Zero no Tsukaima:Volume11 Chapter1

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Chapter One: Von Zerbst

Within the deep, dark woods of Germania, stood Von Zerbst castle. But even though it was called a castle, it was considerably different from the Tristanian ones.

The old stone-made building probably had a splendid history, and the repeatedly added random extensions increased its original size twice as much. The architectural style was uncertain as well. The raising top looked like of ancient Tristain and Gallia, the high steeples belonged to Varon’s style, while the middle wall undergone a massive transformation under the Albion’s architecture influence.

Next to the delicate Romalian brick tower, stood large, made from massive rocks, Germanian citadel… Thus, ignoring the looks and prestige, this building was a mess. Tristain’s and Gallia’s nobles pucker up their eyebrows seeing so built castle, and the respective liberty and innovation of the country of fire, Germania, makes them frown hard.

In one room of such castle, devoted to the cheerful and warm feeling of the spring, Saito was sound asleep. Because he just took part in a big adventure, his body felt very tired.

In his deep sleep, Saito was dreaming. It was a nostalgic dream.

A dream of hometown. A dream of Earth…

In the kitchen, his mother was cooking, And he watched her from behind.

“Mother, what are you making?”

“Your favorite - hamburger steak.”

For some reason, such a casual conversation pierced hard through his chest. Mother turned around. Mother's familiar face. The same gentle, calm face of mother...

“Saito, you, why are you crying?”

“Huh?”

Saito rubbed his eyes. They were full of tears.

“Such a strange child.”

Said the smiling face of his mother that changed into Tabitha’s mother’s face. Surprised, Saito let out a cry.

“Uwaa!”

Saito woke up from his yell.

“A dream…”

It was already the second dream of his mother. Being so far away, it was a wonder he could recall it at all.

Saito rose from bed and looked out of the window. The sun has already gone halfway. The bed next to him, where should have been Malicorne and Guiche sleeping, was empty. No one had slept in it for some-time already.

Saito dressed up and turned to leave the room himself…

“Saito.”

In the doorway stood Louise.

“Oh, Louise. Good morning.”

For some reason, when Saito greeted her, Louise shyly casted her eyes down.

“Lunch has been prepared. Everyone is waiting.”

“Then you should have woken me up.”

“I tried. But you did not wake up.”

“I-I see. Sorry.”

Saito said looking away. He became embarrassed remembering the dream. It may have been a journey deep in the dream world, but the dream of his mother was strangely embarrassing.

Both Tabitha and her mother were saved from the Gallia‘s old castle five days ago. Last night, they arrived at Kirche‘s family's, the Von Zerbst, residence in Germania. Louise and Saito, Kirche, Guiche and Montmorency, Malicorne, Tabitha and her mother; overall - eight people and one Sylphid, managed to safely cross the border.

Gallian military, after learning that Tabitha and her mother went missing, put out checkpoints along the highway, checking the passing travelers, but on every such point Sylphid would transform and Guiche would cast a spell pretending to be an important person, thus fooling the check.

Because the local Gallian army has fallen into disorder, it was easy to escape the line. The morale of local soldiers who stood in the check was low. Some soldiers would not even do a proper check on carriages, before mumbling the unmotivated "Go." The Kingdom of Gallia apparently did not care about prefectures too much, often excluding the army‘s direct control.

The best troops were placed on the boarder with Germania. Calling themselves the Knights of Roses, were a squad of elite knights placed there.

The party was nervous.

When they thoroughly rummaged the carriage, they found the disguised Tabitha.

Make-up was wiped from the face of the sleeping Tabitha,

“This girl…”

It was a young knight, the leader of the knights, who introduced himself as a Castelmorr.

That moment, Kirche grasped her wand and Saito pulled out his sword.

However, Castelmorr got out of a carriage and loudly proclaimed,

“All clear! You may pass!”

Border passage was permitted. When the carriage crossed the border, they sent their expression of gratitude to the splendid knight. He, who should have captured Tabitha, Saito, and others, let them go.

When Tabitha woke up and they told her about the incident, she just calmly said “I see.”

“Even though he was not an ally, he was not an enemy either. I was relieved.”

Saito recalled the conversation upon crossing the national borders and nodded.

“Tabitha?”

“She is asleep in the room over there.”

Louise, from the room prepared for them, pointed to the door across the corridor in front of them. Saito nodded and slightly pushed the door. It was not locked. Making a slight sound, the door opened.

From the opening, Saito glanced into the room.

Mother and child, hugging each other tight, were sleeping soundly on the big bed.

They were saved by Saito and others, Tabitha and her mother were.

“Anyway, they are finally safe.”

Louise, who stood by his side, nodded.

“Oh well. Besides, this is Germania… Gallia can’t do much here.”

Saito nodded, and feeling uneasy asked,

“Hey, yesterday, when you sent the letter…”

Last night, Louise sent a letter addressed to Henrietta in Tristain by owl. It was filled with Louise’s long apologetic sentences.

First, it began with report that Tabitha had been rescued safely, then followed the apology for crossing the border without permission, and secondly stating her willingness to take any punishment needed and hoping to return within three days.

“You didn't write about my arrest, did you?”

Though he watched closely as Louise wrote the letter, because he did not understand the characters, he could not understand the content that was written, too. Louise would not take his crimes for herself, would she? He thought, and asked tentatively.

“Not really.”

Louise responded with a calm face.

Saito looked deeply into Louise’s eyes for a while. They were filled with little shining sparkles.

“Really? Aren’t you lying this way? It all started because of me; thus, it is me who should bear the responsibility…”

For a moment, Louise’s sparkling eyes lost their light as she fixed her sight on Saito.

“If you are caught, then you won’t be able to return…”

“Hey! That’s true, but…I am responsible as a sub-commander of the knight troops…”

Saito changed recently. When he was talking about "responsibility" or "what he can do in this world," it all was making Louise perplexed. Didn’t he want to return to his world?

“Yeah, yeah. That story is already over. Let’s go, everyone is waiting.”

Saito, before turning to leave, peeked one last time as Tabitha snuggled closer to her mother. Then…something deep in his heart became strangely numb.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing.”

Saito and Louise left the mother and child asleep, and went to everyone who has been waiting in the dinning room.

While in the corridor, seeing the Von Zerbst castle’s furniture, Louise started complaining,

“Pshh, it’s the first time I have seen a residence with such a bad taste.”

Even so, Saito did not know a thing about the quality of the furniture’s in Halkeginia’s castle anyway. Well, it had a lot of Tristain statues and paintings lined up.

“Making this corridor in the manner of Tristain and then for some reason placing these paintings from the east in. Meaningless. Or perhaps rather than stressing over the east paintings, I should be more mad about the mimicry of Tristain to begin with. Either way it’s retarded.”

Louise pointed at the image of God with many arms. For a moment it looked like a statue of the goddess of mercy with one thousand hands that Saito saw during a school excursion. Apparently, Louise could not forgive such casual decorating manner using the furniture of her hometown.

“Look, this is Giovanni Lascault’s religious painting. It’s tint completely mismatches the color of the wall. Ugh, these upstart nobles of Germania…”

As Louise continued fuming about, Saito said in an embarrassed voice,

“Umm, Louise.”

“Huh?”

“Walls, statues, paintings – they all are all right… But this…look of yours…”

“What’s wrong with my look?”

Tsun – Louise turned around to face him and asked.

“…you didn't take your dancer costume off?”

Underneath the mantle Louise was still wearing the same oriental dancer clothes that she wore while saving Tabitha.

With all its worth, these clothes were designed only to conceal the most pivotal points, and it was embarrassing, whatever exposed place he guided his eyes on.

“Reluctantly so. It's the only clothing I have to wear.”

For some reason, when Louise said that, her voice sounded triumphant.

“Argh! Put on the clothes you wore before changing to it – the Academy of Magic school uniform!”

“That? It’s dirty, so out of the question. I won’t put it on.”

“This is dirty in a different way! There!”

Saito shouted while turning his eyes away from Louise. Seeing her like that, was making him feel nervous.

“That, isn’t it Kirche’s family house? That sort of attire is very suitable for Kirche's family as it seems from the eyes of the servants.”

Just then, a young employee woman, wrapped in a showy red clothes, happened to pass them.

Louise calmly hid her body behind the mantle. Indeed, this way, Louise's slender limbs were completely hidden.

“Hey, she can’t see you that way!”

Once the employee passed, while giving a quick bow, swish - Louise provocatively swung the edge of her mantle, exposing the silky skin of her thigh. A teasing smile formed on her pink lips.

Swish-swish More of Louise’s white skin caught Saito’s eyes, making him color up and turn his face away.

“S-Stop it… Your mantle fluttering like that…”

This made Louise’s face deeply blush, yet she continued to stare at him.

“Why?”

“W-Why, well, you, uh, looking like that…”

“Looking like what?”

“Skin and stuff…”

“Are you stuuuupid? Are you excited just by looking at your master’s body? Unbelievable! How vulgar! You should die. In the forest.”

Blushing Louise declared.

“Do you have any sense of shame!”

“S-Shame for what! There’s nothing wrong with being seen by a familiar!”

Flurried Louise countered.

Firstly, in the carriage, Saito’s feverish gaze when he looked at her dancer’s clothing, was very amusing. But as if showing was not satisfying enough, she went up with the whole provocative ending.

However, trying to act calm was extremely embarrassing. What the heck was I thinking about – after everyone fell asleep, Louise raged wiggling in her blanket. She raged and raged, continuing to worry and worry more.

What would God think, seeing her present act?

Not just God, but Chii-nee-sama too?

While thinking so, cheeks burning from shame, Louise cursed herself.

While within the carriage, her distress continued… Louise pondered.

Though it was shameful to death, it also felt good.

Aah, his gaze, solely focused on me and not on the other girls — that felt really good. By all means, I should wear these dancing clothes more. It was embarrassing, but this strange feeling of triumph was stronger than the feeling of shame.

“Stop scrutinizing so much. Anyway, there's no ulterior motive and no deeper meaning to this. I’m just wearing what I want to wear.”

Louise said in an angry voice. Though in truth it made her feel wonderful and glad, it would make her very furious if that was recognized; though she could not say why it would make her mad. With such contradictions struggling within her heart, Louise continued to speak.

“Stop looking so intensively at me. Haah, what’s a life-form not given by birth? You.”

Naturally, Saito’s pride was severely damaged by such words. Saito turned his neck to the other side, thus completely averting the glance from Louise.

“Who is looking?”

The two walked silently for a while. Eventually, missing his gaze, Louise started to loose her temper. It is so trivial.

Finding the mirror put on the wall, Louise halted in front of it.

“Who is this cute girl?”

“Hey, move on.”

“I think that’s me.”

“Yeah yeah.”

Saito kept his head turned to the other side. Louise was growing increasingly angry. In her mind she started repeating strings of angry words. Loveyouhesaidloveyouhesailoveyouhesaid.

Whyishepretendingnottoseewhyishepretendingnottoseewhyishepretendingnottoseelooklooklookgettingangrylook.

Irritated, Louise went for her secret trump. She placed her delicate finger on her cheek.

“I wonder.”

“H-Hey, let's go.”

Nervous, Saito urged Louise. As always, he was looking at the opposite direction. Kaaaaan – a lot of blood went up to Louise’s head. I’m acting so cute, I’m acting so cute and yet... Can’t let that happen. Pride soared high in Louise, like from the blood that ran up to her head. Result: Louise’s temperament broke loose.

“B, B-B-B, B-B...”

“B? What about it?”

“B, B-B-B-B-B, my breast cloth, i, i-i-i, i-i, if I remove it, w-w, wonder how I would look. Sex appeal increases cuteness, no doubt.”

“HAAH?!”

“There’s no doubt. Sex appeal easily attracts my familiar.”

Saito, determined not to lose, stood his ground. It was like this in his head – looking at Louise now would mean her victory and his defeat. Thus, with his right hand he pinched himself, desperately fighting against the overwhelming desire "to look."

“Then the b-b-breast cloth w-w-w-will go.”

“How long will you hesitate? E-Everyone will see you if you wait.”

“Hey you!”

“Pshh.”

“I won’t hesitate.”

Saito applied more power to the finger digging into his thigh. From the pain, cold sweat flowed. Seriously, flowed. However, he won’t look. A man decided not to look; so, he won’t look.

Louise gave a lot of care to the cloth which covered her chest. "Move," but the hand won’t move even if ordered. It was shameful. No, shame was not the only thing. Death. Her head will explode and she will die from shame.

And then it changes again. Though she returned her noble position to Her Majesty, her noble pride was still there. By all means. It is necessarily for a master to make a familiar to turn his eyes on her, so that there would be no regrets left.

Even though she is confused, because blood went up her head, Louise didn't notice such thing. Her pride was driving her insane.

“Waah!”

With a shout she lowered her breast cloth.

Saito was surprised. Even if he was not surprised, the moment when Louise shouted, his head moved on its own, disregarding his intentions. And thus, his head graciously turned to Louise.

The first thing Saito’s eyes jumped on was the pulled down the fabric of the dancing costume, covering the breasts, Louise’s slender fingers covering the exposed top of her breasts… which looked rather plain.

Saito, at the reflection speed of the insect level, jumped at Louise. And clung close to her.

“Sorry, can’t help it.”

Recovered from her daze, Louise gripped the back of Saito’s head and tried to pull him off.　

“W-Wait a minute… stop! W-W-W-What are you thinking…?”

Then she saw Saito’s feverish eyes. W-What a look. Such a crazy passion that she, she…contrary to her will, Louise closed her eyes.

“W-We…are very likely to be imprisoned when returning back to Tristain, right?”

“…R-Right.”

Then a painful thought pierced Louise's mind. If…she will be put into prison for all this…

Then she would not be able to meet Saito for a while.

“…then if so, maybe it’s the only time we can be alone as a couple?”

After those words…this time spent held firmly in Saito’s arms felt irreplaceable. These thoughts, and Saito’s passionate look, deprived the last remains of the strength from her resisting hand.

“I-Is it alright?”

Louise, still nervous and shy, slightly parted her lips and puckered them up.

“S-Stop a-asking, idiot…”

Louise, looking very shy, was so lovely at this moment, that Saito’s head started spin.

He hugged her close to him,

Louise’s mind was in a turmoil.

Aah, I am sorry ancestor-sama. Louise Franciouse, is about to be swept off her feet in the bitter enemy’s Von Zerbst castle. When I passed through the gates, I never thought it would lead to this. I am sorry ancestor-sama, mother-sama, elder sister-sama, Chii-nee-sama – everyone – I am sorry…

The passion was so strong that her mind started to leave, fading away…

But then, with the corner of her eye, she noticed red hair moving across the corridor. Louise's reaction was blitz-quick. She kicked Saito in the groin, and quickly leaped back to her feet.

“Because you both were missing for so long I came to check up on you.”

Guiche put a hand on his chin and shook his head.

“You, what are you doing in other people's homes?”

Kirche asked, not hiding the amazement in her voice.

Louise’s mouth opened and closed few times, vaguely trying to remember any letter of the alphabet to utter. She shivered while cold sweat dripped down her skin.

“ An i-insect leeched to my neck so I tried to take it off.”

“And of course for that you needed to take off your breast cloth?”

Kirche asked with a malicious smile. Louise’s body stiffened. Slowly, she dropped on her knees and her shoulders sagged.

Meanwhile, Saito was busy twitching on the floor.

Kirche approached Louise. She placed a hand on her shoulder, mischief was dazzling from her smile.

“Had enough of your lustful antics? And I thought no one would best me.”

“T-That’s not it, it has nothing to do with lust. It kind of shifted on its own!”

Shaking her temple, Louise came off with a desperate excuse.

“It’s alright. I have a gift for you.”

“Not needed.”

“It’s a letter from Tristain.”

The party, with tensed faces, gathered in Kirche’s room.

“Extremely soon.”

“Surely, it must be because she is so very angry, that queen of your country.”

Relaxed, Kirche spread her hands and said. Louise carefully eyed the letter that Kirche passed to her. The envelope was made from the high class parchment and had Tristain’s kingdom signature placed on it. Crest of Lilies that she got used to seeing…a reply from Henrietta without a long wait.

In this letter, the others and my fate is engraved. How did Henrietta judge me?

Her hand trembled from tension. Saito watched her face nervously as well. Guiche, Montmorency, and Malicorne caught their breath too, watching Louise's act.

Kirche carefully said to Louise, who was still not breaking the seal,

“Hey Louise, you know about that letter. It is not necessary to return to Tristain. You can stay in my house.”

“You aren't worry about our teacher, Colbert?”

Colbert, volunteered to take Louise’s and the others place, so that they could pass the border.

Afterwards, there was no news from him. Even the crew of the Ostland that arrived to Von Zerbst had no information.

“If it’s Jean, then it will be alright. Surely, he hid himself somewhere. The report will come sooner or later. But if he were caught, then I would go on another rescuing adventure.”

“No good. It would be much tougher than before.”

Then Louise took a deep breath and opened the envelope in a dash. The letter inside had just a single peace of paper. And a short sentence was written in there. Reading it, Louise started to tremble.

“W-What is it?! What’s written in there!”

Saito, who was not able to endure the tension any longer, pressed her.

“Just this much was written? And more importantly, what is written on that? Give it to me.”

Kirche took the letter from Louise’s hand.

“What, 'Henrietta will wait at the La Vallière estate.' My, isn’t that good. She will wait at your family's home. Maybe it won’t be so tough there.”

Kirche said pretending not to know. Louise’s shivering reached its peak. She just managed to utter.

“At home...”

“Why? Isn’t it good if you can speak with your family - they might protect you.”

“Far from protecting, I will be killed.”

As if giving up, Louise lowered her head.

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