Zero no Tsukaima:Volume13 Chapter3

Chapter 13: Aboard the Ostland

"This is an opportunity to recover our honor..."

yelled Guiche as he ordered the members of the Water Spirit corps to line up.

"Uohhhhh!..." the ten boys raised a scream.

"Our honor has been injured by a sad incident.... but! God has not forgotten about us, her highness the princes has given us a chance to restore our honor"

Cheers boiled up loudly again next to a kind of complain that was inspired and exhausted who said

"Then Captain, please tell everybody about this grand mission"

Two nights ago, Reynal had brought a direct order from her highness

"E...ejm......e.... today is a shiny day and the sun blesses us in this starting journey..."

"Forget about the greetings and tell us the princess orders already"

Nervous from Saito´s statement Guiche continued,

"Well then I'll speak. Mr. Guiche d´ Gramont and Mr. Saito Chevalier d' Hiraga. Please escort Her Majesty the Princess's court lady, Miss Louise d´la Valiere and

magic academy student miss Tiffannia Westwood to Romalia making use of the empire union force at the double."

"Listen! We are to protect these ladies even at the cost of our lives, understood?!"

said Guiche in an imperative tone, and the members of the knight corps looking at the sky cried out loud overjoyed .

Leaning against a wall, the very person they were to protect, Louise , looked from afar at the scene and Mr Colbert who was trying to move the Ostland with Kirche

glued to him and also a little blue haired girl, Tabitha, who saw them as well.

"They tell you what to do but they don't tell you how.." said Kirche in a shocked voice.

"They wouldn't stand a chance without the Ostland, would they?"

The expedition to the east was planned by Mr. Colbert who had already brought the Ostland to the grounds of the Magic Academy.

Of curse it was already filled with wind stone. But even being told "immediately", Saito´s party were short on means so they asked Mr. Colbert for help almost

crying. But...... even after Louise said this to Kirche, she looked kind of eager.

It would seem she was remembering something embarrassing and became nervous

"Is something the matter Louise?" asked Kirche calling Louise back to her senses.

"Eh?.... ejm?... what was it?"

"Tss! what are you daydreaming off... really, this higher ups are! Spiting off orders as they feel like and then throwing everything away, next thing you know you

are cleaning their mess"

Louise tried with all of her might to give of a serious look.

"Wo, working over princess´s expectations is my everything!"

Then strange sounds like "shushushushu" resounded behind Louise and the steam-based machine began to move.

"By the way, where is Mr. Colbert" Louise asked to Kirche.

"I don't remember seeing him when we took off"

This machine isn´t supposed to move whithout him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Jan is having fun with the gift he got from Saito" said Kirche in an angry tone.

"A gift from Saito?"

"Yes, what was it? that 'noto pazo-con' or something?

Just what does he find interesting about messing with that garbage I wonder"

Louise had seen it as well, it was the machine Saito brought from his world.

"Why in the world did Saito give it to Mr.Colbert"

and it came as a shock to her,

"Can this be Saito's decision!? 'I'm going to stay in this world, there is no need to stop somebody from the other world to search his way back'"

"Saito......"

Her eyes turned red and she could not think about anything. In her eyes Saito's shape appeared.

"Ah. I get the feeling I said some cruel things when I was drunk last night"

Good.... Good. It's good isn't it? I have to take on Saito´s decision.... and as she was thinking this, Kirche put a disappointed face and raised her hands, seeing

Louise state she could not say whatever she wanted thought Kirche.

"Geez, this girl is pitiful, her mood goes up and down every once and then, you are sure getting it hard"

Louise answered coldly

"It's her majesty orders, they aren't hard"

"Didn't you want to go to the east? Jean was disappointed, 'Ahhh, I thought that at last was I going to the east', I think that's why he is really interested in

Saito's present, but you said it yourself, that you wanted to find him a way home"

"Yes, I guess..." said Louise with crossed feelings.

"Even then I don't see you very disappointed, is there a reason?" said Kirche with a smile in her lips as she looked at Louise's face.

"Thats not true, I.. am very disappointed!" said Louise in a mad face.

"Eee, are you?" she continued teasing Louise.

"To me it looked like 'with this I get Saito to stay by my side, or something like that"

Louise turned away her deep red face and Kirche looked at her over the shoulder..

"Oh my, bullseye?"

"I, I´m just ship-sick!"

Yelled Louise as she headed towards her cabin. As soon as she confined herself on the cabin that were prepared for them she laid herself down in the bed, slapped

her face on the bed and exhaustedly stretched her body.

"Ha....." Louise sighed

"I´am..... I´am a coward, I want to hold on Saito, I don´t want him to go anywhere. Even if it´s his home."

That time when he said as a joke he was going to search for a way back, I tried to stop him without a second thought,

"How selfish" Louise scolded herself.

When starting to think like this, she resolved

"Tell him about my feelings in the last minute so his feelings for me don´t turn into a ball and chain"

Even saying this, it starts to seem to me like a pathetic excuse. In the end isn´t it that I just don´t have enough courage?

"I´m just a coward."

Thinking this she felt ashamed and at some point tears started to come out.