Zero no Tsukaima

Story 1: New Student from the White Country (Albion)

Chapter 1[]

After cla.s.ses in Tristain Magic Academy, it"s a daily routine for most female students to hang out in the terrace drinking tea after leaving the dining hall.

Louise, Montmorency, and Kirche, the three of them were occupying a round table, chatting and enjoying the tea.

At that time, Kirche was leading the conversation, while Montmorency was acting the listener"s part. Meanwhile, Louise, her eyes bloodshot, was concentrating on writing something. Sometimes she was yawning with a sleepy "Fuaaah."

“Hey Louise, while I"m talking, it"s impolite to yawn, isn"t it?”

“You"re being annoying.”

Kirche was talking about the adventure they had one week before.

“By the way Louise, seriously, that gigantic Golem was super st.u.r.dy, wasn"t it?”

Kirche"s tone of voice indicated that she was enjoying this from the bottom of her heart, but Louise was knitting her eyebrows instead.

Watching the two of them, Montmorentcy continued to stare.

“Hey, what are you talking about? What do you mean by "golem?" I wonder what kind of adventure you were having in Albion.”

Montmorency, who did not accompany them during the the trip to Albion, obviously didn"t know anything. Of course that included the true appearance of Tiffania.

“That I can"t tell you in detail... because it is highly cla.s.sified information.”

Kirche was being more and more superior, Montmorency"s face turned a bit sullen.

“It"s okay, it doesn"t mean I want to know. I don"t want to be involved in a government-related concern.”

She was bluffing.

Following, by swinging her long curly hair, her vision shifted to the direction of the wide courtyard past the terrace. The timing just right, she saw the golden-haired Tiffania as she pa.s.sed.

Tiffania was walking restlessly, as just behind her countless numbers of male students were following in succession. In the middle of those followers, Guiche could be seen, Montmorency"s expression grew unpleasant.

“That guy! Even though I hurt him to such an extent! It seems he hasn"t learned anything!”

With those words, at once, Louise"s expression changed from sleepy to a face with sparkling eyes. When she saw that Saito was not among the Tiffania stalkers, she sat pondering for a bit with her eyes closed.

And then her eyes returned to the notes for the second time.

“Hey Louise, who actually is the girl that your companion brought here? I don"t have any interest in politic matters, but I have interest in that girl! Not removing her hat while indoors, I absolutely want to conduct an investigation about her!”

“About why her b.r.e.a.s.t.s are so big?”

Kirche was trying to provoke Montmorency with an enticing tone.

“Screw that! It must be a counterfeit! More over, it"s vulgar! Using such techniques to get the boys is cowardice!”

Just when Montmorency was giving her opinion, Louise stood up.

“Eh, is something wrong Louise?”

“I"m returning to my room.”

Louise was murmuring with her eyes both blazing and glittering. Inside those eyes she kept a chilled anger of a water tempest with a whirlpool.

Kirche was smiling with narrowed eyes.

“Please take good care of Saito.”

With merely those words, Louise left, shoulder sounds clunking, moving slightly. At the same time, she barely moved her right shoulder as if having a cramp. This slight vibration gradually turned more frequent, until her whole body began to shake.

Awkwardly and clumsily walking away, she was heading to the dormitory tower. She was angry, but she stopped her movement not long after that.

Louise was in the courtyard, from here on out the boys from the Knight Corps of the Water Spirit will be practicing, they were heading here. It"s not like she was expecting them, but Saito was among them of course.

Clamorous sound and the talking from the crowd become more apparent, they were drawing closer.

Louise halted. She didn"t want to see Saito"s face directly. That"s why she peeked from the side. If she directly saw him, she would blow him up for sure. That"s what she felt.

Apparently Saito also noticed Louise"s presence. However, he was averting his gaze, that could be seen clearly on his face. When she realized it from the side glance that she was peeking at Saito"s face from, that made her blood boil. She couldn"t take anymore than this, she was completely trembling. But... she can"t blow him up directly while everyone was watching ahead. That was because her n.o.bles" pride won"t permit it.

Louise took a deep breath, gash! She struck her b.u.t.t. She was running intensely. A while later, when she was able to repress her anger, Louise once again returned to the clumsy walking manner.

Someone—not Saito, but Malicorne—beside him called for her.

“Yo, Louise! We"re practicing right now, may we borrow your familiar?”

“P-Pe-PEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPE—”

“Pe?”

Malicorne"s face suddenly turned pale.

“Pepepepe, Please use as you wish.”

Louise replied with a shaking tone. Saito too, his clear face still took a glance at Louise.

Watching the two of them staring each other, Malicorne leaned his neck a bit.

“What"s happened between you? Having a quarrel again?”

“Quarrel? Hahaha! That can"t possibly happen! Now gentlemen, let"s hurry up. The time for training is short!”

Saito was walking away, his mysterious gait called for Malicorne. Malicorne and each member of the knight corps followed Saito with crooked necks.

Louise was dumbfounded, her face was seeing off the back of him. Her face instantly turned red and she was trembling all over her body. Louise took a note from her pocket. (Sketch sketch), she was writing something. After that was finished, she put the note back in her pocket and walked away...

That night...

Inside one of the rooms in the female dormitory, Siesta served wine to Saito and Louise with modesty. Siesta poured wine to the two of them and spoke with a cheerful tone,

“The other day I received this wine from Marto. By all means, this wine is one that won the second prize in the Gallia wine fair. Too bad I forgot the name...”

However, both Saito and Louise were silent, their minds sunk to the wine.

Siesta watched the two with a face full of dubiousness.

Ever since returning from Albion, the two of them have had this mood. They"re clearly not speaking to each other. Somehow, they were angry, so they kept the silence, even their eyes wouldn"t meet.

There is another thing, in the middle of the night, Miss Louise would go somewhere. I wonder what was she doing there? She always had heavy eyebags when she came back, but I didn"t manage to ask her about it due to the fierce expression on her face. I once asked Saito about this matter. “Maybe Louise has some things she wants to think about,” he replied with a strange expression without looking back.

I"m troubled, I don"t know the meaning of the att.i.tude between the two of them at all.

Because of this atmosphere, Siesta especially, through hard work, obtained this wine... But even this good wine and pleasant mood set up could not bring much merit.

“It"s time to sleep soon.”

Siesta prepared the bed and invited the two of them. It seems that today Louise won"t take a stroll in the middle of the night. Squirming, Saito and Louise entered the bed. Their backs were facing each other; the two of them rolled up. Siesta was changing to pajamas, and after that, slid next to Saito.

Siesta was about to place her face onto Saito"s back, but suddenly...she felt an odd aura. That aura was emitted from the back of Louise.

(Don don)...The aura of Louise"s back was wriggling and acc.u.mulating, pressuring Siesta.

Siesta withdrew her hand that reached for Saito.

For some reason, she felt she shouldn"t do that.

With her cheeks facing Saito"s back, she was hesitating for a moment... Her body entrapped in fatigue because of the daily work... Siesta soon fell into slumber.

Noticing Siesta was fast asleep, Louise began to move her body.

She was rolling to Saito.

Saito was awake, glancing from aside, he was watching Louise.

With her voice expressing anger, Louise muttered.

“Why did you ignore me during the day? You have been ignoring me for a while now, what the heck is going on?”

She had many questions she wanted to ask, but she couldn"t ask thoroughly. So for now, she charged him about his att.i.tude during the day.

With a calm voice, Saito replied,

“Eh? Wasn"t it because you ignored me?”

“Don"t distract me from the subject that I"m talking with you about right now!”

A smile surfaced from Saito when Louise said that. Somehow, the smile felt lukewarm.

“Don"t put reasoning to satisfy yourself. See, you are acting selfish now, Louise. Tomorrow we must wake early, now go to sleep.”

Saito was closing his eyes with his face facing Siesta"s direction. As for Louise, she was mumbling with a declined face, fiercely struggling inside the blanket. Somehow, she was looking very pathetic.

“You are forbidden to face that way.”

She was unconsciously pulling Saito sleeve.

But, without any sympathy, Saito responded,

“Goodnight.”

“You have to face this way!”

However, Saito still pointed at Siesta"s direction.

“Okay, if that"s what you want... Fine. You are not my familiar anymore!”

Louise covered herself with the blanket. However... Soon she grew anxious. In secret, she examined the situation by showing half of her face from the blanket.

Even so, there was no indication of change from Saito"s back.

Louise was half-crying, as if someone in a mortifying state. Uuuu, those were sounds of moaning from her. Nevertheless, whatever she did, Saito did not turn to face her.

Soon, Saito"s sleeping breath could be heard. He was fast asleep.

Louise was trembling as if in fear.

What"s wrong with you!? This whole week you have been keeping that att.i.tude. Tell me about it!

What about the thing when we rode that ship, weren"t you offering the palm of your hand to me?

I can"t believe it!

Inside the blanket, Louise was rolling around with anger.

You always said you loved me before. Could it be a lie?

Was it possible that one hour event on that Albion ship was an Illusion?

For some interval of time, Louise, struggling inside the blanket, bit by bit grew more violent... But she knew she can"t do that.

Why did he show a cold att.i.tude? Thinking calmly, more or less, I pretty much understand it. Saito always said "love" to me... But not once have I returned that feeling.

But, but, but... It can"t be helped.

I have determined to return his feelings when he"s about to return home!

That"s why I hastened the action for finding him a way to go home; meanwhile, this idiot is always indecisive. Well, I can pretty much understand the reason, but still...

I"m a Void user who"s being targeted by Gallia.

There is another concern with Tabitha"s mother which hasn"t been settled yet.

Besides, abandoning them to go home, Saito"s sense of responsibility won"t permit it.

He has been bestowed with Gandálfr"s power, the reason he came here. That is a not a fake sense of responsibility. It is Saito"s own feelings of responsibility...

But since you had come here, could you act a little gentle? Why did you neglect me all this time?

What"s with "insolent pink-haired girl!?" Wasn"t it you who liked the pink-haired one!?

Those words were not even said, yet the next words had been drifting in her mind; being both in anger and in a confusing state, Louise was trembling. Now that it reached this state, it didn"t matter anymore if the words had been said or not, it had already been in her head; Louise grew more irritated.

In the middle of her irritation, anxiously, gradually resurfacing in Louise.

The most foolish thing perhaps... is my feeling that says, “When a way to return home has been found, I will return his feelings.” It"s okay to decide like this, but what if before that happens, Saito has a change of mind?

If by any chance he falls for another woman, not me... “I"m glad I came here,” what would I do if that"s the case?

Each respective woman that she felt was charming was floating in her mind.

It"s somehow tolerable for the Princess to be acting strange in past occasions... Currently, Saito and I are not close enough yet. I can"t let my guard down, there are many other women like that.

For instance, the figure who was sleeping right there, the daring Siesta.

Another instance, the one who put so much devotion to Saito, Tabitha.

But whatever comes to me, not even once I will let my guard down...

The accident during the day was being recalled in Louise"s mind. She"s the one who was brought here from Albion, the one who had fascinating golden hair, that person right now was surfacing on the back of Louise eyelids.

The one that was seen with ridiculously big b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Among her group of stalkers, my familiar was not among them, but that doesn"t mean there"s a guarantee. Saito always said "love" to me, it"s only his personality that acted based on his whim. I"m the most familiar with him, so I knew about that.

Now that I think about it, that fellow, previously he was always captivated with women that have big b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Anxiety was being born within Louise, she was in a helpless situation.

Strange ones. Smaller than me! This is the best! Now feeling like in trance because of what I just said, the important thing is there is no certainty anymore.

What if before a way home has been found, that kind of possibility really happens?

What if before I can tell him my feelings, Saito has changed his?

If that"s the case, my name will be engraved in the history of Halkeginia as the most block-headed person.

The more I think about this, it makes my mind closer to breaking.

When he noticed Louise has fallen asleep, Saito opened his eyes.

To make certain if she was really asleep, cyun cyun, he poked her nose. Kyuuuu, a cute sleeping breath resounded. Seems like she was really asleep.

Saito sung a victory song in his mind.

Because Louise"s behavior is close to a cat, if not the same, seems like I was not mistaken with my judgment.

When I draw closer, the manner Louise would behave... that will most likely be the att.i.tude similar to an insolent angle, and staring at me with eyes full of pa.s.sion, “No, being as cute as you is a sin.” I am pleased to say I"m fine with that (sarcasm).

But see... what about if we treat her a bit cold, what will happen?

First, she will respond by distancing herself while watching the situation. That"s the time when she took a night stroll.

Even so, don"t follow her... It will become impatient while still observing us, thereafter, it will draw closer eventually. Yes, this is exactly like that.

Wonderful, I"m really a genius...

Now I understand perfectly, composure is important after all. Saito was motivating his inner self. Because of my composure, Louise became the same as the fallen women who think of me as if I"m the core of the world.

Nevertheless, watching her sleeping face like this, Louise is looking really cute.

His nose grew longer... And his long eyelash bent up, the shape of his eyes were closing... His lips faintly switched to the kissing pose.

Unintentionally, his lips drew closer... But when it was close enough, Saito shook his head.

It"s not yet time.

It"s not the time yet, Saito.

Just a little longer, and Louise will completely fall to you. If you offer your hand right now, Louise will be victorious with a smile floating on her face.

"No, mole! After all, you want to touch me! I wonder what I should do? Aaaah! I know, if you want to touch me, go praise me until the quant.i.ty is enough to make one volume of a book. Just kidding! I won"t give you anything. Ever."

Looking all important, she would declare that.

Do you think I will lose? Saito strongly gripped his right wrist.

Bear with it, Saito. The sweetness of victory just lies ahead. If you were tempted here, you"ll lose. What I did until now... For instance, I did my best to come home from Albion. All will be just like bubbles in water.

However, looking here and there, Louise was cute. Reach for her lips, retreat, reach for her lips, retreat, it"s a repet.i.tive event, until a voice could be heard from behind.

“What are you doing?”

It was Siesta"s voice.

When he turned, she was grinning with a smile.

“Did I awaken you?”

“Because of a certain rustling sound, I awoke.”

Siesta tried to hold her laugh.

“So-Sorry...”

When Saito replied, Siesta shook her head.

“Why have you made no attempt to find a way to return?”

That sudden question startled Saito.

“...Eh?”

“Miss Valliere always says, "That idiot, when will he take action to find a way home?" ”

There was a crunching sound in Saito"s head.

“About that, I want to go home, of course.”

“Then why?”

Giuut, Siesta"s body drew closer.

“The people that I was in the care of still have unsettled problems. If I move too rashly, it will only leave a bad aftertaste.”

When Saito answered with a serious tone, Siesta smiled.

“I was right about you after all, I have decided it will be you.”

“Eh?”

He responded by his whole face reddening.

“But surely someday you will go home...when that time comes, will we part?”

A solemn air instantly surrounded the two.

“About that....”

“I...don"t want it, that kind of thing.”

Saito kept silent.

True, If someday I find a way home... Honestly speaking, it will be my parting with the people from here.

Can I bear to be parted with Louise?

Even if I think about how to find a way home, not much progress will occur. I want to return, but at the same time, I don"t want to part with Louise.

Being torn between two wishes, Saito was being swayed.

When he was thinking that, Siesta showed a delicate smile.

“Please don"t seriously think about it, when that times comes, we will think about it.”

Siesta was speaking like a breeze of wind... But because of it, a vortex that seemed to have been dwelling in his chest since he returned from Albion now vanished.

“Siesta, it"s good to have a wise trait.”

That"s really what I thought.

Don"t even start thinking about it..

I"m sure I can give the proper answer when that time comes. For now, just think only of what lies ahead.

“For now, if I"m not happy, it will be a loss. That"s why I will enjoy the present to the fullest. If there"s a moment when such help is needed, no matter what lies ahead, no matter how many times, I will help.”

(Hug) Saito almost fainted when Siesta hugged him with mere strength equal to the situation, with her soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed against him.

Siesta was staring Saito straight in the eyes with burning pa.s.sion, without hesitation, she pressed her lips.

“Wa-Wait...”

“Shhh...Miss Valliere will awaken!”

She was surfacing a teasing smile. She had kissed Saito lightly and fixed her hot eyes on Saito. When she was finished, she said,

“It"s okay to enjoy this, but don"t do this with other women.”

“O...kay.”

“Well, with Miss Valliere, it can"t be helped. For example, the girl you just brought here from Albion.”

“Tifa? It won"t happen! We"re just friends.”

“You might be thinking like that, but what if her feelings aren"t the same?”

When Siesta said it, Saito made a pondering expression.

“Wha-What do you mean?”

However, Siesta did not answer. Covering herself in the blanket, she said goodnight and closed her eyes.

“Siesta, please wait for a moment, just now... What is it, d.a.m.n!”

Received a shock to his head. Looking nervously, Saito inquired.

“Uuah...”

Still sleeping, Louise was opening both of her arms. Apparently, she was half asleep. She was unconsciously attacking Saito"s head.

A hand in a spear shape struck Saito lips. The moment following that, he received continuous attacks from Louise on the head. The moment following that, with her voice sounding in an odd tune, Louise returned to the bed.

Placing both her arms on the back of his head above the pillow, Saito closed his eyes.

Siesta"s words still resounded in his mind.

Now that I think about it, suddenly brought from Albion to a foreign place, she must be troubled.

Based on her circ.u.mstances during the day, will it be okay if I don"t concern myself?

Apparently, she has become a pretty popular person....

Even he wanted to have a talk with her, but there was always a crowd around her. Even though he could find her in her room during the night, but she would also like some time alone, wouldn"t she?

Anyway, it could not be denied that Tiffania holds too much secrets on her hands. Some of the secrets cannot be known to the public, and that"s why he"s restraining himself from contacting her too much. Saito, who had risen in ranks from a commoner to a n.o.ble, is still quite the famous person here. If he were to be too close to her, it would prompt people around them to raise the question, "what"s this girl"s background".

Nevertheless, I should visit her soon, that"s what Saito thought. From Westwood Village suddenly living in a foreign country which Tiffania knew nothing about it. No doubt, this kind of situation would make her stressed. No matter how much her wish goes along with the promise from the person in question “I will show you the world past this boundary,” it doesn"t correlate at all with stress.

Tomorrow I"ll talk to her.

With the same thought, Saito embarked on a voyage to the dream world.