lights'."

"Shut up!"

"'I want to always see your face'."

"Y-you...!"

Just when Saito wanted to protest.

"What, what? What's the fuss...? Oh!"

At this point, the cabin door was opened by Kirche, Tabitha, and Siesta together.

Seeing that the blouse on Louise's body was a mess, Kirche grinned.

"To be in such a rush, and in broad daylight, I was worried sick about you."

"Ms. Valliere, do you think you can cop a feel, this is too much!"

Even Siesta complained.

"No, no... No!"

Louise hurriedly started sorting out her messy clothes.

"Siesta, Kirche and Tabitha... Did you all come for me?"

"Ah, Saito... really... That you're safe is really good..."

Siesta sighed with tears, and rushed to Saito's bed.

"Damn, let go, you silly maid!"

"Do you have a question, Ms. Valliere? Didn't we agree that you would lend him to me three days in a week?”

"It's two days, two days! Don't arbitrarily increase it, okay!"

Louise and Siesta immediately started to quarrel.

The interaction between these two was very memorable, and finally let people feel like they were back.

"Welcome back."

Tabitha said in a small voice.

"Oh, I'm back."

Saito put his hand on Tabitha's head, and Tabitha suddenly blushed to her ears.

"Hi, is our vice-captain really awake?"

This was the noisy sound of footsteps coming. A large number of people poured into the room, there was Guiche, Reynald, and Gimli... it was the guys from the Knight Corps of the Water Spirit.

"Guiche... and everybody!"

"Great, Saito. Everybody was really worried about you earlier."

"I'm really sorry, making everybody worry."

Saito and Guiche hugged each other, then Saito hugged every member of the Knight Corps of the Water Spirit. Even Malicorne, who came up late, hugged Saito so tight that he begged for mercy.

"Oh, Saito, it looks like you seem to be awake."

"Mr. Colbert!"

Saito shouted out.

"Even the teacher came?"

"Uh, that you're fine is great, Saito."

All his friends from school suddenly filled the room where Saito was.

This made Saito's eyes brim with tears. "Everybody has faced danger and come to the elves country for me and Tiffania."

But Louise, whose time alone with Saito had been disturbed, seemed dissatisfied.

"Really, what...?"

Guiche and the other surrounded Saito, and talked about how they rushed to the capital of the elves.

The outbreak of a large battle with the elven fleet in the outskirts of Adyl, and Louise launching a large-scale 'Explosion'.

When he heard that the 'Ostland' had crashed into the tower of the elves, Saito said with a wry grin: "Don't be so reckless!"

"That big battle with the elves was truly unbearable."

"I already seen enough Firstborn magic to last me a lifetime."

Malicorne said.

"Speaking of Saito, what kind of adventures did you have in the land of the elves with Ms. Tiffania?

"Oh... We..."

This time Saito told everybody what happened after he was abducted by the elves.

Imprisoned in the elves' tower, almost having his mind taken by the drug, meeting Bidashal in the tower, and with the help of the exceptional Luctiana, he escaped the tower with Tiffania. And the fight with the water dragon, and the fact that Derf still was alive and then there was the matter of escaping into the 'Dragon's Nest'...

Speaking to here, Saito suddenly remember something.

He should have said something this important... why would he forget.

"Right, 'The Holy Land'! The 'Dragon's Nest' is the 'Holy Land'!"

Saito shouted.

"..." Everybody looked at each other.

"What, are you telling me that nobody is surprised?"

Colbert told the confused Saito.

"Saito, this ship is currently flying towards the 'Holy Land'."

After that, according to Colbert, there was a temporary peace agreement between Halkeginia and the elves.

"Louise's 'Void' annihilated all of their fleet, as well as directly penetrated the elven citadel, Adyl, which seemed to have a major impact on the elves. I heard that the county's 'Steel-Blooded Party' opposed peace until the end, but when it was revealed that the Aishmail, the Party leader, tried to level an elven city with 'Jewels of Fire', they immediately became a target for public criticism."

"On the other hand, The Pope of Romalia gave command of the majority of the ground forces of 'Coalition Army for the Restoration of the Holy Lands' to Albrecht III and they retreated to the border region of the Sahara. The Pope then boarded the 'St. Mark', and with the bearers of the void, headed to the 'Holy Land'."

"...While I was captured, it seems that something very serious happened."

That night, Saito lay on the bed in the cabin, both rolling over and talking.

Lying beside him was Louise wearing a nightgown. She complained the noise of the ship systems were too loud in her room, and that she therefore couldn't get to sleep, unless she could spend the night in Saito's room.

"But then, as long as you can find the magic device in the 'Holy Land', then everything is solved."

"Saito, do you really think that there is a magic device in the 'Holy Land'?"

To Louise's question, Saito shook his head.

"I don't know. I never saw anything like that in that dragon's nest..."

"Are there some necessary conditions? For example, like it won't appear without the four and four gathered."

"Who knows? But I've always felt that the Pope and Julio both have different plans."

Just when Saito contemplated things with a serious expression...

"Saito..."

"What?"

Louise got close to Saito's side.

Doing this, Louise felt very relieved.

Louise thought that the place where she belonged was here.

"I-I always wanted to see you..."

Louise frankly revealed her feelings.

If it was the previous Louise, she wouldn't be able to so frankly express her feelings in front of Saito. She would always find a reason to hide her thoughts.

But it was different now. In the courtyard of Versailles, after seeing each other as naked as newborns, she decided to no longer maintain that meaningless restraint.

"Well, me too, there wasn't a moment that I didn't think of Louise."

"Really...?"

Hearing those words, Louise couldn't help but be embarrassed.

The person I like is beside me... Like this, I feel so happy.

Louise gently held Saito's hand. As hinted, Saito gently lifted Louise's chin.

Two people's eyes closed, and their lips overlapped. Like making up for the loneliness of the previous isolation, a selflessly affectionate kiss. After kissing for a time, Saito's hand moved to fondle Louise's tiny chest.

"Can, can I touch?"

Saito haltingly asked.

Louise shyly nodded.

In order to avoid the wind fairy being a hindrance again, Louise has already plugged the sound tube tight with a pillow. She also didn't have to worry about Siesta interrupting. Although she repeatedly urged such things as 'it is only for today', 'we agreed on two days a week' or similar things, she also promised to leave the two of them alone today.

Watching him as Saito separated her gown and touched Louise's chest, his hand slightly trembled.

Really, Saito looks so nervous.

Louise keenly felt that.

But... maybe I'm more nervous than Saito is...

"Wan-want to touch."

Saito's voice couldn't help but come out high-pitched.

She felt Saito's fingertip touch. Louise then let out a delicate moan.

"Saito, it's still embarrassing..."

"On-only it's not embarrassing, it's cute."

"But, they're really small..."

"Not a bit small, and very cute. Even small is cute."

"Really?"

"Well, of course it's true... cute, little Louise is very cute."

Saito continued to say repeatedly in Louise's ear.

Listening to this, Louise was immersed in a feeling of happiness, and her whole body grew soft.

Thinking calmly, the current Saito was a little... or should say, very nauseating . But Louise's head was already boiling... and already thought that it didn't matter - even if it was a little nauseating right now, she also liked it.

Then Saito push down Louise, and prepared to kiss her neck.

At that moment, Louise suddenly saw the scar on Saito's chest through the gap in his pajamas.

Familiar runes...

Louise frowned a little, then extended a finger to Saito's lips.

"Louise?"

"So, you became Tiffania's familiar?"

"Uh..."

That sentence suddenly made Saito's entire body stiff.

"That said, you and Tiffania concluded the familiar contract?"

"This..."

Seeing Saito speechless, then all of a sudden--

"Yes, yes I'm no good! I kissed Tiffa, I'm sorry!"

The sudden sound of sliding and he knelt on the bed, then bowed his head to Louise in apology repeatedly.

And the action of kneeling and bowing, were very skilled and beautiful.

"Oh, really, truly honest."

"Lo, Louise..."

Hearing that calm whisper from Louise scared Saito to his wit's end.

But Saito didn't confusedly try to shift the topic, in fact it was the correct decision.

In fact, Louise wasn't really angry.

When she first heard it from Tiffania, she really took a hit. After all, Saito was her familiar, and she originally thought that it was a unique and special link.

"But since there is danger in life, there is no other way."

After all, because she was in life-threatening danger, Tiffania could only chant the summoning spell. Due to a combination of factors, Saito was accidentally summoned since he was in the area. Since he was summoned, he had no choice but to complete the familiar contract... When Louise learned this, in fact, she had already understood that at the time they were truly helpless.

The present Louise was just simply being difficult for the fun of it.

"Speaking of Tiffania's chest, it's much larger than mine. Y-you'll go to her and be faithless, and you're also helpless."

"No, really, truly no!"

Saito desperately denied. Seeing this made Louise very happy, but couldn't help but feel bad for playing a trick.

"What the hell is that? Do you mean that compared to her cantaloupes, my, my tiny, little lemons are better?"

"Huh? Ah, eh er..."

Saito continued to repeatedly bow his head.

"If fact, you feel since Tiffania is like that, they're big enough to hold it better, right?"

"Hold it?"

Hearing this, Saito was confused.

"Siesta told me. That kind of scrubbing... I-I can't do it that way."

"Stupid, idiot... that kind of thing doesn't matter. I like your little chest more."

Hearing Saito's hurried defense, Louise suddenly smiled.

But then she immediately pouted again.

"Liar. When you were in the elven capital, you must have only stared at Tiffania's chest, and completely forgot about me?"

"Idiot, I'm getting mad." This time Saito earnestly said. "You, do you know how much I missed you...?"

"Wha-what, I-I'm not...Mm!"

Next, Louise could say no more.

Because Saito lifted her chin, and firmly kissed her.

"He, how did he do that... devious."

Heartwarming happiness enveloped her body, leaving Louise in a daze.

After the two people's lips slowly separated, Saito said with a truly serious face.

"For the time that I separated from you I was truly lonely. My heart was constantly thinking of you."

"Ah, I was also very lonely. I'm sorry, those words were just bad jokes."

Louise slightly lowered her head in apology, and then shyly looked up, staring up at Saito.

"Th-this..."

"Yes?"

"You have to be gentle with me."

Two people cuddled into bed at the same time and Saito tightly hugged Louise from behind.

Rubbing his cheeks on her peach blonde hair, as well as the warmth of her soft skin. Feeling the warmth of the one he loved, a feeling of satisfaction suddenly filled his chest.

Saito gently kissed Louise's neck.

He really wanted to undue the blouse buttons, but still stopped at the last moment...

In fact, he still wanted to feel Louise even more, to touch her skin more directly.

But Saito mobilized all of his own reason, and reluctantly tolerated it.

He promised Éléonore. Only after marriage could he cross that line.

And the expression of Louise as she slept in his arms, really was too innocent. It would make people hesitate to put a hand on her.

"Ah, Saito."

Louise opened her eyes and asked.

"Wha-what is it?"

"When we rushed into the elves' tower, it felt like Saito helped me. Wouldn't that be... the final familiar 'Lífþrasir's' power?”

"Well, probably..."

That would be the issue when I was on the sea dragon boat and suddenly felt intense pain. At that time, Louise was chanting a powerful 'Void' spell at the elven elder.

"But through that familiar power, aren't we consuming Saito's spirit power? If I constantly use powerful void, what will happen to Saito?"

"Well, if you consume too much, maybe I'll faint again..."

Saito didn't tell Louise the truth.

In fact, Saito was already perfectly aware, that the possible source that they were seizing at the time was neither spiritual nor physical power. It was, in fact, that kind of horrifying feeling, like his own life, like Saito's very existence was rudely snatched away.

"At that time, if we had continued, definitely..."

A cold chill couldn't help but run up his spine.

"But you don't need to rely on that power anymore."

Saito deliberately said that in a cheerful voice, in order to heal Louise's anxiety.

"Why?"

"Because peace with the elves has been reached. That way, you no longer need a powerful 'Void'."

"Also, that's right..."

It's said that when the four and four are gathered, it would reveal the Founder's void... 'Life'.

According to Louise, the power seemed sufficient to level a large city.

Just like a nuclear weapon, Saito thought. At the same time he thought about the nuclear submarine that was sunk in the 'Holy Land', and suddenly his mood became a bit gloomy.

But after all, that spell was for the decisive battle with the elves. Now they were already reconciled with the elves, and there was no threat from the 'Steel-Blooded Party', so there was naturally no reason to use the spell.

"Will just arriving in the 'Holy Land' truly solve all of our problems?"

"Who knows? But I think, at least everything will be revealed."

Louise responded.

Yes, just by arriving in the 'Holy Land'... everything would be revealed.

Including the Pope's real purpose, as well as what exactly had happened six thousand years ago...

Reason says that it would be that way, but there was an inexplicable trepidation in Saito's mind.

The Gandàlfr, Sasha, killed Brimir...

Derflinger said these words before, I don't know why they linger in my mind, but for a long time they couldn't leave.

And Derflinger has once again fallen into silence...

Tiffania, who was riding on the Romalian medical ship, carried a fruit basket in both hands, and arrived at the recovery room Fatima was staying in.

When she arrived at the recovery room door, she just saw Fouquet coming out.

"Matilda-nee."

"Oh, Tiffania."

Fouquet was carrying a large bandage in both hands, which should be to take care of that man, her mercenary partner, thought Tiffania.

"So, that person's injuries are already not an issue any more?"

"Well, I truly owe him, so I take care of him."

Fouquet said as she shrugged

"Waiting until after his injury heals, he said that he'd duel with that kid again. He's really sufficiently stupid."

"You won't stop him?"

"Why bother? He loves to duel and throw his life away, also it doesn't matter to me."

"But... isn't he your lover?"

Hearing Tiffania saying this, Fouquet tilted her head and put on a slightly musing appearance.

"Hey, who knows what this is? I only know that I just can't ignore that person."

"Really..."

Tiffania was puzzled.

"Speaking of you, does it not matter if you're by the kid's side?"

Saying this, Fouquet poked Tiffania's forehead with her fingertip.

Tiffania quietly shook her head.

"Ah, I don't mind."

In fact, I really want to be beside Saito.

But my heart feels that Saito should be together with Louise.

After Louise appeared, I saw Saito's reaction at that time and it was completely clear to me. No, actually, I knew everything from the very beginning.

The adventure in the country of the elves, it was just an empty dream.

However, although it was painful, it was also an incredibly warm feeling.

"Because I expressed my feelings to the person that I like."

And Saito also responded, when she desperately chanted the 'Summon' and placed in it all of her admiration and faith for Saito.

Only in this way did Tiffania sufficiently pay back her admiration for Saito...

"Matilda-nee, liking a person, really feels terrible."

Tiffania couldn't help the tears streaming down from her sea-blue eyes.

Fouquet tenderly hugged the crying Tiffania.

After saying goodbye to Fouquet, she discovered that Fatima was already awake as soon as she entered the recovery room.

"I brought fruit, and they were given to me by the soldiers on board."

"I can't accept your charity."

Fatima didn't move her line of sight.

But Tiffania was already sitting beside her bed.

In the silent recovery room, only the sound of fruit being cut echoed.

"I don't understand, who in the end should I hate?"

Fatima muttered this.

"..."

"I could hate the party, and Aishmail?"

She used her sea-blue eyes, as if trying to grab something, stared at Tiffania.

Tiffania revealed a steady smile, and Fatima tightly hugged Tiffania's back.

There was something like a gentle cocoon around the hateful flame in Fatima's heart.

To constantly hate someone and to hate something is actually quite painful. The fire of hatred continues to burn and sooner or later a person can burn themselves out...

However, Tiffania could have also been like her. If she had not met Matilda-nee, or the orphans of Westwood Village at that time, maybe her heart would constantly hate the human race that had killed her mother. Like Aishmail or Joseph. And in the end she would be engulfed by the 'Void'.

"It doesn't matter, you don't have to hate anyone anymore."

Soon, Fatima burst into tears, along with the sound of sobbing.

The second day of the third week of the ninth month came, the twin moon hung high in the sky not too long ago. On that day, 'The Coalition Army for the Restoration of the Holy Lands' Air Force fleet arrived at the sea where 'The Dragon's Nest' was located.

Protruding from the water's surface were a great many rocks that were several dozen feet long, like tentacles made of strange rocks.

Several of them had already collapsed under the gun fire from the navy.

"Is the 'Holy Land' really in a place like this?"

Louise asked looking across the sea from the cabin.

"It should have been land here originally. A long time ago the land-form changed, thus it sank in the ocean."

The people going to get the magic device were the Pope and Julio, Gallia's Queen, Josette, Henrietta, the bearers of the Void Louise and Tiffania and the familiar of two people, Saito. And the representatives of the elves, Turuk and Bidashal together.

"Alas, the last time I came to the 'Demon's Gate' was several decades ago."

Having said that, Turuk made a bubble sphere large enough to accommodate everyone. Unlike the 'water breathing' magic that Luctiana applied to the body, entering the ocean wouldn't get your clothes wet. And the ball shone slightly, providing illumination in the water.

"Unfortunately, I can't see how the girls look in their swimsuits."

Turuk laughed twice.

"Lord Turuk, please restrain yourself a bit."

Bidashal said with a look of embarrassment.

Hearing that elves are long-lived, Saito originally thought of 'by the book' type characters like Bidashal and Ali. But this old elf gave people a feeling that he was easy to approach.

A little like Headmaster Osman... Saito thought.

After everyone entered the ocean, they saw colorful fish swimming around.

"So beautiful..." Louise stared with her eyes wide open.

"Yes, I didn't think such beautiful things still existed in this world."

Even Henrietta was enchanted. She was born in the royal family, so it's possible that she never entered the ocean while she grew up. Josette happily smiled when she saw that Julio was freely manipulating the fish with the power of Vindálfr. If Tabitha were to laugh, it would definitely be like that... Saito thought so.

Soon, everybody arrived at the base of the tentacle-like rock that extended from the seafloor to the surface.

Entering the large hole in the center, and passing through a cave that was like a cave of stalactites, they came to a place that had air.

It was covered with luminous moss, and was about the size of a theater.

After everyone came out of the water, the sound of a moving monster, about the size of a dragon, came from the depths of the cave.

"Saito, what is that sound?"

"Oh, it may be..."

When Saito was about to speak.

"Really, what's up? Recently it's been really noisy."

Swelling, swelling... A roar like an earthquake issued forth, and a huge 'water dragon' appeared before everybody, with a full length of fifteen feet.

"Mon-monster..."

The scared Henrietta quickly hid behind Saito.

"Oh, actually calling me a monster to my face... this girl is really rude, careful or I'll eat you up."

"The water dragon spoke!"

Louise was shocked.

"Of course it speaks, it is the 'Mother of the Sea' that lives here.

"Oh, you guys returned?"

Mother Sea overlooked everybody, as well as moved around to size everybody up.

"Bringing back so many barbarians and elves, what did you come to do this time?"

"Sorry, we don't intend to destroy your nest."

Saito said.

"But there's something that I want to let them see. Can you lead us to the place where the 'weapons' from another world accumulate?"

"What do you want to do in that place?"

"This matter is very important, related to the lives of our companions."

Seeing Saito's serious look, Mother Sea seemed to feel some kind of imminent crisis.

"I know, come with me."

Mother Sea's slowly swaying dorsal fin advanced to the depths of the cave.

In the depths, there was a cave full of seawater, with a diameter of about twenty feet. There were many large and small caves in this rock, which were like an ant's nest.

They traveled through the middle of the cave for a time, and finally arrived in another huge space.

Firearms, artillery, military vehicles, fighter jets, and so on... The rusty 'weapons' were piled up in broad space like a large theater.

"Just like the underground cemetery in Romalia." Julio said.

"Oh, this is the 'Holy Land' that the Founder once came to, this is not wrong.

Vittorio knelt in front of the 'weapons'. Perhaps seeing a place visited by Brimir, whom he worshiped, let him immerse in a moment of sentimentality...

But Saito had no time to be sentimental with him.

"So, where is the 'magic device'?"

"..."

Everyone there all watched Vittorio.

Seeing Vittorio slowly get up, he answered.

"There is absolutely no such thing as a 'magic device' to prevent the lifting of the mainland here."

This impactful statement didn't arouse much surprise in everyone.

The expressions of Julio, Josette, Turuk, and Bidashal all remained unchanged. Even Saito, Louise, and Henrietta... had long been vaguely aware of it.

Knowing that this casually fabricated lie, was camouflage.

"Can I ask what's going on?"

Just one person, Tiffania was completely confused.

"It means that his Holiness, the Pope... lied to us all."

Henrietta revealed a stern stare and directed it at Vittorio.

"I didn't tell you the truth and I apologize to you. But if we make the truth public, there would be no way for us to work together.

"Don't tell me this is the same reason that you conceal the fact that the 'wind stones' were going out of control?" Saito said.

"That's right. Next, let us see that we thirst for, the real purpose of the 'Holy Land'."

Vittorio stared intently at the other end of the mountain of accumulated 'weapons'.

"This spell originally required a huge amount of mental power. However, there is still a large 'portal' on the land where the Founder Brimir once walked, and I only need to open it."

Vittorio pointed his wand at the cave wall, and began chanting Void runes.

Yuer Ier Naushiz Gebo Shir Mari

"This spell is..."

Louise murmured in surprise.

This was the spell that Vittorio learned before in the cathedral in Romalia.

'World's Door'.

Opening the void to the gates of different worlds...

The chant was longer than it was then, which meant that this was the complete version of the spell.

Hagar Eoru Peos Ing Mansūr

The Pope aimed at the wall, and waved his wand.

Glittering, a glowing spot, about the size of a bean, appeared in the void.

They saw the light gradually expand...

When Louise saw it before, it was only about the size of a hand mirror.

What appeared before them now, was like a 'door' floating in the void.

"That's...!"

Seeing the things on the other side of the door, Saito couldn't help but be speechless.

In the eyes of everyone... Vittorio smiled steadily, and turned around.

"This is the Founder's desire, the 'promised land' that the 'Magi tribe' should return to.

And that was, the Earth that Saito was very familiar with.

Notes

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