Zero no Tsukaima:Volume9 Chapter8
 |
Warning: This translation is considered a PREVIEW Script.
Be warned that the degree of translation error may be higher than usual due to the translation method employed.
|
Chapter Eight: The Ball of Sleipnir
A week later, on the Day of the Void.
The Ball of Sleipnir was finally going to be held today.
It was supposed to be a day to rest, but the students of the magic academy were already all restless since morning. It was the same during breakfast.
"Who are you going as?"
"I'll try that."
It was all the conversations were about.
Guiche crossed his legs, as proud as a peacock.
“I wonder who I should become? But, for someone as handsome as myself, is it not better to just remain as I am? Don't you think so too, Saito?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Saito replied idly, largely akinning Guiche to little more the breeze of a wind. Sitting opposite him was Malicorne huddling himself.
“What should I do... If it remains like this, it looks like I'm going to have to become a beautiful girl myself."
“Just do that already.
“Sigh... What should I do, isn't that a crime?"
“Of course it's a crime, I reckon it's more of a death sentence."
“Haa... a death sentence... Ha... Ha"
Malicorne stammered as he held his trembling body together.
Imagining the fat boy acting in the manner of a young girl, Saito almost puked out his breakfast.
However... to get so excited over some masquerade ball, these people sure were easy to please.
"It's only putting on a little disguise, did it really require so much thought?"
Saito thought to himself, oblivious to the fact that it was magic-disguised.
It really only required a little bit of thought to realise, that the Magic Academy would never hold just any ordinary masquerade ball... but, being completely uninterested in the matter, Saito never considered this.
Siesta was cleaning the room when Saito returned after breakfast.
“Welcome home, Saito-san.”
“Yeah, I'm back."
Siesta was cleaning the room with a bright smile on her face.
“Today is the Ball of Sleipnir.”
“Is Siesta going too?” Saito asked
“I'm going...because they are shorthanded..." Siesta replied shyly with her head down for some reason.
“I see."
"So am I going or not", Saito pondered. Siesta walked towards Saito and looked in his eyes.
"Umm..."
“Uhh, yes?"
“I've been reading a book lately", Siesta said as she pulled out a book.
“What's it about?"
"Siesta can read as well", Saito thought.
“Oh, I forgot Saito couldn't read."
Siesta blushed as she explained the story to Saito
“The name of the book is ‘Housemaid’s Afternoon’.”
“Mm.”
“It is a story about a young maid serving in an aristocrat's residence. And the master of that residence is a vile and corrupted man.”
“Mm.”
“Every night, he would coerce the maid to do unpleasant things with him."
“Unpleasent things?”
Siesta muttered something into Saito’s ear.
A pain tingled in his nose, and a torrent of a nose bleed flowed out. Five seconds later, he finally held it in.
“...What sort of books do you read?"
“What are you talking about. It's from a girl in my dorm. She let be borrow it to read!"
Siesta blushed as her hands shaked.
"So this is the stuff Siesta and the maids read in their spare time... but then again, the girls' magazines from my world are pretty risque as well..." Saito accepted with his strange justification.
“Well...?”
“No, I, because of this, to think of such a master in the story…if it were Saito-san, I wonder if…”
“Yes?”
Saito asked back. Siesta blushed and covered her face with both hands.
“N-never mind! I was only joking!”
“I-is that so…”
When Saito laughed, Siesta stared at him curiously with the corner of her eye.
“However…it doesn’t hurt to try.”
“To try what?”
Saito stood up in blank surprise as Siesta ran up to him.
“Oh! Master-sama, we should not do this!”
“…”
“It is Saito’s turn now.” Siesta said with a serious look.
“What do you mean?”
Running up to Saito’s side, with a slight whisper Siesta began to mutter.
In that moment, Saito spouted a nosebleed.
“S-Siesta?”
“Please scold me! It has always been my desire for Saito to scold me! I-it's such a weird feeling!”
With a scream, Siesta purposely collapsed, then raised her eyes on him. Her face was as red as an apple. A tremendous, teasing aura seemed to pressure Saito.
Then Siesta lightly lifted the hem of her skirt, just diagonally to his face.
“Beloved master-sama, please come and punish me.”
This has got to be a joke, for a maid to make such a remark...I won’t come…I mustn’t come!
Only meaningless words passed through Saito’s lips.
At the same time, Louise was quickly approaching by horse.
Saito involuntarily went to the shelf that hid the whip. He was already unable to resist the temptation any longer, as blood rushed up to his head.
At that moment the door opened, and Louise entered.
Tightly grasping her skirt, Siesta still eagerly waited to receive her scolding from her master. Saito was found removing the whip from the shelf. Louise, on the other hand, made a spinning kick to Saito’s groin.
“Learn your place.”
With his face stepped on by Louise, Saito collapsed while holding his hands between his legs. Then Louise said,
“Maid. Familiar. Listen.”
“Yes?” Saito and Siesta said at the same time.
“Familiar, your master has a command for you.”
“W-what is it?”
“The Ball of Sleipnir is today.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what kind of ball it is?”
“Well, uhmm… is it a masquerade ball?”
“It is. A ball where it is ideal to wear a mask. S-s-so, you must absolutely come with me.”
“Okay…?”
What in the world is the meaning of all this?
Siesta glared at Louise.
It seems that these two are plotting something.
Women should be more peaceful Saito thought. Since the end of the war, these balls have immediately become more of a delirious punishment. Because we should make more of an effort to contribute to society, are they not inclined to go in that direction?
“You two…”
As she said that with a mixed sigh, Louise removed her foot. Saito stood up, calmly patting away the dirt from his clothes.
“Ehh? What?”
“Yes.”
“For the time being, both of you, sit over there.”
“Okay...”
“Listen up.”
The two of them looked at each other before they reluctantly sat on the bed.
For the two of them, her coquettish tone meant that something was up.
“Don’t you think the world will benefit more if we did more good things for society?”
Louise was surprised.
Suddenly, Saito, for the first time ever, wanted to change the world. Perhaps Colbert’s death was the cause of all this. That teacher always brewed trouble with his research. Was he trying to succeed his dying wish? That was likely.
Maybe that was why he was so interested in the knight corps.
However, in Louise's point of view, it was not Saito’s job to do so.
Saito’s job, for now, was to find a way back to his world.
For the first time, he was seriously thinking about the welfare of this world… After all this. Even if there was a way of solving it…
Her mind was going back and forth.
“'The knight corps will change the world?' Isn’t that a stupid idea?”
Louise said, and to her own amazement, Saito got angry.
“Even if that was the case, you're somehow always making a big deal out of this!”
“The person you should be protecting is me!”
“Protecting you? So it’s okay to leave them unprotected? Is that what you are saying?
“It’s different!”
Louise shouted.
“W-what…”
“Don’t you think, you should find a way to go back home. Your family will be relieved if you go back.”
Idiot...Saito just couldn’t talk back.
“It’s just so unnatural of you.”
“H-however…”
“It’s okay if you join the knight corps, since we are at war after all. We must protect the princess. But as for changing the world…it’s not your job. Why must you become so absorbed in such things?”
As Louise said this, Saito looked down.
For Saito, it was all very vague.
At any rate, Saito just wanted to help.
He lived without concern, until now. He just wanted to do everything that he could. However, it was difficult to explain this to Louise.
Louise sighed.
“Anyway, you must attend today’s ball properly. And don’t you forget what I just said awhile ago.”
“Y-yes.”
Louise, who seemed like she had nothing further to say, began to blush.
“T-then?”
“Then?”
“Also…let’s continue what happened in Albion the other night.”
Siesta’s eyes were suddenly aimed at her.
“Did you do something fishy again?”
Louise turned her away from her angry face, and went out of the room.
Saito collapsed…and spouted a geyser of a nosebleed.
As evening came, “The Mirror of Truth” was drawn out from the treasure vault and was placed at the entrance of the dance hall in the second floor. A black curtain was pulled, surrounding the magic mirror. So now, it has reached to a point were you won't know what the person in front of the mirror will change into.
Teacher Chevreuse, who was wearing a butterfly shaped mask, stood next to the curtain.
“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight you are guided to the world of fantasy.”
She enthusiastically introduced to the students who were lined up in high spirits. Louise also lined up in the row and thought of what to transform into.
Suddenly, an image began to appear.
Will Saito disguise himself as a woman? Louise muttered to herself.
Since it was Louise's turn, she passed under the curtain. There was one big mirror there. Even her relief was not imitated.<!> Installed in a simple frame
was a mirror whose full length was approximately the height of two men. A cloth was placed above.
Outside the curtain, Teacher Chevreuse’s voice was heard.
“Isn’t it wonderful to imagine your ideal form? What if you wanted to deceive other people? This mirror looks deep within our heart and mind... and designates you an ideal form. So prepare your heart and take away that cloth.”
Louise took a deep breath, “Okay.” And with that answer, she lifted the cloth.
It was beautiful, as the colors of the rainbow appeared on the mirror’s surface.
Her reflection appeared, covering her in a rainbow of light which overflowed from the mirror.
She was unable to see because of the flowing light. Suddenly, the light disappeared, returning everything to darkness.
However, Louise was no longer in the mirror.
Instead, a kindly 23 year old with pink hair appeared. She had changed into a woman.
She had transformed into Louise’s second elder sister, Cattleya. Louise’s assumed ideal form was Cattleya, who was gentler than any person she knew. Louise quietly raised her hand to her chest.
When she faced the hall, various kinds of people overflowed into the scene- Heroes of legend, great men of old, celebrities in court-
Suddenly, an elderly lady and gentleman were visible. Could they be my parents? She wondered. But, although the resemblance was uncanny, they were probably not the people in question.
Because several Henriettas appeared as well, Louise smiled wryly.
This is the only day no one knows who’s who. When you want to dance with a specific partner, they must inform you in advance of whom they took the shape of.
“I wonder if Saito understood.” Louise muttered.
After all, she took Cattleya’s appearance.
Making sure the students were all gathered, Osman then appeared on the platform.
“Greetings to all of you. Today, in this ball, to deepen our friendship with the new students, we took an anonymous appearance. Your familes, positions, and nationalities do not matter now. Everyone in this educational institution is equal. I strongly believe that it is not impossible to learn as one.”
Osman then made a dense cough.
“When someone wants to get to know their partner, politely introduce yourself. You do not need to get caught up in your partner’s appearance or position, or to introduce yourself in a dignified manner. Therefore, this is one step of the decorum in the noble’s code we do not need to follow.”
All the students who gathered nodded together.
“Though all of you have become silent, please do not be surprised…That her Majesty, Queen Herietta, also came to today’s ball.”
The hall resounded.
“Moreover…, it is possible for her to precisely take any form. Who is her Majesty? Guessing her identity will be quite an amusement.”
The students started to get restless. An opportunity to speak with Henrietta does not come very often. To have an opportunity of having an audience with her... the tension in the hall was already rising.
Louise was surprised too. If you were coming, why was I not informed? She thought, a little dissatisfied.
“Now then…back to the main point. Isn’t it good that you are now transforming yourself into your ideal person? With each step, you are brought closer to that ideal, and with each step may we not lose sight of it. I want you all to learn this in the coming school year. And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I have nothing further to say.”
Everyone applauded.
Osman left with a serious face, but, as soon as he walked to the front of mirror, he suddenly began to transform. A dangerously, young, seductive looking woman appeared. Taking a suggestive pose, the woman said,
“Osman.”
The students who once held admiration for the speech, now fell silent. Teachers silently grabbed both of Osman’s arms, pulling him to the side.
“W-well then, lets enjoy this ball before something else happens!”
Struggling with a fit of rage<!>, Osman was taken outside.
Music began to be played…the Masquerade Ball finally started.
Louise stared around the vicinity. Not one person seemed to be Saito.
Why won’t you come, even for a moment? Louise thought, sighing against the wall.
As for Saito, he was already in the assembly hall. The banquet was glorious to behold. He was late, as he needed to take care of the horse. Saito realized it was hard trying to calm down that beast. And because he was not accustomed to such work, it took quite some time to finish.
Because it was covered with a curtain, he didn’t notice the mirror near the entrance as he entered the hall. Saito didn't know it was a masquerade ball where people disguised themselves using the mirror.
The guard stationed at the entrance tried to subdue him, but after noticing Saito’s mantle, he panicked and immediately saluted him.
It was dim inside…the faces were not clearly visible.
Then, Saito remembered what Louise said a little while ago:
Also…let’s continue what happened in Albion the other night.
He remembered every word of it.
For her to make such a remark, she won't take no for an answer…d-damn.
Saito searched restlessly for Louise.
However, she was nowhere to be found.
For a masquerade ball, why are they not wearing any masks? Saito thought. However, there were a lot of strangers. Not one of them was a student. Only important looking people were dancing and chatting about.
At last, Saito found Louise standing near the wall.
As he enthusiastically ran towards her, she looked up and stared at him. Her face blushed deep red.
A promise is a promise. Saito also blushed.
“Finally, I found you. So about that promise...”
Louise looked hesitant.
“…Promise?”
She asked Saito.
“What, have you already forgotten?”
“I’m sorry, dear...”
“Dear? But you always called me…”
“Saito-san.”
“That’s right.”
Louise blushed even more. What is she...was she confused? Still, to feel so shy in such a manner made the normally violent Louise extremely cute.
“Wha...what you said a while ago, was it true?”
“What I said a while ago?”
“Don’t try to pretend you don’t know! You said it yourself, right?”
“…What kind of promise was it?”
Saito got irritated. For her to talk in an excessively polite tone...is this a joke? The orchestra began to play a violent melody.
“It’s so noisy…Lets go outside.”
Saito grasped Louise’s hand, and pulled her to the veranda.
“Ah!”
Although Louise gave out a shout of surprise, she obediently followed.
At the veranda, Saito said to Louise.
“You...to make such a joke about this. Were you even serious about it?”
“…I, I’m sorry.”
As Louise apologized, she somehow looked very lovely. Saito wanted to become a little nasty. He always wanted to punish her with a saucy remark.
“Unless you properly apologize, t-that is, to...”
Because Louise looked down and fell silent, Saito raised his jaw.
“…Ha.”
Louise stared at Saito, her eyes zeroed into his. That sort of gesture startled him. Unintentionally, they were drawing ever closer…Their lips drew close.
They tightly embraced each other. Louise thrusted her body.
Now Saito was pushed to the side of the wall. Not one shadow of a person was on the veranda. It would be awkward if someone saw them doing such a thing in this place.
Saito quietly tried to separate himself from her.
“Nn…!”
But, today, Louise was excessively assertive. His body was continuously and forcefully being pressed back to the wall.
“…Louise.”
Perhaps Louise must have been very lonely all this time. As he was thinking that, Louise lovingly, for the first time, wrapped her arms around Saito. Then he realized that Louise’s small hand was on his chest.
A while ago, Louise would never show or even pretend to show this type of affection.
Now this is a reward! Now that you mention it, even though I was hurt for a moment. But? in spite of that, is this really a reward? After all, Louise is to me...
“Louise.”
Saito strongly held Louise close. A hot sigh escaped from Louise’s mouth…and in that instant, he forgot himself.
Meanwhile… The guard stationed at the entrance of the hall questioned the suspicious figure that was made out in the shadows. The woman wore a thick robe. Long black hair could be seen from the opening of her hood. It was hard to tell if she was a teacher or a student.
“Who is it?”
“I’m here to attend today’s ball, I was sent from the royal palace.”
“Royal palace? Well…”
The guard began to look at the catalog, where all the attendees were written.
“I’m afraid you won’t see my name written on that list.”
Before he could question her, the woman abruptly removed a bell from her bosom.
“That’s…”
The guard had seen that bell before while patrolling the treasure vault…
“The Bell of Sleep? How…”
The instant he muttered that, the small bell was already rung.
Cling…the sound made a small clear echo.
The guard, was suddenly getting sleepy. If he were to fall asleep under these circumstances, he would be scolded for sure He thought, but was unable to fight against his drowsiness.
Leaning against the wall, he collapsed to the floor, breathing in sighs as he slept.
“Even if you call the royal palace…this is not Tristain.”
Confirming that the guard was fast asleep, the cloaked woman passed through the curtain. Before her eyes was the Mirror of Truth, and she smiled as she gazed upon it.
Lifting the cloth, she quietly touched the Mirror of Truth.
Then, the mirror began to shine. At the same time, the cloaked woman began to shine as well.
“I do not recognize this face, but it will have to do.”
The woman’s ancient runes began to shine…and started to mutter a strange spell.
Saito breathed through Louise’s lips.
Ngu…, mugu…, this is crazy! Standing on the tips of her toes, Louise entwined both her arms around Saito’s neck.
Louise was unusually assertive. For such a thing to happen... and to treat me with such affection....
Instinctively, he slipped his hand to Louise’s flat chest…
“…What the?”
Saito immediately stopped.
Her chest was not flat.
Perhaps one could say it was huge.
It was full and soft, a warm lump under Saito’s palm. The shape had completely changed. Each time he grasped it, Louise’s hot sigh would begin to rise.
“Hey, When did it grow so much…”
As Saito opened his eyes, he gasped in surprise.
He was in the presence of the..
“Princess.”
It was Henrietta. What the heck, did they change places with each other? Or perhaps, I should say, was it the princess I have been embracing until now?
From the hall, the student’s excited voices could be heard.
“What the-? The magic was broken?”
“But the ball hasn’t ended yet!”
Saito finally understood. In this ball, a person can somehow magically disguise himself. This was the true purpose of the ball. Henrietta most likely took Louise’s shape.
“But why did you choose Louise?”
As he asked, Henrietta lowered her head shamefully.
“In this ball, one can change into the person’s ideal form.”
“Ideal form?”
Suddenly, he realized something.
“So it was Louise?”
“Yes. I always envied that child...a child who does what her heart desires. A heart not tainted by anyone, a child pure of mind… Virtues I do not have. I have always envied everything about that child…”
“…”
“What kind of person am I, who can only shake and quiver, while that child carries out justice by herself? I find that to be very enviable about her. If I even had one-tenth of her courage, I would probably have not committed those mistakes.”
“Mistakes?...Princess, you have done nothing wrong. Even if you have committed some mistakes, it wasn’t your fault.”
Henrietta somehow looked defeated. I want to comfort her somehow, Saito thought.
“No, I went to war in order to take revenge for myself. Because of that, many people died.”
“There was nothing else you could have done. It was war.”
“Everyone died.”
Saito remembered. The expedition army, most of them were nobles and mercenaries. Not one citizen was taken in.
“Even if you say so, but still…weren’t you the most reluctant one? Everyone else desired for something different. Some did it for the money, others did it for honor. But these were not things the princess worried about.”
A cruel expression perhaps, maybe even the dead would lash at his words, Saito thought. I guess there are different circumstances. But most of the soldiers were mercenaries, most of the officers, were nobles who wanted only honor.
Henrietta fell silent.
Saito quickly changed the topic, and mentioned Louis.
“Then, what went wrong today? Did you come to meet Louise? I’m looking for her too. Where the heck could she be…”
Henrietta shook her head.
“I came to meet you.”
“…Me?”
“I don’t understand why. But...when I hear your name, when I see your face… my heart trembles. At first…”
Henrietta looked up. Her eyes were moist.
“Do you remember it? The evening we spent at that cheap hotel in Tristania.”
Saito nodded. Saito remembered that transpired with Henrietta at that time… their lips had touched twice. Even now, he still remembers it with a throbbing heart.
“That evening…, if you recall, I felt so much pain in my chest. That pain, in time, steadily kept increasing. I noticed that, from that pain, I discovered something whirling in my mind, but I don’t know how to handle it.”
“…”
“With all this pressure and anxiety inside... only when I feel your warmth, was I healed. When I found your name on the list of soldiers who were killed in action, the sadness was too much to bear. And when I discovered that you stopped an army of 70,000, you have no idea how far you fought to save us.”
For someone like Henrietta to directly show her feelings like this... Saito was perplexed. For a time it felt ‘she’s so frail’ he thought as it swelled up in his mind.
Henrietta has shone herself to be a very frail person.
Louise had a different kind of charm.
It seemed like he was being crushed by Henrietta’s charm... Saito turned his face away, trying to push the thought aside.
“To be seen with you in this place... is quite a serious offence. I am a princess after all, so I think it’s best if we keep quiet about this. I’m sorry.”
Then Henrietta pushed Saito conversely with a jerk, pushing him between the curtains, concealing them both.
“Princess.”
“I understand. But…only for awhile, I just want a moment of peace. Is it wrong? Is even having a little bit of time for myself not permitted to me?”
“…”
“For a short while… just this once, I wish to relax. If possible...at your side… even if it's only for a moment.”
Henrietta twisted her face, grimaced and shed her tears. The once courageous queen, who was now in tears, struck Saito from the bottom of his heart.
Henrietta, who was shedding her tears right in front of me, she looked more beautiful than anyone.
Compared to Louis, she was visibly more beautiful.
Henrietta again lifted her face, slowly edging closer to Saito’s.
Somehow, Saito couldn't refuse her lips. Nothing else came to mind.
They kissed, a kind of kiss that searched for each other's lips.
Henrietta entrusted her weight to Saito, forcing him into the wall. Henrietta breathed out a small sigh as she parted her lips against Saito’s, not knowing that someone was watching them.
“Princess…”
But as Henrietta kissed Saito’s neck, a sudden flash of lightning and heavy electrical currents began to appear.
Henrietta instinctively held him close. At that very instant…
In the small opening of the curtain, Saito saw pink hair.
Under the hair were reddish-brown eyes.
“Louise…”
He felt all his blood being pulled away from him. Slowly, he looked back at Henrietta.
Louise began to tremble as she saw them under the cover of the curtain, then burst into tears.
She ran, with both of her hands covering her face.
Saito ran after her. He stepped out of the curtain, knocking against the other students.
“Hey, that hurts!”
“Sorry! Excuse me! I’m in a hurry!”
However, Louise disappeared in the crowd of people. She was nowhere to be found.
There was a ruckus in the hall.
What the hell?!
Did the Mirror of Truth’s magic backfire?
Next, Henrietta, with a pale face, came out under the covers of the curtain.
The student’s at once shouted, “Her Majesty!”. She could tell from her eyes that Saito went to search for Louise. Then, she immediately ran away.
Dashing out from the tower, Louise ran away from the academy in the stillness of the night.
Filled with surprise and sorrow, Louise was confused.
Saito and the princess?
Why?
Louise witnessed everything. As she approached…from the small opening of the curtain, she found Henrietta’s face beside Saito’s.
But as she recalled this, tears instantly began to fall. The two of them looked so feverish...just like lovers about to make a vow, and then…their lips began to draw near, just like the lovers of old.
“Since way back then, they already had such a relationship. All this time I was deceived.”
For Henrietta, to betray my trust to such a degree…Louise believed in nothing anymore. I see now, she thought. This was the reason Henrietta knighted Saito as a Chevalier and made him the knight’s commanding officer. It was for the sake of their love.
In Tristania, some time ago…Saito said that he and Henrietta kissed. At first, she was angry ...but because she thought it was only for the sake of duty, she didn’t worry about it that much. However, that was a mistake.
Perhaps, from that time, those two continued their relationship.
“It’s so cruel! It’s so cruel! It’s so cruel!”
Louise shouted many times.
She was betrayed all this time.
You said you loved me. It was all a lie!
Louise just couldn't accept it…for a long time I believed him. he promised me, the time we spent together, the sweet kiss…all this time everything was a lie.
I have always valued those moments and I waited, all those memories that I have ever cherished…, only to discover it was a complete lie.
Moreover, her friend…, Louis had always held Henrietta in the highest regard. Only to be betrayed twice. Louise couldn’t bear it any longer.
In any case, he was not there.
She passed and dashed out from gate of the academy.
[Flashback]
Where was he? After the Mirror of Truth’s magic disappeared, there was now a lot of commotion in the hall. Still, he wasn’t there. No one blamed anyone to be at fault.
[End of Flashback]
A gradual slope that descended into the highway, there Louise ran.
“I don’t want to be here.”
Such emotions dominated her heart.
I want to go far away.
I want to go to a far away world where no one knows who I am.
For a long time, she ran...
Now Louise kneeled and out of breath. There lying down with her face on the ground, she cried.
| Back to Chapter 7 | Return to Main Page | Forward to Chapter 9 |
