Zero no Tsukaima Volume 17.

Chapter 1: Saito’s Despair

“Uu… uu”

When Saito opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a bed of

the mansion. Rays of morning light shone through the window.

“Are you okay, Saito-san?!”

“I…”

Saito replied with a croaking voice.

“What exactly happened yesterday?” Siesta asked in a hurry.

“Siesta, what’s wrong with me?” a pale-faced Saito asked.

“What do you mean? Because you were late in coming home, I

went to search for you. Later, I found you lying on the side of a

street… May I ask if you have found Miss Vallière yet?”

Jolts of dull pain assailed the back of his head.

While in pain, Saito remembered the events of the previous

night vividly.

He had left the mansion to search for Louise.

Then, he was attacked by two men and a woman claiming to be

the Elemental Siblings.

The “blade” was big and terrifying.

Then, because the blade had absorbed the energy, it exploded

and shattered into pieces…

“Derf…”

Saito softly murmured, looking at the Japanese sword by his

bedside.

“Derf-san? That sword? Now that you mention it, I haven't seen

him anywhere…”

“He’s not around anymore. He shattered into pieces,”

Saito distractedly answered. Siesta wept, covering her mouth

with her hands with an ‘ah’. Siesta clearly understood how close

the relationship between the wise sword and Saito had been.

“How did that happen? Derf-san, is he really dead…?”

Saito began to talk about what happened the previous night.

While he was drunk, he had found the keys in the kitchen.

"Isn’t there… a basement we couldn't get into? Those are the keys

to it. In the basement, there is a very clean room…… later I found

that the room is linked to the palace… and at the end of it……"

Linked to the palace.

Through these words, Siesta seemed to notice something.

"Ah," she uttered a startled expression… and then considered

something while scratching her neck.

"Could it be that…"

"H-her Majesty the Queen came through…”

"Yes… Her Majesty Henrietta. Other than the arrival of Her

Majesty the Queen, there was nothing else.”

Siesta was staring at Saito in a scary manner.

"Ah, so, because we were both interested in the basement… we'd

taken a look! Just as we were inspecting the room, Louise……”

“You were discovered?"

From her serious tone, Saito nodded.

"What were the two of you doing?"

"Kissing…"

When Siesta heard that, her countenance darkened and she

mercilessly slapped Saito on the face.

"Pa!" it clearly echoed throughout the entire room.

"This is for Miss Vallière.”

Saito, listless, opened his eyes wide in shock.

"And then?"

"'Then' what…?"

A still useless Saito, who had not completely woken up from his

trance, asked Siesta.

“From there, continue."

Due to her tone, Saito continued. After finding out that Louise

left, he frantically tried to catch up. Along the way, he met those

strange aristocratic brothers and sister. They invited him to join

them, but suddenly said they wanted to kill him. During the

fight against the brother, Derflinger had shattered into pieces

because he had absorbed too much magic…

Derf had become shards… Speaking of that moment, the reality

finally hit Saito. Overcome with shock, he let the memories of his

good friend's “death” come together in his mind. Tears slowly

filled his eyes, and streamed down Saito's cheek.

"Uu, Siesta… Derf died… obviously, obviously, as a good guy…"

Siesta's eyes were also filled with tears, but she once again gave

Saito a slap on the face.

Saito stared at Siesta with an expression of surprise. He seemed

to want to say something, but kept his silence.

"Why are you crying?"

"Eh? B-because…"

"Is this the time to be crying?"

Siesta wiped the corner of her eye while holding back her tears.

"Even though I also want to cry out, because there is no time to

cry, I will not cry. We must immediately find Miss Vallière,

right? Even you had been attacked, and Miss Vallière might

encounter the same danger.”

Saito opened his mouth with an “ah”. It was as Siesta said.

"I…… even though Miss Vallière and I are vying for Saito-san as

rivals, I really like Miss Vallière. To be honest, there were times

when I hated her even as I was complimenting her, and her

personality cannot be considered good…

But I still like her very much. Because, a noble like her can sleep

beside a person like me without voicing a complaint, isn’t that

right? We are obviously rivals."

Saito suddenly clenched his fist tightly and wiped the corner of

his eyes.

"Derf-san’s death also makes me extremely sad. However, if

something happens to Miss Vallière, Derf-san would be all the

angrier, right?"

He will say, “Partner, what kind of excuse have you come up

with this time?”

Saito nodded his head from the bed and stood up. Derflinger's

final words floated into his mind.

"You must apologise to that arrogant little lady…"

"…Siesta, you're right. This is really not the time to do such a

thing."

Gathering his voice, Saito spoke. However… his voice was

trembling, and his body staggered as if he was about to fall.

Saito said to himself, "This is not the time to do such a thing,"

while gripping the Japanese sword leaning against the bed which

he inserted into his bed.

Siesta was holding on to this very Saito.

"This is it! This is Saito-san!"

"But, where exactly did Louise go… since I have no clue…”

"Anyway, let’s start by going to a place where she could possibly

have gone.”

Saito and Siesta quickly organised their wardrobes and asked

Grandmother Helen to help look after the house. Looking at their

faces, Grandmother Helen felt something was amiss and nodded

her head with a serious expression.

Imagining where Louise might go, they walked to the streets.

After walking for a while, they came to the place where Bleu

fought last night. The ground had deep cuts all over, displaying

Bleu's powerful magic. They tried to find Derflinger’s

fragments…but the pair couldn’t find them.

It was as if they had dissolved entirely.

Exactly who commissioned those siblings (2 brothers and a

sister) to attack him…? However, given some thought, he was a

celebrity after all. Even though he didn't consider it, there was

the possibility of incurring the resentment of others. Speaking of

which, a plebeian like himself becoming famous might just get

the nobles jealous.

Saito clenched the hilt of his Japanese sword. Now is not the time

to be thinking who exactly wants to attack. If someone comes to

fight, then I’ll fight them.

But… can I still fight? Louise and Derf are not here. In this kind

of situation, what do I do if I meet a stronger opponent?

Saito’s body was surrounded by fear and despair.

"…Ah, I have been relying on you, Derf.”

He didn't know why, but his own body did not feel like a part of

himself. The core of his body felt as if it was deprived of life.

When they went to the inn, Saito borrowed horses to rush to

Tristain. When they reached the Charming Fairies Inn, they were

just preparing the stop for the night.

“Ah! If it isn't Saito and Siesta!"

Scarron welcomed them at first, but when he saw the look on

Saito and Siesta’s faces, his expression changed.

"What happened?"

“…Have you seen Louise?"

Saito used a dead man's face to ask such a question.

Scarron narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“Ah, ah. It’s only rehearsal and already you have been angered?

In that case, after graduation, that home sweet home is

absolutely impossible!"

Hearing these words, Saito could not help but fall to his knees.

No matter how desperately he tried to cheer up, this simple

sentence had defeated him. In fact, nobody could blame Saito’s

fragility. In the end, he is only a teenager.

"That is right… Now, living a new life is absolutely impossible…

and I will never get the Vallière family's acknowledgement… I– I

never expected…my actions could have lead to this"

"You’re going to look at other girls with perverted eyes anyway,

right? So I say to just spend some quality time with Siesta! Have I

not told you before? Ah, looks like I have not."

Siesta interrupted Scarron who still wanted to pursue the

matter.

"Uncle Scarron! Please stop! Saito-san has just lost a close friend

and is fragile!”

"Who is the close friend?"

"It's the talking sword. Saito-san was attacked by someone last

night.”

Siesta said in a calm voice, Scarron’s expression turned serious.

"I see… Sure enough, the situation we were worrying about has

happened.”

Looking down at a sea mouse-like Saito lying on the floor,

Scarron said. The hero who saved the country had become

useless all of a sudden.

"So, we need to find Miss Vallière as soon as possible…"

"En," Scarron nodded his head, then gave out instructions

readily.

"First, we'll pass this information through the Owl Post to those

places where Louise-chan might have gone to: her classmates

and the Cavaliers. Then the capitalists there… and also, the

palace!”

Hearing the word ‘palace’, Siesta's shoulders shook slightly.

"…Actually, I don't think she will be in the palace."

"Why? Isn’t Henrietta Her Highness and Louise childhood

friends?"

Then Scarron, like Siesta, could only stare as Saito fell prostrate

onto the floor, muttering the vague, self-depreciating words, 'I'm

useless, so freaking useless.　I shouldn't have been born into this

world as a child of this era. A Des Ornières mud dumpling! A

rotten orange! My orange is Yanagisawa Kimio! He was

interesting.' He opened his lips with a smack, and trembled as a

cold sweat poured over him.

"D-don’t tell me… Saito’s love interest is… impossible… but

looking at Saito-san’s past achievements… the country's best

knight and Her Royal Highness Princess's tryst — there are still

those kind of rumors… but I dared not think that the unexpected

would become reality… ah ah, really wonderful!"

Scarron’s emotions were uncontrollable, turning back and forth.

"Uncle! Pull yourself together! Pull yourself together a little!"

Siesta shook Scarron awake, who dreamily muttered,

"The small girl boarded the dark stage of history! Ah ah,

wonderful!"

Then Scarron stood up, patting the shoulder of Siesta.

“Siesta, you may be able leave a mark in history. If it comes true,

you must tell your uncle because uncle wants to turn this story

into a drama, letting it spread throughout the universe!”

"That's enough! Honestly!"

As Siesta raised her voice, Jessica, who had been doing laundry,

suddenly jumped out.

"What? What happened?"

After listening to Scarron’s explanation, Jessica stared at Saito

with wide eyes.

"Huuuuuuuuuh!?"

Scarron and Jessica, started muttering that this was the greatest

dirty news of the Kingdom of Tristain and if this matter was to

spread, the government would definitely be shaken.

"So, you definitely must not tell anyone! Writing it to be a drama

is even more ridiculous!"

Under the harsh glare of Siesta, the two finally became more

honest.

“Yes… It's not like I don't hear enough things that would cost

more than a few lives. I won’t tell anyone, so don’t you worry."

"Next?"

"However, that aside, informing this matter to Her Majesty the

Queen should be a little better. After all, Miss Vallière is a female

officer of Her Majesty. Ah, this has become a grand event!"

Therefore, Saito wrote a few letters. The contents were, "Has

Louise arrived there?” As summer vacation had arrived, the

students had gone back home. The Ondine Knights were no

exception. The only person who was willing to listen to Saito

from Louise’s own family was Cattleya, so he wrote a letter to

her, too. As he was writing, the sadness in his chest became

unbearable. He had clearly promised Cattleya that he would

protect Louise……but she ran away. At Tristain, even though

they didn’t have a post office, there are industries like Japan that

used owls to mail letters or articles.

He gave the letters to one of the Des Ornières post offices. Within

two to three days, the letters would have been delivered.

Even though he was troubled, Saito finally rushed directly to

Henrietta. Getting attacked by those unknown people also needs

to be reported.

Letting Siesta stay in the Charming Fairies Inn, Saito rushed to

the palace. Because he was vice-captain of the Ondine Knights,

he was immediately allowed to enter and have an audience in the

waiting room.

What kind of facial expression should I use to face Henrietta?

Alas… what kind of attitude should I show?

"Do I like Her Royal Highness Princess?"

Men who see Henrietta and not being able to say she was

"beautiful" did not exist. Even Saito, lacking experience in

matters of love, knows that Henrietta’s charm was

extraordinary.

However, Saito thought.

This was only an excuse. He would use the excuse that "being

unable to resist that kind of charm is normal” to himself; this

part of him was terrible.

The audience waiting room door was opened, a guard

announced.

"Her Majesty the Queen, instantly summons the Ondine Knights

vice-captain Hiraga.”

Saito stood up and passed through the doors. There, Henrietta

assumed a different attitude than what Saito imagined. General

expression as if overly-thoughtful, sitting in a chair reading a

letter deeply.

Noting that Saito had appeared, she raised her head, smiling.

This smile, did not have any feelings and was different than last

night's bright smile. It was simple, exposed only to reward the

hard work of the vice-captain and his smile. Saito made a stiff

expression. Henrietta gently waved her hand to allow others to

leave. The guards standing next to the door exited the room.

Making sure the guards were away, Henrietta sighed deeply.

That beautiful face from the side started showing sorrow.

"Great. I was going to ask you to come."

"Me?"

"Yes… in fact, I just received a letter from Louise suddenly and

was thinking of what to do…”

Saito had a nasty burst of premonition. After reading the letters,

he understood that his premonition was accurate. It read in gist,

I wish to have myself removed from negotiable matters with the

Gallia King, as well as relinquish my status of priestess.

“From start to finish in that room, Louise saw everything…”

"Is that so…"

Henrietta displayed a “It really was like that” kind of expression,

being upset until she was out of line of sight.

"Certainly enough, that should not have happened."

As if to escape under that kind of Henrietta charm in general,

Saito categorically said,

"… Today, I came just to report Louise’s disappearance but it

seems Louise has already told Her Highness.”

Saito stared at the letter. Written on it wasn't a single word of

blame directed at Henrietta. It merely stated her resignation and

her gratitude for all the hospitality she had received in the past.

As Saito imagined the feelings of Louise as she wrote this letter,

he felt his chest tighten in sadness. As long as he thought of that

he may never meet her again, he could not bear it.

"Are there any clues as to where Louise is? Tentatively, I have

sent letters to students and partners, as well as the Vallières…”

Henrietta said with an over thoughtful expression.

"…If women want to hide themselves, they will certainly go to

the monastery or the Chamber of Commerce. I will give notice to

the domestic monasteries to look for anyone that resembles

Louise among the women who come to visit”

"For now...I'll look all over the country."

Speaking of which, Henrietta said with a troubled voice,

"…This is, after all, an affair of the state. Be sure to come back

before the Gallia Queen's Coronation garden party starts.”

After considering for a moment, Saito nodded. Work was work,

after all. Ah, it was also necessary to finish. Must be added with

that of Louise's work together.

If he, however, did not find Louise, in that turn of events, Saito

had no confidence whether he could complete his work

successfully. However, if Tabitha was the same as before, he

should be able to open up his mind.

“Yes. In short, I will come back before the deadline. If I am able to

find her beforehand, that’s fine... After all, this is like looking for

a gem in the sea."

Hearing the term ‘gem’, Henrietta gloomily closed her eyes. Even

so, she said in a calm voice,

"To Louise, you are the gem…the same goes for you. It seems that

this was doing of the fault that I committed, but…"

Henrietta raised her head and said categorically.

"But I do not regret it."

Saito cannot help but breathe. Henrietta placed her slender hand

on his chest, like a sculpture in general good shape slowly closed

her lips. At that time that glamorous atmosphere was not shown.

Only great willpower… coming from the queen, her whole body

emitted it. That kind of dignified attitude shook Saito’s heart.

Henrietta, in the sunlight, shone like a saint in virtuousness.

"This person has a twofold appearance of the day and night."

This has nothing to do with his own will, these two faces were

expressed by Henrietta unconsciously.

"Does a woman with this kind of charm exist in the world?"

With an ‘ah’, Saito noticed. He felt a strong sense of shame to the

‘him’ who was thinking like this. My feelings… have I not just

lost Louise…?

Terrible.

Saito murmured in his heart.

"I'm terrible,"

Saito thought as he could not forgive the “him” who was

attracted to the woman before him.

Chapter 2: Flight

Louise walked lifelessly on the street. She left the mansion on a

horse but after leaving the Des Ornières mansion, she hid in a

nearby farm so now she was on foot.

Louise had some hesitation at the fork leading to Tristainia and

Western cathedral. Even though it’ll be easier to hide in the

capital, there was no way to guarantee who she would

encounter. If she went in the opposite direction, she would be

more visible but the worry of being exposed is smaller. In the

end, Louise headed in the direction of the cathedral.

Saito and the others were heading towards the direction of

Tristainia to give chase, so this fork in the road cwould be

described as the turning point of fate.

She hurried through the night. When the sun rose, Louise rested

under the shade of a tree along the street. She woke up exactly at

noon. Looking at the bright sun, a burst of intense sadness

suddenly hit Louise.

“There is already no place for me to return to”

Whether it’s Saito or Henrietta, I don’t need anyone.

“Of course.”

Louise thought to herself.

“Although I’m treated as a void user, I’ve done nothing to match

up to it. I’m always holding back and bringing trouble to Saito.

I’m tired, of course.”

Even though there couldn’t be a situation like this virtually but

after watching the look on Saito and Henrietta together, Louise

could not believe herself.

There was only a huge sense of powerlessness and sadness

surrounding the whole body of Louise.

She bowed her head, her tears dropping one by one constantly.

“Are you alright, miss?” a passing farmer asked but Louise did

not respond and continued crying.

Many passing farmers and travelers looked at Louise with

surprise as they walked past her.

How long have I cried?

By evening, her sadness turned into a deep emptiness.

“So, what do I do now?”

There was no place to return to and there was no place she

wanted to go. Returning back home was also not an option.

Might as well say that she didn’t want to meet anyone she knew.

Having said that, staying around there would not help. With an

absent-minded expression, Louise started walking again. In

order to stay away from the Des Ornières mansion......

That night Louise reached a village inn and stayed there. Even

though it was an old inn, it at least had a private room. For three

consecutive days, Louise cried there. Gradually, her tears dried

up.

On the morning of the third day, Louise washed her face with

cold water. Finally, her head became clearer. Searching all her

pockets, she found only about 100 ECU. The other things she

brought with her are some change of clothes and daily

necessities. Then there was the wand, prayer book and the ruby

of water.

This hotel charges me a half ECU a day. If I save on meals, that’s

half of the amount. If I calculate it this way, I can stay here for

another 4 months but I cannot always live in one place. Maybe

hiding in a monastery is the best after all?

“But I’ll be discovered quickly.”

Louise whispered with a deep sigh.

I do not have the experience of earning money for a living. Even

though I ran away from home, what am I to live on?

Thinking of that, Louise shook her head.

“Doesn’t matter”

Yes. It doesn’t matter anymore. Next, she’ll take one step at a

time. Louise pulled out a small mirror from the luggage and

gazed into it. Cloudy dull dark brown eyes, dry tears sticking

onto her face. Her hair was messy, because she did not comb

during these days. Her lips lost their color and the shirt she had

been wearing all this time was crumpled. This look is a far cry

from the world-famous girl image.

“this was the face of the Horrendous Louise Françoise Le Blanc de

La Vallière”

Louise sighed deeply.

“This face, isn’t it the same as your nickname? Zero. Louise the

Zero……. Yes, I was originally a ‘Zero’. I don’t have anything.

From the start, it was like that. The void users of legend,

Aquileia's saint, the me who is suddenly raised to such a high

position is only a woman”

Haha, Louise laughed to herself.

“Speaking of which, Saito and the Princess are also very

welcomed by the people.”

Murmuring, she felt a big empty hole surrounding her heart.

Although she felt lonely, there was a feeling that her heart had

already completely stopped beating.

“Anyway, I'll go get a drink first”

Louise went downstairs and decided to go to the pub to drink.

This was indeed a small hotel. The floor made crunching sounds;

the table was full of dust and food leftovers. Mice scuttled across

chairs. One look and the rumor about how ‘a noble like Louise

can stay in an inn like this’ seems to be already exposed. The

travelers there looked straight at Louise with faces of curiosity.

Not caring about the sight, Louise turned to the wine shopkeeper

and pointed to some of the older rosacea. The shopkeeper stared

suspiciously at Louise,

“Although I have been living here for three days already, this inn

is not a place a noble should live in”

Louise looked around her. Faces full of curiosity; men with ill

intent seemed to be staring at her.

If she gets drunk here, it will only be a matter of time before it

gets out……this is the same as announcing that she is here.

Ah, drinking wine is also troublesome……muttering that, Louise

left the inn.

The next place to go is a town called Seoul Bi, from Thalia. it is a

two day trip. The Earl governance of this town, is connected with

many streets, it was a big village. It is an ideal place to hide one’s

identity temporarily.

In this town, Louise prepared a program.

After settling down in the inn, she took the most beautiful

clothes from among the clothes she brought. Then, using the

makeup she once bought in the ‘Charming Fairies Inn’, she put

on a heavy makeup. From the bottom of her makeup props, she

noticed the magic dye she used to rescue Tabitha. Louise dyed

her striking pink wavy hair brown.

“With this, I will also become the perfect woman of the night”

Her clothes and her makeup were completely disproportionate

but Louise was very satisfied. With this, no one would think I am

a noble.

When evening came, Louise walked proudly into a wine market

and ordered wine. Although the shopkeeper looked at Louise

suspiciously, he still passed the things she ordered to her.

Louise wanted to pour the red wine into the cup but changed her

mind. She was currently not a noble. If she wants to drink

quietly, she must act appropriately.

“That’s right. An idling person like me should just drink straight

from the wine bottle”

Louise grabbed the wine bottle and put her mouth on it, gulping

down the contents. After drinking one-third of it in one breath,

she started coughing intensely.

“Cough! Cough, Cough!”

Her face turned red all of a sudden. Louise who was not really

good with wine, stared with hate at the wine bottle. Saito’s face

appeared on the wine’s surface.

“I hate you,” Louise muttered With squinted eyes as she drank

another mouthful of wine. But, even with her drunken trance,

she started to remember the happy times with Saito……

The day when he got summoned ... being rescued from the hands

of a golem ... Dancing together for the first time ... the first time

they kissed.

The feelings in her chest, One by one, clearly awakening，made

Louise sad.

“Forget. Must forget. People who idle don’t get bound to longing”

Louise drank a mouthful of wine again. From the deep within the

pub, a young drunkard stood up and went closer towards

Louise’s direction. Looking up, his face was not welcoming.

“Miss, that’s a really bold way of drinking. Can I have a cup too?”

Louise lifted her eyes at the voice laced with alcohol.

“Move aside”

Well, don’t say that……the man reaching out to touch her

shoulder was kicked by Louise and sent flying.

“Who do you think I am? You dare to touch the Duke!”

Louise stops speaking up to here. She cannot expose her noble

identity. The man that was sent flying stares angrily at Louise.

“what?”

“I-I’m just a hostess. Idling away. Err, Cough. “

Louise put her hand up to lean against her chin, desperately

pretending to be a hostess.

“That’s why I want to drink with you” Well, there’s nothing

wrong with that.

“Who wants to drink something with you……Ah!”

Louise gasped when The man grabbed Louise's hand.

“Let go! Let go of me NOW!”

She wanted to chant a spell but realized that she left her wand in

her room. While struggling，Louise realized that she was no

match for the muscular man, yet she continued.

“Even though I don’t know where you come from, you stubborn

chick, but let me teach you a lesson”

The man dragged Louise towards the outside of the pub. The

shopkeepers and the other customers turned a blind eye for fear

they might be implicated. In the end, Louise got dragged outside

the pub.

“Let go of my hand!”

As Louise cried, she bit the hand of the man bitterly. The sweaty

hand made her feel like vomiting.

“That hurts! What are you doing!”

The man jumped up and brandished his fist towards Louise.

“Help! Sai-“

Louise was filled with anger when she almost called out Saito’s

name without realizing it.

“I hate this kind of ‘you’”

“Very good!”

The man lowered his fist, Louise stood proudly. But before the

man’s fist can touch Louise, he was knocked to the ground by an

invisible bullet.

“I really can’t stand it I really can’t stand it I really can’t stand it”

From the darkness, a girl appeared, her chant like a whisper. Her

body was dressed in a black dress wrapped with layers of white

hemming. Inside the black headscarf was a doll-like fair face and

shining green eyes.

“W-what are you doing! You jerk!”

The man who was standing was in a rage but when he noticed

the short stick in the hand of the girl, his face was drained of

color.

“N-noble”

“Huh? I'm not a noble; not anymore at least, but I am still able to

use magic. Of course, to you, both sides are the same”

The girl smiled. At the same time, a strange formidable boldness

from that upright face surfaced. "Dame," the man cursed, and

then left.

Louise was temporary frozen on the spot; she hurriedly bent her

head down to the girl.

“T-thank you for your help during that dangerous moment……”

“Nothing! It does not matter, right? Not injured are you?”

Louise shook her head.

“You are drinking here?”

The girl pointed at the pub. Louise nodded her head,

“Then, I’ll drink a little too. Can you accompany me? If it’s one

person drinking, don’t you think it' s boring”

“Eh?”

For a moment, Louise was confused but before she could answer,

the girl walked carelessly into the shop and she had to chase

after her.

“I’m called Jeanette. What’s your name?”

They gave a toast as the girl called Jeanette asked Louise for her

name. Louise stare at Jeanette. other then their hair, eyes, and

clothing, the two girls didn't look too different.

However……she can use magic but is not a noble... a Mercenary

or something.

But, looking at how she dresses up, she does not look like a

mercenary. Who is she?

Noticing that Louise was staring at her suspiciously, Jeanette

smiled.

“Relax. I’m not going to do anything to you. I am only trying to

find someone to spend my time with”

Although suspicious ... but it seems she really had no other

motives. In short, she doesn’t seem to look like she knows

Louise's own identity.

Louise faint from this girl who exudes dangerous air feel care.

Although it seems older and own similar, but the even in

suspicious Sakai none of her fear color stride. Guests around

from time to time to steal a glance look here, but not seen as just

now come entanglement. Seems to be overwhelmed by Jeanette

have momentum like.

“I’m called……Vanessa”

No matter if she didn't give out her real name, Louise gave a fake

name. This is the name of a popular actress in the past. It just

happened that the actress’s photo was posted on the wall.

Jeanette looked at Louise’s face.

”I keep feeling that I’ve seen you before……must be an illusion”

Five days earlier, Louise and Jeanette past by each other at the

street of Des Ornières. The woman that Saito was trying to catch

up with, was the exact same Louise seen here and now.

But, already having the commission stopped(T/L: Not really

sure, here is Chinese: 已

止委托的人

经终

), for a long time her memory of

the woman was fading, and she only remembered the hair color,

and the lady present had used magic to dye her hair tea colored,

so it was improbable for her to recognize her as the same person

from before.

Louise , on the other hand was, at that point of time not in the

mood to pay attention to these details so it is impossible to

remember. You might say that she did not even notice that she

passed by Jeanette.

“I think so. I have no impression of you”

Is it because of some reason she had come to find her? Louise

secretly thought. Is she a Romalian spy or a detective that Saito

hired to find her? She gave herself this answer.

But if that is the case, she would not say "seems to have seen you

before", that kind of words. It should be that she is pretending

not to have any relationship.

This sentence of Jeanette won over Louise’s trust.

And ...... Louise wanted to find someone to talk to. If this goes on

she would only feel more and more lonely, drinking alone was

also boring. The hearty mysterious girl in front of her is the

suitable candidates to chat with. “Can you say your name one

more time?”

“V-Vanessa”

“Fake, right? You’re not really good at lying”

“N-no, it isn’t a fake name……I am the idling Vanessa. The

notorious Vanessa. I just arrived here!”

Louise sips the wine with a guilty expression.

“You are not a noble?”

Pu! Louise spit her drink out.

“No. I’m a bad woman. Bad! Woman!”

“I completely couldn’t tell. Because you…… “

Jeanette licked Louise’s cheek suddenly.

"That one did not know it right? Taste and smell can understand.

You’re giving off the taste only a noble’s daughter of the 深

闺 can

have”

Louise’s face turned red. Taste can understand……What’s going

on? Although regarding to this kind of mysterious person she

felt a keen sense of admiration, but regarding to the questions

that were asked a feeling of shame overrode it.

“O-of course I know! Every day we sleep and talk together!”

“But, did he hug you before?”

Jeanette moved her face closer again.

“A noble like you is actually drinking alone in a place like this

with weird dressing. In other words, you were dumped by that

person. Or, you witnessed an affair scene? Oh, Oh, don’t tell me it

is only a one-sided love? You felt restless and in the heat of the

moment, you ran away from home. In order to prevent the

search party to find your whereabouts, you dressed up like this.

Is that the case?”

Her words hit a raw nerve; Louise's mind became blank despite a

desperate attempt to cover up.

“D- don’t be stupid. If you want to be a fortune teller, you still

have time. Go do it somewhere else”

“There is no need to hide it. There are two reasons for a young

lady of your age to run away from their home. Falling out of love

or had a fight with her parents. Only one of two. But, if it’s a fight

with parents, you would not be drinking wine. It’s falling out of

love, right?”

Jeanette laughed. Looks like this girl dressed in black and white

is sharp. Louise turned her head to the side slowly.

“So what do you want? The thick-skinned Vanessa is very busy. I

have no time to chat nonsense with a person like you. Just now,

thank you. Now then, I’ll be leaving”

Louise kept feeling a sense of uneasiness, she wanted to stand.

Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed by Jeanette. Jeanette only

stared intently at Louise. This tight gaze made Louise felt

oppressed.

“You, I’m fond of you”

She could not help but feel her chest thumping hard. Louise tried

very hard to suppress the strong heartbeats. W-what……the

other party is a girl……

Nevertheless, Jeanette still exudes a certain charm. In this

danger, she felt like she remembered something. It was her first

time to encounter such a person, Louise was interested in her

again.

“The risk of whatever and something whatever, does not matter.

It already does not matter” Louise sat back in her chair.

“Well, cheers”

Jeanette touched the cup。

“Eh，is it so. As the best friend of a friend ……This really is a big

blow”

“Yes. That kind of woman ……only her allure is enough to see.

Obviously her work is not something fantastic but she still has

an arrogant look! Then that idiot……did not have any resistance

to that dangerous allure. Well, that idiot had no idea”

Louise poured out all her complaints without thinking. She had

already referred to Henrietta as ’That kind of woman’.

“Hug L-like this on the bed. Like this! Tightly! Don’t joke! W-Who

does she think she is～～～～～～!”

Louise stomped on the floor angrily.

“Then he place his lips L-like this...... what exactly are they

doing~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~! So enchanted ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~! Incredible! T-that

woman actually ... said 'best friend' ... what kind of best friend! If

stealing someone else's boyfriend is necessary to be a best friend

why don’t you say you’re desperately releasing hormones here

and there? To tell you the truth, it’s just trouble. If you have so

much time, go do your job properly! This kind of thing- do it

when you’re alone in the room, release as much as you like

there.”

Her anger rose higher. Once she has spoken it out, Louise could

not stop. One sentence followed by another, curses were spat

out.

Then as if to quell her anger, Louise poured wine into her throat.

Of course, although she cannot stop talking, she was not so

foolish as to say the name of the duo.

Jeanette smiled at Louise who was venting her anger,

“The friendship between women is not reliable”

“Yes……it really is like that”

“But that’s okay. Let me be your friend”

Jeanette went closer to Louise. Louise winced slightly. This

girl……don’t tell me, is not the same?

Didn’t I hear this before?

Obviously a girl, yet she likes girls……

“W-what are you doing?”

Wanting to change the subject, Louise inquired. Indeed, she

cared about this.

“That……how should I put it. Well, something close to a House

of everything?”

“House of everything?”

“Hehe, Yes. As long as it is commissioned, it is basically

acceptable”

Jeanette smiled as if she was implying something. House of

everything? What is that? What kind of person?

“Only one person doing it?”

“A few brothers working together. Right now, big brother is

negotiating the commissioned work. Only I am asked to wait on

this street. Really! My brothers always treat me like a child! How

rude!”

Jeanette sulked. This expression made Louise felt a sense of

closeness. She remembered being treated as a child too,

including having anger issues……

However, this kind of feeling seems to have been a very long

time ago. After shedding tears, memories like this ... it feels like

someone else's story.

To the Louise who was dwelling in her past memories, Jeanette

said in a pleasant voice.

“Do you have something you want to do?”

“Eh?”

“For example, revenge……I especially like you, so I’m giving you

a special discount”

“What are you saying? Don’t joke”

“I’m not joking……Anyway, what are you going to do next?”

Louise whispered with a sigh.

“Yes……I would like to go to a place where no one knows who I

am, no one is to disturb my quiet days. But, this is difficult”

“Wait a while” , after Jeanette finished saying that, she looked

thoughtful。

“Erm——，In fact，I remember such a place……where is it?”

“R-really?”

Louise cannot help but ask.

“In the past, there was once an illegitimate child who was sent

there. It will definitely adhere to your conditions.”

“Where?”

“Erm--，It’s over there……I don’t quite remember. I would like to

ask my brothers, to know. They will come within two to three

days, let’s wait here”

Chapter 3: Meeting and Comrade

After about a week, Tristainia's palace gave a reply, at the same

time, the Knight Corps of The Water Spirit began to gather

together. Saito’s letter "Have you seen Louise?” shocked

everyone. Guiche used the dragon’s cage to fly directly from

Tristania's western end of the Grammont’s territory so he was

not late.

In the vestibule of the palace landing, Caldecott , who had been

promoted to captain for the whole magic guards, came out to

welcome Guiche.

“Grammont-sama. Great timing.”

“What happened? I heard Louise was missing or something like

that……”

"I do not quite understand ... In all, you see, is she not a person

related to the state secrets? So we are commanded to start secret

investigations ..."

“So you are saying you haven’t found her yet?”

Caldecott replied with a nod.

“Speaking of which, where’s Saito”

“This, ah, you’re talking about Vice-captain Saito……He is really

giving us a headache”

“What do you mean?”

“He is currently undergoing a strange ceremony in the

courtyard. He, himself is muttering “worry” something about

yes or no ……”

Guiche wondered. Exactly how was even Saito not his usual self?

In short, in order to be able to understand the incident in detail,

Guiche rushed into the garden first.

When Guiche reached the courtyard, he saw Malicorne and

Reynald. Their home was not far from here, and it seemed like

they arrived here early.

“Yo, you two. What happened to Saito?” After asking, Malicorne

pointed with his finger.

On his head wrapped in a white sash, Saito was sitting in the

center of the courtyard in a straight position. Surrounding him

were a few round standing stakes. A little distance away, Siesta,

with a wondrous expression, was also sitting.

“What is that guy doing?”

“I also don’t understand. He said it was for ‘exercising the body

and mind ‘or something”

Time passed by a little. The observing Guiche and the others felt

the tension in the air. The moment Guiche swallowed his saliva

……Saito’s shoulders moved a little, his right hand reaching

towards the left flank of the sword.

The moment his hand touched the sword ……Saito upper body

was straight, his knees touched the ground. At the same time, his

right hand vanished. Whoosh! The sound of air being cut, the

four round stakes around Saito trembled. Lastly, "qiang" a clear sound resounded through the surroundings. He thought he had

pulled out his sword, but the sword remained sheathed.

That really was fast, Guiche who was watching on the sides did

not understand what happened.

“What? That!”

“That guy took out his sword with a speed the naked eye cannot

keep up with, and broke the round stakes!”

What was surprising is that the upper part of the round wood

stakes did not fall to the ground, it was still in the lower half of

the above. It was hard to tell from the upper part and the lower

half that the four round stakes were severed perfectly.

"He drew his sword? But, the sword is still sheathed?"

Guiche finished with a silly voice, Reynald shook his head.

“He drew the sword out, cut off the stakes and then kept the

sword in the scabbard again. It is said that this is the sword skills

of his country. ”

Seemingly in the blink of an eye, Saito completed all this. He

really is a ‘sword master’,said Guiche, deeply moved.

“Well. It is impressive but what has that sword skill got to do

with worrying over Louise’s disappearance?”

“Only God knows.”

Next, Saito resumed the straight position. Siesta stood up and

rushed up to Saito's side to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

It’s about time, Guiche walked over to Saito.

Saito did not take a glance at his friends nearby; he just kept

staring in front in a daze.

“Yo, Saito. What happened? It is said that Louise is missing?”

“Where is the sword you usually carry? I have never seen that

sword on your waist before ...”

Saito bit his lips.

“Derf he……that guy……to protect me……Damn!”

“Protect you? What happened?”

“He……in the battle absorbed too much magic……”

“I beg your pardon! How inharmonious! Exactly who attacked

you!”

The boys leaned nearer to Saito.

“Don’t know. Just that they are a duo of magic users”

The boys nodded their heads at Saito’s reply.

"Well, it appears to be a hired assassin. How nerve-racking, you

seem to make enemies too much recently ...”

“He is a big celebrity”

“and what has this got to do with Louise’s disappearance?” Gimli

asked worriedly。

Everyone looked at Saito with a wondrous expression; Saito

slams his fist into the ground. Siesta continued from where her

master left off.

“No. Miss Valliere’s disappearance has nothing to do with the

incident where Saito-san was attacked”

Siesta thought her words carried some anger. She stole a glance

at Saito before squatting down to peep at his face.

“Hey, Saito-san. How do you feel?”

“My mind is destroyed, my worry disappearing, my mind is

destroyed, my worry disappearing, my mind is destroyed, my

worry disappearing ……”

Saito grumbled constantly with a mutter.

“Looks like the person wearing pajamas is very powerful. That

lady, after all, must be full of sexiness and touching. Her chest is

much, much bigger than mine and her figure must be stunning”

Siesta tighten Saito's neck.

“If you want to cheat, you can always look for me! I have

obviously told you that! We promised! Why does Saito-san only

like noble girls! The aroma of the pitiful flowers by the roadside

should also be carefully admired!”

“Speaking of which, who is the other person?” Guiche’s seems to

suspiciously inquire. Siesta’s eyes turned into a one [一]sign and

she started breaking out in cold sweat. If Guiche knew the truth

he would most certainly faint.

The two did not answer, Guiche had no choice but to wave his

hand.

“Well, whoever it is. You're a hopeless man. You should at least

learn from me. At least”

Because Guiche uttered those words, Reynald spat at the ground.

“If he learns from you, Louise will definitely run away everyday”

Saito helped by Siesta, slowly stood up. Then, slickly he greeted

Guiche.

“Anyway, thanks for specially coming for me.”

Saito expressed a smiling face that looked almost ready to cry out

in pain. Making an effort to be happy——his voice revealed this

kind of feeling.

“No, Well, I have nothing much to do anyway……”

“Speaking of which, Louise didn’t go over to your side?”

“Nope”

“That means she hasn't been found temporarily……Siesta,

Tristinia’s inns have all been searched right?”

“Yes. Including monasteries, I have looked before”

These past seven day, after Saito prepared his practice of

exercising his heart, he searched Tristinia’s hotels again. The

team of soldiers who had nothing to do was sent out to search,

but they could not even find Louise's shadow. This is obvious,

after all, Louise went to Torres Thalia, a completely different

direction ...

The letter, ’Have you seen Louise?’, that Saito mailed usually

received replies such as ‘have not seen her’.

Cattelya’s letter has also been received. She did not intend to hide

anything so she immediately said the truth. Her answer is "She

did not come back.

In the letter, she said that she was worried about the safety of

Louise; and had reported this matter to her parents, they said

that ‘that child will be back soon’ kind of optimistic speech;

However, on this matter, she does not think so, she hoped Saito

can think of ways to find Louise as soon as possible...

When reading this letter, Saito cried. Nothing written on it

blamed Saito.

‘The mistake I made is causing so much trouble to many people’,

Saito’s state of mind weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Even though Saito said “it will be okay if we search", he did not

find Henrietta to discuss about it. Louise is not just a female

officer. Firstly, whether it is Tristain or to Halkeginia, her

presence itself is very important, a void user. If she was

kidnapped by Romalia, things would be serious. Therefore, Saito

put all the nobles who had nothing to do into the search team.

They searched the markets and streets along Tristainia.

Considering Louise’s point of view, she will be more responsible

for her own actions but this action of hers is taken too lightly.

Having said that, Saito and Henrietta was not blamed by Louise.

He and Henrietta were obviously in the wrong ...

“Okay. If that’s the case, she is not at Tristania ……then, we

should search the street along the hotel next. Perhaps the search

team missed something……”

After Saito finished speaking, Siesta nodded her head in

agreement.

“We will help as well”

Saito held tightly the hand of the friend that said that sentence,

who had a look of worry on her face.

"I'm sorry ... really sorry. Then, I’ll be troubling you. I owe you a favour"

At this moment, a soft voice came from the corridor.

“Saito～～～～～～～!”

Turning his head to look behind, Tiffania, who was always

dressed in a green dress, wearing a wide-brimmed hat on her

head ran over.

“Huff huff, I heard that Louise went missing……is that true?”

Tiffania spent her summer holidays at the Tristainia’s

orphanage.

“While I was on a picnic with everyone, I received a letter

suddenly and almost jumped up in shock. What happened?”

Great, just when everyone was thinking how to answer, Colbert-

sensei and Kirche came from the direction of the main entrance.

“Aiya Aiya, I finally found out the use of the" tank "method after reaching Miss (Sheffield)’s house to reform but ... I received your

letter of Miss Valliere gone. What happened?"

Saito painfully replied to Colbert’s inquiry.

“I……about that, with another girl, that ……lips touching scene,

she……”

Colbert, although stunned at that moment , folded his arms and

nodded.

“I see what this is all about……You are still young, so if you can’t

control it’s understandable, but……she is thus wounded in her

heart”

Kirche put her hands around separately and said helplessly.

“Really, this is why I told her seriously. I said ‘It’s tough being a

woman’ ”

Tiffania looked at Saito with a gaze full of wrath. Malicorne went

over and greeted Tiffania politely.

“Girls, regarding this incident, please say your feelings”

Tiffania stated reasonably.

“Saito is really bad. Louise is pitiful”

Saito could not help but fall on the spot.

“Ah, AhAhAhAhAhAh……AhAhAh……”

“Use language to whip him again.An unpopular guy with the

occasional set of achievements became slightly popular, then

degenerated into this kind of junk. A momentously proud fool

disclosing such a big basket！Hey buddy, don’t forget what

position you’re in now…… You upstart jerk ……”

Malicorne lifted his eyebrows, trampling on Saito non-stop.

Malicorne was picky towards popular topics. sob, sob……Saito

cried in shame. Saito is inconsolable when he is depressed

Kirche said with a tilted head.

“But……who is the rival?”

“This guy would not talk about that” Malicorne said while

stepping on Saito’s back.

“Ah, but that Louise ran away from home – it is said so, but even

sweet-talking the servant wouldn't make her mad like this.

That’s why I am very concerned about it. It is possible that the

other party is quite close to him ... sort of?”

At this moment, Guiche and Reynald’s eyes had a sudden change.

“You, the other person couldn’t be Montmorency right?”

“Can’t be (Brigitte) right?”

“N-not Miss (Janice), right?”

(Gimli) interrupted Reynald.

“So you like that type of girl”

“No! That’s not it! I’m only asking!”

Reynald whose face flushed red shouted. In such a commotion,

Saito shook his head.

“……Not any of them”

“Then who is it! You’re making people care more about this～～～～

～!”

Seeing Guiche and the others surrounding Saito, Kirche tilted her

head.

“What’s wrong?”

Colbert, who was beside her, asked Kirche.

“No……Don’t tell me. Even though this is my girl’s instinct”

“Your instincts are pretty accurate. Let’s hear it”

Kirche whispered the name she thought of into Colbert’s ear.

“How can that be?”

“No……Because, if Louise can do this kind of thing, the other

party must be a reliable person, no wonder I can think this up”

After Kirche used the sound of chewing something bitter to

point this out, Colbert should not be beginning to think that it is

not to be true right? But, it can’t be ……

She is also this country's Her Highness the Queen, how could this

be possible!

But looking at Saito’s popularity that is not completely

impossible. Although she is a queen, Henrietta is also just an

eighteen year old pretty girl. If she steals the heart of the most

popular of knights, we can’t blame her.

Also……aren’t Louise and Henrietta really close together? If that

is the case, why would Louise run away from her home, Saito not

mentioning the other party’s name can be understood. After all,

that name is not easy to say out.

Colbert felt the back of his head breaking out in cold sweat as he

realized he might be witnessing a historic scandal.

If this incident is made public, someone will die. This so-called

royal scandal cannot be overlooked.

Who is it! Say it! Watching the fired up boys, Colbert pretended

to be calm while clapping his hands and saying,

“Ah——everyone. Right now the other party is not important,

finding Miss Valliere is our most important task at hand. Don’t

you think so too?”

Well, that makes sense; the boys nodded and went towards the

stables. Guiche was scratching his head while talking to Saito

who was dusting dirt off his knees,

“Hey Saito”

“What?”

“We can search for her. If we find her, what do you plan——to

do?”

“What do you mean?”

“No, it’s nothing. Louise has her own way of thinking. If she says

she doesn’t want to be with you, what do you plan to do?”

Saito considered this for a while. Then he said in a voice filled

with loneliness,

“When that time comes, we’ll see. Anyway, I want to see and

apologise to her now”

Although Guiche was silent for a moment, he said, with a not

interested expression,

“Well, okay”

A change of view, at this time Louise was at the "mainland of

beluga whales" pavilion with Jeanette, waiting for her brother.

Although "Lu's Moby Dick" Pavilion was not classy, it was also

not a cheap inn, it was very suitable for hiding. They rented one

of the rooms.

While Louise drank wine, she emptied out all her discontent to

Jeanette. Like a burst dam, Louise flooded all her thoughts to her.

Jeanette, too, looked happy as she listened to Louise speaking her

mind.

“Then? Are you listening, Jeanette?”

Louise's voice had loosened up long ago. In two days’ time, with

the boost of wine, Louise had exhausted all her tension and

suspicion.

“I’m listening”

“That guy, told me in this way. That the one I love is you! Like

that! Numerous times! With an expression like this! It obviously

is like that! Of all things, he kissed with my close friend, What

——is——the meaning of this! Right!”

“Geez, that kind of cheater might as well die”

Jeanette giggled while Louise nodded.

“You also——think this way? A-a-a-about that pervert dog!

When f-facing me, p-put on t-this kind of expression, w-wanting

to say to do ‘It’! Hey…hey!”

Louise was so angry that she choked and thus, coughed straight

away.。Jeanette passed a wine bottle to her. After Louise drank

finished, her eyes faint, she fell.

After about 5 minutes of being motionless, she suddenly leap up.

“He did the same thing with o-other women～～～～～! He said he

would only do that with me! If I think about it now, I would have

an earth-shaking headache! That liar～～～～～!”

Then she fell down again. Jeanette got up and took the water jug

on the table, pouring the water over Louise’s face. Thus, Louise

leaped up once more and stared blankly at Jeanette.

“Hey Jeanette, why do I feel like I said a lot of embarrassing stuff”

“You did not” Jeanette’s expression was candid.

“Then never mind”

After Louise deeply sighed，

“When are your brothers coming. I’m tired of waiting”

The siblings of Jeanette know a place to "live in seclusion ",so Louise waited. It was almost past two days.

“What’s wrong? Let’s just wait patiently”

A slightly drunk Louise told Jeanette her doubts truthfully.

“But, why would you be so affectionate to me, who you never

met before?”

“Because I like you”

On Jeanette’s face appeared a smile. A pretty face like a doll. Also,

like a doll, a feeling of coldness ……

Then, Jeanette lifted Louise’s chin with her hand.

“Because, you are so cute. Arrogant but easily hurt, as for those

pair of straight forward eyes……you’re not just cute, you also

give people the feeling of wanting to violate you”

“Eh? Eh? Eh?”

Seeing Louise’s wide round eyes, Jeanette grabbed a handful of

Louise’s hair, using it to itch her own nose.

“and this fine……beautiful hair. Just like a doll. A child like you

should be called a real maiden”

The person just like a doll should be you, Louise wanted to say

……but she did not say it.

The doubt Louise felt before began to swell.

This girl……is really the girl that has a special interest in other

girls foretold in the legend?

Obviously a girl and yet she likes girls. That kind of special

character exists, Louise know. In the Magic Academy, such

rumors can be heard more than once.

Hence that’s why she is so affectionate towards me, isn’t that so?

Well, she does not look like a Romalian minion ……the feeling

surrounding Jeanette gave people the impression that she puts

her faith in god in the furthest position.

Obviously is like that, she also treats me affectionately.

If that is the case……as expected……she is a person with this

special interest?

“…………”

Louise looked at Jeanette with squinted eyes. Snow white skin

like the dessert during late at night. Those two slender emerald

eyes, like a moonlit oasis under the moonlight.

How beautiful, Louise was mesmerized for a moment. So

Jeanette put on a serious expression.

“What can I enjoy??”

She asked something. Due to saying out her overly naive “What

snacks can I enjoy?” feeling so Louise almost inadvertently

nodded her head.

“No! Cannot! What are you saying!”

Jeanette laughed with a ‘Hahahahaha!’.

“Ah——what a pity! To you, I would really do it! Well, You really

are the type that does not rely on strategies. I like you more and

more now”

Looks like she’s playing with me. Louise argued,

“I’m naive anyway” she mumbled.

At this moment, there was a knock at the door. Jeanette’s

expression quickly switched to one that was alert.

“……your brother?”

Jeanette shook her head and without hesitation; put a hand on

the wand that was on the pillar.

“We’re the country’s military patrol! Open the door!”

That voice made Jeanette stole a glance at Louise. Her expression

showed that she had woken from her drunken state. With a

smile on her lips, Jeanette opened the door.

Standing over there are two nobles with non-commissioned

officers identities.

A noble “two groups, huh……” she whispered to herself.

“What’s happening?”

Jeanette inquired,

“Nothing much……we are just searching for someone

important”

From the wands in their hands, Jeanette guessed they were

nobles so she used an elegant conduct to talk to these men.

“Someone important? (There really is discord in a troubled

world) ”

“Lady, what are you doing here?”

“I am waiting for the arrival of my brothers with my maid”

She said with a pretended expression that she knew nothing. The

patrol looked at Louise. Then after comparing with a portrait,

“……in the portrait is a peach blonde haired noble girl”

“And the looks of a person. This lady with the maid”

Based on appearances, they deduce that this person what not

what they were searching for.

After the “excuse me” and greetings, the noble patrol left the

room. Louise was so assured that she cannot help but sigh.

That’s right, those nobles from before were looking for me. Looks

like dyeing my hair, doing such a degrading dress-up was not

wasted. Sure enough……alas, Henrietta seemingly mobilized the

search patrol to look for me.

Thinking this, Louise’s built up cold anger began to increase.

If I had known this earlier……why would I think of striking him.

At this time, are Henrietta and Saito regretting their actions?

I estimate that they are desperately searching for me, she

imagined the two of them. Even so, as expected…… I still don’t

want to go back.

“Looks like you’re not an easy person”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Jeanette muttered while playing with Louise's hair.

“You dyed before. The original color, what is it ……blonde? Red?

or ……is it peach blonde?”

“……T-that is”

“Those people are looking for you, right? You ought to thank me.

I helped you to smooth things over!”

Louise's feelings immediately surfaced on her face, she bit her lip

and lowered her head.

“Forget it. Who you are doesn’t matter to me. In any case, you

escaped. Isn’t that good? What I mean is, you need not bother.

You don’t have to care about what I mean”

She has no idea what to say up to this point. Louise weakly

thanked her,

“Thank you”

Looking at such a straightforward Louise, Jeanette smiled.

“Geez, with such a natural girl like you he still cheated, I can’t

believe that man”

“I say, I'm not natural. Do not look at this, but I am the Vanessa

who has experienced a lot of things...”

"I said it before; do not mention those trivial things. But, why do

you want to escape? You’re such a cute lady; any man will come

back soon. Just like just now, didn’t he put in a lot of effort in

searching for you? "

Louise bent her head, closed her eyes and said in a lonely voice.

“……that person, her charm is better than mine by several times.

So I admit it. Also, she has too many enemies. That person……

can have many more superb means of protecting him than me”

Jeanette stared at Louise with sympathy.

“You really like him. Exactly what kind of person is he? I am very

concerned ...”

Louise grabbed a bottle of wine, and poured its contents into a

cup. Listlessly she supported her arm and elbow on the table,

muttering

“I don’t like him. Really, I don’t like him one bit”

Tears welled up in Louise's eyes. Flowing down from the eyes of

Louise.

“I don’t like him. Don’t……”

Jeanette hugged Louise’s shoulder as she was sobbing.

“Such a weird child. Why do you have no confidence in yourself?

Obviously so cute…and…”

Jeanette’s lips neared Louise’s neck. Then, she licked gently.

“... With taste I know. You really have an unimaginable power,

no wonder I liked you from the start”

However, Jeanette’s words did not reach the crying Louise’s ears.

Chapter 4: Sulpice

Saito and company divided into three groups, each heading

towards the three paths leading away from Tristain to search for

Louise.

First was Rolan Street, from La Vallière to Germania. The other

path was Gryphon Street, forking out to La Rochelle.

The last route was Vell-El Street, along the shoreline to Gallia.

Kirche and Colbert went along Rolan Street to Germania while

Gimli and Reynald walked along Gryphon Street.

On the other hand, the path through Des Ornières was thought

to the most likely path that was taken, so Saito, Siesta, Guiche,

Malicorne and Tiffania took it. If Louise did not want to go to

Tristain......Everyone thought that she might be on this street.

Henrietta expressed her hopes that they return in a fortnight. If

they failed......they must hurry back to Tristain.

On the morning of the eighth day after losing Louise's trail, Saito

and company had already ridden out to search. Since they rode

out at full speed, they went past Des Ornières and reached the

first town past it with an inn by afternoon. Of course, it was also

where Louise had stayed before, but Saito and Co. did not know

that.

It was a tiny town so they were able to find a suitable place to

stay immediately. However, there was not any news of Louise

there.

"Louise didn't come here, did she......?"

While Guiche was saying that, Tiffania pointed to an inn and

said, "There's another inn there."

It was a dilapidated wooden hut made out as an inn. Siesta shook

her head and said, " I can't imagine how Miss Louise would want

to stay in such a place."

"Yeah, it's easy to see why," while saying that, Malicorne

stretched his hands towards Tiffania's breasts. Shrieking in

surprise, Tiffania jumped back and glared maliciously at

Malicorne.

"Y-You'll get scolded by your girlfriend!"

"That's fine, let her rant all she wants, she already takes me as a

sand bag anyway. Piggy, piggy, that's how she calls me. Piggy,

piggy, hovering forwardly......"

Malicorne approached Tiffania slowly. Tiffania looked as if she

wanted to cry.

Siesta used a frying pan to whack Malicorne's head. Bam, bam,

bam......until Malicorne laid on the ground rolling his eyes.

Zoning all of those out, Saito just looked at the wooden hut. If it

was the normal Louise, she couldn't have lived there, right. But

the Louise now......isn't the "normal" Louise.

"Hey, hey!" Seeing Saito advancing slowly towards that inn,

Guiche tried to stop him.

"Let's just give it a shot."

Seeing the mantle-wearing Saito, the customers in the inn bar

turned to look at him. The scent of cheap beer, burnt meat, and

the odor of men mixed around the bar so much that it was a little

revolting. Apart from those, there was a hint of cigarettes and

pipe around.

The innkeeper, who was heating a tea-colored beer, glanced at

Saito for a while before turning away.

"I'd like to ask if there was a petite noble girl who came here just a few days ago?"

However, the innkeeper answered with a shake of his head.

"Saito, let's go," Guiche was saying, but Saito sat on a chair and placed one gold coin on the counter. Glancing at the gold coin,

the innkeeper said,"What would you like?"

"No......I'm just saying that if you know anything, this thing's

yours." Saito said, troubled.

The innkeeper silently put down a beer bottle and said, "My job

doesn't include being a tourist guide and finding missing

people."

Saying that, the bar was filled with laughter. Saito sighed, took

the bottle and finished the beer in one gulp.

"Let's go." Saito stood.

"Wait." The innkeeper called out to Saito who was leaving.

"The girl you're looking for. Is she this tall, a pink-hair-amber-eye petite noble girl?"

"Yes! That's her!" Saito unconsciously moved towards the

counter.

"If that was her, she stayed here for a while before."

"Is this true?"

"Lying doesn't pay."

"Did she say anything?"

"Nothing. Everyday she locks herself up in the room. Even I can't

stand it anymore. She left when I told her that this wasn't a place

for nobles to say. That was about 3 or 4 days ago."

"Do you know where did she go?"

"This, I have no idea."

Saito thanked the innkeeper. Just as he was about to leave the

inn, the innkeeper's voice carried from behind.

"You're the first noble to drink my beer, you know."

Saito turned back and said while clutching his mantle, "Even

with this, I still can't look like a noble. I guess that's why she left."

Everybody gathered around Saito who just exited the inn.

"Louise seems to have stayed here before."

"Oh! However, why would it be such a horrible place......"

"Maybe she ran out of money." Even if he was saying like that,

but he still can understand how Louise felt. The shock that she

experienced was enough to let her think that the place that she

was living in does not matter at all.

"It seems that choosing this route was right after all, let's

continue quickly. Ah, right, use your owl to notify the others."

It was originally discussed that once one of them found Louise's

trails, they should immediately use an owl to tell the others

about it. They prepared an carrier owl that can carry messages to

people with the corresponding magic talisman. Saito roughly

outlined their situation in the letter and sent it to Kirche and

Colbert. He tied the letter to the owl's leg and let go of it. The owl

flew away with a flap of its wings.

"Riding from here for half a day, there will be a town called

Sulpice," said Malicorne.

"It's quite a big town." Guiche nodded.

"Okay, let's go there next."

Along the way, they changed many horses. By the time they

reached Sulpice at 3.00 a.m., they were already exhausted. It's no

wonder that they were so tired as they barely slept during the

two-day journey.

"Let's just sleep first. No one can go too long without any sleep."

Sulpice was located on a street commonly found in Halkeginia,

filled with inns and thousands of people. Not only hotels, all

kinds of goods gathered here from around the land. There was a

market in the town square everyday, making it a very lively

place. However, at that time around, there were not many people

on the streets.

There were burning torches everywhere, illuminating streets

that looked quite unsafe.

Even though there were about 20 hotels on the street, along with

smaller residential houses, and wooden inns in the alleys, there

were quite a large amount of hotels in the town. Nights in

Tristain were always pitch-black, but this town had completely

immersed itself in the shadows.

This darkness really did not help in finding Louise.

"You're right. Let's take a rest first. We'll search the hotels for

Louise in the morning."

Saito and Company rushed to the nearest hotel. Even though it

has the exaggerating name "Noble Feathers Inn", it was quite

small inside and there was not much grandeur. However, as

everybody was dead beat, they just simply chose two rooms,

separating the males and females, before falling asleep soundly.

Even though he had climbed into his bed, Saito still couldn't fall

asleep. Despite being extremely happy as he had found a clue

about Louise whereabouts, could he really find her?

Putting that aside, once he found her, what if Louise didn't want

to forgive him?

Until now, even if she was extremely angry, she had never left

his side.

What should I do if she doesn't forgive me?

Saito just couldn't sleep no matter what, so he walked

downstairs. There was no one in the bar, only light from the

candles illuminating the surroundings. Taking a beer bottle from

the rack, he placed one gold coin on the counter.

Saito started to drink beer gloomily alone.

As he was drinking, there was footsteps upstairs. Lifting his

head, it was Guiche. He took a glass from the rack and started

drinking himself.

"Can't sleep?" Asked Guiche. Saito nodded.

"Yup."

"However, what was Louise trying to do? Really, that willful

Louise wanting to live alone is impossible. Maybe she went to

some monastery, sneaked into some rich guy's place or even

become some other guy's lover?"

Saito's face darkened. He muttered,"Stop it. You really are a

hypocrite! Having affairs yourself but can't stand the notion of

others doing the same thing."

Hearing this, Guiche put on a troubled face.

"I'm just joking. Anyhow, what really happened?"

"Hey, Guiche......really what kind of person am I?......I really like Louise very much, but I just can't resist the charms of other

girls......"

Seeing Saito saying that while holding his head in his hands,

Guiche just simply said,"Isn't that normal?"

"That's for you to say......"

"Not only me, aren't you the same? That's why you kissed some

noble girl right? This isn't wrong or right, you're just someone

like that. What are you so upset about?"

Saito, hearing this, still shook his head.

"I-if it was like that, didn't I become a liar......so many times that I've said that I only like you(Louise)......"

"You're supposed to think like that when you're saying that. I'm

the same, it's not a lie. No matter the time, I always felt that I was

true to heart then. It's something like 'You're the most

important!'."

"But isn't this simply an excuse?"

"Excuse?! Hey,hey, don't say such stupid things. How many

charming women are there out there in the world? Our feelings

for them are true. You're saying that this is an excuse? No! Facing

such powerful charm, we're powerless to resist. It's just that

simple."

"B-but......"

Speaking to Saito, who was still hugging his head, Guiche

said,"Be more truthful to yourself."

"Hah? I'm very truthful! Truthful enough to be troubled by this!"

"Let me say this straight. You do not get yourself troubled over

being powerless to womanly charms. Just guarantee this. All you

need to be troubled is only one thing. And that is not wanting to

be hated by Louise."

Saito's face turned pasty. He sobered up immediately. Guiche has

hit the bull's eye.

"Am I right? Somewhere in your heart is thinking 'oh, that's

completely the point' ,yeah? How to justify your actions, and

more importantly how to let Louise forgive you, you're thinking

hard about these, right?"

"There's nothing like that! How did it turn out this way!" Saito yelled while banging the table. Guiche turned serious.

"That's because I'm like that. Even though I'm a bit strange, but

I'm very sensitive towards the charms of women. Once I've seen

a beautiful woman, I'll lose myself in her......but even though it's

me, I know that I have a problem. I already have Montmorency,

don't I? You may think that I am that daft and carefree, but it

isn't so. I'm also very troubled."

Saying this, Guiche finished the beer in one gulp. Like a started

engine, he started to speak more forcefully.

"That's why for some time, I stopped associating myself with

beautiful women. Of course, I did it perfectly. When was it......it's

before I met you, let's leave it at that. At that time, I kept myself

to Montmorency......even when there was a beautiful woman

walking by, I just thought, "Yeah, she's very pretty." That's it.

Nothing said, nothing done. Days gone by just doing that."

Saito adjusted his pose and listened attentively to Guiche.

"However, that was unnatural. The spark in my soul started to

wither.....even talking to Montmorency was taken to be granted.

At last, she even told me, "You said the same thing yesterday!" I started to think, isn't this something very "unnatural"! The spark in my soul started to disappear."

Guiche placed his hands onto Saito's shoulders.

"Where do you actually feel the "charm"?"

"Eh? eh eh?"

"Where do you think the "charm" you feel in charming women

is?"

"I-in the h-heart?"

"Yes! It's your heart! However, who is the one who creates it? It's

God! The God in your heart created it! Even the charming women

are created by God! What's wrong with praising them? If feeling

that something beautiful is beautiful was a crime, then go

condemn God! Even if it were so, I'm still a devout Brimir

follower. I'll never do anything against the edict of God. And that

why I'll follow the edict of God."

"So, you just simply hook yourself up with any girl with charm?"

"Yup."

"I think you can just go kill yourself."

"What are you talking about!"

"Have you ever thought about Montmorency's feelings? For

every one time you hit on other girls, she'll get hurt. Isn't this the

reason why you got dumped before?"

"Of course. This is just my theory, not hers."

Guiche stopped abruptly and looked at Saito.

"And that's why I treated Montmorency with 10 times more care

than other girls. But really, even if it was so, it's not enough. But

it's better than doing nothing at all. The Montmorency now will

forgive me no matter what I do!"

"What kind of convoluted theory is that!"

"Hey hey, I think that's 100 times better than you fretting over

something like 'why would I feel the charms of other girls'. This

is unavoidable, isn't it? No, even you know it, don't you? Even if

it were so, did you treat Louise gently?"

"Y-yeah, I did!" Saito exclaimed.

"Louise sure didn't felt that way. Your "gentleness" didn't make the cut. And that's why she left you."

"Err......"

Saito unconsciously started to curl himself up. Thinking back,

wasn't trying to be gentle with her just ended up with him doing

some strange things? He just said something like Lemon-chan,

little kitty......Louise did say that she likes a romantic guy, but

what he was doing was......

"Am I a pervert?"

At that time, someone spoke behind him.

"Nope. You're on the level of a "super-pervert."

"Malicorne!"

He came, wearing tidy pajamas and in hand holding a pillow.

"Walking around the hotel canteen with your pajamas." Saito

was speaking like some tourist guide,

"What are you talking about? I was woken by your ruckus, you

know." Malicorne grunted. "Nn, Guiche seems to be saying that

"you weren't gentle with her" and that's why Louise left your

side, right? I don't think so. From what I know, Saito, you did

quite well."

"Really? I don't see anything......" Guiche expressed his doubt.

"He did good! You see, Guiche, the girl we're talking about here is

Louise. Really, she's quite pretty, I know that. But what does she

have? That figure! Slim and thin, she's like a washing board isn't

she? She isn't a child anymore, and no 17-year-old girl looks like

that, there's no one at all. Even so, if she was a little meek, she

would be cute. But, what's with her? For every two sentences

there's one with 'dog'. No matter how Saito endeavors he's still a

dog. Heck, she should look in the mirror before saying those

things. I'll just skip describing her personality."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah......" Guiche started to nod.

"Even with that Louise, Saito still treats her with care. Saying

sweet things like she's the cutest Lemon-chan. I can swear that

Louise doesn't deserve your treatment."

"Say......you talking about another guy's lover like that......"

"I'm just saying! I'm always thinking, where does Louise's

attraction lie? Saito, there's nothing to be ashamed of. You're not

just any hero.(T/L:I'm assuming there's a mistranslation of

Chinese here). No matter which girl she is, you'll easily get her.

Even so, you've amazingly set your eyes only on Louise. Or even,

unbelievably so. You just slightly looked at someone else and she

left the house. That woman, who does she think she is?"

Saito banged the table and stood up, gripping Malicorne's collar.

"Fool! What do you know about Louise's cuteness! You don't

know anything!"

"Eh? Where is she cute?"

"Even though normally her temper is really bad......O-o-on the

bed, she's really cute. She becomes very meek and docile, she'll

hear anything I say." Saito said with a trembling voice.

"Really?"

"A-ah, didn't you hear about that Lemon-chan thing?"

"I did hear about it."

"Normally she wouldn't say it, right?"(T/L: not sure about the

"she" there)

"Yeah, she wouldn't say it."

"So, that's the thing."

"Oh."

Saito then spoke dreamily, "Louise, in the morning she's just as

you said......arrogant and willful......but, at night she's

different......even if she says something like I don't care, her eyes

burn with anticipation. She'll cover herself with the sheet until

just under the nose and look at me with shaky eyes, waiting for

me to do something. Also, even if she looks like a washboard, she

has very womanly figure. Her slim waist, the curve of her back is

like it's carved by God. Even though all is small, except for her

breasts the proportions are still quite perfect. It's hard to

describe, but it's amazing. Aaaaaaah! I feel like doing it again and

again!"

"You've done it?"

"N-not yet......"

"Pueh, that's a shame."

Because Malicorne leaked out laughter, Saito grabbed his collar

again.

"You also haven't done it, have you! In any case, aren't you the

one who keeps meddling!"

While making up a ruckus, they felt a cold gaze from behind.

Turning around, Tiffania and Siesta were standing behind them,

glaring them with eyes of ice.

Malicorne coughed, and bowed towards Tiffania.

"Ladies, please state your thoughts."

"Saito's useless. Poor Louise," said Siesta coldly. "If you clearly experienced her charms, why did you still have an affair?"

"Ladies, please state the details of your thoughts."

"Saito's a piece of junk."

Saito hugged his head and groaned. Malicorne stepped on his

head viciously.

"I say, I'm really a pervert! Louise was sure to leave if I'm like

this!"

While being thrown to the rack and stepped on by Malicorne,

Saito said sadly, "To such a cute Louise, what did I do to her......"

Thinking like this, what he had done would never be forgiven.

Tiffania then said angrily, "Saito, if the Louise you like so much

had done the same thing to you, what would you think? What if

Louise kissed another man? I think Saito would be really sad!"

It really was so. Saito was at a loss of words.

"Sorry......"

"You’re not supposed to apologize to me, but to Louise!"

Tiffania then turned to Guiche and Malicorne, "The both of you

too! Simply stating your theories! What do you take girls to be?!"

Under the scoldings of the normally gentle Tiffania, Guiche and

Malicorne started to mumble, "Sorry."

"Tiffania, you’re amazing......" Seeing Tiffania like this made

Siesta's eyes teary.

"......Ah. Even though I’m a little embarrassed, I can’t just let it

past. Because men are just too willful......Saito."

"Here."

Saito sat straight at Tiffania's call.

“Say, Louise listening to whatever you say......accepting those

strange words but she didn’t get angry at all, right? That prideful

Louise actually did that, right? I think that’s because she has

trust in you, isn’t it so?"

“Really......?"

His passion doused, Saito lowered his head. He never saw her get

angry, but hearing of it from someone else, Louise’s pride and

her token of heart popped up in his mind.

"Don’t think about how to get her forgiveness anymore."

Looking at the sunlight streaming in from the window, Saito

thought so.

"I’ll try my best to apologize. Whether if she would forgive me or

not, that’s something to think about later."

He readily put his foot down on this. However, not knowing of

his new found determination, Malicorne continued to step on

Saito’s head.

"Your face looks like you've understood everything. You’re really

a pervert." Always taking advantage of the weak, Malicorne said

so.

On the other side, on this morning.

At dawn, two riders appeared at the entrance to Sulpice. With

their headscarves and grey robes, they looked like monks.

However, their conversation was nothing of the religious sort.

"Seriously! Brother Damien(T/L:the original is "big bro Damien"

not sure which honorifics) is way too greedy. One hundred

thousand Ecus! Isn’t that way more than enough? He actually

wanted two hundred thousand Ecus......"

The shorter man said, troubled. Under the heavy headscarf was a

young man with a face full of curiosity.

It’s actually Bleu, who tried to kill Saito a few days ago.(T/L: Bleu

original name is 多德)

"Our plan requires money, don’t you know that already?” On his

side, the big brother gruffly said. He looks heavily muscled,

unlike most mages. Even with the cape, his muscled body looks

as if someone stuffed balloons under his skin.

"But, brother Jack, I think Damien rushed things a little. Isn’t it

just fine before, even if we just got one hundred thousand Ecus,

it’s still quite exceptional.”

"We just have to get more from those guys, anyways. Brother

Damien’s bargaining skills are amazing! How was that target

that gave you trouble?"

"Right! That fellow! His unexpected strength really scared me for

a bit. He seems to be called Hiragi? Or Hirago......anyway his

name is something like that. His sword skills gave me quite a

tough time. Even if he was just some hero, he didn’t seems to be

bluffing.”

"That Hiragi is someone we must remove for the client. In any

case, the only ones that can kill him is us. Our client will surely

be convinced.”

“Is it so......”

Bleu still looked glum. Jack glanced at his brother and said, “Let's

put that aside now, where’s the inn Josette's staying in?”

“O-oh that......”

“Hey! You didn’t forget the name of the inn, did you? The only

person who can read Josette’s letter is you, you know! Think

hard!”

“W-wait for a while!” Bleu’s face started to turn pasty.

“N-Nn......this.......I still remembered it on the way here! It’s

something with the sea, land, river.......or some name like

that.....”

“You! Would anyone ever forget the name of the rendezvous?! If

so, why didn’t you let us see it before you threw it!”

"Brother, weren't you the one who asked me to throw away

everything that may become information!”

Jack shook his head, shaking Bleu’s head vigorously.

“You try telling this to Damien, who’s bargaining in Tristain, let's

see what he will do to you.”

Hearing this, Bleu's face turned even more green.

“......L-let me off......”

“So quickly go find out where Josette is staying!”

Chapter 5: First meeting with Jack

In the end, Saito, who hadn't slept at all, began to search the

hotels. Saito, together with Siesta, Guiche, Malicorne, and

Tiffania separated into small groups and began their mission.

They searched the hotels in town one by one.

Even though he had gone through three hotels, Saito still had not

found out anything satisfactory.

"Have we finished searching this street?" Asked Siesta.

"Who knows?"

Saito walked into the fourth hotel. It was a large hotel by the

name of "Our Sea". Behind the narrow counter, the hotel owner

was smoking a pipe.

Saito asked the hotel owner the question that he had repeated for

who knows how many times already.

"Can I ask you if......there was a noble girl, about this tall, staying here? Her age may be seventeen, but she's smaller than she looks.

She looks as cute as a human doll......"

After that, the owner, mumbled,"Unnnn", before shaking his

head.

"She's not here too......"

Just when Saito was about to leave, he was sent flying by a man

wearing a grey cape.

"Uwaa!"

The grey-caped guy, who just knocked down Saito, looked back

to the counter.

"Hey! Old man! Is there a mage girl who lives here? She's

seventeen, in a black-white dress, and looks doll-like!"

That voice made Saito turn back unconsciously.

The owner at the counter shook his head and said, "In this some

kind of fashion trend for noble girls to go on a trip by

themselves? The noble just now had also asked the same

question, you know!"

The grey-caped man turned his body around. His gaze met

Saito's. His face immediately took on a vicious sneer.

Saito simply gaped.

That guy......isn't he the one that destroyed Derflinger and almost

killed me nine days ago?!

"You......"

"Saito-san?"

"Siesta, run, run to the other guys. These were the people who

targeted me before.

"Y-yes!" Siesta stiffly rushed away.

Saito laid his hand on the sword. The rage and pain of losing

Derflinger swiftly growing in his mind, the runes on his left

hand began to glow brightly in response to his emotions.

This guy......

Even though he had clearly stabbed his sword through his

stomach to the hilt, Bleu was still alive and kicking. Perhaps he

was treated by that girl with Water magic. Along with Bleu's

"Blade", those two guys are formidable opponents.

While taking note of his immediate surrounding, Saito lowered

his center of gravity.

"Hey, I still have tons of things to ask."

However, Bleu shook his hand as if he can't stand the sight of

Saito.

"Today's a rest day."

"Killers don't bloody rest."

The both of them, with their blades drawn, made the owner

uneasy.

"Hey you two! Settle this outside!"

That voice made Saito raise his chin.

"Outside."

Just then, Bleu drew his wand and started chanting.

"Airhammer."

A huge block of solidified air blew Saito away along with the

front door of the hotel. He tumbled on to the main road.

"Dammit!" Saito quickly crawled up but Bleu had already fled like a rabbit down a hole.

"Hold it!" Saito yelled as he tried to chase after him.

Seeing Bleu running from the other side of the street, Jack

winced.

"What did he do this time......"

"Big bro! Big bro! Not good!"

"What's not good? Let's hear it."

"That! That is, that guy's here!"

Hah? Jack opened his mouth wide. Not long after that, he saw the

swordman charging at Bleu and widened his eyes.

' "What did you do this time?!"

"It's not my fault! It was a coincidence!"

Putting aside spell chanting, Jack reanalyzed the situation.

Before the negotiations regarding their remuneration were

completed, they can not kill this guy. If he was killed, then it was

not a matter of money anymore, but rather a trap between the

devil and the sea!

"Really! Always so troublesome!"

Jack chanted a short spell incantation. After which, the ground

below Saito's feet began to bulge and turn into giant mud hands

which grabbed Saito's feet.

However, Saito, whose left hand was holding the hilt of the

sword, pulled it out in the blink of an eye and severed the hands.

Phiu~Jack gently whistled and started to chant another

incantation. The earth on the ground rumbled and floated before

turning into several golems.

The golems, clad in warrior attire, pounced on Saito with an

inhuman speed, but Saito simply slashed the golems apart

effortlessly while charging forward.

"Is that so? Tricks like this won't work, eh?" said Jack.

Jumping on a horse, Bleu asked Jack, "What do we do?"

"There's nothing to do. If we kill him, everything's lost. The only

option left is escape." Jack said calmly.

Saito, who had been charging forward, noticed that the number

of opponents had increased to two men.

However, no matter the number, it was all the same. These

guys......though I don't know who commissioned them to kill me,

Derflinger was sacrificed because of them!

"Why didn't they kill him". "Why could they use such powerful spells". Such questions had already vanished from Saito's mind.

The strong feelings of hatred, along with the grief of losing

Derflinger swirled around in his mind. The combat experience he

had garnered, however, turned such emotions into a state of

"calm".

Despite this......just as his brain calmed down......a strange feeling

seeped into Saito's heart.

"......eh?"

His footsteps slowed down.

The feeling that seeped into Saito's heart......was "fear".

That absurdly large "blade".

Also, that magical power that had managed to crush

Derflinger......

Before, he had fought against sheer strength.

Before, he had fought against sheer numbers.

However......these guys, are "different".

Compared to the enemies he had fought in the past, they were

different somehow.

"I can't win." The spark of fear in his heart whispered to him.

Saito tried to find reasons to crush his fear.

What am I thinking?

No matter the enemy, I have always won anyway. Come on, Saito,

look at the big guy. He's a mage but he looks so big......haha, isn't

that a boot!

Even so, the fear didn't go down at all.

"Why isn't Derflinger here?"

Damn! (T/L: not sure if this a monologue here.)

"Why isn't Louise here?"

I'm actually......alone.

"Think, Saito, think. Don't lose out to fear."

The big mage started to chant.

What is it now? An earth wall? Or using "Harden" from

"Alchemy" to make his body as hard as stone?

"I'm going to cut you apart."

The sword that Saito was holding, was indeed a gift from the

Founder Brimir, a real katana. Compared to the other swords and

sabres, this was enhanced with "harden" and "permanence".

If it was held by the Gandalfr himself, there should be nothing he

can't cut in Halkegenia.

However, even so, his fear didn't disappear.

His body still shook lightly.

"Dammit!"

When there was just a distance of fifteen meters between them,

Saito leapt.

The earth wall in front of Jack that was just formed turned into

shiny steel. Saito grabbed the sword with both hands and easily

sliced through it.

Just like that, he carried on with the heavy swing and forcefully

slammed the sword onto Jack's left hand.

However, Jack's expression did not change one bit. He simply

held his hand that way for a while, blocking the sword, before

lifting it.

"What the?"

Saito, shocked, was hurled to the ground. In a split second, Jack's

fist came flying to Saito. Under the sun, Jack's fist seemed to

radiate a glowing brilliance.

That's not a normal fist!

Saito rolled, dodging Jack's fist with barely a hairbreadth left.

Jack's fist, simply sank into the ground.

"Iya, you're quite light on your feet, eh?"

"Bam!". Jack withdrew his fist from the ground and it turned as

hard as steel. Bleu had also used this technique before. The skill

of hardening one's body seemed to be their forte.

However, his left hand was clearly slashed by the sword......But

not a drip of blood leaked out. What the hell happened?

Seeing Saito stand up, Jack smiled.

"You......really have some great stuff there, eh? But then again, I

can't fight you now."

Just as Saito prepared to dash forward, Jack started to chant. The

ground bulged, and broke down to tiny dust particles instantly.

Although this was simply "Alchemy" the effect was completely

different.

With Saito and company as the center, the corner of the street

was completely hidden in the dust storm.

"Dammit!"

With his vision blocked, Saito had completely and effortlessly

lost all his fighting capacity. This is the main street, if one swung

his sword blindly in the dark, who knew what he'd cut.

After the dust subsided......Jack and Bleu already disappeared.

Saito, who looked like he just stepped out of a cloud, stamped his

feet on the ground.

"Damn! Damn! Shit!" (T/L: original:「可 ！可

恶

！

恶

死！」

该

)

Elbowing the gaping passers-bys, Guiche and company rushed to

him.

"Saito! Are you okay?!"

"Are those people just now the guys who attacked you before?"

"It seems that they escaped."

Saito slid his sword back into the scabbard before slamming his

fist into the ground.

"Don't be so resigned. There will be plenty of chances in the

future." Guiche said, trying to console Saito. However, that just

wasn't so.

What's regrettable wasn't that they escaped.

But.

The fact that he let them escape in front of his own eyes.

While he felt relieved that he hadn't battled them.

Even with vengeance for Derflinger on the line......I escaped.

What kind of (shitty) hero am I? (T/L: translation of 狗屁)

"Damn......! Derflinger......! My own strength, sure enough, just

isn't enough to defeat them!"

From the window of the "White Whale of Land Inn", Jeanette,

who had seen the entire episode, slowly showed a cold smile on

her face. Isn't that guy, who just fought with her brothers, called

de Onieres, the guy whose "job" was suspended?

Why would he run back to this street?

Pondering this, Jeanette smiled.

"......what was that racket about?"

Louise rubbed her eyes while sitting up from the bed. Jeanette

told Louise, "Nothing much, it's just some drunkards."

"......Really troublesome. Didn't they wake everybody?"

Looking at the sleepy Louise, the smile on Jeanette grew more

pronounced.

Looking back......she would have never thought that this was the

girl she had just passed before.

"Then, haven't your brothers come?"

"They came already~"

"Eh? Really?" Louise's eyes glowed.

Just then, the door just opened without much bother for a knock.

It's Jack and Bleu.

"Aiya. You're really late, brothers."

"This guy forgot the name of the inn." Jack poked Bleu's head.

"But, didn't I remember it!"

"You should have remembered it from the start!"

Not caring for his brother's rebuke, Bleu looked at Louise, his

eyes widened.

"A girl!"

Jack frowned. "Did you control her heart and make another

'Puppet'?"

Louise looked at Jeanette, surprised.

"Puppet"?

What, are they talking about?

After that, Louise looked at the two men who just appeared.

Covered in grey robes, they looked like monks.

However......the aura they have is different. From their wands,

they certainly are mages, but they didn't seem to be nobles.

"Hey, Big bro Jack."

"What?"

"Wasn't there once, when we sent one illegitimate noble child to

a monastery?"

"Aah, that's about, two years ago."

"That place, do you still remember it?"

Jack took a glance at Louise, before returning his gaze to Jeanette.

"Yeah, I do."

"That's great. Can you tell me about it?"

"What for?"

Jeanette smiled brilliantly. "This kid, says she wants to go there."

Bleu spread his hands, shocked. "Hey hey, Jeanette! What are you

talking about? This information is something we got from a job,

is it really so good if we reveal it that easily? Anyhow, that

monastery is a place so secret that......even only a few Gallian

royal nobles know about it......"

"That really doesn't matter at all."

"I'm just saying, don't you always nag me saying that we should

preserve the confidentiality of our work?"

This conversation made Louise confused. These guys, what do

they do for a living? Although it sounds that, they were secret

Gallia spies......

Maa, their identities weren't important.

A place for her to hide herself......isn't that enough?

"Alright, I'll tell you."

"Big bro Jack!" Bleu yelled.

"If Big bro Damien knew about it, he would blow his top!

Absolutely!"

"Maa, he should get angry. However, if I don't say it, Jeanette will

get even more angry. Right, Jeanette?"

Jeanette's face slightly reddened before laughing happily.

"This kid......it's like that from the start. When she sees someone

she likes, she would help them no matter what. That's just great,

miss." Jack said while looking at Louise. Louise, frightened by the

pressuring aura emanated by Jack, fearfully nodded her head.

Jack took a parchment from his bad and wrote something

smoothly.

"Go to the street along the coast of Gallia......Graville, find a priest called Marthis in the Sandwellie monastery there. He should

bring you to where you want to go." (T/L: not sure with the

names.)

The letter, which was handed to Louise, was instead snatched by

Jeanette.

"Hey, Jeanette......"

"I'll take her there. This kid, she can't cross the borders alone,

right?"

"You......what about the job? What are you planning to do!"

"In any case, the negotiations aren't completed, right? Big Bro

Damien isn't here too. Also, even if I weren't here, there won't be

much difference, will there?"

"Maa, it really is so."

Jeanette pounced on Jack and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Big

bro Jack! Although your face is scary, your heart is the softest!"

After that, Jeanette turned to the gaping Louise.

"Come on. Hurry up and prepare your stuff. We're going

immediately. Hurry, hurry, we'll need at least three days to get to

Gurabir from here, you know."

"Nn, okay....."

"Aah, right. Wear a large hood too, to cover your face, okay? We

don't know who's gonna catch up to us, right?" Jeanette said to

Louise, who was nodding furiously.

"Alright. Finally, let me ask you again."

"Eh?"

"From now on, the place I'm gonna bring you is a 'secret place'. Do

you know what that means? In other words, once you go in,

you're never getting out. Is that okay? You're never, ever going to

see him again, you know?"

This sentence made Louise pale. It was as if someone had speared

her head with an icicle. She was frozen from the depths of her

soul.

"Never, ever going to see Saito again."

This matter was becoming reality in the blink of an eye, made it

that much heavier a burden......

However......she had realized what she had to do and that was

why she ran away, wasn't it?

Because, Saito is already......in love with a person who loves him

and can protect him more.

She once thought that being at Saito's side was the only place for

her. However, now she cannot return to that place.

If she didn't do this......meeting with him would only make her

heart ache more. It could be said that she didn't want to be hurt

anymore. The pain was unbearably excruciating.

The Louise of the past had already died. Now there is just a

shell......

"Never mind." Louise said. The smile on Jeanette's face resurfaced.

"Sacrificing yourself for 'love'? Good, I like this kind the best."

Chapter 6: Damien and Gondrin

Eleonore sat in her chair in the Research Room, her left hand

going back and forth, grasping the papers on the table.

She rubbed her temple with her right finger, a habit that

happened every time she met something bad, she would shut her

eyes, shape her lips into a pout (like this: へ), and rub her temple

vigorously.

Her expression now was the spitting image of her younger sister.

"However, that kid.......still hasn't come back?"

After hearing about Louise's disappearance, Eleonore simply

thought, "It really is just a child's play."

After living together for some time, their true selves, along with

all their faults, would reveal themselves. She initially thought

Louise was just sulking, and that she would return home quickly,

right? However, things went contrary to her wishes, and there

hadn't been any news about Louise yet.

Eleonore had started to get a little worried, and had decided to

personally visit Des Onieres to get the details from Saito.

"Now is not the time for that."

She casually took the document that she had just ravaged. It was

sent this morning.

"The heck?......this time I got hit?"

On the paper was her appointed research topic, which was also

quite a peculiar topic.

"'A magical item that could release Alchemy for a substantial

period of time' ? What the heck are those people trying to do to

me, the one in charge of the Founder's sculpture?"

There must be something behind all this......with that in mind,

Eleonore stood up. Picking up her cape, which had been hung on

the wall, she draped it over her slim figure, she put on her hat,

which was the on the corner of the table, on her head and a

majestic Academy researcher was then born.

"Seriously......those guys on top there, I can't stand them

anymore......"

While mumbling, Eleonore exited the research office, and locked

the door offhandedly.

"Academy", refers to a magic tower of thirty levels. In the outer ring of the towers, a long corridor linked all the rooms.

In the center of the tower, there was a "lifting device", powered by wind stones, to travel between the levels. It looked very

similar to the "elevators" of Saito's world, pulling a lever in front on the entrance of the lifting device, a cage will drop in front of

them.

Walking into it and then saying her destination, "Top floor", the cage began to rise with the glow of the eyes of the in-cage statue.

Reaching the top, the first thing to enter her sight was a steel

door decorated with an pentagram. Sensing the visitor, the eyes

of the statue on either side of the door glowed and turned their

gaze to Eleonore.

After a brief confirmation of her identity, the door opened.

"......"

No matter how many times she had come here, this place still

exuded a powerful pressure. Behind the door was the entrance

room to the Academy Head Office......the place where the

masterminds behind the administration of Tristain went about

their business.

There was a door on either side of the entrance room. Behind the

table in the dead center of the entrance room, a woman who had

been writing official documents lifted her head after noticing

Eleonore's presence.

"Ah, if isn't that Miss Valliere. May I ask what brings you here?

She was the secretary of the Academy President, Miss Valentine.

A woman of extreme rationalism and an ice-cold heart. Even

though she was about Eleonore's age, they were not really

friendly with each other. In other words, she was a troublesome

woman.

"I want to meet Gondrin."

Miss Valentine straightened her figure and asked Eleonore, "Did

you make an appointment beforehand?"

"No, I didn't."

Hearing this, Miss Valentine showed a difficult face.

"Then, I'm sorry that I cannot arrange for such an unexpected

meeting. This is protocol."

Upon hearing this, a few angry veins emerged on Eleonore's

forehead. Her brow quivering with agitation, Eleonore stepped

maliciously towards the secretary.

"Don't take me as some palace official or some schoolgirl from

the country side. Can you send word that the Head Academy

Researcher, Miss Eleonore de Valliere is requesting for a

meeting?"

"I'm, of course, very clear with this, but even if it were Her

Majesty herself to come, my reply would remain the same. 'This

is protocol.'"

The angry veins on Eleonore's brow increased exponentially. She

moved her face dangerously close to Miss Valentine's and said

with a voice, trembling with anger, "You're really thick-headed."

"Until now, the number of academy researchers who tried to

force an entry through here is one, and that's you, Miss Eleonore.

How about you learn a little manners from others. If you had

done that, perhaps you would have been much more successful

with your marriage......"

Laughing coldly, Miss Valentine said the taboo word.

Eleonore chuckled coldly while whipping out her wand, pointing

it to Miss Valentine's nose. At the same time, Valentine's wand

was also whipped out, pointing at Eleonore's nose.

"Anyone in the academy who attacks with magic will be

excommunicated......you should know that very well."

"Nobody will use attack magic. I just want to use magic to close

that annoying mouth of yours for a while."

In this tense atmosphere, a sharp voice from the crystal

transmitter on the table suddenly pierced the air.

"Hey hey, you two, stop it!"

Facing the transmitter, Eleonore yelled, "Gondrin! I'm just giving

your secretary a little lesson on social etiquette."

"Yeah, yeah......seriously. Come in then."

Just then, the door on the left opened. Before leaving, Eleonore

shot a vicious glare at Valentine.

The room was filled with a myriad of magical items and

luxurious decorations. In the dead center of the room that looked

like a tumbled toy box stood a gaunt old gentleman.

He had a silver crown and a meticulously trimmed mustache

under his nose. Even though he looked neat, it was hard to sense

a powerful aura around him. This had also caused him to be

easily forgotten and underestimated.

And such a man was the president of the "Academy", Mr Gondrin.

"Seriously......what is it this time, Miss Valiere?"

Gondrin, who stuttered and mumbled, watched Eleonore slowly

stepped closer to him.

"It's not simply a matter of 'what's it this time'!" Eleonore yelled straight to his face. Gondrin, who already had a weak aura about

him, withered.

"Don't yell that loud...... this old man is a bag of old bones you

know......"

"Of course I'm yelling! Please give me an reasonable explanation

for this research command." Eleonore thrust out the document.

"Aah......about that. Nn, actually, it's regarding a repeated request from a VIP from the palace......"

"Even though I don't think this is heretical, it doesn't follow the

traditional research topics of the 'Academy'".

"What you're saying isn't wrong, but an old man like also has his

stand on this subject......"

While wiping away the sweat on his brow, Gondrin took a glance

at Eleonore.

"What are those palace guys thinking? Not long ago, Bailey was

also commanded to do some strange research......"

"Meh, meh......This old man doesn't know anything......"

Straightening her shoulders, Eleonore squinted angrily at

Gondrin.

"Are you hiding something?"

"This old man?! Hiding something from you?! Impossible! This

old man has nothing to hide!" Gondrin nervously waved his

hands.

"Really?"

"O-of course! Nn, about that, even though I'm not sure what

assignment the palace government gave you, they should have

their own concerns. Helping them out now is not a bad idea. Miss

Valliere, this old man remembers that you once placed an order

for a high speed magic cauldron, right?"

"Uh huh......"

That was the Achilles's heel of her research. No matter the topic

of research, money is always needed. Even with the academic

investment of Tristain, the budget allocation here is still quite

limited.

"I'll just increase the priority for the research budget of the 'Earth'

department, how about that? I'll try my best to convince the

board."

Eleonore's brow furrowed again. Even though she was very

conflicted, in the end, she still replied with a hesitating voice, "B-but, to start such a unconvincing topic......"

"What are you talking about? You're not a student anymore.

Research requires creativity, right? We at the 'Academy' are no

different."

"......"

Gondrin rested his hand on Eleonore's shoulders. "As long as I

can help impressive researchers like you work in a more

comfortable and complete environment, it's nothing for this old

man to work a little harder."

".......Two more M-Mandragora fields will do fine." (T/L:

Mandragora is the scientific name for "mandrake", which is a

herb)

"That's that then."

Certain of her victory, Eleonore happily skipped out of Gondrin's

room.

After closing the door, Gondrin heaved a sigh and plopped back

to his chair. A small shadow quickly hopped out from the

curtains.

It was just a ten year old boy.

With a head of blond hair and a face with a mischievous

expression, he looked out of place with the room. The youngster

said happily, "Smoothly done, Gray-sama."

"That Eleonore de Valliere is certainly a tough nut to

crack......even though her skills are extremely proficient."

Gondrin then turned towards the youngster and spoke with a

very troubled tone, "Then you must have heard it. Even with

your orders, we require a huge amount of monetary investment.

Two hundred thousand ecus is impossible. One hundred

thousand ecus at most. That's the best we can do."

"Is there no other way to get more investors?"

"Maintaining a tradition also requires money......if we took any

more money, then the administration body of the country itself

would be in trouble."

"Maintaining tradition is just wishful thinking on the part of

Tristian nobles, right?"

Gondrin leaned back on the chair. "Yup. However, we have

satisfied all the willful requests you've made from us, so how

about we be the ones to make the willful request this time,eh?"

Damien thought about it for a long time.

"One hundred and eighty thousand ecus. Not one less."

"One hundred and twenty thousand ecus.

"Don't be that inconsiderate." Damien shook his head. It was

quite unimaginable that such words will come out of a ten year

old boy's mouth.

"Can't reach an agreement, eh? I just can't get it through my

head; what do you need that much money for?" Gondrin asked.

"We have a dream."

"A dream?"

"Yes, a dream."

At this moment Damien's face started to show the angelic smile

of a ten year old.

Eleonore, who had returned to her research room, threw herself

down on the table.

"Why am I always the one to give in.......the person I am......"

The recent "Academy" is getting stranger. Bizarre research topics one after another......Commands from the palace? Who will it be?

Or, is it really so?

Even so, how does someone like me who's working their heart

out in the Academy understand the inside story of these

matters?

Right. Eleonore suddenly thought of something.

How about she try asking Louise about it?

"Ah."

Remembering that Louise just ran away from the house,

Eleonore's shoulders drooped again.

"That kid, where and what is she doing......?"

Chapter 7: Soeur Vanessa

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Louise finally reached Gurabir after a three day journey from

Sulpice. A quiet coast fishing village, Gurabir was complete with

rustic charm. Sanbailey Monastery was built on a small hill just

beside the port.

Even though Father Marthis looked shocked to meet Jeanette and

Louise, he changed his expression after reading the letter from

Jack.

"Wh-what the......No, but......"

However, amidst all the troubles, Father Marthis still arranged

everything necessary. After preparing the dragon cage, he

started to preach to Louise, who was still at odds at her decision.

All the women you're going to meet there also have their own

unspeakable reasons to live there.

Don't dig too deep.

Also......

Louise lowered her head and looked at the holy cross(T/L:圣具) on

her neck. It was a normal looking cross that could be found

anywhere but now......something incredible happened. Louise's

face and hair colour started to shift.

It seems that it is embedded with a powerful "Face Change"

magic.

"Never forget this......" Father Marthis' tone turned serious before telling her never to tell anyone her real name. Seems like the

place she's going to live is a place filled with unspeakable secrets.

Meh, if it wasn't so it wouldn't do any good to hide there, would

it?

Stepping into the dragon cage, Louise thanked Jeanette

profusely. She had been in her debt from the start.

"Good bye. Thank you so much."

Even though she said that, Jeanette still shook her head.

"Goodbye. Even though I've got a feeling we'll meet again."

"Isn't it said that it's forbidden to go out again?" Louise asked.

"Yeah, I know, but I've just got that feeling." Jeanette replied, her tone hovering between serious and joking.

After going through so much, Louise really felt that Saint

Margerita's was suited for her.

"The sea breeze feels so good......" Louise sighed as she gazed at the silvery waves of the "outer sea". She had been here for two

days already.

"I can't believe there's actually such an amazing place in

Halkegenia."

"This is really the "Lone Island of the Mainland"(T/L:大 的孤

陆

岛).

The church, which stood erected on the steep cliff of the

peninsula, is completely isolated from the mainland save for a

narrow spit of sharp rocks. The treacherous sea cliff forced ships

to stay away. If somebody were to come here, they would have to

fly here like her. In other words, nobody can come here......

This is really a suitable place for hiding. The winding blowing

into her pores, the hair that tickled her face was silky black. Even

though she had seen this in the mirror, her deep amber eyes

changed to black, her nose the same as all the others.

This was all thanks to the magically enhanced cross. Even her

own family couldn't recognize her as Louise now.

It was as if she completely changed her person. She felt that she

had gained enlightenment. Until she has completely forgotten

how she looked like......only then she could forget about the deep

pain in her heart.

"Soeur Vanessa."(T/L:苏尔·瓦妮莎)

Louise turned to the call. She had continued to use the fake name

given to her by Jeanette. Here, Louise is called "Sister Vanessa".

Apart from that, no other identification is required.

"Yes." Saying that, Louise turned seeing the abbess looking

intently at her. She was a kind woman of near forty years of age.

Spying around, after confirming that they were alone, the abbess

moved closer to Louise and said softly, "Then, please allow me to

remind you again......since you've come here, please forget

everything. I won't ask you how you know of this place...... so

don't go nosing around for the past of the other sisters."

"Of course. I'm here to forget." Louise said.

When Louise arrived, the abbess did not ask about her past. In

other words, she didn't want to know anything extra.

"Also, about the cross on your neck......according to the rules

here, you must never take it off. I'm sure you understand why.

However, the girls who had been staying here since birth know

nothing about the secret of the cross. Thus, the secret about the

magic on the cross must never reach anyone else's ears."

Louise nodded.

"Very well. Then I have nothing else to say. Let us serve the

Founder here quietly. Until our bodies turn to dust......"

Leaving her words like that, the abbess left. Louise surveyed the

place she was going to live in from today, Saint Margarita's

Monastery. The delicate monastery and the dormitories built on

the narrow peninsula. In between the wavy outline of the rocks,

there was a reservoir and a few farms.

These were packed into a land about the size of the academy.

There were about thirty women living here. Every week, a relief

ship would descend from the skies and deliver daily supplies and

foodstuff......

"Living in holy prayers every day."

Twelve days before, she was still living leisurely in Des Onieres,

but today she was looking out to the sea in the church at the end

of the world.

Fate is really such a strange thing......

Just as she was walking while thinking deeply......

"Miss Vanessa! Miss Vanessa!"

Three young sisters run to her from in front. Louise was

surrounded by the three girls in an instant, while they started to

make a ruckus.

"Where did Miss Vanessa come from?"

"Hey, that's my line!"

"What were you doing before this?"

The three completely ignored everything that the abbess just

said to her. While Louise was toiling with a hurricane of her own

in her head, the young sisters continued their barrage of

questions.

"Hey!"

A sister angrily yelled from behind.

"Miss Vanessa!"

A girl with long silver hair walked straight to her. The girl, called

Josette, placed her hands on her waist, her face serious.

"You guys really......Didn't the abbess always tell us 'not to be

interested in earthly things'?"

Just after she finished, a secretive smile surfaced on the faces of

the girls.

"Ala. You don't seem to have the reason to say such things to Miss

Vanessa. You're the one who's so interested in earthly things."

"What are you talking about. What do you mean, huh?"

"Oh, nothing. Because.....na......"

The girls ran away bickering under Josette's fierce glare.

Facing Louise, who was at a lost of words, Josette hastily

apologized.

"Sorry, they aren't bad children. It's just that, well, you know,

living in a place like this for so long......makes one so bored."

"Yeah."

Louise accepted the apology. She slowly realized that there were

two kinds of women in the monastery. Women who, like her,

came here to forget about everything......

The middle-aged women were like that. They created an

untouchable aura around them, only praying everyday.

On the other hand was the younger sisters. Maybe......they came

here since young. Being unable to expose themselves publicly,

bastard children of nobles......it should be like so. Now that she

thought of it, she heard cries of babies in the other room when

she had her breakfast.

They don't even know why they lived here since they were

young. Thus, they were as lively like the young girls that she has

just met.

Just as Louise was once again immersed into her thoughts,

Josette stretched out her hand. "I'm Josette. I'm in your care."

"......I'm called Va-vanessa. I'm also in your care, Sister Josette.

"Just call me Josette. This way no one has to bother with the

troublesome formalities." Josette smiled.

In the next few days, for unknown reasons, Josette followed

Louise around like a puppy dog.

In the monastery, every day, during morning and evening when

they took their meals at the fixed time, Josette always sat beside

Louise like she was up to something.

Not only that.

Josette also became the caretaker of Louise, who had just arrived.

Their beds were even linked together.

Even Louise began to feel irritated. Thinking that she could

finally get some peace of mind here, why would that girl be so

clingy?

On that night of becoming Louise's roommate, Josette chatted

with Louise about nothing and everything in particular.

"Na, Vanessa. I didn't snoop around your past, right? Because

that's the rules! But, if it was just about something about the

'outside', there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"......Outside?"

"Yeah. Na, what do the young girls outside wear?"

"Ask the others about this kind of stuff."

Louise's cold answer did not crush Josette's enthusiasm.

"Then, have you ever dated a boy? You wouldn't mind telling me

these things, right?

A familiar's shadow surfaced in Louise's mind. She came here

just to forget him! Louise, who unknowingly started to get angry,

began to speak in a sharp tone, "......mind what you say! I'm very

troubled!"

"What? You don't have to be so angry about that." Saying that,

Josette started to slip into her bed.

Next...... every time she reached her "sanctuary", as she started to feel comforted......

Her vision was filled with Saito.

Even though she abandoned everything and come to this hidden

place......

If she lived here, she'll never meet Saito.

Thinking back, she has always slept with Saito. If she didn't do

so, she couldn't sleep at all. Even though she could have used

wine to bring her into dreamland at Sulpice, there's nothing of

sorts here. If she had thought of Saito when she was

awake......her chest felt as pain as if someone pierced her with

sword.

Being unable to link her heart with her familiar......she never

thought that it would be so excruciating. She had always

thought that even if he strayed a little sometimes, looking at

other girls, the one that he really kept in his heart was her.

However......looking at Saito's expression, she didn't think so

anymore.

"The girl that Saito likes......isn't me, but the princess. A girl called Henrietta de Tristian......"

"The most amazing woman in the whole country. A queen above

all nobles, the powerful woman......"

Compared to her, she was nothing. Thinking like this made her

aware of how small her existence was.

Little Louise. Louise the Zero. A girl with a thin body and bad

temper......

"......wu. Er......wuwu" After she noticed that, Louise leaked out a sob. She hid her crying sounds with the blanket. She can't let the

girls she was going to live with from today see her cry like this.

However, Josette who had been sleeping beside her seemed to

have heard it. She got up and crawled into Louise's blanket

sneakily.

"What happened?"

"N-nothing......so......wu"

"Sorry, did I say anything I shouldn't have?"

Her caring voice made Louise's emotions surge.

"R-really......it's nothing......wu"

Just then, Josette silently hugged Louise's head.

"Never mind. Just cry it all out."

"I don't want to......"

"Why?"

"I-it'll be embarrassing......wuwu......it'll make me look like a

coward. Wuwu."

"There's nothing bad about being a coward anyway. I'm also

one."

Josette just kept caressing Louise's head.

The next morning.......Louise opened her red-rimmed eyes and

got up from the bed unwillingly. The sound of Josette's soft

breathing could be heard beside her.

Seeing her like that, she still had the face of a child. However, her

face was also changed by the cross on her neck, right......

"This child......should've been sent here since birth."

That's why she was so curious about the outside world.

Except for the daily activities here, she knew nothing else. Maybe

she never even met girls of her age. Louise stared at her. Louise

once thought that she was the unluckiest girl in the entire world.

However, Josette and the other girls, who have been living here

since birth, didn't even know about their misfortune. She was

comforted by such a child.

She then noticed how willful, unthoughtful of her to cry

yesterday.

What's so bad about talking about the outside world?

Josette slowly got up.

"Fuaaah......Good morning. Sorry, I fell asleep on your bed."

Louise shook her head.

"Never mind. About yesterday, sorry about that. If you're still

willing, I can tell you something about the outside world. I'm

bored anyway."

Hearing this, Josette's eyes started to glow.

"Really?"

Louise nodded hard.

Life in Saint Margarita's Monastery is bound by a strict timetable.

After getting up in the morning, the sisters have to pray in the

hall. They had their breakfast after daily cleaning. Farming work

and other miscellaneous things would continue until three in

the afternoon.

Then it was a period of leisure until the evening, when they'd

have their dinner.

Following a prayer after dinner, they will go to sleep. It could be

said their lives start at dawn and end at dusk. This simple

lifestyle was inconceivable to Louise, who had been spoilt by a

rich noble lifestyle from birth.

Thus, Louise used her sparse leisure time to tell stories about the

outside world to Josette and the girls. Every sister's eyes was

sparkling radiantly, it was as if Louise was a heroine from

ancient myths.

As usual, the girls gathered on Louise's bed, enchanted by

Louise's stories. Four girls wrapped in blankets chatted

surreptitiously. They'd have to do that to prevent their excited

voices from leaking out.

There wasn't even a candle around. It was pitch black.

"Yup. We 'll go out during days of rest."

"Go out?"

"Yeah. Going around in horse-drawn carriages, to faraway

places. It's quite fun."

"Nana, what's a horse?"

Josette, who took lead among the girls didn't even know what

was a horse. Come to think of it, there wasn't a horse anywhere

in the small monastery.

"How do I put it......an animal for riding?"

"Bigger than a dragon?"

"Of course the dragon's bigger."

"I know what a dog is! I saw one on a ship once."

"A horse, can it......fly?"

"There's some animals that're similar to the dog and can fly, like

the Pegasus' and the griffon......"

"What's that! What kind of animal is that?"

Her daily life, food, the streets......things like these were the

things that made them excited the most. However, Louise

noticed something strange while they were chatting.

Even though they were a bunch of girls who don't know what is a

horse, they were unimaginably well aware of the fashion trend

between city girls......like shops that sell fabrics and clothes.

Even though they don't even know anything about the street

formations in the capital of Gallia, Lutèce, they knew the

extreme details of every corner of the streets. This made Louise

feel very amazed.

"You do know a whole lot about it. The hats with a wavy rim is

really quite popular."

After being praised like that, a girl started to get conceited and

said, "The High Priest who comes here sometimes also tells us

something about the fashion trends in the outside streets."

There also seem to be visitors in a secretive monastery like this.

Thus, for them, except for something like hearing about the

outside world, there shouldn't be other forms of entertainment.

"But the High Priest seems to tell Josette more things, you know!"

After a girl said so, Josette was so embarrassed that her neck

even turned red too.

"What are you all talking about! I hope that you won't say such

strange things!" (T/L:exceptionally polite girl, this one.)

"Ah? Isn't it so?" The girls sneered.

"Look, Miss Josette turned completely red! As red as an apple!"

"Please get a hold of yourselves! You're really rude!" Josette

protested loudly, her face bright red. It seemed that Josette had

some connection with the High Priest. Louise started to feel a

little jealous of Josette.

"So that's why you want to know more about the outside world!"

"No, that's not it!" Josette firmly denied. Louise unconsciously overlapped her shadow with hers. Aah, she has also been teased

once, and had once denied just as firmly too.

Sweet memories and an excruciating pain swirling around her

heart, Louise sighed. The other girls didn't notice the change in

Louise's expression and continued asking their questions.

"Then, Miss Vanessa, have you ever kissed before?"

Because of this casual question, Louise's heart broke cleanly into

half. Memories surged into her mind like a tsunami in a sudden,

straining her already weak heart.

Louise rolled her eyes and fell. No matter how Josette shook her,

she didn't wake up. It seemed that she had fainted.

"......damn. Is a kiss between lovers something that intense?"

Hearing this, Louise revived with a "ha!".

"Are you okay? Vanessa."

"I-it's alright." Louise mumbled as she shook her head. "Cough cough." Dry coughs were heard from the other beds. It seems

that they were too noisy.

The girls silently left Louise's bed and returned to their own.

Silence returned......Louise closed her eyes.

"Have I kissed before?"

The question just now resurfaced in her mind.

She did, and did so many times.

Thinking so, she noticed that Saito and her had met each other

because of a kiss, and left each other because of a kiss. The

happiest things in her life, and the saddest things in her life were

connected to memories of kisses.

The two kinds of kiss mixed around. Louise didn't know if she

started to feel sad, depressed or tired. Louise traced the outline of

her lips slowly with her fingers......countless memories of the

past resurfaced.

"Will I meet Saito in a dream again today?" Louise spaced out,

thinking about this. She hugged her knees and curled into a ball

under blanket.

After that happened, Louise always met Saito in her dreams

every night.

She came to this lonely island after clearly making the resolution

to leave him......Didn't this meant that all of that meant nothing?

Louise started to become upset. She wanted to forget

everything.....but she hadn't been able to do so.

The Saito in her dreams, had always hugged Louise so very

gently. Muttering sweet nothings, oaths of love in her ear......but

once she started to focus on Saito, he would disappear; while the

her in the dreams would attempt to find Saito aimlessly.

Sometimes she would search in the academy, sometimes in

Tristannia, once she even went to her old home in La Valliere to

find him. However, a common thing that happened no matter

where she tried to find him.....

No matter where, she couldn't find Saito.

Thus, a dark atmosphere started to surround Louise. Even the

curious girls in the beginning became less inclined to get close to

her.

However, even so, only Josette still chatted with Lousie like

normal.

"Ah, Miss Vanessa, I have something else to ask......" One day,

after their relationship became closer, Josette asked Louise

embarrassedly.

"What?"

"About my hair......then, what kind of hairstyle would suit me the

most?"

"Won't just any hairstyle do?"

Josette was a little angry at Louise's coldness.

"What's so bad about asking you about this?"

"......so this is love." Hearing Louise say this tiredly, Josette shook her exaggeratedly.

"No! Really!"

"I saw through it a long time ago. Hey, maybe it's the high priest

who comes here sometimes? However I still have to advise you

to give up, this thing about love......"

"Why?"

"Because it's fated, that you'll get betrayed one day."

Hearing Louise say this, Josette raised her hands, shocked.

"Seriously, why are all of you 'saints' the same?"

Suddenly being called as a saint, Louise turned nervous. She was

once called "Aquileia's Saint" herself. Why would Josette know

about this? Louise became nervous.

"S-saint......? What do you mean?"

"Aah, that, that's a name for people like you who entered this

place midway. Always showing a dark face, you all seem like

you're carrying the burden of the entire world on your shoulders.

I really do hope that you can be more considerate of the other

people here."

It seemed that the name "saint" is more of a sarcastic metaphor.

Louise only got angry to this.

"In the outside world, there're so many things that you don't

even know. No matter if it's happy things, or sad things. There

are even things that will hurt you so severely that you want to

die!" Louise could not control herself.

"Yeah. Yeah, maybe it is so. Like what you say, I know nothing at

all. Really, except for the life here, I don't know anything else."

Josette replied with a expressionless face.

"......"

"However, this doesn't mean that we don't understand what's

happiness or sadness. Maybe my world is small, but even in this

small world, many things happen......of course, it isn't love. We

cannot fall in love, nor are we in love. Simply because, we're

people of cloth. Such things will never be forgiven. But......"

Saying this, Josette place her hands on her chest.

"That person, praised my hair. This colour......because it's almost

white, I once hated it so much, but he actually said this hair

colour is beautiful." Josette smiled sweetly.

"Here, even if there is no pretty clothes......but at least when he

comes, I still want to tie my hair up into a more suitable

hairstyle. If I just did that, even the Founder will just leave me

aside, don't you think so?

Hearing this, Louise felt embarrassed. It was because, she was

jealous.

"I did once." Louise answered, her voice trembling.

"Eh?"

"Kissing."

Josette laughed.

"That's like a dream to me, something like kissing a lover."

Louise slightly tilted Josette's head scarf.

"Even though I don't really care about dressing up and the like,

but I think your hair is cute. Nn, how about you separate them

from the middle?"

Josette followed Louise advice and separated her hair from the

middle with her finger.

"How is it?"

Louise stared for a while......

"It's not so good. The original style was better."

Josette laughed. Louise, influenced, also began to laugh.

That night, Louise and Josette secretly crept out from the dorms.

Actually they didn't have anything important to discuss, but just

found themselves staring at each other as they could not fall

asleep.

As they walked side by side, Louise noticed that Josette was

shorter than her by ten Saitongs.(T/L: unit of length, I think,

original: 桐

赛 )

Her side profile was also quite child-like......

Walking out of the dorms, two girls walked to the edge of the

cliff. The twin moons hovered above the sea, radiating their

brilliance. The moonlight scattered onto the ocean surface,

turning into thousands of silver scales.

"It's so annoying."

"What's so annoying?"

"Things that are so foolishly beautiful."

"Why do you think it's annoying?"

"Everytime I see something beautiful, memories often pop out of

nowhere.."

"Are they sad memories?"

"Nn." Louise nodded.

"Because happy memories often happen in beautiful places. Like

the scenery that we once gazed at from afar, like the bright moon

that we once admired together......"

"With a lover?"

"Nn."

"Fell out?"

"Maybe."

Josette shook her head.

"If you're sad because you fell out of love, I can understand. But,

such good memories, why would you get upset over it? If so,

those memories aren't memories at all."

"That's because all these memories have become lies. Just

because something bad happened, all these precious memories,

turned into lies." Gazing at the sea, Louise said. Crystal tears

rolled down her cheeks.

"And that's why you came here?"

"Yes."

Hearing that, Josette caressed Louise's cheeks with her hands

before staring straight into Louise's eyes.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Me, I don't think there's things like that. "Everything becoming lies" and such. Even though I don't really understand, but I think

the things that make you feel that 'it's beautiful' are still very

beautiful."

"What do you mean?"

"Happy things. Exciting things. These are surely good things. I

think you can't see beyond the lies and that's why you lost your

confidence."

Louise bit her lip.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I'm like that. I sometimes think that that guy doesn't

like me at all. He's comes to visit me just out of pity. Even though

he once said that "I came to see you." ...... I still doubt him

sometimes. During those times, I'll get all depressed. Every time I

see my silver hair in the mirror......seeing my small body, hearing

those bad stuff that my friends say, at those times, I can't stop

myself from doubting myself."

Josette stopped for a while. She smiled softly.

"But, even though that guy is just pitying me......I won't give up.

Even though it's like that, even if him praising my hair, saying

that "I came to see you" was a lie......my feelings that time, were true. With this, I, can continue to live. Unlike you, who chose to

escape."

Louise felt as if Josette's words gave her hard head a good

hammering.

Seeing as Louise stayed silent, Josette's cheek started to redden

with embarrassment.

"Sorry, I was speaking so willfully."

"Wu wu......" Louise shook her head. "What you said was right. I just chose to escape. Yes, what you said was right. Even though I

had determined that I'd believe him no matter what he

does......but I didn't even give him a chance to explain."

If she heard the explanation, maybe she would be even more

shocked, or maybe she would be hurt more deeply. Even

so......she didn't even face the truth and simply ran away.

Louise sneaked into her blanket after returning to the dorm with

Josette, but she still couldn't sleep. She heard Josette's steady

breathing beside her......why did her emotions become that

way?......Louise got up again, and took out the Founder's Prayer

Book from the private drawer.

She also took out the Water Ruby. Her wand and the Water Ruby.

In the end, she still couldn't let go of these two things.

That day, they seemed to have become her shadows, staring at

them made her feel as if something was going to happen. Louise

opened the Founder's Prayer Book under the blanket.

"......"

Why would it be now, Louise started to ponder.

The pages started to glow slightly, words formed on what was

just plain white paper seconds before.

[If the four successors and their familiars have a problem, the

successors of "Void" cannot give up. The power of "Void" can only awaken in the blood of the successors. The successors of "Void" , must find the other successors. And then, take back the "Holy

land" from the heretics.]

Words will form in times of need, Derflinger once said that. Now

when there is the shortage of one Void user, shouldn't the

Founder's Prayer Book tell something to the successors of the

Void.

"Then......even if the successors of the Void dies, there will be

others to inherit this power?"

Louise mumbled as she bit her lip.

If so......what we hope would be lost. If this thing were to be

known by Romalia......

"The Holy Crusade will continue."

Louise grasped her fists hard under the blanket.

She must tell this to Saito and the Princess......they felt safe

because they had crushed Romalia's wild ambitions.

However, how is she going to tell them?

She was on this lone island away from the mainland......there

wasn't a way to leave this place.

"However,"......Louise nodded in her heart.

She can't determine if Romalia knows about this. If she just kept

it a secret from everybody, then she wouldn't be afraid that this

would be leaked out. As long as she just slept forever in this jail-

like convent with the Founder's prayer book, she may be able to

keep this secret to herself.

"Nn." Louise nodded in her heart again.

But that was just an excuse.

I'm just......thinking that "this doesn't matter to me." I just don't want to see Saito and the princess, just don't want to get even

more hurt......

"I don't want to know."

Louise nodded. Why did she get chosen? If she wasn't the

successor of the Void, she wouldn't have these troubles.

Something like the future of Halkegenia, is a terribly heavy

burden on her shoulders.

Just then......on the next page, words formed.

Ancient runes.

This, is the new Void spell.

"......"

What did God and the Founder, want her to use the "Void" for?

The runes that have emerged, seemed to be scolding her. "You

there, such great power has been given to you, but you don't

want to do anything with it and wither here forever?!"

She seemed to have been scolded by the Founder's prayer book.

......ah, this. So it's like this.

So she actually escaped from her own decision to "believe in Saito

no matter happens", and also from the destiny that has been

bestowed to her.

Louise felt herself being swallowed by a great feeling of

restlessness.

Chapter 8: Josette’s Resolution

Even though Josette said something like that to Louise yesterday,

she was not really confident in herself......"From now on, I'll only

come for you", if he really was just joking then......she would also

have thoughts of running away from here.

However, Josette did not want to give in to her fears. To her, the

high priest from Romalia, Julio, is everything to her.

Before meeting Julio, Josette has always thought that she would

staying in this Saint Margarita Convent forever,bored for the rest

of her life.

However after his arrival, the dying embers of her gloomy life

started to revive again......even though the time spent with Julio

is short......but every second is filled with precious memories.

That's why she cared so much about what Louise said.

How can memories, as precious as jewels, be lies? Even though

she didn't know what had happened to her before, but more

importantly, her feelings and memories, will never be fake.

Josette glanced at Louise, who was biting a large bread, at the

corner of her eye. She looked like she had something on her

mind.

She gave the feeling that her heart was elsewhere.

Is she still thinking about yesterday? Even though this thought

flashed through her mind, it was quickly stamped out of

existence.

Compare to these, when was Dragon-kun (T/L:

哥哥

飞龙

) coming

here again?

Three weeks passed since their last meeting.

Josette sighed deeply.

"Those jewel-like memories really makes other times become as

boring as stones."

She unconsciously remembered their last meeting when he

brought that ring. The brilliant amber gem embedded in the

delicate ring.....

"It would be my pleasure if you can wear it."

Julio's words echoed around her ears. After seeing that the ring

fit snugly into Josette's finger, Julio nodded contently, before

returning to telling stories about the city streets again.

Even though he never repeated those words again.....but that

sentence still left a deep mark on Josette's heart. If that ring is

really mine.....what would Julio do to me?

Will he give me the title of head priestess?

Or, would he give me......something amazing?

Just because she was still immersed in these fantasies, the

sudden sound of flapping wings made Josette agitated. If it was

some other time, she would have just put on a sour face,

suppressing her deep passion and excitement while waiting, but

she just could not stand it this time.

Not caring about her breakfast that was barely eaten, Josette

rushed out from the canteen.

When the blue-scaled sky dragon came into view, Josette felt like

crying. From the back of the sky dragon, Julio, wearing a white

cape, jumped down.

Without a moment's hesitation, Josette flew into his embrace.

"Onee san."

"Oi, oi, this shouldn't what a sister should do! And I thought this

time I'm also going to look at someone's sour face, listening to

her complain about something."

Hearing this, Josette quickly let go of Julio.

"I-I was going to do so, but, this time I didn't suppress it."

She then lifted her head up, watching Julio with eyes shaking full

of hope.

"Can you stay a bit longer today?"

Seeing Julio shake his head in regret, Josette's face darken with

worry.

"What happened?"

"No......nothing. I just thought of a conversation with a new girl

last night. I knew it, Oni san only comes here just out of pity."

Julio laughed after hearing that.

"Even if it was like that, what's so bad about it?"

"Nothing much. I just felt that I was too stupid."

Josette's heart seemed like it would just break apart at any

moment. Even though she had repeated to herself that this

feeling is not love for uncountable times already, but when that

time really comes, she just couldn't face it.

"I really am in no position to tease Vanessa." Josette shook her head.

"Alright alright, since the great Lord Carindal Deacon (T/L:助祭枢机

卿大人) is so busy with his work, then please quickly finish your

business here and go the side of other disciples."

Hearing words full of sarcasm, Julio stll smiled.

"Okay, then I'll just say it straight. Josette, I'm here to take you

away."

"What?"

Julio's sudden speech made Josette dumbstruck.

"As there were too much red tape, I'm so sorry for taking so long."

Compared to shock, Josette felt more agitated (T/L:气愤, the word

"angry" doesn't fit here). Travelling the outside world with Julio seemed like a enticing proposal.

This was also Josette's wish. However, Josette also knew that it

was ridiculous. She was unable to leave this place, she cannot

leave this place, she had been told such things all along......

"Onee san's joke is really lame, if you want to get a girl's smile,

you have to be more serious."

"I'm not lying you know. Even though I look like this, I am a

priest serving the Founder, you know? Something like lying, I

have never done that before, have I?"

Josette's eyes widened. Because Julio's words doesn't seem to be

lies.

"Is it......really so?"

"Of course. Look, this is a letter penned by His Holiness himself.

From today on, you're under the care of the Church of Romalia."

Different from before, the abbess and priestesses gathered

around Julio.

"May I ask, what is your business here?"

Seeing the unease on the abbess' face, Julio showed a letter.

"This, this is......"

"This is an edict from His Holiness."

"B-but......we've been entrusted by the nobles of this country to

supervise this place. We cannot let any of the sisters go without

their permission......"

Julio smiled after hearing that.

"So who is your true master? The holy Founder? Or the nobles of

this country?"

"W-well....."

"Your kind hearts have always been used by the nobles of this

heart, isn't it so? Because of their disrespect for God, they created

such a 'prison', have they not? That's just too scary."

The abbess fell prostrate at Julio's feet after hearing that,

shocked.

"Oh.......indeed, have you known everything?"

Julio bent down and placed a hand on the shoulder of the

shuddering abbess.

"The thing about secrets, it's just very difficult to keep it. There

are but a million ears in the world and the hardest thing to do in

the world is shutting people's mouths."

"I'm unaware of the pasts of the children, so please don't ask me

about that......"

"Relax, I'm not here as an Inquisitor."

Julio placed a bag beside the abbess.

"This is some money for all the years you've taken care of her."

Then, Julio turned to look at Josette, who watched him

bewilderedly, mouth agape.

"Well then, let's go."

"Eh? Eh eh! Eh eh eh eh eh!?"

Josette's thought process came to a sudden halt. She finally could

break free of this convent, and she was also going with Julio......

It was like a dream.

Would she be, under the effect of some strange magic?

"What happened?"

Julio's soft words entered her ears.

"Wh-what is this! Everything happened so fast......"

"Yeah, this was a little too hurried. Why don't you go arrange

your baggage?"

Hearing Julio's words, Josette finally snapped back to herself.

This was the real world......

Julio was really going to bring her away.

"Are you serious?"

Asking to test the waters, Julio nodded firnly.

"This is really nerve racking, how am I going to convince you?"

Josette looked at Julio silently. his heterochromic eyes, each of a

different color, displaying a coquesttish charm.

Everytime she saw those eyes.....Josette just could not stop

herself.

"This is reality."

After drawing the fine line between fantasies and reality,

Josette's actions immediately became as swift as the wind.....

She ran to the crowd of sisters far away, to find her most

intimate friends.

She shook their hands, saying goodbye to her gaping friends.

"I thank you all for your care for me in the past. Yeah, I'm leaving

this place now, you know."

"Eh? Eh eh? What the heck is going on?"

Her friends who were knee deep in chaos.

"Leaving this place."

For them, who have never thought of this way before, this was

unavoidable. After all, even Josette herself has not thought it out

yet, or in other words, she did not even know why Julio was

taking her away.

However, there was not a shred of insecurity in her heart. As

long as she was able to be together with Julio, Josette would not

mind any danger she will face.

Walking briskly to the abbess' side, Josette held her hand.

"Thank you for all your care. I'll never forget your kindness."

The abbess looked at Josette with a weary face. She looked like

she was going to say something, but she held back for a moment

after opening her mouth.

"......Thinking back, I may have betrayed the Founder's decree.

Even though it was a forced decision, but keeping girls like you

in a place like this is still against the natural order. Take great

care, the world outside is much different than here, it's much

cruel."

Josette nodded, and then ran to Julio's side.

"Is there really no need for a baggage?"

"Nn, since there was nothing to take away anyway."

"I see. Never mind, you're going to get everything you desire

soon, so maybe it's better that way."

"There's really no need for that, as long I'm with Onee san, I'm

completely sastified......"

"I promise you."

After Josette was safely on the sky dragon, Julio jumped on it too.

"Well then, may the Founder bless you."

After making a declaration like something out of a movie, Julio

rided the sky dragon to the clouds.

Josette gazed at the Saint Margerita's Convent as it shrunk from

her aerial view. Her home, where she spent fifteen years of her

life.

She watched the dormitories and the farms on the mountains.

"That was, my everything."

"You're not going to ask about why I was taking you away?"

"Yeah, but that would be meaningless."

"Aren't you scared, that maybe I'm cheating you?"

"Even if Onee san was going to bring me to hell, I have no regrets,

because......this feeling now, is real. What do I do, it's just like

wings grew our of my heart, hard to control. This feeling, is a

first for me."

"Are you willing to obey everything I ask you to do? If that was

so, I promise that you'll get everything you want." Julio said

softly.

"I was going to do so anyway. After all, I'm completely in the dark

about the outside world."

Josette took in a deep breath.

Gradually, Saint Margerita's Convent disappeared from the

clouds. Instead, what entered her vision was the vast Halkegenia

mainland.

"Amazing......the outside world was actually so much wider."

"Everything down there, will one day be yours, you know."

Josette smiled it off, but Julio was not smiling.

"......Onee San?"

"Let us take it back, the world that was originally yours."

Seeing Josette leave on the sky dragon from the canteen window

made Louise suspect what she saw.

Julio, that was Julio, right?

That's right. Undenialbly, that was Julio. Those heterochromic

eyes......the pitiful beauty of his boyish face. And that sky dragon.

There was no mistake.

His appearance was surprising enough, but his action to take

Josette away made her speechless.

Why.

The answer came quick enough.

Last might, the words that had surfaced on the Founder's Prayer

Book......

"The power of "Void" can only awaken in the blood of the

successors. "

Also, this was the Saint Margerita's Convent made specially to

place bastard children of nobles and royalty under house arrest.

The two clues interweaved.

"Josette is the new Void user."

Perhaps, she was the replacement for the dead King

Joseph......she can't be wrong.

"I must tell the Princess immediately."

However, another voice surfaced in her heart.

"Is there really a need for this?"

As long as she stayed here secretly......the four Void users will

never come together. As long as she died here without anyone

knowing, the Holy Crusade will never start.

However, just as she felt the night before, this was just purely

thoughts of an escapist.

The fear of getting hurt, made her try to escape from her destiny.

Feeling useless, after all, she was hurt so deeply. Also, this may

be the best way to settle it.

"What should I do?"

Nobody can answer this question.

Like before, the power to make her own decisions lay on her own

hands.

What was the right answer?

"How did I really feel at the bottom of my heart?"

Does she really want to stay here for the rest of her life?"

If it was really so, why did she bring her Founder's Prayer Book

and wand?

At the deep crevasses of her heart, there must be a thought to

"want to do something", and that's why she brought them here.

Even if her heart was hurt, broken to infinite pieces, perhaps

there was someone who still believes in her.

"There are some things that only I can do."

"There are people who are waiting for me to help them."

Louise took out the Ring of Water from her pocket. The beautiful

azure blue diamond......driving the power of the 'Void'......the

power which she could not control and has given up halfway.

If she was succesful in controlling it, would she get a little more

confidence?

Lifting her head up suddenly, Louise ran to Abbess who was stil

sitting on the ground, dumbstruck.

"Madam Abbess."

"W-what is it?"

"Please tell me a way to get out of here."

She told the abbess a hope in her heart that she has once ignored

for a long time.

"That's impossible."

"When will the next ship arrive?"

"After three days, but they will never let you on board."

Louise bit her lips hard. Even if she tried to force her way in, in

the end it would just evolve into a fiasco. Then......

Louise jumped up again, running to her private locker beside her

bed, taking out the Founder's Prayer Book, then putting on the

Ring of Water hastily.(T/L: Imagine Louise as a mini Bruce Willis

doing Die-Hard here. :P)

She ripped the sacred cross, which was forbidden to be taken off,

from her neck.

Her bright peach-colored hair swayed in the air.

Seeing Louise like this made the sisters around her shriek.

"Va-Vanessa......what are you......"

"I'm not Vanessa, my real name is Louise. Louise the Zero. The

priestess that you all have been longing for. Remember this

name well, because soon, I'll be saving this world, you know."

Running to the cliff, Louise looked at the horizon to her right.

The Gallian coast loomed beyond her vision like a bow.

How far is it?

Three thousand Mails? (T/L:玫鲁,Mails, a unit of measurement in

ZnT)

Or even further?

Will it be ten thousand Mails?"

She did not know.

"Seriously, is this really the powers of the void? Giving me such

useless spells. Hey, great Founder, isn't there any spells like 'Fly'?"

While mumbling, Louise look at the Founder's Prayer Book.

On the book, the incantation that had surfaced yesterday.

"Teleportation."

How far can she teleport to? Would she reach Romania in an

instant? Or, was it just a short distance?"

She did not understand.

However, there was no time for her to hesitate.

Louise started to chant the incantations.

"Uryuhagara-subeo-kunniru."

Immediately waving her wand, unleashing her power in one

shot.

In an instant, Louise's body appeared in the air about one

hundred mails from the convent. Below her was the sea, shining

dully......gravity mercilessly took hold of her, and Louise fell.

While falling, Louise started to chant again.

"uryuhagara-su"

She could only chant till here, if she continued chanting she

would drop into the sea! Louise's body moved slightly closer to

the coast again. In the air, Louise grumbled. (T/L: This sentence

needs to be checked, so just read this part with a pinch of salt)

"What the heck, I hardly moved at all!"

She only moved up a distance of about two hundred Mails from

Saint Margerita's Convent. However, undaunted, Louise

continued to chant.

She actually planned to teleport to the coast like this. Even

though, it was not sure if she had enough will power......but she

has made her decision, and there was no turning back.

Louise fixed her gaze to the front, and started to chant again.

Chapter 9: Two Canes, One Crown

Two days after Julio brought Josette out of Saint Margerita's

Convent......

Charlotte, the Gallian Queen, aka Tabitha, was looking over the

newly constructed palace with her ministers.

The dark evening sky cast a gloomy atmosphere over the

majestic palace, but it was not enough to cover the exquisite

beauty of the jade noble emblem.

Isabella, who was beside Tabitha, exclaimed, “The palace looks

even more beautiful than before!”

Barberini, the Gallian Prime Minister on the other side of Tabitha

said, “That's because the palace will be heralding the coming of

the new queen, how can we do that with the old palace!”

Isabelle simply shot Barberini a glare and ignored him.

Barberini was extremely familiar with various age-old and

modern ceremonies so he was in charge with the garden party

four days later to celebrate the coronation of the new Queen of

Gallia. The reception party, party seats, dinner menu, and even

the schedule of the one week long party and ball was so

flawlessly orchestrated by his own hand that even the Gallian

nobles who were picky about details were unable to find fault

with it.

Even though this person was extremely capable, Isabella did not

trust the Prime Minister from Romania.

His extremely cautious ways of doing things was exactly what

made Isabella raise her guard. As his ability was nothing but

ordinary, she couldn't let her guard down, otherwise this

country will be overtaken by him under her nose.

However, if they lost Romania's aid, Tabitha's coronation was

out of their reach, so they could not refuse him. Also, if they

really did that, the monasteries and disciples of entire country

will revolt against Tabitha.

Now, Isabella did not knew if Tabitha shared her concerns as she

was simply gazing blankly at the new palace. What did the

palace looked like was perhaps meaningless to her.

Just then, the church bell rang, signalling that it was six o'clock.

Isabella sighed and turned to the ministers.

“Everyone, now is time for Her Majesty to enjoy her dinner!”

Put in other words, they can leave.

Tabitha normally took her dinner with Isabella and her mother.

Of course, there was also her familiar, Sylphid.

The ministers and nobles looker at Tabitha expectantly, hoping

that Her Majesty would entertain their request for a dinner with

them that night. However, except the two persons and one

familiar, nobody had the opportunity to eat with the queen.

Seeing the dumb looks on the ministers' faces, Isabella bowed to

Tabitha and left early.

Madam Orleans was waiting for her daughter and her niece in

the old dining place. She revealed a smile as she saw Isabella

pulled Tabitha into the room.

“Come on, sit down, my dear daughter and Isabella. They've

prepared mixed fruit salad with beef today. Oh, doesn't that

smells great?”

Seeing that Tabitha and Isabella took their places beside Madam

Orlean, Percerin immediately poured Happoshu(T/L: Japanese

sparkling wine drunk before a meal) into their glasses.

Madam Orleans' past beauty was slowly recovering, even though

it was slow, but it was undeniable. After drinking Happoshu, the

three noble ladies began to chat. The one who started the

conversation was always Madam Orleans. The conversations

were very simple, like what dramas were popular in the city,

without a trace of politics or deep rumors.

Sylphid also joined in frequently with her trademark “Chiu,

chiu”......

During these times Isabella will feel herself purged of her

wrongdoings and sins, without those, Tabitha felt just like a

irreplaceable sister to her.

That was......a feeling she had when she was a child.

Now, Isabella was a secret aide to Tabitha to help consolidate

Tabitha's position as the new monarch.

“Hey, Helene.”

Unknowing, Sylphid has already collapsed on the table, snoring

in a drunken stupor. Isabella took the opportunity to call out

Tabitha's nickname while everyone was quiet. In front of the

ministers she called Tabitha “Your majesty”, but in private she

preferred to be more intimate, like their childhood times.

“I don't think letting Barberini take care of so many important

things is a good idea.”

Tabitha shook her head.

“It's just the tip of the iceberg.”

In other words, it was a gimmick that would keep him away

from the core. Isabella nodded after she heard Tabitha. The

garden party arrangement seemed important, but it was nothing

of central political importance.

“Okay then. Also, I was thinking of sending the 'knights' to spy

on him, what do you think?”

Considering it for a moment, Tabitha nodded her agreement.

“Thank you.”

Actually, Isabella has already placed a few eyes into Barberini's

side. Everyone that has been to his place, every letter, and even

the menu of his dinner is at the Isabella's fingertips.

Even though there was not any suspicious activity, she could not

afford to let him go past her nose easily. As the leader of the

North Garden Knights, Isabella was well accustomed to the

antics behind the scenes in Romania. Since they had been ruling

the world as the main church of Founder Brimir for thousands of

years, their power cannot be underestimated.

“Hmm? What are you girls discussing about?”

Hearing such care from her aunt, Isabella shook her head.

“Nothing, Auntie.”

Since few weeks before, Isabella has been viewing her aunt as her

mother, so Isabella can't bear to let her worry.

While Madam Orleans also treated Isabella and Tabitha equally.

“Any way, congratulation on the upcoming garden party.”

Madam Orleans said nonchalantly while quietly stuffing food

into Tabitha's mouth.

“Mother, do you still don't want to go to the party?”

Madam Orleans shook her head.

“Sorry, but I don't wish to participate in such social activities

anymore.”

Tabitha stopped, looking a little disappointed. Tabitha, who was

normally expressionless in front of her ministers, would reveal

her true feelings in front of her intimate family.

Seeing her daughter like this, Madam Orleans took Tabitha's

hand.

“Because, even without me, you can still take care of the visitors

perfectly!”

Tabitha nodded her head once. “Un.”

I will protect this mother and daughter—Every time she was

touched by such a heart warming scene during dinner, Isabella

would swear in her heart.

After dinner, Tabitha came to the newly built Grand Troyes

Palace, and entered her quarters.

“Fuuaah....my stomach's so full, Sylphid will go to bed now!”

Sylphid reached a corner of the room, laid down on a pile of

clothes and slept soundly.

On the bed, the gown brought by the maid servants during the

day was strewn across the bed.

During the garden party, Tabitha would have to change a set of

clothes every morning, afternoon and night. Made by

professional tailors of the country, the beautiful gown, made out

for the queen was waiting to be worn.

Tabitha took one of the clothes and held it before herself. It was a

lacy dress, covered in infinite minuscule holes, allowing others

to take a glimpse of the body underneath. However, important

parts are still covered decently.

Tabitha felt a little worried if her little body would fit the

wonderfully designed dress.

“Why would I be worrying about this?”

When she realised the reason, Tabitha'face went red. She took

the list of delegates on the table. Her eyes stopped at the last

name of the delegates from the Tristan empire.

“The Tristan Minister of Diplomatic Relations-cum-Vice

Commander of the Knight Corps of the Water Spirit , Saito De

Hiraga Des Ornières.

Maybe he was appointed as one of delegates because of his

relation with her before in the academy. His name has also

become longer so he seems to have been awarded a land title.

What kind of land was it?

The kind with a mansion?

What kinds of crops do they have there, and what about the

people there?”

Also, Louise who has a perpetually sour face was also living with

him, right?

Tabitha imagined Saito's new residence, Des Ornières, which she

has never seen before.

“I could finally see him again.”

She felt that ages has past since their last meeting at the Lelion

river. Then, she agreed to put on the crown under the urgings of

the fake Saito.

Tabitha bore a deep grudge over that incident, so she tried not to

think of Saito......

However, the thought of meeting him in a few days time made

her uncontrollably happy.

He already has a lover, and her name also appeared on the list.

She was Tabitha's friend, also someone she respected deeply,

even though she did not approve of the way she treated Saito.

“I could just, dance with him for one song.”

Right, a dance.

With him.

Dancing with delegates of other countries is also one of the

aspects in diplomatic relations, so it was something extremely

ordinary no matter how one sees it.

What should she wear then?

The lace net gown came into her vision again. Tabitha held it up

with both of her hands, staring at it.

After making sure that Sylphid was fast asleep, Tabitha

soundlessly took off all her clothes and put on the gown.

………

Naturally, as Tabitha has expected, the gown fit her snugly. Her

inner clothing were exposed through the minuscule holes.

What kind of underwear did the designer had in mind while he

was designing the gown? It probably was not the kind wore in

the bedroom.

Bedroom......

Tabitha's cheeks flushed as she sunk deeper into her

imagination.

“I've become a strange person.”

Shaking her head, she took up another gown. This was sewn

with black glossy cloth with a beautiful dark glow, but it was far

more modest.

However, after she wore it, Tabitha noticed that the gown fitted

her body tightly at the part above her thighs, sketching the curve

of her body line, showing her immature figure clearly for all to

see. If she were to enter the ballroom like that, any further

imagination of her dance partner were sure to be crushed.

But......maybe Saito liked this kind of body shape. After all, just by

looking at Louise's body, no one would think that she had

anything to show off at all.

Either way, she didn't need to care so much about that.

Thinking about this, Tabitha smiled softly.

“Now, I should be.......very happy.”

Even though her position as the queen made her uneasy, but the

Gallian nobles were capable and powerful, so even though there

was an exchange in power, the country has not dissolved into

ruin. Also, living here with her family made her feel safe and

warm. Tabitha felt that the happy feelings of home were starting

to return.

Romania was still an unknown variable, but currently they have

made no obvious moves.

Also, she was going to meet her sweetheart, Saito, in a few days

time.

She might even get to dance with him.

Just as a smile blossomed on Tabitha's face, her father's face

flashed through her mind.

And her uncle's face.

Misscoeur, who tortured her countless times.

And also the generals and soldiers who sacrificed their lives at

the Lelion river.

Tabitha also thought of Lieutenant Bart, who always waved at

her from the deck after completing his mission, and that

commander with a sunburnt face, but they are not in this world

anymore.

Her calm and happy life was built on the sacrifices of those

nobles and soldiers who fought in this war for the throne, and

that fact was like a frigid gust sneaking past a crack in the

windowpane, chilling her heart.

“Happiness is too much of a luxury to me.”

Tabitha sunk into such a emotional mud pit.

Just then, a knocking sound came from the window.

The window?

Would it just be a trick of the wind? That thought flashed

through Tabitha's mind. The curtains were too thick for her to

see what was going on outside. However, the outside of the

window was the balcony, so that would not be a problem.

Maybe it was Sylphid? But it was still snoring in the corner of the

room.

Bang, bang......

The noise came again. There was unmistakably someone outside

banging the window. Tabitha gripped the staff beside her bed.

Tabitha did not arrange for personal guards, because she had

something that was more useful than personal guards. Also, the

personal guards themselves were something that might threaten

her safety.

Sneaking to the window, Tabitha queitly pulled the curtains

apart.

At the other side of the window......is herself.

For a moment there, Tabitha thought that that was her

reflection, but she immediately noticed something different.

The other her on the other side of the window was wearing

different clothes.

The same ice blue hair, the same glasses, the person could have

been her own duplicate...... The word“Skirni” flashed through her

mind, that was a puppet that could shape shift into a person

after sucking their blood.

It could also be a golem......

However, Tabitha understood that the person standing at the

other side was a body of human flesh and blood.

…... Who was it?

Me? She thought.

The strong revelation robbed Tabitha of her warrior's intuition.

She noticed too late that someone had opened the window beside

her and entered the room.

Someone gripped her staff, making Tabitha turn reflexively.

Left and right eyes of different colour respectively—it was Julio.

Tabitha aimed a kick at Julio's abdomen, but Julio twisted his

body and dodged. He then used a cloth to cover Tabitha's face.

There was sleeping potion on the cloth, Tabitha noticed before

collapsing on the bed.

Hearing that sound, Sylphid finally waked up, and saw Julio

standing there and Tabitha who has collapsed. She ran hastily to

them.

“What happened! What did you do to Onee-sama!”

After that, Sylphid noticed someone else entering the room from

the window and stopped.

“Eh? There is another Onee-sama......”

Julio calmly walked towards Sylphid and placed his right hand

on its shoulder. Then, the runes on his hands glowed.

Kyui......kyui......

“Anyhow, you're a 'beast', right, Rhythm dragon familiar? I'm

also a familiar, called Wendalfr, so I can control 'beast's like you.

So......”

Seeing Julio place the sleeping Tabitha and Sylphid on the bed,

the girl who looked like Tabitha said timidly, “Onee-san, what is

this......”

“She is the daughter of the person who locked you up in that

place.”

Josette looked at the girl who has collapsed.

The face was what she saw in the mirror yesterday.

After Julio brought her outside, Josette followed him into a

monastery and obeyed his instructions to take off her necklace.

After that......she felt as if her face was released from some spell,

her hair was also glowing. After seeing herself in the mirror,

Josette was shocked to see that her face was not the same as

before.

A spell was placed on you to change your face and hair—that was

what Julio said to her.

The face in the mirror yesterday and the face of the sleeping girls

were from the same mould, impossible to differentiate.

“This is how I look like.” However, reality had a severe lack of

realism, the iridescent ice blue hair colour made even her

uncomfortable.

Also, where was she?

She rode Julio's wind dragon to this place......it was a building

encased in moonlight, unimaginably huge, majestic and

beautiful.

For Josette who has only known Saint Margarita's Convent, this

was like dreamland.

As for the girl who lived here, who had the exact same face as

her, who wasshe......

“I was imprisoned?”

Julio nodded.

“You're a royalty of the Gallian empire......or more correctly, you

are the daughter of the deceased Des Orleans Charlotte. And she

is...... your twin sister.”

The Gallian empire?

Royalty?

Twin?

Impossible things continued to tumble out of Julio's mouth.

Josette suddenly remembered what the sisters said in the

convent.

“I am, an abandoned child of a noble......”

“I cannot believe it. I am, some royalty of the Gallian Empire.”

The land around Saint Margarita's Convent, belonged to this

empire called Gallia. There, should be the place where someone

called the king or nobles lived......the thing that was downright

unbelievable was that she was born in the family that governed

the entire empire.

“My twin sister......”

Josette took a glimpse at Tabitha's face. This was the first time

she saw her own family......but there was no recollection in her

heart.

“Then, what do you want?”

“Actually, it's not much anyway. You, from this day on, will be

the ruler of the Gallian empire.”

His words, like making up a joke, made Josette freeze. However,

this was not a joking matter, as there was no hint of playfulness

in Julio's eyes.

“I am, a ruler? Impossible! Anyhow, if I'm king, what will happen

to that girl? This should be my big sister......”

“Of course, she will return to the convent and become Josette.”

Hearing this made Josette understand.

“You brought me out, for this?”

Julio nodded firmly.

Josette's heart was swept by a wave of sadness. Even though she

was not to become her real self, but if she was able to stay at

Julio's side......did Julio have the same thought as her?

Alas, reality was not so, he just wanted to use her......

Josette did not express her feelings.

She suddenly understood Vanessa's feelings.

“Even though I'm happy, but it was built on lies.”

Even though it looked so radiant and beautiful, but it was really

fading continuously.

Josette pressed her lips together firmly.

If......I escaped from here, I will be the same as Vanessa.

“The feelings I had before were true. That, I will never back down

from. Never.”

She has already decided, to believe him. No matter what

happened......no matter what kind of reality.

“What should I do now?”Her eyes became as determined as ever,

Josette asked.

“Nothing. Just stand there and listen to what I say. I'll tell you

what to do or say, just follow what I say.

“And all that, for Onee-san?”

“Not only for me, but also for you......”

Hearing Julio say that, Josette shook her head.

“No, never mind what happens to me. As long as it's for Onee-

san, then that's enough.”

Julio's ever present smile collapsed.

“Ah, if it's for me, then follow what I say.”

“No problem, Onee-san. Let's make a promise to each other. From

now on, tell me everything, every thought, the truth behind

everything. From now on, never hurt me, or betray me. As long

as you do that, I'll listen to what Onee-san says.

“Alright then, that's a promise.” Julio nodded.

“And one more thing.”

“What?”

“Kiss me.”

Staring straight at Julio, Josette spoke her wish. Julio tipped

Josette's chin and placed his lips on Josette's. Just as their lips

met, Josette closed her eyes.

After their lips parted, Julio looked into Josette's eyes and said,

“Be my woman.”

His sincerity was impossible to determine from his voice. It was

not the words he usually used, but the meaning behind those

words, for Josette, is the best.

Feeling satisfied, Josette said, “That was my plan all along.”

The next day......

While Madam Orleans was eating her breakfast, Barberini said,

“Speaking law while eating is quite uncouth, your majesty the

queen dowager.”(T/L:「在吃 中

饭

法可是非常失礼的。

说

太后陛下。」)

“What happened?”

Madam Orleans' tone hid an icy demeanour. This Barberini from

Romania was not exactly someone she liked.

During that time, only Percerin was in the dining room,

Barberini's gaze made Madam Orleans extremely uncomfortable,

so she urged, “Percerin, why don't you go check on the flowers in

the backyard. Hopefully they have not wilt under the summer

heat.”

After Percerin left the room, Barberini said something shocking.

“I'm sorry, your majesty, but I'm here today to pardon your

majesty.”

“Pardon? What were you thinking from this morning? What sins

did I commit? I, who is living here so quietly, everyday?”

“No matter the person, they will commit a sin that they don't

want anybody else to know. Even the Gallian empress dowager.

Or more accurately, you've forgotten your sin.”

“You're saying that you're sure that I've committed a sin?”

“Yes, and if it were possible, I do hope that you can remember.”

“Oh yeah, such is the power of Romanian Cardinals, you see

through everything. That was three days ago, the flowers that I

planted wilted. How do you put it, in an enclosed place like this,

I've completely forgotten about the change in the seasons, and

did not notice about the flowers assaulted by the heat. That is

truly a sin.”

“That is the lives of flowers, but I'm talking about a larger sin.”

“Oh yeah, it seems that it's not only the flowers that was

sickened by the heat, it seems that you are also affected by it.”

“Your majesty, I'm not joking, this is a serious matter.”

“I'm going to call the guards.”

Hearing her angry words, Barberini shook his head.

“I apologise for just now, one can't help if she doesn't remember

at all. After all, the sin that your majesty has committed, is

something long ago......or more accurately, it was something that

happened during the birth of Queen Charlotte her majesty.”

Barberini's words made Madam Orleans' face go green.

“What are you talking about?”

“Let me sketch it out then. Year 6227, during the month of Teru,

the week of Femdar, the day of Eo (T/L: 特 之月

鲁

,斐姆达 之周

卢

,厄奥之日), the

room of Duke Orleans was filled with such brilliance, Charlotte,

the Duke of Orleans was waiting for a birth of a child.”

“Er, I remember, that was the day when my daughter was born.”

Feeling something rumble in her heart, Madam Orleans' voice

started to shake.

“When Duke Orleans heard the cry of the baby, it was nine

o'clock in the morning...”

“It was eight o'clock, five minutes past.”

Madam Orleans' voice shaking was very obvious.

“Is that so. However, during that time, there was not only one

baby who cried. After a few minutes, another cry was heard.”

Madam Orleans held her face in her hands in anguish, shaking

her head vigorously.

“I know the meaning of the Gallian family crest. Two wands

intersecting each other, holding a crown, it acts as a warning and

to comfort for the twin brothers who perished after their fight

for the crown......And from that day on, twins are taboo among

the Gallian royalty. However, how does one factor in the love of

kinship? A taboo among royalty, but sisters of the same blood,

sisters who look exactly alike, casting one into hell and the other

into heaven, how does this relate to love?”

Madam Orleans barely managed to squeeze out a question.

“......Who are you?”

“Your majesty, everybody then, stubbornly held this secret from

the world. However, humans will never bring their sins to the

grave. Last year, I heard someone's confessing before her death,

and pardoned her. That person, is the midwife who assisted in

your majesty's delivery.”

“You, have just lost all credibility as a cleric.”

“The doctrine, exist for God. If what one did is for God, then that

would not be a sin.”

“So that's it. You're here to pardon me for this. Since you've

known everything, then you should have understood. It's true

that that day, we have given birth to two lives. But during that

time, we only had two choices, one of which is to end her life,

and the other is to send her to some unknown place for someone

else to raise her. We had no other choice! That was our

responsibility as royalty!”

Madam Orleans started to sob.

“God has already forgiven you. I'm not here to ask you about

your sins. Don't you want to make up for the abandoned child?”

“......Er?”

The next second......A girl appeared in front of Madam Orleans,

with the same hairstyle as Tabitha, and even the same design of

glasses.

However, just one glimpse made Madam Orleans understand her

identity.

“Oh......How can this be......Can this be......such things......”

She shakily picked herself up, and hugged the dazed young girl.

“......Mother?”

“I hope that you can forgive......forgive mother......no

power......your mother who had no power to save you......”

Tears of regret flowed uncontrollably down her face. An

unexpected meeting, another Charlotte......she didn't even gave

her a name.

Josette, dazed, was touched by her mother's affection, and tears

also unconsciously ran down her face. Her mother, who she

never knew of, who she met since she was sensible, but

unknowingly, Josette managed to understand the feelings of her

mother.

Hugging her daughter, Madam Orleans' tears went on a rampage.

“You've finally come back. Can you forgive your mother?”

“What is there to forgive, for I've never resented anything. I only

knew the truth yesterday.”

Hearing Josette's words, Madam Orleans nodded.

“Now, the heck with royalty and taboos, from now on, your

sister, cousin, me, we'll continue to live as a family.”

Madam Orleans' voice was shaking as her heart throbbed.

“Prime Minister, thank you very much. Can you call her majesty

down, the three of us will have breakfast together.”

Then, Barberini's expression was as if he heard something

strange.

“Prime Minister?”

“Your majesty, I can't do that.”

“You can't be joking,” said Madam Orleans. However, Barberini's

face was devoid of any hint of jest.

“I'm not joking. Isn't this her majesty herself? I don't see any

difference.”

Madam Orleans did not answer, understanding between the

lines. Charlotte, and another Charlotte. Even though their birth

was seperated by a few seconds, but their fates have gone on

completely different paths.

“Don't you dare think the royal taboo is anything simple! If this

things gets blown, how many nobles of this country will revolt?

Not only the royalty, even among those nobles who are loyal to

royalty, there were never just one or two children who died

because of this taboo!”

Her voice agitated, Madam Orleans looked at her daughter.

Josette turned her head away.

“Is that so! I've never thought about this. However, someone I

trust told me that I could only be happy through this way. Isn't it

impossible for me to live with big sister?”

Josette looked at her mother.

“However, if mother insists, I'll go back to the convent.”

This was, Josette's real wish......

However, Madam Orleans was unable to ask her to go back to the

convent. Something like that day, how could she go through it

again? A girl, who has lived her life in an unknown convent by

herself, with no one to take care of her, how could she ask such a

thing from her?

Seeing Madam Orleans who was kneeling in anguish on the bed,

Barberini moved closer.

“God has always taught men that all men are created equal. If

you can't give your daughter the light, then give her both light

and darkness, isn't it so?

Chapter 10: Garden Party to Celebrate the Enthronement

It happened in the first week of Ansuul, Hagar the day of Freya.

In order to attend the garden party, the most recognized Tristain

nobles turned their caravans and head towards Versailles.

Heading towards the territory of Gallia, the main caravan of

Tristain finally arrived at the docks of the port city of An-Re.

The view of the all vessels, which belong to all nations of

Halkeginia stationed in the port of this giant lake, was truly

admirable.

Once ashore, the main caravan of Queen Henrietta went

"Varsenda" from then it would take about 4 hours to reach

Versailles via wagon. Unfortunately, at the time they were about

to leave, the harsh summer sun slowed their progress.

Then they decided to take a break in a place after crossing the

bridge of La-Vaare. However, if they were to meet with the

ambassadors of Gallia on time, the caravan would need to

continue immediately. Along the main road they could see the

growing commotion that produced such movement of people,

and throughout the surrounding area that were ones without

houses, people now crushed as if a festival was happening.

The first thing to consider that time was the arrangement of

Queen Henrietta’s tent.

So the pages and some soldiers started collecting straw bales

from the surrounding houses, which were used to construct a

couch.

Soon, some farmers at that place had started selling baskets of

fresh bread and fruit to the members of the caravan. Even some

vendors were able to provide wine. After a moment as it was

expected, the sounds of laughter and singing could be heard

everywhere.

Among the buyers were the Ondine Knights who had a good

supply of wine and snacks, which give them a desire to join the

growing commotion. Even for this selected group of the queen, it

seemed that the current conditions were nice enough to want

the ‘enjoyment‘ provided by this small town.

Besides, it was fair to all those present, both noble and soldiers,

to be allowed a little fun, after the constant battle they had to

fight recently.

Even so, within the happy commotion had arisen, a face that did

not appear anywhere in the festival can be seen.

“Haa……………”

It was Saito.

Over the course of two weeks, he was devoted to a frantic search

for Louise, however after his arrival at the first provincial town,

the traces of the whereabouts of Louise disappeared.

No matter where he look, no matter who he asked, he could not

find signs of Louise anywhere. So as expected, because of the

growing anxiety on the part of parents and sisters of Louise,

they, themselves, organized a search party. That was the

information he had obtained from the letter sent by Cattleya.

Saito had planned to make a home visit to La Vallière and report

everything so far, however:

"Due to the circumstances, it would be a great inconvenience if

my careless father came to kill you, so I ask you right now to

refrain from visiting La Vallière". Saito read the letter.

Ultimately, Saito was convinced to leave the search to them, so

that he could return to fulfill his obligations. This is the reason

why Saito at this time was one of the members of the caravan

ambassadors.

He had no choice, he had to fulfill his duty as part of the bureau

of negotiations, including the part he was to Louise ...

But ... after unsuccessfully searching her relentlessly for two

weeks. Saito, do you really think you'll be able to meet her again?

While he was lost in these thoughts, Saito had walked away from

his official duties.

The crestfallen and heartbroken Saito decided to leave the

caravan to a place where he could be alone. Then with a stick he

picked up off the floor he began to sting the earth.

I cannot be with Louise.

When thinking about this, it seemed that he had lost all the

urges to continue with his life. Nothing mattered. Not the fact

that he let the people who attacked him escape, nor the party to

celebrate the coronation, nothing in the world seemed real, he

came to believe that what he saw with his eyes was seen only as a

spectator who was in front of the TV.

Tapping the earth once again and Saito suddenly found himself

drawing the figure of Louise on earth.

His grief, desperation and pathos gathered everyone in a sad

view of what was Saito now.

"Peach hair, oh-so pretty, lit-tle girl, who took you away..."

As Saito sang his version of a kindergarten nursery rhyme, he

ended his drawing to see it well and did not know if what he had

drawn was Louise or an alien.

When Saito came to these conditions, Siesta, without fail, always

appeared and try to encourage him, however at this time she was

in Des Ornières. She along with Professor Colbert had decided to

stay if Louise finally returned to Des Ornières.

“But why put on an ugly face? Now do not worry, just drink!”

Malicorne had come to say this, only to put a bottle of wine in

Saito’s mouth.

“Gu Fuh gugugugugugugu!”

Malicorne didn't stop until the wine bottle was empty, then

detached it from the mouth of Saito with a "PPAH".

“What do you think you're doing?”

“Really, that face you were making ... Like I say, Louise is not

coming back, so give up.”

“B, but that would be ...”

“If I will tell you in the clearest way possible, she does not want

to see you anymore, can you even realize the significance of her

actions?”

Due to shock Saito dropped to his knees on the floor while a

sudden tremor came from his body.

Then Guiche and others who could not pass unnoticed by their

actions, promptly withdrew Malicorne from Saito’s side.

“Oh, hey, that's wrong, and let me go!”

“But you're saying...”

Then Malicorne addressed them with an emphatic scream and

said:

“You see, it has to be now, do not you think this is a critical time

to see if Saito may or may not become a man? You know, a man

must accept a separation and approach it as an aspect of himself,

this is what makes one grow as a person. Now what this guy

needs is to face reality." After saying this Malicorne could not

stop assenting himself, as if what he had said was the absolute

truth.

“Certainly much of your impromptu speech is true, but…” This

was added by Kirche, who was very overwhelmed by her desire

to return to see her friend Tabitha, also appeared on the scene

accompanied by Tiffania.

“This is very problematic.” Tiffania said. Malicorne shook his

head.

Then with a gentle gaze he began to approach her. Tiffania

reacted immediately and placed both of her hands against her

chest, as a precaution to what she knew was coming.

“Miss Westwood, actually ...”

In the instant Malicorne said that, Tiffania instinctively shook

his head.

“No!”

“But I did not say anything.”

“No matter what you say, I can ensure those 'things' are rare.”

At this rate, Malicorne the only thing could do was to show a

smile full of sadness on his face.

“Ahh I give up ... I guess that's what I get for doing what I always

do, but since ... but this time I swear I was going to say

something serious.”

After this strange apology, Tiffania could not help but give it a

try.

“Well, you mean.”

“Well, ... Did you not please Saito, with those big breasts?”

With an unpleasant feeling, they heard these words arise from a

disturbingly eloquent Malicorne, his tone nevertheless actually

showed off that he said it was for the sake of his friend. His

serene face only further helped convince others of his pure

intentions, but in the end, everyone was frustrated by his lack of

tact, saying the worst possible words.

“As I thought, you see, when one is depressed you must have

breasts, and most importantly they gotta be huge, if you think

there can not be any better. And indeed, those breasts ... we have

the owner of those breasts, after all I do not think there is anyone

more qualified than you Miss Westwood.”

As expected to happened, Tiffania seemed disposed to use the

Void, she was heaving and started waving her wand, but despite

this Malicorne did not stop his words.

“Magic? You're thinking of using it? You used that to help Saito

before, right? Then use that to help Saito now! Seriously just do it

for the good of Saito!”

“Ei.” After reciting a little spell, Tiffania waved her hand.

“I'm a chicken! Pío, pio, pio, pio.”

Then Malicorne left the area while shaking his arms like wings.

After what happened, Tiffania glanced toward Saito and then

approached him.

What she found was a disabled Saito muttering only nonsense.

Seeing him in that state, Tiffania could not help but feel a great

sadness.

“Saito do not worry, I assure you fully that Louise will come

back, and when she do be sure to apologize to her properly, do

you understand?

“Really? Really she'll come back again...?”

Tiffania nodded sweetly to that question.

“Do not worry, Louise really likes to return to do her job, I

guarantee you that she will return home ...”

Tiffania kept saying this over and over again to comfort Saito.

In her tent, Queen Henrietta was preparing to hear the report of

Agnes, which only a moment ago had just arrived on her horse at

full gallop.

“You finally arrived.” Henrietta said who let out a sigh.

The report was about the discovered information about the

criminal group that attacked Saito in the village Cherphis, then

Agnes continued relating the research findings.

However, the information obtained after the completion of the

research process was still incomplete.

“We are sure to inspect in details the entire area where the

village is located, Cherphis but ... still we could not find a trace of

the criminal group. Also it was reported that investigations

carried out simultaneously to the nobles that you suspect or

have motive of some resentment against Chevalier Hiraga-dono

yet ...”

Then to see the difficulty in Agnes to describe the situation with

words, Henrietta deduced the reason for his distress.

“Too many, that's what you're saying right?”

“It's just as you say, the main reason seems to be his position as a

commoner who acquired a peerage but apart from the above I

can not imagine anything more, plus you have to add the fact

that although he was popular with the masses it might arouse

jealousy among them for his privileged position.”

Therefore, apart from the families of the students of the

academy of magic, arguably everyone can have a reason to

attack, if I may be frank, this is a situation where you will not get

anywhere from research only.

Then Henrietta had no other choice but to assent to the

conclusion of Agnes, and then thought to himself: What would

have happened if he had also been given the title of Baron ...

“But we also have something even in our behalf, investigations

ultimately yielded to a significant trail.”

“Please say what you have learned.”

“It's the name of the group that dominates the underworld, is the

result maybe of infiltration of Tristainian kingdom.”

“The underworld?”

“Yes, apparently a group specializing in dirty jobs, some

individuals with incredible skills, apparently belonging to the

army of Gallia, what was the name ...? oh yeah they are the

members of the Order of Chevalier of North Partel, as reported in

Tristain, they managed to sneak into the change of government

after abruptly raised by Gallia.”

The North Chevalier Partel, the secret order of knights of Gallia,

Henrietta was also aware of the rumors that were said about

them. Military intelligence, murders ... an order of chivalry

dedicated to shady jobs, gentlemen who were engaged to what a

gentleman would not do.

“This so called "group" right?”

“Yes, the 'Elemental Siblings', that's how they name their group.”

Then Henrietta recalled the words of Saito, when the woman

who attacked him called "onii-sama" to her partner ...

“If I'm pretty sure they are.”

“In fact, by various rumors circulating in the kingdom, I have

heard of them several times, they work like ghosts, they never let

their prey escape, and also ... they are known for never having

failed in one of their missions.”

“But Saito-dono returned alive. They only get him knocked

out ...”

“I do not know why, but it may be the case that their mission was

only to intimidate.”

“If that was the reason, he was lucky, but…”

“But the next time may not be so good.”

Then with a mortified expression on her face Henrietta shook

her head.

“Perhaps we could offer a reward, giving citizens a promotion to

give us help with the case.”

“That's an interesting idea however, it is likely that the whole

thing might end up in chaos.”

As imagined, right now is when I think I should marry an influential

nobleman to have their support. How can I even be able to protect

one of my knights?!

Even knowing what was the cause, Henrietta could not help but

feel disappointed to Louise, who had just disappeared leaving her

duty, and now she was really needed.

“ ... Oh I envy it, to live only for love!”

“What are you trying to say?”

“No ... It's nothing.”

“Please, I wish you were more considerate and to think in my

position, because in reality I have nothing, at least I would like to

try comfort you a little, in these times when you really need it ...”

The caravan had finally arrived at Versailles. The members were

assigned to a guest house, but even having said that, the truth

was that they only prepared the rooms for Queen Henrietta and

a few members of her cabinet. As for members of guards, that

includes the knights and soldiers, they have been assigned only

on the field where they installed hospedasen tents.

"As of tomorrow it will be a busy day due to the celebration, so

please take the time today to rest calmly" this was the message

that the emissaries of Gallia left for the visitors of the guest

house. Then they exited the lobby to continue their activities.

After talking to Agnes and the ladies of the court, Henrietta was

left alone in her room. She had several things in mind for the

long awaited garden party.

But the main reason for her visit was definitely checking the true

intentions of the new Queen Charlotte. Queen Charlotte who had

decided to join forces with Romalia to achieve her crowning ...

Could it be that her cooperation with Romalia, was because they

wanted to continue the crusade? Precisely that was the matter

Henrietta wanted to confirm.

Even knowing they were at critical moments ... the government

was fighting to stabilize the kingdom for they allowed knights of

plebeian origin, only showing jealousy, and someone out there

had even hired a murderer to realize their hatred. And Louise

just thinking about it without consideration for others fled to

disappear completely.

“Everyone is so selfish. Is there no one who feels a real desire to

help others?”

Henrietta then summoned Saito, thought at least to take a walk

with him to clear her head. She also considered talking to him

concerning her meeting with the Queen of Gallia and also she

had to deal with the issue of the group that attacked him. All this

was imperative to notify.

But the main reason for calling him was...

"I want to see him."

She just wanted to be with him and see his face, she had raised a

number of reasons, but in the end her desire to meet him was

what drove her actions.

Henrietta then rang a bell to call one of her servants.

“At this moment I feel like taking a little ride... then, I must also

discuss official matters with him, please send Chevalier Hiraga-

dono of Ondine Brigade.”

In just a moment, the servant had brought Saito in the presence

of the queen.

Then with a face as if experiencing an extreme fatigue and a total

lack of strength Saito said:

“You called me?”

“Yes, I’ll take a walk, and I command you to be my escort.”

Then Saito fully recovered his composure and give the queen a

respectful reverence. Due to the sudden seriousness of Saito,

Henrietta could not help but feel little weird for her actions.

All the way from her room to the exit in the lobby, Henrietta

showed her face like a queen of exemplary decency, which even

for a moment showed signs of familiarity with her escort Saito,

who was always a step behind her.

But at that very moment, the guest house of Versailles seemed to

have become a popular social meeting place, everywhere

eminent nobles were dressed in their most splendid attire, they

along with the ambassadors, could be seen happy and enjoying

their casual talks.

As the queen passed by, those nobles noticing her presence,

recovered their composure and made a bow. However, as if they

were just air, Henrietta walked past them ignoring them because

this was not an official event and she did not look for an

obligation to greet them, but although she did ignore them only

for practical reasons, she did not seem to dislike their attitude.

When you stopped and saw her, Henrietta was seen as a

magnificent queen, despite appearing to forget those who were

around her, her Majesty’s presence was enough for them, and by

her side Saito did not seem, at this moment, to have the slightest

interest for Queen Henrietta.

Then Saito thought could it be possible the Henrietta that he had

seen that time in that little inn ... and also at that time in the

basement of Des Ornières, be the same person?

Outside the guest house, the day seemed to be coming to an end

in order to give way to night, but they found the large amount of

people out there, which was composed of all those invited

foreign nations, surpassed by far the fuss found before them.

Then Henrietta decided to hide behind the hood of her robe.

The Palace of Versailles was broad, almost the same dimensions

as the country through which they passed en route to here.

In their walk they came to a large garden full of flowering

shrubs, which by its composition resembled a maze, the shrubs

of the place were filled with summer blue flowers, which they

did not know the name.

So without a second thought Henrietta set out to explore it,

entering the labyrinth ...

In their trek through the maze they found a small bench,

Henrietta sat down and removed her hood.

With the flowers' essence combined with the cool dampness

from the plants, the rigid presence of Henrietta vanished. Then

with an air like a young villager, she stretched her body before

heading to Saito.

“You should also sit down,” said Henrietta with a melodious

voice.

Saito then sat down beside her.

“I did not want anyone to hear us.”

Hearing this, Henrietta felt a bit of excitement.

“No, actually this isn't anything of such importance,” she said.

Then Saito nodded to her in a crude form.

Lately, this was the condition in which they developed the

meetings between them, as an implicit agreement that they

avoided each other talking, to break the tension, the first to say

something was Henrietta.

“It will be tomorrow . . . how should I explain it . . . about Queen

Charlotte. I wonder what are her true intentions, I want to find

out what are the circumstances that are still involved with

Romalia.”

“Yes.”

Saito's voice which sounded as if it came from an empty place,

evidenced by his lack of courage.

“Also ... the information concerning the thugs who attacked you,

apparently they are known as the "Elemental Siblings" and are a

group coming from Gallia which specializes in dirty jobs, a

subject quite dangerous ...”

“They really are.“ Saito said without showing any sign of

strength.

“You speak as if talking of matters concerning another person.

You should get out of that depression, for your sake and that of

others.”

“Sorry, but ... as is, there's no more strength left in me, I know

that what I say is unacceptable but ..."

Henrietta then furrowed her brows, she felt as if the words of

Saito were trying to blame her for something.

“Everything you say, it seems as if everything was my fault!”

“Huh?”

Saito stared at Henrietta for a moment, he could see the anger in

her eyes, then Saito worriedly said,

“E, that is... course not. Here I am the only culprit. I was the

one...”

“Tell me, what perhaps did we do something wrong?” said

Henrietta and then she pressed her lips.

“Well, that would be...”

“Louise is gone, at this time we cannot do anything about it, we

can not conclude her true intentions, and yet you aren't able to

act according to your own feelings. If so, let me be the only one

receiving the consequences of that sin, but then maybe ... you

would have not...”

“Huh?”

“You would not have the right to feel so dejected as how you feel

now!”

Saito then lowered his head in embarrassment.

“ ... Not that I can accept my own feelings!”

After hearing this, Henrietta gave Saito a cold stare.

“ ... You don't look like a man!”

“What did you say?”

“It's not like you lost control of yourself for lust, right? It seems

that you're blaming me for having been seduced, that so numb!”

“And was it not!?”

“Where did you get that idea, please tell me!”

“Seriously, you're wondering what you've done!? That's what

you're saying?”

Upon hearing these mean words, Henrietta looked back at Saito

with disdain.

“That was just, something you wanted to do on your own not

that I tried to seduce you or something.”

“Well, I, I do not remember it has been like that! With all the

sensuality that I didn't try to hide for a second.”

“You say that everything was the fault of sensuality, that's all

you have to say?”

Defeated, Saito lost his strength again and dropped his

shoulders.

“.. . If I had to say it in a way, is that I did not realize what I had

until I lost it, I realized that I need Louise at my side, and so I

really want it, that I do not fight these 70000 soldiers to rescue

Tristain, I did it to save Louise. Because Louise was here, I

decided to stay in this world.”

“And now that Louise has disappeared, you’re leaving everything

you set out and go back to your world, is that the meaning of

your words?”

Saito said, shaking his head.

“No ... What I said was what I considered my reason, but a reason

after all is just, a right. But in the end all I'm doing is being

irresponsible, so after that moment of weakness let me make

amends, forgive me for I have caused concern to all.

Listening to the regain senses of Saito, Henrietta's face turned a

little surprised, and then blushing with embarrassment.

“ ... I apologize, apparently for a moment I lost control of myself.”

“... No.”

“Maybe it's because I do not know many reliable people, but over

time I have come to depend on you, I can assure you it is the

same with her, Louise has come to depend on you as much as

you depend on her.”

For a moment, both were looking at each other, but ... regaining

their senses, they looked away quickly, then Saito said, almost

sighing:

“I ... This happened when I was in my world, my life was quite

common, even without actually behaving in a bad way, I cannot

say I was a good person. In my world, I have not found anything

to be able to become passionate, then the days just constantly

passing one after another without change, until one day I just

became an adult and still nothing major happened, it was just to

pass the time for the sake of time itself then it seemed normal as

things should be, or so I thought.”

“ ........”

“But coming into this world, I found for the first time, my reason

for living, the meaning of my life lay in this world. And it was

pretty simple, it was Louise. Never in my life have I seen a girl so

pretty. She may be flippant and selfish, but still that's part of

what she is, in my attempts to protect her, little by little I gained

achievements, and in the end ... different people started to need

me. And then my reason was becoming larger. The fact that all

needed me, really made me very happy, because until now it has

never been like that in my life.

Henrietta silently listened carefully to what Saito had to say.

“And that's why I, that's why I became lighthearted, leaving and

neglecting what was really important so I ended up losing both

Louise and Derf, but it was not until it was too late, I really hate

myself.”

For a moment Henrietta was silent but ... She closed her eyes

slowly.

“ ... seems that now is the time to return.”

“Yes.”

The two got up, then steer their way to the guest house. Without

realizing when, and the two moons in the sky lit up the garden,

making all that beautiful glow on the flower bed.

While Saito was watching the brightness of the moon, he failed

to avoid himself wondering:

What is the meaning of me being in this place?

The meaning of his own existence.

He was 'solo' until he came to this world and noticed that idea ...

so far not even going through his head that there was "a

meaning".

Probably if he was still in his world, he would not have raised

this question and would spend his life without thinking about it,

just being born, growing and eventually dying.

Only recently the meaning was very clear to him.

Everything was for Louise.

He did for the welfare of that young girl that made his heart

vibrate ... But now she was gone, she decided to disappear forever

from his sight.

After he had reached this world, Saito discovered the endless

things before that were unknown to him, things that he would

never be able to discover if he had stayed in Tokyo ...

But right now, I can not find a reason to move forward. Wherever I

see the world has turned into a gray, which I have to do something to

regain its meaning, but I do not know.

However, he knew he had work to do, he knew that an imminent

danger was hanging over them.

Henrietta had said 'I could do it', however inside me I can not even

trust and believe in myself to do it again.

The next day, a garden party was held to commemorate the

coronation of the Queen.

Early on, enormous fireworks could be seen flying through the

sky, and as cheering the environment, the musicians played

continuously from the selected range of musical pieces.

In the front garden of the recently completed Grand Troyes

Palace, leaders and renowned personalities of all nations had

gathered. They were astonished to learn that the palace of Her

Majesty had been built in such a short time, they could not do but

praise the incredible potential of the labor force in Gallia.

Afterwards, the palace gates opened and unveiled the figure of

Queen Charlotte. The distinguished guests were amazed to have

seen the childlike queen. They had heard that her age was only

16 years, however, one would think it was 2 or maybe 3 years

younger.

And they couldn't help but notice: Her attire, for whatever

reason, has strongly attracted their eyes.

Though it was normal, that during these events one must wear

the most dazzling and glorious dresses that one could use. By

becoming the ruler of a great nation like Gallia, she had the most

skilled tailors in the kingdom, it would be weird if she didn't

always present her most magnificent clothes possible.

At this time, the ladies at rows closest to the new queen, could

distinguish the extravagance of the current outfits worn by her

Majesty. In truth, one could say that the dress of the queen of

Gallia was a marking pattern throughout the fashion in

Halkeginia.

Still... It must be said that her clothes was somewhat rare.

Her enormous dress resembled an outfit of that of a nun for its

white, simple and austere design that was adorned by a jewel in

her chest as if it was some kind of pendant, it was stamped with

a cross.

To the her right and left, stood a group of nobles who offered a

bow, then act as if following the script of a play, prepared to cast

the spell of 'Detect Magic'.

This was a crucial part of the ceremony, they had to prove in

front of all present, that she was the real Queen Charlotte.

After waiting for a while, not having any reaction by the magic

launched just a little earlier, distinguished guests let out a sigh

that released the uncertainty that accompanied the ceremony.

Finally, this had proved the true identity of the queen.

Them, Queen Charlotte went to the table prepared in her honor

occupying the leading place among the guests. From there, she

would give her words of greeting as the program planned.

Then everyone present imagined that her next move would be to

accompany them in celebration after going downstairs.

Still ... Queen Charlotte stood motionless in the place she had

occupied. Then as if ready to report something, she raised her

right hand.

The commotion increasingly grew among the guests who waited

expectantly.

“As the queen responsible for governing the kingdom of Gallia, I

took the initiative in forming an alliance with the rulers of

Romalia, so, with all our power as a nation we will continue our

role in the crusade. Halkeginia will always have the divine

protection from the Founder!”

For a moment the whole place was silent, then quickly an intense

outcry spread as if it were a wave.

As expected, the new government is just a puppet of Romalia, so

this was the real intention of why Romalia invaded Gallia. These

were the kind of comments that were beginning to be heard

from the congregation.

“But you said...”

Upon hearing this statement, Henrietta had been in shock,

completely pale and then her body ended up collapsing, only the

timely help of Agnes and Guiche, prevented her from falling to

the ground, then her two companions were set in place to

safeguard the queen.

Just steps away, Saito who had been assigned the task of leading

Ondine had turned completely pale.

But what do those words mean just now?

How can Tabitha collaborate with Romalia?

In truth, it devastatingly shocked all those who were present.

For a moment he thought that perhaps it was not Tabitha,

chances are it was someone else, he thought that perhaps she

had been hypnotized by some kind of potion ...

But then he remembered, and shook his head.

He had seen only moments ago, and they had casted Detect

Magic on her. Therefore, it was clear that this was the real

Tabitha ...

“If you think about it, maybe it means that outfit similar to what

a nun wears... We anticipated little on what she had planned to

do ..."

“I think this is very strange, as if Romalia had planned

everything to ensure this will result in coronation and so . . .

Romalia, indeed has some guys who are very skilled.” This was

the dialogue that came from Malicorne and Gimli.

“You are wrong,” Saito said.

“In which way we are wrong?” Now she just said that she would

cooperate for the continuation of the crusade.

“Tabitha cannot say that kind of thing!”

“What? But you heard her just now, didn't you?”

By saying this, Saito had been shocked as he thought he had

never heard directly from the mouth of Tabitha that she was

against continuing the crusade, he only thought that because of

the close friendship they had, their ideals and principles would

be the same, or at least that's what he always thought ...

“Hey you, let me explain, political beliefs and friendship are two

entirely different matters. It may be true that your friendship

with her is very close however, note that it is no wonder that she

thinks in a different way than you." Reynald somehow was

trying to comfort Saito.

Saito could not help but shake his legs. Tabitha just now, went to

her desk to receive the praises from her guests.

Seeing this, Saito started running.

In front of Tabitha’s table a lot of famous people had gathered to

give their praises, as expected there was huge row formed, then

Saito helplessly, was trying to break through the row of people,

which as a result caused the discontentment of the nobles that

were present.

“Hey that's wrong! Go to where you came from peasant!”

Then he has no choice but wait in line at end of the row.

Saito could not yet perceive something strange in Tabitha at the

distance he saw her, but her aura seemed somehow changed,

there was no basis for thinking it was something more than just

his imagination.

Then Saito noted that Tabitha had makeup for the occasion. Her

lips have red lipstick, her eyelashes were curled and makeup was

fairly simple, yet ... Would that change her aura just now, was it

because of the makeup?

After waiting an hour, it was finally his turn. Then Saito,

opposite to Tabitha, looked into her eyes, she returned his gaze,

however Saito could not find in her eyes any affection or even

the feeling of longing to meet an old friend.

“I am an ambassador of the kingdom of Tristain, my name is

Saito Chevalier de Hiraga Des Ornières.”

Not wondering about his greeting, because it was a courtesy that

required the label.

“It's been a long time.”

“Do you still remember me? “

Then he thought, "that's obvious isn’t it?" But it was a question that had assaulted his mind after meeting with Tabitha in such

strange conditions.

“I remembered you.”

In this strange conversation, nobles surrounding them

demonstrated bitter amazement, however the man who was

behind Tabitha, came to them, and as if by explaining said.

“The Knight Hiraga Chevalier, is a friend from the academy of

Her Majesty, if we have a cordial meeting, I assure your Highness

will be glad for it.”

The man dressed as a priest with such friendly aura, Saito asked

if he was really that young, but for some strange reason, the

calculation of age became elusive, for his strong jaw had a strong

voice of determination that conveyed his presence.

Noticing the look of Saito, the man offered a bow.

“My name is Ballbelini and I am the Prime Minister, and if I'm not

mistaken you should be the fabled hero who accomplished the

feat in the Tiger Highway."

Then Saito also corresponded with a bow, and from that

moment,

“Excuse me, but I want to talk to Her Majesty Queen Charlotte ..."

Saito said.

Hearing this, Lord Ballbelini with a polite but firm

determination shook his head in denial.

“My sincere apologies, but now Her Majesty is very busy.”

“Um, actually I am not a mere knight, I am an official

ambassador of the kingdom of Tristain and member of the

bureau in charge of negotiations with Gallia,” he said, to prove it,

Saito was released by Queen, however Lord Ballbelini remained

firm with his refusal.

“It's really a shame ...”

Seeing what was Lord Ballbelini inaccessible, Saito decided to go

directly to Tabitha.

“I have something to tell you.”

However, all she did was to stare at Saito helplessly.

“Hiraga-dono, being rude...” Lord Ballbelini interrupting Saito.

“No. I'm not asking you. I'm asking for Tabitha ... I'm asking Her

Majesty. Please indeed I have something to ask you.”

However, the answer was harsh and short:

“I'm busy.”

Saito lost his composure.

“Well, tell me are those true? The words you said just now? You

seriously plan to collaborate with the crusade?”

Then Tabitha nodded with an expression on her face as if to say:

'Is there a problem?'

“Your... But what, why? What the hell happened?”

“It's okay.”

Due to the levels that reached by the conversation the

surrounding nobles grew restless.

“Mr. Ambassador, please leave for later, if you just want to talk, I

assure you I will open after a space in my schedule to assist you

personally.”

“Hey Tabitha! Explain what was going! Tell me, perhaps you've

given to Romalia?! What happened?”

Then trying to end this once and for all, Lord Ballbelini pressed

Saito.

“It's enough, if you say another word, I have no choice but to

accuse you of heresy!”

In the time Saito was about to answer, a voice from behind

stopped him.

“Hey Saito! Time to go! You've bothered enough all these

gentlemen!”

It was Guiche, to see carefully, all the boys had gathered were

Ondine Knights, then whispered something in his ear.

“ ... I understand your feelings, but you have to be careful! You

have to take account your actions here! We are not in Tristain.”

Because of his words, Saito finally calm down.

“ ... I'm sorry.”

Then he made a deep bow and Saito started to leave.

Within the celebration, it was almost entirely the topic of

conversation, the proclamation that only a few moments ago

had made by the Queen Charlotte. Nearly all the nobles were

present, they could be in a state of turmoil and grief.

It was inevitable, in their memories even came vividly the image

of the entire imperial fleet reduced to ashes in Carcassonne, due

to the magic created by the previous elf priest, that immense

fireball ...

Besides, the fact that they were raised with the idea that

engaging in a fight with the elves was just crazy.

Still ... There was no nobleman that could try to go against the

orders of Romalia or the queen of Gallia.

Indeed it has been decided the battle against the elves, was heard

to say in conversations, as if the matter had nothing to do with

them.

Chapter 11: Bonds

In the evening of that day ... in the guest house.

Saito, who was an escort in front of where Henrietta was staying,

was called for to enter her room.

“... Saito-dono.”

It was a voice that betrayed its announcer’s fatigue. Saito

exchanged glances with Gimli, who was standing next to him as

another member of the guard in defense of the queen, and then

entered the room.

“You called me, Princess?”

Upon entering, he saw Henrietta lying on a couch wearing her

pajamas. From the moment she heard the proclamation of Queen

Charlotte, she had been in that state of confusion that she still

exhibited a few moments ago.

The reason for calling Saito was because she had recovered

enough sense to speak to him.

“...What happen at your meeting with Queen Charlotte?”

Saito nodded and then explain what happened to Henrietta, that

it was impossible to have a conversation with Queen Charlotte ...

“She really looked like a completely different person.”

“Is that so? Then it seems the situation has become much more

worrisome than I imagined.”

“What will happen next?”

Due to sudden grief, Henrietta could not stand and put her hands

to her face.

“Princess.”

“It's too much, it is the truth too! These Machiavellian snakes!

How is it possible that they have tamed Gallia so easily ...!”

“But all is not lost; remember that currently one of the users of

Void is missing. It is too early to give up.”

But after all, even with Saito saying these words, he was still

doubtful. Is it likely that Romalia... already devised a plan to deal

with that?

Then Saito thought, if a Void user died, it would only be necessary

that the void be transferred to another family member, right...?

Even for the Void, it is assumed that at some point a replacement

will emerge...

As Saito was plunged in these thoughts, he suddenly heard

someone hit the window. Henrietta , because of the noise,

quickly approached Saito while receiving a slight tremor in her

body.

But we are on the second floor ...

The first thing Saito did was call Gimli quietly. Gimli, concerned

about Henrietta’s condition, nodded with a puzzled face.

Then Saito took out his katana and slowly approached the

window.

Tock tock ...

Again he heard a knock on the window behind the curtain.

“Who is it?” he asked as his voice echoed.

“...I have a delivery for Her Majesty Queen Henrietta, it is a

message from my master.”

Judging from her voice, it was a young woman.

“Message? Then why do you come through the window?”

“Because I cannot make it out through the door,. Also, the

current situation in the government of Gallia and the prevailing

chaos prevents me. We plead that Tristain can provide

assistance.”

Saito then glanced at Henrietta, and she nodded to Saito. She

gave the order and Saito started to open the window.

With a quick and deft movement, a young woman entered

through the window. No matter where you saw her, she just

seemed to be an ordinary girl from town.

Her eyes were a light brown and she was dressed in a skirt that

was colored a pale shade of beige. It was clear she was not a mage

and one could deduce her skills simply by the fact of having

gotten there just by climbing up the walls; they were worthy of

admiration.

“Let me introduce myself: my name is Chikasui.”

Wow, that is a peculiar name, but nevertheless it was a very

common name of this country. After introducing herself, the girl

immediately pulled a letter from her chest and respectfully

offered it to Henrietta.

After reading the letter, Henrietta, with heaving eyebrows,

rescanned its contents, then she gave it to Saito. The contents

read:

Allow me to express my most humble greetings to you Her Majesty

the Queen of Tristain. We communicate you for our next action to

execute a coup against the government of Gallia, so I dare to inform

you that the current queen is not actually the real Charlotte-sama.

But if I may delve into the details of these events, please be kind

enough to accept my offer for my servant to lead you to a private

meeting.

“How is it as I thought, that Tabitha... she was not the true

Tabitha.”

“But then who sent this message? And why is he asking help

from Tristain?”

“If I may, my master will have greater willingness to answer

your questions; we have to hurry, servant of the queen.”

The situation was totally dubious, plus there were high chances

that it was a trap, however, this was not the time to hesitate.

There certainly seemed to be a lack of options. Saito glanced at

Henrietta.

“Can you do it for me?”

“As you wish. I will call Gimli and Guiche.”

Saito then quickly explained the unexpected situation to Guiche

and others that had arrived on the scene.

“And that's why I have to leave you for the moment, please

request the others to protect this place. And Reynald, please

come with me“ Saito called Reynald to accompany him, for he

knew it was too dangerous to go alone on a mission like this.

Reynald had demonstrated his skills before on several occasions.

In addition to his vast knowledge, he could be useful in

overcoming the problems that are waiting.

As expected, although nervous, Reynald accepted Saito’s

proposal.

Then Saito informed Chikasui that they were ready to go, and the

girl nodded to his words.

Saito and Reynald began following Chikasui, going out through

the same window through which she had entered moments ago.

Upon leaving, they realized there was little space between the

wall and the neighboring building; it was very narrow.

Passing the structures on both sides they could see some large

trees blocking the way, which made this location a blind spot for

any observers in the vicinity.

Where will we go next from here?

If Romalia’s actions were performed in shadow, then it was

obvious that their duty was to take these actions to light.

Should we go beyond the walls of the castle? Will the guards come

immediately to stop us?

However, Chikasui had no plans to make that happen. She bent

down to look for something on the floor, then she accompanied

them to an iron gate located on the floor.

Surely, it was a drain entrance that was constructed for

maintenance purposes.

Chikasui noiselessly open up the gate and then entered it

naturally. Saito and Reynald hesitantly followed her.

They fell about 5 mails from the stairs. Feeling the cold

atmosphere inside, they set foot on the ground, where they

immediately felt the water around their feet and smelled the

stench of the sewage.

Chikasui then took a lamp that was in there and recited a very

common spell. She had lit that lamp with magic. Having lit the

place, they found themselves wondering…

“This way!”

Chikasui unhesitatingly made her way into the labyrinthine

drainage. She was so adept, it was as if this labyrinth was just the

streets of the city in which she lived.

Right, left, straight ... They had walked for about an hour until

they came to the place where there was an iron ladder.

Then Chikasui began to climb up on that ladder.

Finally, they had reached their destination. Chikasui turn off the

lamp and the three were prepared to ascend again.

The moonlight was bright enough to fully illuminate the new

place, and from its appearance, it was the courtyard of an

abandoned church, but certainly this place was in Versailles in

the suburbs of Lutetia.

In this distance ... perhaps it is a secluded spot of about 500

mails, lights could be distinguished from the palace of Versailles.

Then Chikasui prepared to enter the church. Although it had not

been in use for a long time it was still clean inside. Chikasui took

the hands of Saito and Reynald in order to guide them.

Their destination was the basement of the chapel, which they

went immediately after finding the stairs, and in the background

the three encountered a door. Facing it, Chikasui approached and

quietly voiced their arrival.

“I’m Chikasui.”

Then there was the sound of a latch opening. She opened the

door. The first thing they saw were lamps that were lit inside the

room, and it seemed that the room was once for the priest of the

church.

It was a room with a bed and a small desk.

A young woman with a hood covering her face welcomed the

new arrivals. The only thing visible on the face of the figure was

her mouth. Saito turned and offered a bow.

“You are the emissaries sent by the kingdom of Tristain, I

presume.”

From her speech it was evident that this young woman was a

noble, and it seemed certain that this girl was the master of

Chikasui.

“I shall introduce myself: My name is Chevalier Hiraga and I

belong to the Ondine Brigade of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom

of Tristain, next to me is a fellow comrade from the same

brigade: his name is Reynald.”

Listening to this the girl withdrew her hood, then in the light of

the lamps the stirrings of her long blue hair were seen, and with

a tone of impatience she said:

“I introduce myself, my name is Isabella Martel, the commander

of the special forces of the Kingdom of Gallia, the Knights of

Northern Parterre.”

“Chevalier of the Northern Parterre you say?”

That was certainly the secret order of knights belonging to

Tabitha, who dealt exclusively with the dirty work of the

Kingdom of Gallia ...

“Since you aware of our existence, the talk will speed up a bit. It's

perfect, because we do not have much time, so let me explain the

situation: As the report earlier in the letter sent to Queen

Henrietta had said, the current queen of Gallia… The letter is not

about Charlotte-sama, but about a vile impostor who changed

places with her.”

“What does that mean?”

“I'm afraid right now the details are still unknown. Just three

days ago, when I was called to audience with the queen, I found

myself in front of her and I realized immediately that this person

was not Charlotte-sama, and it was not difficult to deduce that

this whole scheme was nothing but a conspiracy."

“...It really is.”

“However, I also understand we are in a difficult situation, this

girl was certainly a perfect copy of Charlotte-sama both in

appearance and in her actions. Because of the lack of certainty in

the assumptions I made towards this fact, I tried to seek counsel

with Her Highness the Queen’s Mother, yet we were informed

that she could not be accessed according to a letter that describes

her health condition, so with no other choice, I decided to use the

knights to start a thorough investigation. However, until now

we have not collected any conclusive information to unravel the

mystery, and our methods must be hidden because of the risk

that our enemies become aware of our discovery of their

schemes. I am quite completely unsure about Romalia's other

henchmen.

All that was said seemed to agree with Saito's first assumption.

As I thought ... That was not really Tabitha, all her statements to

support the crusade were part of the conspiracy of Romalia.

“Damn ... and I thought, this was their fault, they put so much

effort into such a stupid idea ... And most importantly ... Where

is the real Tabitha?”

“I'm afraid to say that we have not figured it out yet, I can only

assure you that this issue is currently the highest priority.”

“I understand that, and what do you want us to do?”

“Frankly, we ask you the favor of not doing anything; making a

reckless action would be extremely dangerous. So let us handle

this matter, in order to maintain this advantage ... Also, to avoid

warning the enemy that we have discovered the change they

have made with Her Majesty Queen Charlotte, I ask that you also

act as if you were not aware of their actions. If you understand

our position, I would like to request a last favor: kindly pass this

information to her Majesty Queen Henrietta of the way you feel

is best.”

“Roger.”

“If something relevant occurs we will let you know via letter, but

due to the risk of enemy interception, it would be very unwise to

just send regular letters. I would like you to use this.”

What had been delivered to Saito was a list with a series of

numbers that were used to decipher a code.

Saito took the list while nodding, and then save it in his pocket.

“Well then, I bid thee take care.”

Saito said these words and was prepared to leave the place

when...

“Wait! Chikasui! Please lead them to the exit.”

“Oh, right!”

It was true that if they left unattended they would likely lost

their way on the drainage, however, what caused Isabella to stop

Saito in his attempt to leave was more evident in her face.

“Is something wrong?”

After hearing this question Isabella went to Saito and bowed her

head.

“I am ... the daughter of Joseph, the former king of Gallia. On

behalf of my father, I would like to ask for an apology.”

Saito's body became paralyzed, and from the color of Isabella’s

hair, Saito had assumed she belonged to the royal family, but

this... Reynald was also surprised; his face altered and he opened

his mouth as if trying to say something, but immediately called

Saito to keep his composure.

“Saito.”

Saito thought back for a few seconds to get ready to say

something, and his face broke into a solemn expression. As if

whispering he said:

“I give my condolences.”

Greatly shocked Isabella opened her eyes and then lowered her

head silently.

After leaving that dark place, the moonlight seemed to have

become more intense. When they were about to enter the

drainage again, a sudden voice urged them to stop.

“Hey!”

Saito turned to the place where the voice came from.

A man who was watching them and was sitting in the rubble

suddenly got up. Saito saw his face lit by the moonlight and was

speechless with shock.

“Y.., you ...”

The man's face was the one with which he had faced in Cherphis,

the gigantic man accompanying Bleu...

“You, how this place brings back memories, you know, I used to

get frequent long missions out on this place. Do not tell me that

you also belong to Chevalier of North Parterre?, Ha, as if that

were possible ...”

“Why did you come here?” Saito asked the man ... Jack scratched

his head.

“Why do you think of such silly questions, you already know

why. We finally reached an agreement for the price of your

head.”

“Who is this guy?” Reynald asked, disturbed.

“It is one of the companions of the guys who attacked me.”

“Um, one ... Sicario?”[T/L:Not sure about this]

“Tell me, don't you have a great word to refer to me?”

Reynald turned blue, and then his face turned completely red as

he pulled out his wand.

“Hey! hey! You better stop, you know I do not like to kill all

witnesses, so I think you would be better if you just stand there

and watch.”

Then Saito pulled the code list from his pocket and handed it to

Reynald.

“Or, hey ...”

“Please give this information to Her Majesty.”

“B, but ...”

“I am the only target of this man, am I not?” After Saito said that,

Jack said while nodding:

“Yes, just as he says. No offense but I have no interest in guys like

you, or whatever they put up to guys like you in this place.”

“Saito...”

“Quickly, I leave the rest to you, Chikasui-san.”

Chikasui nodded at Saito's request, Reynald took her arm and the

two were out of sight upon entering the drainage.

Saito turned back to face Jack and beheld an intimidating face...

his fear seemed to paralyze his body.

In Cherphis, Saito remembered seeing a certain disinterest in his

eyes, so he was able to follow me? To ambush me in Gallia was ...

For a second, Saito thought he could escape, however, by what I

heard this guy was chasing him because he had acquired a

contract with whomever it was who wanted to remove him.

Even if he could flee, he knew Jack would continue to chase him

in order to achieve this goal.

He also recalled the words a few moments ago, and remembered

that he was familiar with this place.

“Then, as I said, sir, I do not have a grudge against you nor do I

intended to follow you even abroad ... however things just

turned out to be this way. You see, they called us for an internal

investigation, but I never imagined that I would be coming here

to see you! The exact moment I happened to enter the hideout

was the exact moment I met you. It's my lucky day, don’t you

think?"

Damn, it doesn't even make sense to flee...

Due to the circumstances, all that was left in Saito was fight, but

no matter how much he tried to build up the courage to face Jack,

his body could not gather any strength. As if it were a shudder,

his arms and legs felt stiff.

He was like a toddler who could not contain the anxiety

experienced in fighting for the first time.

Seeing Saito in this state, Jack could not stop but show a

surprised face on him.

“Hey what's wrong? Do you feel bad? The first thing you need to

do now is to be brave.”

“Nothing's wrong!”

Jack laughed ...

“Is that so, because what good are you if who cannot even move

out of that fear, it's no fun you know! Well, I'm supposed to come

here to kill you but don't blame me, since this is only a job, but

the truth is I'm starting to like this! Very well, I promise I will

raise a prayer for you when you die, so surrender!”

Saito said, drawing his katana from his waist, then the rune on

his left hand glow.

“Hey hey! Hurry up and die! Finish talking already!”

“Stop saying stupid things and get ready to fight!”

Despite wanting to show his strength, Saito noticed the tremor

in the tip of the katana he held.

“Well, first I will tell you how much your bounty is. Really, it’s a

habit of mine: before I'm going to kill someone, I tell them the

price paid for their head. To me, this is the best thing to do. Tell

me, knowing it would be somewhat fulfilling, don't you think?

So, the price they'll pay when we're done with your life is 140000

ECU! Quite a fortune; with that you could buy 3 or maybe 4 small

castles. I never thought you could be a guy that was worth so

much. You should be proud!”

You bastard, that's his way of making fun of me, probably at this time the only thing in Saito's mind was to beat him.

“And tell me, you think you can do that work just by yourself?”

“I suppose. Really, I always knew since the first time we met, that

I would be enough to kill you. Not that I want to brag but I'm a lot

more stronger than Duduu(Bleu). And so, now I promise you for

real; this is your last time!”

A cold sweat flowing from his neck, Saito froze.

There must be an opening in Jack.

In truth no matter where he searched he could not find an

opening in his defense. The immense pressure exerted by his

presence seemed to be winning the battle ...

“If you have any last will, don't hold it. Provided it is something

you can write in this place, I’ll let you put the will in that wall,

but if you write something problematic I will delete it.”

Wordlessly Saito lunged at him. In a single beat he was beside his

opponent, and Saito started to sweep one of the legs of Jack.

“Hell, you’re so impatient!”

But Jack had jumped and easily dodged the attack.

His lightweight and agile movements did not fit with the huge

body he possessed.

Yet Saito had foreseen this movement and he quickly jumped up

and raised his katana over his head.

“I have you!”

Saito had full confidence in his speed. Those guys had the ability

to use "hardening" which gave them the advantage of defence

against bullets and knives, but, at this rate it would be

impossible to have enough time to perform that technique.

“Ooh, What an incredible speed!”

However, despite the attack Jack did not appear to have

intentions to dodge it. Unexpectedly he stopped the attack by

grabbing the katana with his bare right hand.

RKK!

Then taking a fast turn, Jack softly landed on the floor.

“Well, now it's my turn.”

Jack started to recite a spell, which made Saito took a defensive

stance. Saito was ready, he even remembered the spell that Jack

had used before: creating walls and throwing rocks were his

specialties as an earth mage.

But ... actually he had an attack that was effective against earth

magic.

Yet Saito was confident that he could face the magic attacks.

What‘s his next attack?

A hand from ground to hold my feet?

Or maybe releasing some golems?

There is also the possibility he'll harden his fists and try smash

me.

However, Jack's attack was not anything Saito imagined, he took

up a stone and threw it calmly to Saito.

"?"

Although it appeared as a simple attack, the projectile speed was

incredible as the stone seemed to have been launched with the

power and precision of a cannon.

In the mind of Saito, Derflinger's words resurfaced.

"Those guys have magic casted on their joints ..."

Saito could somehow deflect the stone with his katana, but in the

next instant, Jack was already on him ready to connect a new

attack.

Then his huge fist implanted itself deep into Saito's stomach.

The impact made Saito drop his katana and sent him flying and

crashing into the ground.

“Yo, swordsman you're a tough guy!“ Jack told Saito, who was

lying on the floor.

Seeing his katana lying on the floor and completely out of reach,

Saito felt helpless and all the strength left his body ...

I lost.

It was over in an instant.

Although I knew that this guy is not only attacking with magic,

yet ...

As pictured ... I could not get my heart to shiver.

In his previous battles, just hearing Louise recite her spells

would give him great strength, but knowing how he lost her,

nothing will give encouragement to his heart.

I ... now that Louise is gone I have nothing left to fight for, I knew that from the start.

Gandálfr is a familiar that only serves to gain time for his master

to recite their spells ...

If the familiar loses his master, the whole purpose for which he

fights vanishes.

It's useless.

Resignation was the only thing left inside his body, as Saito saw

the threatening wand pointed to the place where he lay.

“Then ... I'll ask again, do you have any last will?”

Approaching slowly was a terrible reality; he could die. But even

more cruel than the terrifying idea of death was, If I die I can

never see Louise again, I cannot apologize to her, these thoughts of

despair filled Saito.

“I do not want ..... d-.”

“What did you say? I cannot hear you.”

“ ... I do not want to die!”

Looking quite distressed Jack, shook his head.

“That's impossible, you know that I have to do my job. Think, ask

something else.”

“I want to see.”

“See? Who?”

“I want to see.. I want to see Louise.”

“That too is impossible.”

“Louise ...”

Saito began to mourn, which provoked a great anger in Jack.

“Phew, That's wrong!... Do you think to end the fight in tears?

Damn ... are you insulting me in our battle?”

“Louise ... Sorry ... I ...”

“Stop it! Weep not jerk! Prove you're a man! 140000ECU! Prove

yourself!”

Hoping and the pain being unbearable made Saito threw a

desperate cry.

“LOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

UIIISE!”

But to no avail, sorry that I could not do more than disappear into

the darkness of night.

Jack's face sprouted with more and more veins. His anger was

indescribable.

“Bastard ... Not only you dare to insult our fight by screaming,

now you're asking help from a woman ... you trash! How you can

you be so pathetic? You're weak! You're a coward! You're a

disappointment!...”

Jack raised his wand and started to cast a spell. A large landmass

rose from the ground and with powerful "alchemy" it turned into

gunpowder.

Seeing this Saito attempted to run by dragging himself, then Jack

said to Saito while launching the tremendous amount of

gunpowder,

“You will not even leave the dust of what you once were! Ha!”

It was at that moment.

Within the mass of powder that was suspended in the air,

suddenly, from its center a small explosion had occurred. Such

an explosion had taken place before the mass reached Saito, and

the ignition of gunpowder caused it, which reverberated noise

savagely and the angry outburst of impact threw Jack into the

air.

The cloud of smoke from the explosion covered the whole area.

“.........”

With time the white smoke began to clear ... Saito was speechless

and shocked ...

“And you, what do you think you're doing?” Pink blonde hair

glowed under the light of the moon. With wand in hand, raising

her arm as she stretched her body, the one that was standing

before Saito was the figure of a "VOID user".

Louise stood right in front of Saito. He could not believe it; it was

truly a miracle, that Louise has appeared in a flash right before

his eyes. It was a miracle.

Dressed like a nun and preparing her wand to make an attack,

the figure of Louise ... was quite a miraculous divine appearance.

It had only been enough for Saito's eyes to flood with tears.

“Louise ...”

“You’re a pathetic familiar! If possible, I want someone better to

accompany me so I can save the world.”

“Louise!”

Without thinking Saito threw himself to embrace her, but what

he got was a kick that hit him square in the face.

“If you have time to get sentimental, then go and pick up your

sword quickly! The match is not over yet.”

It was just as she said, slowly from within the cloud of smoke a

figure rose.

“Grr ... Who the hell are you? ...”

“Who am I, I regret to say that I didn’t give my name to give to a

poor soldier like you.”

“Y-, you try to make fun of me ... as you wish, I have no problem

in sending one more guest to Valhala!”

Seeing her face, Louise remembered seeing Jack before. What is this

guy doing here ...? Is it not that this is the man who taught me in

Cherphis about the convent of Saint Margarita.

Why is this man attacking Saito? Bah, that doesn’t matter, better

ask Saito after.

Louise picked up the katana of Saito, stopped, then returned it

and said:

“Hey you, really, don't tell me you've lost to that man?”

“Only with that ...? He's strong you know.”

At this Louise replied nonchalantly.

“Someone strong, where?”

Then Jack turned to Louise and used "alchemy" to launch

countless iron arrows immediately at Louise. In response, with a

wave of her wand, Louise confronted the rain of arrows with an

explosion.

The powerful blast repelled the arrows onto the ground.

Incredible, Jack could only watch as his arrows scattered in

pieces all over the place.

“Wh-, What kind of spell did you use ...”

Examining in detail, Jack saw the powerful, magical aura

emitting from Louise. I understand, she is not certainly someone

common, but ... This magical power is unnatural, perhaps she

managed somehow artificially develop it...

This kind of magic is very potent.

Still ...

She’s no match for me.

She had deduced that truth simultaneously. Louise had now

succeeded in developing a totally different level of willpower.

The incident between Henrietta and Saito had been the biggest

spark of emotion in her life, but because of it, all the vast amount

of emotions that accumulated in her had overflown. What now

prevailed inside of her was her pride...

In this moment she felt a tremendous power flowing within her.

Everything started from her escape from the convent of Saint

Margarita ...

After all, the nearest land was about 10 kilomails. She had been

able to cover this enormous distance in small consecutive

sections using "Teleport".

That experience had provided an immense confidence boost to

Louise.

I mastered the Void spell as much as I can.

Nothing will make me hesitate.

From the bottom of her heart an unknown force began to boil

inside, her willpower that becomes her magical power pervaded

everything inside her body.

Although no one is willing to accept you, I will accept you always

Louise Françoise.

Jack could not help but, perplexed, continue watching this pink-

haired girl.

She is ... of that time ...

It's definitely the girl who Jannette sent to the convent of Saint

Margarita, her hair is a different color but ... So she never arrived

at the convent, or whether she did, did she manage to escape

from that prison?

Even so, most importantly, she has immense magical power.

Jack was in turn a powerful wizard to have easily noticed that.

If only I could get my hands on that "magical device with continuous emission of alchemy" everything would be easier, he thought, but

then ...

Anyway, there is something that I can use in a situation like this,

since that device is essential to fulfill the dream of Damian-

niisan, then ...

It is very simple, I only have to exchange my life for more power.

Jack started to recite a spell and the earth began to emerge

numerous golems.

Jack's plan seemed to be assaulting Louise and Saito, using a

small army to protect its master. However, this tactic was

intended only to gain time.

Then Jack was prepared to recite a new spell.

Seeing those tens of golems in front of her, Louise decided to give

an order to Saito.

“Come on, in front of you are plenty of weaklings. They are your

opponents, go do your job!”

Nodding, Saito immediately lunged at them, wielding the katana

in his hands. There was a huge amount of golems and they were

worthy creations of Jack; their movements were abnormal and

they could almost mimic the agility of their master, who Saito

faced with much difficulty.

But ...

Ur Slisaaz ansuur ken ... (uru-surisaazu-anzuuru-ken)

Saito could hear Louise from behind intoned of spell as she read

from her book. In one beat, Saito was filled with an immense

amount of strength, and a completely different kind of tears

covered his face.

The resonance of the voice of Louise was like a bell, Saito

imagined in his heart.

Because of that voice, because of that appearance,

Louise is beautiful.

The most beautiful one that can exist in this world, she has

completely smitten my heart.

Saito could predict the movements of the golems in advanced.

Their movements were clear in his mind, his blows done with

the katana were incredibly accurate. It would be impossible to

imagine that Saito's movements were from the same person who

fought Jack earlier.

But ... Upon hearing Louise's chant a mysterious feeling of

invincibility invaded Saito's senses. It was truly as if he was born

with wings on his back, his mysterious movements were the

expression of power flowing in his body.

What happened? It seems as if the golems were moving slowly!

Saito precisely cut each of those stone guardians, and he pitched

a war cry.

The spell Jack was reciting came to Louise's ears. Upon hearing it

she could conclude that it was "alchemy". So the keen senses of

Louise immediately planned the course of action to address it.

She made her mind and drew a spell to counter it.

Immersed in the execution of her spell, Louise seemed

disconnected from all the chaos around her at that moment. She

could be seen as if she had retired to a world where she lived

alone. Yet Louise's mind was working separately from her body;

she concentrated while her 5 senses still perceived information

from the environment, so she could always be aware of the

course of battle.

From a corner of her consciousness, Louise knew of the

condition of her familiar. Before her eyes, Saito was running

toward all the golems attacking him, one by one.

He works so hard to protect…

Then Louise realized that her bond with Saito was stronger than

that as lovers: a chain forged by fate, and no matter how far they

were from each other, they could never be separated; no matter

how ragged were the links that bound them, they could never

break ...

Louise had come to Versailles to inform Henrietta and the others

about the existence of Josette, when perhaps coincidental, a cry

from Saito reached her ears.

Within the darkness of the night she had arrived on time... also the

fact that she saw the danger in Saito and reach him only with a

"Teleport". Was it the work of fate too?

In the end she asked if he was okay, that was really what I

wanted, a whole range of emotions crossed her mind, which

combined with shudder to form a bright aura.

The Void's power emanated stunningly and wrapped Louise's

body.

Meanwhile, Jack’s spell was complete.

After refining the power of his "Alchemy" the complex spell

started to run on the ground under his feet, holding him as the

epicenter, a sort of concentric circles drawn so as to serve as a

catalyst to increase the range and power of his alchemy.

The unique magic power that Jack had obtained with alchemy

surely would unleash devastating results.

Then the floor rose, a gigantic circle of land which had about 100

mails in radius and a thickness of 10 mails, this vast amount of

land ... instantly became gunpowder, this was the end result of

using all of his remaining willpower to magnify his alchemy.

With such a quantity of gunpowder, surely the blast range of a

few kilomails would, to all humans within the range where it

would be impossible to escape, be smashed into pieces.

“Onii-san! I leave the rest to you!”

After shouting his spell, the conjure mass of gunpowder made its

"ignition", but at that moment ...

Louise saw Jack lowered his wand while swinging, then the soil

brightened ... the gunpowder from the land had, in an instant,

returned to its original form.

It has been the work of "Dispel".

Then the "ignition" that Jack launched only managed to spark a

little gunpowder. It was an amazing feat of magic that Louise

had demonstrated.

Having exhausted his willpower ... Having used his own life as

an amplifier to strengthen the effects of alchemy, Jack exceeded

the capabilities of his own body ...

Totally exhausted, he rolled his eyes and without a shred of

conscience fell, lying on the floor.

All finally became calm…

Epilogue

Reynald had brought Henrietta and all the members of the

Ondine Knights, who were accompanied by a large number of

officers of Gallia, and approached the place. Suddenly, the show

of arms caused an uproar in the middle of the night.

Jack, still unconscious, was recognized by the officers of Gallia as

a former member of Chevalier Do North Partel and he was

immediately taken into custody.

These officers also asked Saito the reason he was there, and what

Saito said was that he was about halfway to meeting Louise and

became lost in the course, ending up at that place.

He also added additional information about the incident. He

honestly admitted an unknown nobleman in his country had

hired a group of murderers to kill him.

Still agitated, Henrietta came running to Saito's location. The

first thing she did was look at him, and after confirming he was

safe an expression of relief washed over her face.

Finally the issue was resolved, including that of Louise’s, and all

decided to return to the guest house.

In Henrietta’s room, Louise and Saito were called inside so the

three could be alone. First, they agreed to put an order and reveal

all the information they had obtained over the course of time.

Saito and Louise began explaining everything that had happened

over the last few weeks, and at that time Saito decided to pursue

a group of bandits who called themselves the "Elemental

Siblings" going behind his head as he had decided to attack.

Derflinger was lost in the first battle against them.

Upon hearing of the death of Derflinger, tears welled up in the

eyes of Louise, and for a moment they all kept a respectful

silence.

However, Louise knew that now was not the time to mourn, so

she continued to listen carefully to what Saito had to tell.

The exchange came to the point where they explained to Louise

that the current Tabitha had been replaced by an impostor who

had taken her throne in Gallia and how the impostor proclaimed

support for the continuation of Romalia's crusade.

Louise was not aware of what she missed in her absence. Saito

then informed Henrietta about the details of the conversation he

had with Isabella before Jack attacked.

After listening to what Saito said, Henrietta gave a deep sigh.

“What a burden ... problems just accumulate one after another...!

And worst of all, you were attacked right during our diplomatic

visit in Gallia!”

“Looks like it was just coincidence, and to have once belonged to

the secret squad of knights of Gallia, us being here just gave the

Siblings the opportunity to make their job easier.”

After saying this, Henrietta nodded to Saito's comment.

Now done with speaking, Saito and Henrietta gave a stern look

towards Louise.

“If you may, could you explain what you've been doing all this

time?”

Louise began to tell Saito and Henrietta what had happened.

After she ran away and spent her days drinking to forget her

pain, she encountered a strange girl in the village of Cherphis

and the people that this girl called ‘brothers’, who informed her

about a hidden monastery ...

“The huge man named Jack; I was very surprised when I

recognized him and saw him fighting Saito.”

“So that means you were hiding in the village of Cherphis with

them ...?”

“Yes, I asked those guys to help me hide.”

The unexpected connection between all the events so far greatly

surprised the three.

Afterwards, Louise started to tell them about the encounters she

had in the convent of Saint Margarita.

“Josette is a girl I had befriended there, and one day I witnessed

Julius taking her somewhere, and I thought that he might want

Josette, thus I conclude that she's likely the new "User of the

Void".

As Louise relayed her suspicions, the other two were greatly

surprised.

It was inevitable that their anger and despair got mixed-up,

however Henrietta could endure and overcome it somehow.

As pictured ... Romalia had already found a replacement for the

missing Void user. The Romalians wanted to continue the

crusade despite the death of Joseph.

“So that means this girl is identical to... Tabitha?”

“Yes, I am almost certain that the impostor is Josette. At the

convent, I had to wear a special cross that could magically

change my facial features. Surely this girl ... is Tabitha's twin

sister.”

Finally, Louise informed them about her return and escape from

the convent for the sole purpose of passing this information to

them.

After their conversation... Louise stood upright, and her posture

changed to match her cold attitude.

“If I may, I believe our conversation is over. Can you tell me

which room I should stay in?”

“My private tent is out there, but I hope you do not mind it's a bit

cramped,”

Saito said. Louise stared at him heavily.

“Could you explain why I have to stay in your tent?”

“Well, really, is that what we're ...”

What happen was Saito only increased the anger of Louise. So

that's it... even though Louise returned here, it does not mean she

has forgiven me for that incident. Man, I think that it should be

pretty obvious...

After Louise made her sudden declaration, Henrietta coughed to

clear her throat, and said in an annoyed expression,

“If you ask for a room I regret to inform you there is none

available, for you must take into account that we are in a foreign

country.”

“Well, if that's the case, I have no choice but to stay at an inn in

Lutetia.”

Henrietta had anticipated that Louise would still feel bitter, so

she glanced towards Saito.

“Saito-dono, therefore, I wish you will give your tent to Louise.”

“Eh? And if I do that ...”

“Under such circumstances, I have no qualms if you stay in my

room for one night,” Henrietta said with a mixed expression.

Louise's shoulders began to shake.

“Eeeeh? But, that's not right!”

“At the moment there is an immense danger that constantly

threatens us, so it is essential that the queen of Tristain is

protected by her elite escort at all times. So, please let Saito stay

here overnight to protect me.”

“B, but ...”

“Is it alright to you, Louise?”

Then Louise nodded with a pained face, like she was suffering

from a seizure.

“It doesn't matter how I feel; if that's what your Majesty wants,

go ahead. I humbly ask you to accept it as a gift.”

Listening to Louise, Henrietta also started to experience a tick in

her eyebrow. “What you just said ... What does it mean? Eh,

Louise?”

“It means that I kindly ask you to please accept this dog that I am

offering as a gift. He can be a bit annoying, so try not to hit him

too much.”

Henrietta began to move her fingers nervously through her hair

as if she had lost her patience, but trying not to break her dignity

as queen, she went to Saito and showed a smile.

“You've heard it Saito-dono, we have permission from your

master. There is no longer any obstacle. However, because of all

the commotion that occurred recently, I think I will have trouble

falling asleep. If you are not bothered, please be kind as to

accompany me for a glass of wine.”

Caught between the hostilities of these two women, Saito did not

know how to appropriately answer each proposition. He was

helplessly, entirely lost within himself. Truly, I'm walking

among rows of gunpowder-filled barrels and holding a torch. I

make the slightest slip, Baaam! Think of a giant explosion.

Then in a voice trembling with anger, Louise said:

“No matter how many years pass Princes never change, you're

just like when we were kids. When I was playing with one of my

dolls " Ah Louise! That was a nice doll you have there, give it to me please! " and then I had to put a face as if nothing was wrong and I had to give it to you.”

“That was when we were kids, let us leave things of the past in

the past.”

“As if I could! It happens time and again, again and again. Saito,

let me warn you, you must be very careful as this princess tends

to get bored of the things she asked for very quickly.”

With a completely different voice, and almost shouting,

Henrietta replied:

“How dare you compare men to dolls! But, that is what you

always do, Louise.”

These two were about to explode into brilliant fireworks.

“I, I’ll sleep outside, yes, so the princess can stay in her room and

Louise can use my tent.”

“I'm afraid I cannot allow you do that. If I remember correctly, I

gave you an order to be my escort, and you need to be responsible

for my safety at all times. Yes, yes, even if you have to sleep in

the same bed with me.”

Inevitably Louise exploded, unable to hold her shaking shoulders

still, Louise came to brokenly murmur something.

“... Oh God, tell me in truth ... since when did you become an

adult?”

Henrietta slowly turned her gaze to Louise's face, her expression

now totally expressionless. Saito remembered seeing a face like

this when they were in the royal palace. This expression on her

face always emerged in critical situations, and Saito could

practically smell the fuses burning.

“Did you say something!!?”

“I said I only succeeded in revealing this useless adult sensuality

of yours, your Majesty!” Henrietta started shaking out of anger.

“You, perhaps fail to understand the consequences of what

you're saying!”

“If only your ability to handle political affairs was as great as

your sensuality, we wouldn't have to worry about the security of

Tristania as we do now...!!”

Louise turned around with an arrogant attitude, as if she had

launched an unbeatable final attack.

In response Henrietta furiously approached Louise and

attempted slap her, however Louise skillfully evaded fire.

“Yes, I would advise you to stop the work of being a Queen. I

assure you that you would be much better if you worked as an

actress at the Theatre Royal Tanaijiiru, and at the same time

peace will be achieved in the kingdom! Indeed everything comes

together PERFECTLY!”

Following Louise's insult Henrietta connected a tripping blow to

Louise's legs, the skill with which she remembers from time of

her childhood.

Lying on the floor for a moment, Louise recovered from the

impact and calmly got off the floor.

For a moment she just glared at Henrietta.

“As you wish Princess, but for the record let me make it clear, so

far my record is 27 wins, 25 losses and 2 draws!”

“Not how I remember it; I have 29 wins, 24 losses and 1 draw!”

Then the fight between the two started. Little bitch! Idiot

woman! Incompetent Queen! Priestess no breasts! As the insults

began to accumulate, it was increasingly evident that the verbal

abuse will lead to physical confrontation.

“Stop it! Stop it please!”

Seeing this horrible scene and unable to bear it any longer, Saito

tried to come between them and stop their fight, but instead got

a fist in the stomach from Henrietta and a kick in the head from

Louise.

Saito ended up launched onto the floor of the rough battlefield.

After losing his consciousness, the fierce war between these two

women continued indefinitely, until at some point, the two

gasped with each other while both dropped rendered feeble on

the bed. Still breathing hard ... but without really having the

strength to move yet, they argued:

“27 wins, 25 losses, 3 draws!”

“29 Wins, 24 losses, 2 draws!”

Then as if Henrietta murmured:

“You say cruel things and really, really know where a strike will

hurt most!”

“Princess--You too, you were ruthless to take advantage of my

weak points!”

Then sighing Henrietta said:

“Take care of Saito-dono. Bring him to your tent, it's an order.”

“I do not want to.” Louise said stubbornly.

“I ask you, do it as a favor, right now I want to be alone,"

Henrietta said with a sad solemn voice.

Regaining consciousness, Saito realized that he was in his own

tent. At the side of his bed, sitting on a folding chair he spotted

Louise, distracted, looking at the landscape from the window of

the tent.

Saito suddenly felt warmth flowing through the inner edge of

her eye.

Her figure was simply an appearance of divine beauty, and while

dressed simply like a nun, even this could not hide the incredible

charm radiating from Louise.

As her resolution was unshaken, Louise's eyes just turned gently

to see the outside from that window, her mouth in a straight line

only accentuated the serenity that now dwelt in her face. The

charm possessed by Henrietta was so vast that you could be

drown in it, indeed was disturbingly fascinating, however ...

If the beauty of Henrietta represented the evils of desire, then in

contrast, the charm of Louise represents the "divine" blessing.

This blessing was truly a sight quite unusual, but Saito really

admired it... Like when she was determined to do something, like

when she gathered the courage to face her fears, it was on those

occasions when Saito was lucky enough to see Louise radiates

this divine charm.

Charming women are very common in this world.

But only one women could show this divine expression: Louise.

Then in a voice that was stuck in his throat Saito said:

“Louise...”

Upon hearing this, Louise turned her head towards him.

“Hey, are you crying?”

“No ... Is that ... I'm so glad you're back ...”

Saito had realized that simple truth.

The reason I had decided to stay in this world.

Because Louise is here. There was no other reason. And now I've

discovered the reason why I'm attracted to Louise.

Before, my life had always been gray and boring. When I lived in

Tokyo, I had accepted this truth so naturally I had no time to

question whether this was meant to be or not.

But the moment he met Louise, he learned a lot of things that

until now he didn’t know existed.

Fun times, happy times, sad moments, painful memories ...

The first time he went to a dance ... When he thought "how cute

she is" his heart also trembled for the first time. Louise had made

his heart dance. And likewise, for the time he was in this world,

Saito kept thinking of the possibilities of a "future" for him.

"I get the impression that Louise has transported me

somewhere."

To a place not here, a very exciting place, I was transported to a

fantasy world ...

Maybe this is all my imagination, or maybe it's all just a

misunderstanding, but at some point I actually felt it; I sensed

that this moment actually existed. And it became the most

precious thing he had ever had in his life.

Saito stood up and tried to hug Louise, but Louise quickly

stopped him ...

“Don’t be naive. You know, the reason I returned has nothing to

do with the fact that I wanted to see you again, it was only

because I felt compelled to tell everyone about the appearance of

the missing Void user.”

Although she had said this in a cold voice, the joy she felt at

being able to see Saito again exceeded everything else. Then Saito

embraced Louise with all his might, and of course Louise tried to

resist ... for a moment. She threw kicks and punches but Saito

only hugged her stronger.

Seriously, what's the matter with this guy?

He could have done this with the Princess, how dare he, being a

little kind to me and have me dancing in the palm of his hand. In

truth it was very painful, I will never forgive him.

But then ... I feel so relieved to embrace Saito again, I feel like a

puzzle piece, a piece made exclusively to fit into his arms.

And as if it was an instinct, a thought arose in the mind of

Louise, I want to kiss him.

No! He was just making fun of me.

He was unfaithful.

And I will never forgive you, you'll see.

Louise felt a frustration so great that almost made her cry, that

was the truth.

Then Saito began to bring his lips close.

“No, let me go, never!”

I love you, I could not take it anymore, I love you so much.

“You did the same with the Princess right? No, never!”

Upon hearing this, the face Saito changed as if he was about to

cry.

But what is she thinking?

“Please.”

“No! I’ll never forgive you!”

“I understand.”

“You do not understand! I’ll never forget it, what you and

Princess did, never, even if I die, I will not forgive you!”

Saito nodded and then pressed his lips to Louise.

This guy, as if he'll understand.

This was her thought, but still she was unable to reject the kiss.

Without the two realizing, the night was coming to an end.

The light of a new dawn was beginning to flood the tent through

the window. The glare completely colored Louise’s dress from

deep black to bright blue.

Document Outline

Chapter 1: Saito’s Despair

Chapter 2: Flight

Chapter 3: Meeting and Comrade

Chapter 4: Sulpice

Chapter 5: First meeting with Jack

Chapter 6: Damien and Gondrin

Chapter 7: Soeur Vanessa

Chapter 8: Josette’s Resolution

Chapter 9: Two Canes, One Crown

Chapter 10: Garden Party to Celebrate the Enthronement

Chapter 11: Bonds