Zero no Tsukaima:Volume6 Chapter8 - MTL
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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.
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Chapter Eight: The Atonement of Flame
Early morning, four o'clock.
The day has not risen yet, the sky is dark.
In the sky above the Academy of Magic one small war frigate appeared.
Menvil stood on the deck, watching the sky right ahead.
Wardes, with inaudible steps, approached Menvil from behind.
The wind’s square indicated by itself that it was the same sky.
Wardes came out to test Menvil.
Can this man lead such difficult plan to a success? He doubted.
However, Wardes's doubts seemed to be ungrounded.
Not taking eyes from the sign, Menvil called Wardes out of distance.
“So what trial is it now, Viscount?”
Wardes was surprised.
Menvil did not even turn around.
Even if you turn around – it’s just too dark.
One couldn’t even make out an approaching silhouette.
Yet… what kind of skills did he use to notice Wardes approach from such a long distance.
“Now then, we are almost there.”
Menvil muttered without turning around. Wardes, while feeling admiration, carefully approached Menvil.
“We are lucky. Oh dear, as an attacking side, we should not let them know from which side they are attacked.”
They managed to avoid mage familiar’s that were patrolling in the air… it was almost fortuitous that they managed to get this far without being spotted.
“In order to express our gratitude. When you’ll return to Albion, please let me treat you with something, Viscount.”
“Don’t think too much about it, think about surviving first.” Wardes said. Menvil suddenly pulls out the wand and pointed it at Wardes's scruff of the neck.
“Watch your mouth youngster. Or do you want to turn to ashes right now and here?”
Wardes expressionlessly watched Menvil.
“I’m joking, Viscount. Don’t stare like that.”
Laughing Menvil jumped from the deck into the air.
All other members wrapped up in black cloths followed Menvil, one after another.
A lot of people disappeared from the deck with a surprising swiftness.
Fouquet, who came up there, muttered in an unpleasant voice.
“Creepy guy.And scaring.”
“But he has the skills needed. Can’t hope for more.”
“Is he more skillful than you?”
Fouquet laughed asking Wardes a mischievous question.
“Maybe.”
The Musketeers Squadron assigned two musketeer crew memebers to a artillery tower to watch over the cannon.
That were the most of military troops that army could allow to stand as sentinels.
Something moved under the moonlight.
The older member of the squated down in silence, and unwrapped gun powder and bullets from small paper bags.
Another musketeer, following his partner’s movements, also loaded his musket with gunpowder.
And when he looked carefully…he saw something moving in the darkness.
But before he could open his moth, both guard throats were cut by wind magic.
Two bodies were caught before hitting the ground. Not making any noise, Menvil laid musketeers on the ground.
“Women. Still young. Shame.” One assassin said with a smile informed Menvil.
“There is no place for old courtesy, men or women have to be treated the same.”
Menvil, smiling rapaciously, said.
“Equally the death is given.”
“Only nobles’ children should not be killed. They must be taken as hostages.”
“Apart them, I can kill everyone else?”
Menvil, while fiddling with his wand, muttered in a happy voice.
One member's took out the map.
It was the school’s map drawn by Fouquet. It was covered with the special cloth that doesn't leak out the light, but slightly lightens the map itself.
Watching the corpses of guards, one member muttered.
“Guards only armed with guns.”
“How many mages are there? Not counting the regular musketeers.”
The member who was studying the map informed Menvil.
Commander, there are three targets. This tower, dormitory tower and the tower nearside.”
Menvil handed down the orders quickly.
“I’ll take the dormitory tower. Jean, Ludwig, Germain, Attas – you four together with Giovanni take this tower. Celestin and the rest take the last one.”
Mages nodded.
Tabitha woke up.
There were a strange sounds coming from the courtyard.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to wake Kirche up after all. She went out of her room; and headed to Kirche’s room downstairs. After she knocked against the door, Kirche, dressed up in only thin nightdress on her bare skin and still rubbing her eyes, appeared. “You what… it’s too early… even sun hasn’t started to rise yet.”
“Strange sounds” was all she said.
Kirche closed her eyes.
“Uwaaa” Kirche felt her salamander, Flame, beating against the window.
“You too”
The moment when Kirche opened her eyes again the sleepiness was already gone.
Kirche hastily began putting clothes on.
The moment when she took her wand, the sound of breaking a door echoed.
Kirche and Tabitha looked at each other.
“Retreat” Tabitha murmured.
“Agreed.”
Not knowing enemies number or location, you have to pull back to recover. It was war basics.
Kirche and Tabitha jumped down from the window and hid themselves in the bushes and from there watched what was going around.
It was getting dim - sun started rising.
At that time Agnes… woke up in the bedroom and grabbed the sword placed on the bedside.
Pulling it out from sheath, she waited at the door.
It was a second floor of the artillery tower. The room was always used as a warehouse and was only recently was made into bedroom.
Over all twelve members lived in here
They all resided in the room next door.
Agnes noticed the mirror placed in the center of the room. It was the 'Mirror of fibber'. The ugly made into beautiful, the beautiful into ugly – everything was turned upside down by the mirror. Agnes tried to not look at the mirror while setting the trap.
Four people led by the mercenary mage named Celestin led went up by the spiral staircaseto the second floor of the artillery tower. They queued at the two doors.
Tow men positioned at each door opened the door up and another one waited in the hall.
The doors were kicked open.
In a middle of the room a handsome mage set up the wand.
Alarmed, mages started to chant their spells.
“Bam…”
However, they were also hit by the magic. With his heart pierced by the ice spear, Celestin fell on the floor.
Agnes, who hid herself behind the door, noticed the sucess of her plan.
Celestin mistook his own reflection in The Mirror of Fibber, which was placed here by Agnes, for an enemy and released a spell which was reflected by the mirror and pierced his heart.
Agnes felt gratitude to Celestin who was foolish enough to shot himself with his own spell reflected by the mirror.
Another assassin, hastily flounced into the room. But his throat was cut deeply from the side by Agnes sword and he fell down.
Then, her musketeers jumped into the room.
“Agnes-sama! Are you all right?”
She nodded answering their question.
“I’m all right.”
“Two people sneaked into our room. However we finished them…”
Two people in my room. Two people in the next one. Four people in total ……
Apparently these thieves crept into the artillery tower to kill them off…
“Albion’s dogs.”
Muttered Agnes quickly understanding from where they came. The squad was made only of mages. It’s impossible to mistake them for simple thieves. They must be mercenaries employed by Albion..
Then, Agnes became worried about the situation outside.
Right now, there were only a schoolgirl’s left in the academy.
“In two minutes I want you fully armored and following me” Agnes ordered her subordinates.
Menvil took over women's dormitory without any problems.
Noble daughters were so frightened by his invasion that showed no real resistance. He took all schoolgirls’ wands and rounded them, still dressed in their nightgowns, up to the dinning hall where he confined them. There were approximately ninety people.
During that, his partner’s from the other tower joined him.
Seeing academy’s director Old Osman being one of the captives put a smile on Menvil’s face.
Menvil now gathered all captives in the dining hall and tied their hands behind their backs.
Thanks to the magic that someone recited, the rope moved and twined around their wrists by itself.
All teachers and students were female and were trembling.
Menvil sweetly muttered to everyone.
“Whaat, calm down, if no one of you will try to stand out or make noise and if you do what you are being told to, no one will get hurt.”
Someone began to weep.
“Silence!”
However, the schoolgirl doesn't stop crying. Menvil came closer and pointed his wand at her.
“Do you like cinders?”
The words were not a direct threat, but it could be understood as one. The schoolgirl stopped crying.
Osman opened his mouth.
“Hey you.”
“What?”
“Don’t use violence against women. Albion wants us as hostages right? To use us as additional cards in negotiations right?”
“How do you know?”
“Experienced guys from far away barged in here – it’s easy to see what you came here for. Not for the riches for sure. So, be more patient.”
“Old man, and what value you have in the store?”
Mercenaries laughed loudly.
“How important is one old man for the country? Consider this.”
When Osman ducked his head, intruders started to look around Alviss Dining Hall.
One could clearly read “I don’t want to be here” from mages faces.
Fuuun, Osman thought. They might still have a chance.
“Old man, are these all members of the academy?”
Osman nodded.
“That's right. They are all.“
Then mercenary noticed that their partners from artillery tower have not returned. Are they taking their time? No, he shook his head. The longer it takes the more chances for the enemies to get reinforcement. And they should be aware of that. Therefore, Menvil ramified.
Outside the dining hall a voice was heard.
“Those that shut themselves up in dining hall! Listen! We are Her Majesty's musketeers!”
Menvil and others looked at each other. Apparently Celestin failed. However none of the mercenaries changed their complexion. Single mercenary glared Osman.
“Heyhey. Haven’t you said ‘They are all’?”
“Musketeers are not part of the staff.” Osman said calmly.
With a smile on his lips Menvil stepped to the doors to negotiate with the musketeers outside the dining room.
Agnes hid herself behind the tower staircase landing. She drove the one group of commoner staff away from the courtyard so that they would not get too involved with the incident
The morning sun has not risen yet.
To at the door of dining hall a tightfisted body mage appeared. The moonlight from a gap in the clouds enlight his figure.
Agnes held her finger on the trigger, while aiming her pistol at the mage.
“Listen! Thief! We are Her Majesty's musketeers! One battalion of our troops has you and your damned accomplices surrounded! Release the hostages!”
Agnes’s “one battalion of troops” was a bluff. In reality, there were only about ten people.
From the dinning hall she heard voices laughing hard.
“We couldn’t care less about a single battalion of musketeers!”
“These musketeers have killed four of your partners already. If you’ll surrender peacefully we’ll spare your lives.”
“Surrender? Isn’t it the time to start negotiations now? Well, call Henrietta here.”
“Her Majesty?”
“Indeed. And for the time being promise to withdraw soldiers from the Albion. My client seems to hate when your soldiers dirties the country land with their shoes.
Usually, army doesn't turn back because of the hostage. However… because ninety children of nobles were taken as hostages, it might be a different talk. The invasion troop's withdrawal is really possible.
My responsibility. Agnes bit her lower lip.
She tried to concentrate herself – a blunder is a blunder. The court people - they are still my responsibility.
One musketeer whispered into Agnes’s ear.
“… we could send a courier to the Tristania and ask for reinforcement.”
“It is useless. It doesn’t matter how much soldiers we have, as long as they hold hostages.”
Seeing such consultation, Menvil shouted.
“Hey, remember. Whenever you call a new soldier, one hostage is killed. The only ones you can invite here are cardinal or Henrietta. Be not nice. Clear?”
Agnes said nothing.
Then, Menvil shouted again.
“Decide it in five minutes. Call Henrietta or not. If there will be no answer after five minutes, one hostage is killed every passing minute.”
Another musketeer poked Agnes.
“Agnes-sama…”
Agnes painfully tightened up her lips.
That moment…
Voice sounded from the behind.
“Commander.”
Turning around she saw Colbert standing and staring with surprise at Alvis dinning hall.
“Do not get involved.” Agnes said, trying to cover Colbert with herself.
“You will be caught.”
“My laboratory is in the tower. What happened?”
Agnes got angry at such carefree attitude of Colbert.
“Can’t you see? Your students were captured by Albion’s handymen.”
Colbert looked over her shoulder and, once he noticed the mage standing in front of the dining hall, his face turned pale.
“Enough already. Go back.”
Annoyed, she sent the Colbert off.
“Psst, musketeer-san.”
She was called from behind again. This time it was Kirche and Tabitha, who stood in the shadows smiling.
“Aren’t you students? Thank goodness you are all right.”
“Hey, we have a good plan…”
“Plan?”
“Yeah. Right now you can’t reject any help.”
“And what is that plan?”
Kirche and Tabitha explained their plan to Agnes.
Agnes, after listening to it, laughed.
“Sounds fun to me.“
“How about it? That’s the only plan we have.”
Colbert who heard the plan opposed to it.
“It is too dangerous. The enemy is a mercenary. You can’t be seriously thinking that such cheap trick can work.”
“No one cares about your opinion, teacher.”
Kirche said, not trying to hide her contempt.
Agnes stopped paying attention to Colbert altogether.
“They do not know about your existence. The key here is the surprise attack.”
She whispered while pointing her finger at Kirche, Tabitha and herself.
