Zero no Tsukaima:Volume13 Chapter2

Chapter 2: Saito's Decision

The fifth month of the year, the month of Eir, is already half over as it was the day of Yul in the 3rd week, Aiello. The sun lit all of the Academy’s four central courtyards as the sky was clear.

After school, the students who had finished their classes would go to their favorite courtyard to discuss where to go during their vacation, about Tristania’s new ‘tavern’, about who was dating who, the delayed Frigg Ball which had been scheduled for the week of Tiwaz… hitting up cheerful topics to kill time.

However, the students’ cheerful atmosphere was suddenly broken by unexpected intruders.

“Aaaaaaaaaahhhh! The shameless chevaliers have arrived!”

“Everybody! This isn’t good! Run!”

The girls’ screams went thought the Austri Plaza as the boys raised their eyebrows. Against these guys who did whatever they felt like (in the end, they received treatment worse than bugs), they couldn’t be forgiven.

Walking proudly with a bunch of scornful gazes were the members of the Knight Corps of the Water Spirit. They had solemn expressions from the beginning to the end, separated in two columns as they walked forward.

Commander Guiche, who was leading them, raised his imitation rose wand. Malicorne, who was behind him shouted.

“Squadron! Stop!”

Their movements shifted to a halt simultaneously. This was the fruit of their training. To the Knight Corps, “moving forward” was an important job. It looks like the one hour training they had every day had effect.

Guiche lowered his raised wand. Then, Malicorne shouted loudly again.

“Squadron! Prepare yourselves!”

The students of the Knight Corps drew something from their backs. Instead of wands, there were brooms. They were using big brooms made of Berala fern leaves.

“Targets! All kinds of trash in Austri Plaza! Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!”

The squadron scattered while shouting “Waaaaaah!” as they started cleaning in a sweeping motion. Since all of the Academy of Magic’s nobles threw food scraps and empty bottles around as they please, it was normally the maids and servants who patiently cleaned after them.

As for why the Knight Corps of the Water Spirit had to clean the plaza after school in place of the servants, it was because of what happened three days ago. It was punishment the Academy gave them for peeping into the girls’ bath.

Malicorne withdrew and approached the area where the school girls were gathered.

“Yaaaaaaaaaaah! The shameless knight is coming!”

Malicorne, his face showing a smile mixed of perversion and joy, flew toward the middle of the schoolgirls.

“How can you, young ladies! Throwing trash on the ground as you wish…”

The girls, who saw Malicorne in this state, fled one after another.

“Don’t come here! Don’t come!”

“But, there is trash there too… on the ground…” Thus, Malicorne, with a mysteriously joyful expression, approached the girls.

“Ma, Malicorne-sama…”

In the middle of the fleeing girls, there was a reserved, black-haired maiden who had come to listen to Malicorne’s poems at some point.

“Hey, Brigitta. How’ve you been?”

Her forehead glimmering with sweat, Brigitta tearily shouted at Malicorne, who had a bright smile on his face.

“Malicorne-sama, you liar! I-I didn’t think that you would actually be the type of person to peep at people when they bathe!”

Malicorne, who was picking trash, said as if he was speaking to himself.

“I’m a man.”

“Malicorne-sama…”

“… sometimes when you know that you will lose, you still have to keep fighting!”

Huu…， Malicorne smiled absentmindedly.

“I don't understand what you mean! Ma, Malicorne-sama is trash among people!”

Ding! Malicorne’s back went stiff.

“Trash…, you said trash…, aaaah…”

“I take it back! You are below trash!”

The overly jolly Malicorne rolled on the ground and started trembling strangely. He really was a troubled fatty.

On the other side, Commander Guiche’s face had a nervous expression while he hurriedly cleaned the ground with his broom. Suddenly, the ground surface broke apart. Guiche’s mole familiar stuck its head out.

Guiche’s tears blurred his vision for a moment.

“Verdandi!”

Guiche quickly kneeled down and embraced his dear familiar’s head.

“… Forgive the shameful me. Forget the fault I’ve committed because of a thoughtless moment!”

The mole Verdandi used his gauntlet-like claws to pat Guiche’s head.

“One thoughtless moment you say? You dare say that when you have thoughtless moments all the time!”

A harsh voice came from behind the gentle Verdandi.

“Montmorency!”

For certain, the girl with dazzling, blond, curly hair standing there was Montmorency. She looked downwards at Guiche, who was kneeling on the ground, and said while looking at him with a cold glare.

“At least now I know～～～what kind of guy you are. Goodbye.”

Montmorency opened the wine bottle she was holding, and dumped it on Guiche’s head.

“You said goodbye! What does this mean? Montmorency!”

Guiche, his head soaked of wine, shouted.

“It means what it means literally. I say, you should have known when I rejected your invitation for the dance.”

“Aaaaaahhh…”

Guiche held his head on the ground. Legend says that couples at the Ball of Frigg will be together forever. Although there isn’t any proof, a charm is still a charm.

But, since the peeping affair, Guiche didn’t have the opportunity to have a conversation with Montmorency. He had planned to use the opportunity of next week’s ball to invite her as a dancing partner. To be on good terms with her, he would hold a giant bouquet of roses and say:

“This bouquet is not yet complete.  The last flower… is you.”  It was only Guiche who could use this comparison to invite her. 

But Montmorency ignored Guiche’s hand, turned her head and left. Guiche, still holding the rose bouquet, stood expressionlessly and didn’t move…

“Then, is it a sign that we are breaking up?”

“Exactly. Don’t speak to me again. So goodbye.”

Guiche hung his head deeply, cursing his own foolishness.

Reynal, who assumed the Knight Corps of the Water Spirit clerical affairs, was working ascetically, picking trash far away.

“It looks like Reynal is really serious… you really can’t judge someone by his appearance!”

“Shh! That kind of guy is the scariest! There has to be unthinkable thoughts running through his mind!”

Reynal, unable to bear the whispers of the girls, looked up and said:

“No! I tried to stop them! I tried at the very beginning! But, But…”

Looking at Tiffania encircled by classmates from afar, Reynal dropped to the ground.

“Aaaaaaah! At that time I was just thinking whether they are real or not… Oh God, Founder Brimir, please accept from your sincere servant, my deep regrets! I shall whip myself to punish the shameless me!”

Reynal chanted an incantation and created an air whip. Slowly removing his shirt, he used the air whip to continuously hit his back.

The schoolgirls on the scene all ran away screaming.

The remaining guys’ situations were similar. Their bodies momentarily shivered. They clenched their teeth, cursing their own situation.