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 queen 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

"Eh...erm......eh.... today is a shiny day and the sun blesses us in this starting journey..."

"Forget about the greetings and tell us the queen's orders already!"

Nervous from Saito´s statement Guiche continued,

"Well then, I'll speak. Mr. Guiche de Gramont and Mr. Saito Chevalier de Hiraga: Please escort Her Majesty the Princess's court lady, Miss Louise de´la Valière, 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, as well as 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, wouldn't 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 course, it was already filled with wind stones. But even being told "immediately", Saito´s party were short on means so they asked Mr.

Colbert for help almost cryingly. But...... even after Louise said this to Kirche, she looked kind of eager.

It would seem she was remembering something embarrassing and has became nervous.

"Does something bother you, Louise?" asked Kirche, calling Louise back to her senses.

"Eh?.... erm?... what was it?"

"Tss! what are you daydreaming of... I was saying that really, this higher ups are spitting off orders as they feel like then throwing everything away, and the next thing you know you are cleaning their mess."

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

"Wo-working over her majesty´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 Colbert-sensei?" Louise asked to Kirche.

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

This machine isn´t supposed to move without him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Jean 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 would Saito give it to Colbert-sensei?

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 of anything. In her eyes, Saito's shape appeared.

"Ah. I get the feeling that 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's 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 with a mad face.

"Eeeh, 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 was 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.

Being in this mood the door suddenly opened and Saito appeared before her,

"It looked like you were quarreling with Kirche, is there something wrong?"

Louise pulled the blanket over to her face

"Wha... what is it?!"

Saito sighed　as he sat sorrowfully beside Louise... but Louise didn´t move a single inch.

"Damn! For a strong-minded girl like you to be such a weakling...." whined Saito. Probably Kirche said something to depress her again, no doubt about it.

"Sheshhh! this girl would be helpless if it weren´t for me" said Saito trying to sound high-and-mighty.

Probably I am the only one able to help, reassure and encourage her. And thats because she is so damn selfish, anyone would have given up by now.

Which means she will be no good without me. Maybe she´d die if i weren´t here? thought Saito, who did not know about Louise trying to jump from the fire tower.

"Louuuiseee.... c´mon cheer up!..... Mm, eh? Louise?" peeling the blankets showed a red-eyed Louise.

"What the!... Why are you crying!?"

"Saito...... Is it o.k? Really? Really for real? Is it o.k even if you don´t go back?" asked a sobbing Louise

Saito smiled kindly as she peeked over the sheets.

"Its all right, I mean, I´ve got good friends and comrades here so, I don´t feel very lonely. Even that Guiche said to me 'if you have nowhere to go, come to my home.' I don´t know how reliable is his statement but, the feeling alone is alright for me".

Because of those words Louise suddenly remembered her family. She always thought about her father and mother being just annoying. But that was a mistake.

By punishing her themselves, they hoped for the country to forgive her crime of desertion and infiltration of a foreign country. Father said that time

"If you say you are going to use Louise as a war dog I am going to stand against the government as an enemy."

And the Cattleya that will wrap me in a benevolent smile.

I´m sure even Eleanor loves me. If I were not to see them again I would not be able to answer.

"No, please do not say that. I am sure Saito´s father and mother are, too...."

"It´s alright" said Saito laughing.

"Are you really sure?" said Louise with a very sorrowful face. "You might never be able to meet your father and mother again."

Saito thought that Louise blamed herself about bringing him to this world.