Zero no Tsukaima:Volume10 Chapter10

Chapter 10: The Hero of Ivaldi

Kirche's dance was beautiful, but Louise, Montmorency and Sylphid's were helplessly not skillful.

Matching a simple rhythm, Kirche made a melody with her dance. The other three behind her saw that and moved as if trying to mimic her, but they could not do it.

Nevertheless, to the soldiers who were craving for entertainment, that was good enough. That's because the dancing young girls' figures were only messily covered with cloth at the breasts and the waist.

The wine they brought here became empty very quickly.

Shaking her sexy body, that red-haired girl was just like the incarnation of fire- shaking bewitchingly and passionately. The flashily swinging red hair was like a flaming torch.

On the other hand, the blonde and the pink-haired lady were merely shaking their waists rhythmically with her. But strangely, their movements were noble-like, and they possessed a high class radiance as if that was a dance presented in the palace.

As for the blue-haired girl, initially, she could only sway about clumsily like a new-born fawn. However, in time, she got the hang of it, and started raging around happily.

Her wild presentation did not look like a dance no matter what, but watching her face brimming with joy brought fun to those people.

The soldiers gulped and emptied the wine.

Inside, Baron Misscoeur left his seat. He did not touch the served wine, not even a drop.

Kirche saw Baron Misscoeur's soldiers headed towards her. As if that was a signal, Kirche stopped her dance.

Worried, Louise whispered into Kirche's ear.

“That commanding officer didn't touch the wine. Is that okay?”

“I'll do something about it, so leave it to me. Umm, Montmorency. You prepared the sleeping potion so that it would work exactly after an hour right?”

“Yeap. But I think there might be slight differences between individuals...”

“So, 30 minutes from now huh. Please deal with these soldiers appropriately. In 30 minutes time, I should have returned too.”

A soldier who rushed up to Kirche, whispered a few words to Kirche.

Smiling sweetly and nodding, she went after Baron Misscoeur who had disappeared.

The remaining members exchanged looks with one another.

“She said she was buying more time, but...”

The drunk audience started shouting unanimously.

“Hey!! The performance had ended!?”

“If so, come here, and pour us some wine!”

“I don't want! Pouring wine to the soldiers!?”

Monrmorency trembled all over with fear. She had been humiliated by dancing in front of the commoners wearing such embarrassing costume. If she had to serve them wine too, she probably could no longer take it.

“We-we'll dance! Quiet!”

Part two began. However, the dance team was without Kirche, and matching the horrendous music, they merely shook their waists roughly to the delicate rhythm. Because of that, the soldiers began to grow tired of it. Apparently, the huge success in the first part was due to Kirche's presence.

“What the heck is this!? Return our money!!”

Wine bottles and dishes flew towards them.

“Shit! Cocky soldiers!”

Poinkk! Being hit by wine bottles squarely at their heads, Guiche and Malicorne exploded in fury.

“W-wait! If you get angry here our plans will be spoiled!”

Saito anxiously stopped them.

“What's wrong! Since you're dancing, strip!”

“I can take off my clothes now?”

Kyui, kyui! Seemingly happy, Sylphid was about to strip off her clothes when it was Louise who- Pongg! hit her at the head.

“Why you hit me!?”

“Have some dignity! Dignity!”

“But I have no dignity in this form!”

Sylphid said, pointing at the dancer's costume which slightly covered her breasts and waist.

“You have no choice!”

At their confusion, the soldiers booed them down.

“Oi oi! So how!”

Saito coughed, and unsheathed Derflinger from his back. The soldiers became silent in an instant.

Malicorne and Guiche tried to stop him anxiously.

“Pl-Please stop! Don't be violent!”

But Saito-

“After this, I'll show my sword dance!”

-shouted desperately.

Under the attentive eyes of the silent soldiers, Saito swung Derflinger about.

“Cresent Moon Blow! Hoyaa!”

He jumped, and struck the ground.

“Jumping slash! Heeyaaa!”

The soldiers did not respond, but......in time, a roar started.

“Y-you INSULTING us!?”

“We train with swords every day!!”

“Why must we watch you bastard's pathetic sword dance!?”

“Oops, we better go......”

The soldiers stood up and were going to leap at them. At that moment......

A gentle sound of flutes could be heard.

“Eh?”

They turned around, and with a serious face, Guiche was blowing a flute. Malicorne started playing the drum seriously too. A very graceful melody.

“Waah, this……isn’t this one of the court music?”

Looks like Guiche and Malicorne had begun a musical performance they were required to memorize as part of their fundamental education. Completely different from the previous music, it was a gentle tune.

Slowly, Montmorency started dancing in accordance to the tune. There wasn’t the furiousness Kirche’s dance had, but it was a movement from which grace and elegance overflow.

Apparently, the combination of the bold costume and the elegant court dance had captured the soldiers’ hearts. Obediently, they started viewing the dance appreciatively. Saito held a sigh of relief.

Montmorency’s elegant dance continued for another twenty minutes.

While they were doing that, the effects of the sleeping potion started taking place. The soldiers started dozing off one by one. Under the moonlight, as if inviting the fairy of sleep, Montmorency continued dancing slowly.

Ten minutes were needed until everyone of them fell asleep.

The sleeping potion Montmorency mixed was a powerful one which would make the consumer fall asleep for a day.

The courtyard turned into a large bedroom. The sight of 300 soldiers and nobles lying prostrate, asleep, was quite a magnificent one.

Saito and the others exchanged glances, and took out the wands hidden inside their musical instruments. After finished equipping themselves, the party went to the castle tower of Alhambra. The crumbled, white castle reflected the moonlight and shone bewitchingly.

After this, we’ll have to find Tabitha and her mother in this castle…and rescue them out.

Before that, we would probably have a showdown with the elf. Saito prayed that the elf wasn’t there.

Just like an abandoned castle, here and there, parts of Alhambra Castle had collapsed. Ropes were tied across at dangerous places, as if it was not possible to proceed any further. The interior was exactly like a maze.

Whilst pretending to be lost, Kirche investigated the castle interiors. But……Tabitha’s figure could not be found. Because it would be bad if the sleeping potion’s effects were to come, Kirche halted her temporary search, and headed towards the room of Baron Misscouer, the one who instructs the soldiers.

Entering the entrance hall facing the courtyard, she went up the stairs immediately. At the right of the passage upstairs, there was a metal door which looked like it was just made lately. She used the knocker to hit the door, and with a sound of a key being turned, the door was opened.

“Oooh, I’ve been waiting! Come, come on in!”

Although Baron Misscoeur assumes a grim face in front of his soldiers and subordinates, he changed his looks and ushered Kirche in.

“Well then, I’ll have to hold an examination. Nah, it has also been arranged by the king’s order that I am to check every single person entering this castle. Yeap, every single one.”

Baron Misscoeur stretched out his hands towards Kirche. But, Kirche gently brushed the hand away.

“You can examine anytime else right?”

Whilst saying that, she sat on a bed beside a wall, facing him. Crossing her legs, she smiled.

“Hey, mister commanding officer. I’m a lady whose full of curiosity. So, I would like to ask something……is that okay?”

“What do you want to ask?”

Baron Misscoeur displayed a doubtful look.

“Are you protecting a super valuable diamond here?”

“Diamond? Ahaha! What a shame! The thing we are protecting here is just mother-and-child prisoners. What? You all came here to steal some non-existent diamond? Well then, I’ll have to carefully check you……”

Kirche avoided the hand which went about at her shoulders.

“I want to have a look at the prisoners. I am veeery interested in such things.”

“What an unusual woman. What would you do after seeing those people?”

Baron Misscoeur inserted his hand into the hem of Kirche’s dancing skirt.

“Hmm?”

He noticed the thing his fingertip touched.

Slowly grasping the thing and pulling it out, Baron Misscoeur looked at the thing he was holding, and cried out.

“You, a mage……”

Still smiling, Kirche snatched the wand from Baron Misscoeur’s hand, and shoved him away. She quickly recited a spell, and a huge fireball appeared at the tip of her wand.

That fireball was held at the nose of the baron who had fallen back. Having a fireball a few times bigger than his head placed in front of his nose, the baron held his face away in terror.

“Well then, shall you guide me to where the prisoners are?”

“……Bastard, are you the Duke of Orleans? A spirit who doesn’t look at reality?”

“Nope. I am just a thief. For your information, I am short-tempered. If you don’t want every hair on you head to be burned to ashes, bring me there quickly.”

Baro Misscoeur trembled.

“No way. I can’t do that.”

“Whhhhy?”

“He is there. I will be killed by him.”

Kirche’s raised her eyebrows.

“He? You mean the elf?”

“Th-that’s right. Forgive me! If it’s money I’ll pay. That’s why…”

From the other side of the door a high-pitched, clear voice could be heard.

“What’s with the money?”

Hiiiiiiiiiiii! Baron Misscoeur let out a shriek.

“Lord Bi-Bidashal!”

The door opened, and the figure of a tall man covered in a foreign robe appeared.

After casting a glance at Kirche, without paying the slightest attention at the fireball at the tip of her wand, that man asked in a dubious voice.

“Who are you?”

Kirche’s reply was the fireball. Released from the tip of her wand, the fireball swelled up, as if swallowing the thin elf. However, Bidashal did not even try to avoid it.

The fireball burned the elf up in an instant……The instant she thought that, in front of her eyes, it changed its target and turned 180 degrees.

“Wh-!!”

A shriek of shock leaked out of Kirche;s mouth.

When Saito and the others were rushing up the stairs leading from the courtyard to the entrance of the castle tower…the wall of a certain section of the castle tower exploded suddenly.

“What was that!?”

Guiche shouted.

Next, the figure of someone dropping from the center could be seen.

“Isn’t that Kirche!?”

Together with the broken pieces of the wall, Kirche slammed onto the ground. They rushed to the collapsed Kirche.

“Such bad wounds!”

Montmorency started chanting a Water spell hastily. Sylphid transformed herself too, and started casting recovery magic at the same time.

“Elf……be careful……”

Saying that, Kirche fainted. It was quite a huge damage.

“Guiche, Montmorency. We’ll leave Kirche to you.”

“G-got it.”

Saito broke out in a run. Louise chased after him.

”Wait! Wait for me!”

“What is it!?”

Saito screamed out in fury.

“Your opponent is an elf! If we don’t proceed carefully……”

“There’s no time to do that! Kirche is already injured! If we don’t hurry, Tabitha would be in danger!”

Louise raised her voice too.

“You’re in danger too, aren’t you!”

“……Louise?”

Dumbstruck, Saito stared at Louise. Whilst catching her breath, Louise shook her head.

“I am scared at your courage……Scared at your courage causes you to plunge into the 70 000 enemies, and be not afraid at the elf…”

“What do you mean!?”

“Your courage……Isn’t that a fake courage you were given as Gandalf? If you’re afraid, then you can’t protect your master –that courage which acts on its own.”

“Haaa?”

“I cannot allow it. The contract I gave you had turned you into someone unlike you. So please……don’t show that courage to me.”

With eyes brimming with tears, Louise looked up at Saito.

Saito muttered at a tired-like voice.

“……If that’s the case, okay.”

“……Eh?”

“I actually don’t have that courage. I am ashamed, but to be frank, I have been trembling fearfully since some time ago. Trembling with excitement? That’s no joke. I am shivering in fear.”

“Saito……”

“Even during the time I plunged into the 70 000, I was afraid and was going to die. I was so scared I froze all over and did not move. I forced myself to lift my legs off the ground, and to move forward. That is the courage of Gandalf? Don’t talk nonsense. If anything happens, I’ll tremble all over in fear like this.”

“So, so why……?”

“I cannot show any pathetic looks, can I! To start with, I’m a guy right!? Just like that, because of some twist of fate I was born a male! That’s why I cannot act foolishly, and have to show a good appearance! Besides, I’m Gandalf. I’m not ordinary, and I have received powers. All the more, I can’t escape! Because it’s me, I can probably do it. Because of that, there’s no way I can escape!”

Tears overflowed from Louise’s eyes. Whilst weeping, Louise hit Saito.

“Why you hit me!”

“I misunderstoooooodddddZyzzyva165!”

At Louise who was angry at him, Saito was perplexed. But, now was not the time to be puzzled or go against Louise.”

“Okay now, just prepare your spell.”

Being told that, Louise nodded. With his right hand, Saito grasped the handle of Derflinger he was carrying at his back.. The runes on his left hand shone. He gently hugged Louise with that left hand.

“Hmm, what was that again?

“Hm?

“It was written in the report card. This character which flows easily. I was like that from the start. At this moment, whether I would flow into the Gandalf which is magic or legend or the Void, I won’t be surprised.”

Louise frowned a little.

“……Which one is it? Your courage. Is it a real thing? Is it really Gandalf’s after all?”

“Surely, when I hear your Void spell, my heart would jump, and my fear would disappear a little. But the effects of Gandalf was only something like that. Apart from that……it is my very own courage which flows easily.”

Whilst letting her tears fall, Louise gripped Saito’s sleeve. So, Saito’s “love” is also…

Nevertheless, now was not the time to be immersed in sweet feelings,

At the next instant, from the castle tower, a few fireballs flew towards them.

Saito held out Derflinger. The small fireballs were absorbed by Derflinger, and were extinguished. As if repelling them, Saito charged forward and ran up the staircase., and slashed the pillar of the entrance hall.

The pillar was cut into two, and Lord Bidashal who was standing behind it, appeared.

“Hi!”

Without even giving him the time to recite spells, Saito drove the handle of the sword towards his stomach. Lord Bidashal fell back onto the bed.

Whilst poking at the fallen Baron Bidashal with his leg,

“This guy is an elf?”

He asked Louise.

“No. You know it too, right? Elves have pointed ears……”

From the top of the stairways leading to the second floor, a human figure appeared.

A voice like the clear sound of a glass bell could be heard.

“You all are friends of the girl just now?”