Zero no Tsukaima Volume 9 Chapter 2

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Chapter Two: The Elf of the Forest[]

The next morning…

Inside the forest near Saxe-Gotha, tearing a morning haze, a single girl showed up.

Her delicate body was wrapped up in a black mantle, her long pink hair as if it were falling free. With annoyed gestures she brushed a hair lock back, slightly damp from the forest’s morning dew, as she continued to lean against a tree. The girl’s cheeks were slightly pink, matching the color of her hair.

It was Louise.

Taking a deep breath, Louise squatted down next to the tree and hugged her knees. Then, she buried her pretty face into them and muttered silently.

“Uuuuuuuu, it's so embarra.s.sing. What to do? You can’t be embarra.s.sed. It's too late to feel embarra.s.sed now.”

With a blush on her cheeks, after some rustling Louise took something out… It was… a part of a black cat costume that she made the other day. And then placed it on her head – a black cat’s ears appeared on Louise’s head.

Blus.h.i.+ng furiously, Louise fixed the ears.

“It’s embarra.s.sing. But I cannot be defeated.”

She recalled the conversation with Saito last night. And the uneasiness with which he did not want to talk about Tiffania…

Is it something… concerning her b.r.e.a.s.t.s hidden by her clothes?

Louise could die from an explosion from a single gunpowder barrel that huge…

What a secret. This…

She felt uneasy since last night when she found the connection. Anyway, Louise was bound for the time being, wanted to be Saito’s best. Do you want to be compared to others? she thought, deciding that she didn’t want that. It was her first time after all. She wanted to carefully choose the moment when her heart would be ready.

Nevertheless… after seeing such things, she could not stay calm.

So…

These are weapons that shake my pride…

b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Right, the frightening and brutal articles. Tiffania had two of them.

They were huge.

No, huge was not the problem.

It’s that she herself didn't have those ultimate weapons equipped.

It’s that after seeing those things, Saito, after kissing Louise, asked, "Is this really a chest?" Those were his first words.

Seeing such things, then seeing Louise’s flat chest, it was not very hard to come to such a conclusion.

However, she was determined to not allow that.

“Even I won’t be defeated.”

She persuaded herself.

And, I want to prove it.

Louise felt it necessary to build up her self-confidence.

Then Louise stood up, raised a big bag to her chest and opened it. Once it was open, she let out a deep breath. Louise breathed deeply for a short moment trying to calm herself down. Louise's flat chest was lifting up and down.

With an angry face, Louise stared at it.

“No one is here.“

Around here, only children, excluding Tiffania, lived in Westwood Village. She could see only a squirrel collecting nuts and a small bird.

“Well, do it.”

Silently muttering, Louise took off the Academy of Magic uniform. She took off her skirt too, and stood dressed only in underwear.

Louise took out an item from the bag to fulfill the, "make me confident" strategy.

“Though I took it without permission… I left my own clothes instead.”

Louise's trembling hand was grasping Siesta’s maid clothes. She stole them from the bedside of Siesta, who was sleeping in the living room. Since it didn’t consist of an ap.r.o.n, she took Tiffania’s that was placed on a chair.

“That idiot likes maids.”

Louise muttered, closing her eyes and trying to sort her thoughts out.

“But he also likes master. Maybe. Probably. That’s what he said. Maybe those are only words…”

Louise nodded – un un.

“I’ll add two. Surely with this I’ll be invincible. Well, cat-ears are a bonus.”

She said while fiddling with cat ears.

She wore them, rustling Siesta’s maid clothes.

“Uu…”

After noticing the s.p.a.cey part for the b.r.e.a.s.t.s, Louise clenched her fists and let out a sigh. Not only Tiffania had this brutal power, she remembered. Though not like Tiffania, Siesta was also comparatively wonderful.

“What's that! It’s too big! It’s ridiculous! That stupid maid! It’s not virtuous!”

Though Siesta was not looking for honor anyway, kick! kick! – Louise began kicking the tree. After kicking it for a while, she shook her head and looked down.

“No, not lost. No way Louise would lose like this. Ah, aah, aaah, you're not even really cute!”

She muttered many times, persuading herself.

“I'm cute. Very cute. I’m the cutest in the whole Halkeginia. Besides, I'm a user of Void. This means I can cast wonderful magic. Really great. Great. Therefore you can go without worries. That…”

Louise touched the emptiness of the maid clothes at the b.r.e.a.s.t.s part. Fully recognizing the difference in size, she began to kick the tree again.

“Whatever I eat! It doesn’t change at all! Neeeh!”

From the impact of the kicks, various insects started falling from the tree. Louise screamed.

“Nooooooooooo!”

Her parents never saw Louise cry so hard. No one ever saw her so weak. Haah, haah Louise breathed wildly, shaking her head.

“What? Really, my Void can beat these baggy b.o.o.bs easily!”

Then Louise crumpled her s.h.i.+rt into the chest s.p.a.ce of the maid’s clothes. Seemed like Louise was really a Void. Void in a certain meaning. It was empty.

Though the bust looked somewhat distorted, Louise was satisfied and started to practice for the time when Saito would pa.s.s the tree.

This morning Louise slipped out of bed quietly, and left a letter for Saito under the door. "Come to the forest" was written there.

She did not write where in the forest and who would be waiting.

Louise, with her n.o.ble pride, thought that he would understand it naturally. Though someone may doubt if not telling the place to Saito was a good idea, but as said, Louise wanted to prepare for it properly.

“Right, today I will say those important words. Sorry…”

Sorry? Louise glanced up at the tree.

“Thank you for always helping me. But though you always take care of me… I do not show much grat.i.tude to you. Therefore I…”

Louise placed a finger under her chin.

“Therefore, a familiar shouldn’t be treated like that forever. Since you love me… and I, uhm, too sometimes dream of you… Don’t misunderstand. It is not a full love yet. How about it? Insufficient?”

With a blush on her cheeks Louise muttered.

“I like you more than a familiar. That feeling. You're higher. Therefore, I promote you to servant. Great isn’t it! You can be treated as human. Isn’t it wonderful? And to show that I'm genially grateful…”

Louise at her best tried to “make him fall for me completely.”

To make him fall in love was the so called "expression of grat.i.tude" by Louise.

Louise with both her hands took the corners of her skirt, and lightly biting her lips, muttered…

“…I thought this is what you want. Well, for me, what you want is important. You said you love me. Therefore, please…”

Louise lifted the maid’s skirt and held the corner of it in her mouth, revealing, slender legs and white underwear under it.

And said in a soft voice,

“…be gentle.”

This was, Louise thought, a killer shot…

This tremendous legendary power exceeded Void’s spells.

She would die if Saito saw her like that. Such a spectacle.

For a while, Louise’s body froze in this position.

However, she had a second thought. Here in such a place, she wasn't a n.o.ble anymore. She stopped being one of the Duke’s family members in here. She lost her name when she stepped in here. Uuu, a nameless woman.

After thinking for a while, Louise pointed at her body with her finger.

“B-but, t-this, t-this is still not good. Really. Can’t stop it anymore.”

Then Louise's face blushed even more. She became ashamed. Then, as if not being able to endure it anymore and stopped it, Louise continued the one-man play.

“H-hey! W-where are you touching! I said stop already!”

Louise made a pus.h.i.+ng away gesture with her hand.

“Hey! Stop! Are you listening? Dog! Stupid dog!”

And so the small birds and squirrels watched in amazement how Louise, who was sitting under the tree, continued brus.h.i.+ng off Saito’s hands many, many, times.

Tiffania woke up after Louise, who had waken up early in the morning, on her bed in her room and stretched. Then her melons, that should have been under her night clothes, jumped out. Tiffania hid her melons with her arm while blus.h.i.+ng.

Then she gave out a painful sigh.

“This is bad after all…”

Doubt concerning her own body had crept up since the day the guests arrived. Tiffania removed her arm and looked at her chest.

“Are they too big?”

After comparing her chest with the women that came looking for Saito, it was impossible to hide. Tiffania hadn’t seen many girls in their p.u.b.escence. Therefore she wasn't worried about her chest size.

But…

“Louise-san, Agnes-san, Siesta-san… even the biggest of them, Siesta-san, is half of my size.”

So, Agnes was half of that, and Louise was…

“Flat-topped.”

As Agnes would meanly say. But, then my b.r.e.a.s.t.s are…

“Weird…”

Tiffania’s shoulders dropped.

I'm a failure, a half-breed after all, with this curse of distortion that fell on my b.r.e.a.s.t.s - Tiffania started to blame the origins of her birth. From common sense, it had no relation to being a half-breed, but because Tiffania lived mostly with children, she lacked common sense.

Though she felt like crying since the early morning, Tiffania shook her head.

“I won't show such a face in front of the guests. I'm not precisely entertaining… I already upset them last night by causing trouble while carrying the wine.”

Calming herself down, Tiffania began to think about the menu of today’s lunch.

“That’s right. We have some ripened peach-apples. I’ll make an apple-peach pie.”

The peach-apples were easy to find in these places, the inside of the fruit was soft, just like a peach. The pies made with them were very delicious.

However, Saito and the others may be worried while seeing me gone. Those people seem to be targeted by a strange enemy…

Tiffania, who experienced considerable danger when young, wasn't afraid of such a turn of events. I won’t be careless and let myself be attacked. And even if I were attacked, I can always use the "Forget" spell to save myself.

For now, Tiffania decided to leave a note.

“I went to the forest to pick some fruit. I'll be back before noon.”

Upon waking up and noticing that Louise is not present at his side, Saito let out a sigh.

“d.a.m.n…”

He missed his chance yesterday.

Saito felt despair for a little while, looking forward to today reluctantly.

Life's long.

And the failure of two evenings is not a problem.

Saito thought.

For today he must speak with Louise about the important thing.

Tiffania. She, like Louise, is a Void user. Half-elf. Because of that, Tiffania should not be treated as an enemy elf, right? Yet…

Louise looked uneasy after seeing her true self…

However, it should change once she gets to know Tiffania better.

Thinking this way, Saito got up from the bed and went out of their room, and headed towards the living room for breakfast.

When he opened the door, something placed between the door fell down.

He picked it up – it seemed like it's a piece of paper.

“What the…”

It was a white parchment with black ink letters written on it. Though Saito could recognize Halkeginia’s written character, he still could not read, of course.

Saito faced the living room while inclining his head.

However, Louise was not around. There was no Tiffania either. There was Agnes who was talking about something with Derflinger while leaning against the table.

Saito slowly stuck out his head and called Derflinger.

“Yo, partner. Good morning.”

“Did you sleep well last night?” Agnes asked, with the same mysterious smile on her lips as yesterday.

“Couldn’t fall asleep.” he answered Agnes, who misunderstood the meaning; her grin widened. What do those adults imagine…

“No, it wasn’t because of THAT.”

He tried to clear the misunderstanding.

Agnes was dumbstruck.

“It’s the second day you slept in the same bed.”

This, said by a young woman, made Saito blush.

Derflinger thrust himself into their conversation.

“When it comes to this, he only has a hundredth of the courage he has in the battlefield.”

“Shut up!”

Saito stared at the intelligent sword. Derflinger started to shake. Seems like he was laughing. What an annoying sword, thought Saito and asked…

“Where’s Louise?’

“Wasn’t she with you?”

“Louise was not there when I woke up…”

“Haven’t seen the maid and Tiffania as well.”

“I s-see.”

If Siesta and Tiffania weren't around… Then, who wrote the letter? Saito asked Agnes.

“What’s written on here? I can't read…”

He hadn’t talked about coming from another world with Agnes. But because in this world literacy among commoners did not seem to be very high, Agnes received the letter without any sign of surprise.

“It reads - ‘Come to the forest.’ Nothing else added. Not even a name.”

“What, could it be an invitation to a date?”

Saito looked doubtful.

From whom?

Who on earth asked him to go to the forest?

At first it seemed like Louise would be the most obvious answer. But… Saito denied such possibility…

Why would Louise use a letter to call me somewhere?

If she had some business with him she would talk "directly".

Maybe Siesta?

Or Tiffania?

While he was wondering so, Agnes tapped his shoulder.

“Though we don’t know who… leave quickly. That someone might be waiting for you.”

“Fear embarra.s.sing a woman.”

After being encouraged this way by Agnes and Derflinger, with a strained face, Saito nodded.

"Embarra.s.sing a woman is terribly scary."

What Louise did to his body made him realize that very well.

Saito faced the forest.

Yet, it is easier said than done as he did not know which direction he should go to. After all, Westwood village was in the middle of the forest…

Come where… muttered Saito while following the footpath leading towards Saxe-Gotha’s plains.

The forest in the morning was refres.h.i.+ng. Through the branches of trees sunlight occasionally peeked through. While walking… Saito was called to a stop.

“Saito.”

When he turned around he saw Tiffania stepping out of the tree's shadows. She had a big basket with her. She wore the usual green dress.

Saito was startled.

Was Tiffania… the one that called me?

“Uhm… Was that Tiffa’s letter?”

“Yes.”

Tiffania nodded quickly.

W-what?

Tiffania said she called me to the forest.

What is the meaning of this?

“W-why to the forest…”

“Eh? I wanted to make something for you to enjoy. Uhm…”

Enjoy?

Enjoy in the middle of the forest? Enjoy, what the heck?! That!

Fantasies started to go round and round in Saito’s head. He didn’t try to stop them. One after another, various fantasies rose from his head.

“Could you tell me w-w-w-w-what do you mean by "enjoy"?”

Tiffania shyly turned her face away.

“I wanted you to eat some delicious fruit.”

Saito was petrified.

W-wh-what a metaphor.

Comparing her chest with fruit.

Moreover, for me to have fun with?

“W-what the… that p-person… really… this fellow, like that…" Saito wanted to cry.

“…D-delicious fruit?”

“P-peach-apples…”

In other words… sizable and soft like a peach, and round like an apple.

Such entertainment, made Saito’s nose bleed.

“A-are you all right?”

Tiffania ran up to Saito anxiously. With each step, Tiffania’s peach apples wrapped in green clothes bounced. Saito panicked. No! Bad! Louise and I have a nice relations.h.i.+p right now! And now because of this…

“I-it's wrooong! There is no need for such enjoyment! Not for me! Please!”

*Boing*

Saito’s hand, that he thrust out, landed on something.

I… Just now I…

…and the object that is on the other side of my palm.

What could it be?

It was soft and warm – truly, these were the fruits of heaven.

“G.o.d and Founder Brimir, could this be a peach apple…”

Like reaching the Arcadia Village at last, Saito felt pure bliss emanating from his palm.

Thoughtlessly, his hand clenched.

It was completely on instinct.

His hand stopped obeying his mind’s orders.

When he timidly opened his eyes, he saw Tiffania's face, dyed in an embarra.s.sed red.

“Aiu.”

Tiffania looked on a verge of tears.

Saito pulled back.

“S-sorry! Very sorry! I didn’t mean it! Really!”

At that moment…

The sound of spell echoed from behind them.

"Eoh Thorn Feoh Járnsaxa"

When he turned around… he saw a girl, a Void user, holding a wand in her hand.

“Louise.”

Saito trembled.

From Louise’s mouth came the words of a Void spell. Saito could feel the almost visible aura of fury surrounding her. Tiffania became frightened.

"Ós Thorn Uruz Ru Rad"

“Louise, you are mistaken. This…”

Saito desperately tried to find an excuse.

And why was Louise in Siesta’s maid clothes with cat-ears on her head? More so, why was she in the forest?

No, it’s not the time to worry about Louise’s wardrobe. Because right then a spell was being chanted. The power of Void was proportional to the time it took to cast…

Hey, hey, are you seriously going to unleash such a powerful "explosion" on me?!

“Hyaa!” screamed Saito, escaping.

"Peordh Yr Sowilo Kaun Othila…"

Saito ran away into the forest. He dove between gaps of trees, elbowing his way through branches, trying to run away desperately as if encountering a bear.

However, despair took over Saito.

An angry Louise was much scarier than a bear.

He couldn't escape.

Before Saito could advance more than 20 meters, the despair was transmitted to his feet.

He heard the sounds of Louise violently elbowing her way through the bush from behind him. Though he tried to stand, he was too scared to stand straight. When he fell on his stomach and tried to crawl away, he saw feet before him.

He looked up.

“Siesta?”

She was wearing Louise’s tight white s.h.i.+rt. She had a basket in her hand.

“H-help…”

When he muttered, Siesta gave a ‘Hmmmm’.

“Help! Now! Terrible!”

Not listening to his pleas, Siesta started to talk.

“When I woke up this morning, my clothes were gone. This s.h.i.+rt was there instead.”

“Siesta! Please! I can’t stand straight anymore!”

“Moo, it was good nevertheless. Then I came here to gather edible wild plants to make a delicious soup for Saito-san. Then, when I heard Saito’s voice from the footpath, I became so happy thinking that he came here because of me.”

“There’s no time for that now! Louise! Louise!”

From the back, Louise’s angry footsteps grew louder.

“I was surprised. Then I saw Saito-san groping Tiffania’s chest.”

Siesta squatted down and looked into Saito’s face with a smile.

“You sure like to touch big ones?”

“T-that was inevitable!”

Siesta jumped back from Saito and hid herself behind a tree.

Turning his head, he saw Louise with a set up wand. Her face was pale from anger.

“Stop!”

Louise watched her familiar trying to crawl away with a frightened expression on his face, and thought…

Why this idiot…

A-after all that trouble to meet again…

After all his m-m-master said.

For a moment, she thought to reward his loyalty with something more than a kiss.

She was even going to abandon brandis.h.i.+ng n.o.ble’s authority.

More so… I changed my att.i.tude.

I thought about trying to find a way to bring him back home after this.

And he said – ‘Is this really a chest?’

It’s all right. She always doubted about that herself. She had to look truth in the eyes.

But, anyways.

Whom and where do you think you are touching?

The maid’s tongue. It’s all right. She moved 100 steps ahead. 100 steps are not enough. She’ll move 1000 steps. After all, after mustering the courage at yesterday evening to surpa.s.s Siesta… to have the same thing to gloss over.

But a chest asks for a capital punishment.

Groping those ridiculously big b.r.e.a.s.t.s. That’s what mattered.

Ancient runes started to undulate within Louise.

Magic expanded within her body, splintering into tiny pieces and dissolved into her blood stream, and turned into a medium to further enhance her magical powers.

Louise lowered her wand, aiming it at Saito.

“Ah! Aah! Ah! It hurts! Uwaah…”

A huge explosion swallowed Saito’s screams.

The thick cloud of dust dispersed… Saito, after Louise’s "explosion" spell, was trembling on the ground.

“I-it hurts…”

Saito, who barely escaped death, groaned.

“Shut up. How was it? Was it big? You like big ones above all, don’t you? Answer! Answer now!”

When she poked Saito with her foot, Tiffania’s voice came from the back.

“An explosion… what?”

“What-what explosion! Didn’t you see it yourself! And I thought you were nice!”

When Louise turned around, Tiffania stood there. Louise eyes went wide.

“You…”

Startled, Tiffania reached for her head. Because of the blast her hat fell.

“Elf?” Louise’s voice began to tremble.

Two people looked straight at each other.

“…Why is an elf in such a place?”