Zero no Tsukaima:Volume11 Chapter10

Chapter Ten: The Heart of The Duet

“I’m home.”

Returning back home from school, Saito passed through the doorway of his house. He took his school jacket off and went straight to the living room to turn the television on.

It was an ordinary day.

While he was watching the television, the phone rang.

He picked up the telephone. It was his classmate.

[Saito, have you seen the latest TV show?]

“Why do you think I did?”

[Someone who has as much free time as you ought to have.]

A trivial conversation.

Life was trivial every day.

There is nothing that could replace this lovely everyday routine…

Saito decided to browse the internet, so he turned his notebook computer on.

“Hm?”

It didn’t turn on.

There's no power supply.

He tried to get it to work many times, until he found himself behind his mother’s back. Her hair was rather short and she seemed to have gained some weight lately.

“Mom, I’m hungry. Give me some food.”

“Not yet.”

“What? I want to drink some miso soup.”

For some reason he really wanted to taste it again.

His mother's miso soup.

Though it was nothing special and had a trivial taste, for Saito it felt like it would be the best meal ever.

“Saito.”

“What?”

“Haven’t you forgotten something?”

“What is it?”

“A thing that you should have done.”

“Homework?”

“Yes homework, but think about it... There is something else, isn’t there? The promise.”

“Promise?”

“Uh-huh. Haven’t you made an important promise to a friend?”

Promise? What promise would that be? Saito thought.

He could not recall it.

Hurry up, remember... and while trying to remember, Saito woke up.

On a bed.

Tabitha was sitting nearby, reading a book.

He knew the sight of this bed and of this room. It was Tiffania’s room inside a house in Westwood Village.

He used to stay in here.

Saito squeezed his eyes shut as he was blinded by bright sunlight pouring through the window.

Somehow… he was feeling refreshed.

Though his head was still dizzy from the collapse, he was feeling free…

Noticing that Saito woke up, Tabitha closed her book.

“How are you?”

“Hm? I feel refreshed… I wonder if it’s Tiffania’s spell’s effect? It was enough to put me to sleep… I feel alright I guess. However, it feels a bit strange. As if something is gone.”

Tabitha nodded.

“Where is everyone?”

“They left for home earlier. They took that half-elf girl with them.”

“I see… what a heartless lot. Disregarding the person under a strange spell, moreover — leaving him behind.”

Then Tabitha stood up and looked directly at Saito's face.

“Do you want anything?”

“To drink miso soup.”

Saito said with a sigh.

“What is that?”

“Well, a dish in my world… I would like to eat soup.”

Saito said, feeling a little embarrassed.

Suddenly - strong feelings hit him.

A torrent of feelings.

What was stored up until now, the so called "Nostalgia" that was suppressed, now it literally started to flow out like a huge waterfall into Saito's head.

The girl who sat next to him at school.

The best friend with whom he used to play together.

Every person he forgot about, their faces floated into his memory.

He remembered the face of the physical education teacher who used to punish him. He missed even such people.

“What's wrong?”

“… They're returning. Returning.”

Saito coughed out.

When he recalled his home town, he started to cry…

Indeed, the fake motive he had to stay in this world has disappeared.

After he came to this world, more than one year had passed.

I want to return home.

I want to drink miso soup.

I want to meet my friends.

I want to go to school.

I want to browse the Internet... For a long time… what was hidden deep inside, Saito felt it all break free, with loud cracking sounds.

He recalled Cattleya’s words from before,

“When shocking events happen, a human has the ability to lock their mind.”

And just now, the lock came off.

Saito was crying… sobbing painfully.

“What’s wrong?”

Tabitha asked him.

Saito looked at the runes on his left hand absent-mindedly.

“The runes look different…”

Derflinger, who was leaning against the bed, answered,

“Because Tiffania erased the fake motive to stay in this world that was within you, it has affected your familiar abilities as well."

“…Then shouldn’t they have been erased altogether?”

Saito said while watching the faded runes.

“That’s true somewhat. Runes react to your mind’s state. Because you just lost the reason to stay in this world, the turmoil in your mind was reflected on your runes.”

Absent-mindedly, Saito said in a far away voice,

“Hey Derf...”

“What?”

“My… my feelings for Louise — were they also fake, created by the familiar’s runes?”

Derflinger thought about it for a while

“Well, that's not for me to know. It's the way partner’s heart feels.”

“Well, if that’s the case… then it will be my true choice, I guess.”

“I guess, it will be the true choice.”

Louise and others walked down the road to Rosais.

“Isn’t Rosais 50 leagues away still? Walking such a distance, is way too demanding.”

“It can’t be helped. It is because Tabitha decided to stay... Will she help Saito search for the way back to his home place, far away?”

Louise grew silent and started to quietly bite her lips.

“What is it? I already knew the truth. Saito is a human from another world. Jean told me.”

Kirche stole a glance at Louise.

“However, aren’t you a bit too cold? Leaving Saito, whom has no place to go to, behind.”

Reticent Louise, said nothing.

“Say Louise…”

“What?”

“Could you tell me one thing… you learned how to act like an mature woman, by wearing alluring underwear. But why do you tell such lies?”

“I wasn’t lying.”

Kirche placed a hand on top of Louise’s head, and patted gently.

“Honestly, you are just scared.”

“What?”

“You did not want to see… that Saito’s feelings for you were just some familiar’s delusion. Therefore you could not face it and just ran away.”

“You are wrong.”

“When Tabitha said ‘I’ll stay’ you wanted to stay with her, didn’t you? Why did you leave?

“That’s wrong. The only reason I was reluctant is because I wanted to bring Tiffania to princess-sama fast as ordered. So, when Tabitha said she’ll stay, I was reluctant to leave her behind.”

“That is an excuse that only you believe.”

“It’s not an excuse.”

“Let’s suppose that Saito’s feelings for you were just some delusion, what will you do?”

“Nothing much. I’ll just search for a way to take him home in any case - that’s what.”

“And what if those are Saito’s true feelings?”

“I-I’ll l-look for a way to bring him home.”

“And now you are acting flustered.”

“Not flustered. I am not flustered!”

“You are such an easy to read child. You are deeply in love with Saito, aren’t you?”

“You are wrong! Idiot!”

“Hey Louise, now you are acting cowardly. Even if the feelings of the person that loved you are fake, it is not the same with you... Just this time you will have to rely on your own charm.”

“…what?! I am not in love!”

Louise said while pouting.

It is not love. I am not in love with him.

Louise repeated this many times in her mind, trying to persuade herself.

That can’t be so...

Why would I love a guy like him. Certainly, it’s just me feeling jealous about my familiar.

That’s right, I feel those feelings only because he is my familiar.

But though she was repeating it over and over again… tears were still falling from Louise’s eyes.

But why would I cry so hard then.

I am just a coward – Louise thought.

Even facing enemies was less scary than this.

‘Saito’s feelings for me were just some delusion’ – there was nothing scarier than that.

That’s why I ran away with a tail between my legs.

Could it be that Saito’s ‘I love you’ was just another fake motive to stay in this world?

Then, all the moments she and Saito shared… were nothing but a lie.

To put it simply, all her treasured memories would turn into a lie.

If that were to happen, then I would die – Louise thought.

The most important thing in this world for her… would turn into nothing.

That’s why it she could not face it.

Louise rubbed her eyes.