Zero no Tsukaima:Volume6 Chapter6 - MTL
The end of the year, first week of Wynn's moon, Man's day of the week became a day that was imprinted in the history of Halkeginia.
The next day of the void, when two moons that hang in the sky overlap, during this day when Albion continent will be at the closest point to Halkeginia, a large fleet of Tristania and Germania united army of 60,000 soldiers for the Albion invasion will sail off from La Rochelle.
Tristania, and more or less Germania, have 500 ships. Only sixty of them are battleships while the rest carries soldiers and supplies.
Queen Henrietta and Cardinal Mazarini were in La Rochelle port, standing on the top of the worldwide tree pier, watching the fleet sail off.
All ships going up into the sky at the same time was surely an amazing spectacle to behold.
“It is as if they all are seeds carried away by the wind” Cardinal shared his thoughts.
“Seeds that will repaint the continent.”
“There’s no such seed that would repaint a white country into blue.”
The flag of Tristain’s royal family - white lily on the blue background.
“It’s possible that we will be defeated.” Mazarini muttered.
“I do not intend to be defeated.”
General De Poitiers is a great commander who has both boldness and carefulness. He is likely to do it.” Henrietta knew that calling him a great commander was stretching a lot, but there were no other generals with more talent than him. Generals who were superior to him existed only on the other side of the history.
“I wonder why we have to fight though.”
Mazarini muttered in a barely audible voice.
“Why are you saying such thing?”
“We could have made an Albion’s blockade to make them starve. With careful planning it could be a very successful idea.”
“We will march.”
Henrietta muttered without changing the expression
“Don’t say so. Courage is not necessary to settle it once and for all. Well maybe I am just getting old.”
Mazarini patted his whitening beard.
“If we were to be losing, would you use ‘void’ in this war, Your Majesty?”
It was a highly secret matter to discuss. Only a few pople knew that Louise was a ‘void’. Henrietta, Cardinal… and a few royal generals.
“I should be burned... with pleasure I would burn as a retribution for my sins.”
Henrietta muttered silently staring into the emptiness.
“Calm down. Your Majesty won't go there alone. Hopefully my old bones are good enough for that.”
Henrietta entrusted generals of the ‘void’ knowledge only as the last resort.
After hearing about Louise’s ‘Void’ General De Poitiers did not even try to believe it in the beginning. But it is not impossible either. Just because ‘Void’ is considered to be legend, he could not believe in its existence.
However, after being reminded about military results in Tarbes, with much effort, the general believed in it.
Obtaining the legendary element of Void, redoubled his courage and he promised Henrietta a sure victory.
Henrietta to ensure the victory in the firs battle, gave him a permission to control the ‘Void’.
Henrietta sighed about her own sinfulness.
This war…against country, people.
It was nothing more than letting one's personal grievance out on them.
The war was only a mean to calm down lover's enmity.
How many humans did I send away to death for this?
It even included her childhood and best friend, too.
In such war, there is no victory or defeat, it cannot make one’s crimes to disappear, Henrietta thought.
Despite knowing this, I still declare the patriotism for the sailing off troops, I will burn in hell for this, she thought.
A trickle of blood ran down the edge of her lips as Henrietta bit them, screaming out
“Viva Tristain!”
The sounds of queen’s cheers sounded in the sky.
Officers line up on the upper deck, saluting to Henrietta, who was seeing them off, and shouted following the queen.
“Viva Tristain! Viva Henrietta!”
These shouts, accompanied with a chorus of the rest of 60,000 men that joined in, roared the sky.
“Viva Tristain! Viva Henrietta!”
The chest piercing repetitive cheers only intensified Henrietta’s awareness of her crime…
