Zero no Tsukaima - Volume 5 - Chapter 3.3

Chapter 3

Louise was watching the falling rain and pouting. Where had Saito gone to in the middle of such rain? Louise finished warming-up a while ago and when she turned around to her familiar for some chastisement… Saito was gone. 

Although she searched the inn inside out, he was nowhere to be found. At first she thought he had gone back to attic and hid himself there, but it was empty. However… her commoner clothes, that she had bought to blend in, had disappeared as well. 

Feeling somewhat uneasy, Louise left the attic. When she returned back to the inn, Scarron and others looked worried. 

“No good, rain… Customers will stop coming because of this rain.” 

“However, it's quite noisy outside. Did something happen?” 

Indeed, as said, one could hear outside the sound of rainfall mixing with the roar of palace guards. Louise opened the door and stepped outside. She approached a soldier with a sword and called him out. 

“Hey, what happened?” 

The soldier shot a short glance at Louise’s camisole and declared in annoyed voice. 

“Eei! Shut up! It is not bar woman’s business! Return back to your inn!” 

“Wait.” 

Louise still called him to stop and took Henrietta's authorization papers out of her cleavage. 

“Though I look like this, I am Her Majesty's court lady.” 

Pop-eyed, the soldier looked at Louise, then at her authorization papers, and then back at Louise again, and stood upright. 

“F-f-forgive my rudeness!” 

“Just speak.” 

The soldier in a tiny voice explained to Louise, 

“…We finished inspecting Champ de Mars, but when we returned back to the royal palace, Her Majesty had disappeared.” 

“Is it Reconquista again?” 

“The criminal’s objective is unknown, but he was certainly skillful… Suddenly a mist came out of her carriage…” 

“Were you on guarding duty at that time?” 

“It was a newly organized corps.” 

“I see. Thank you. Do you have a horse?” 

The soldier shook his head. 

“Useless!” 

Louise began running towards the royal palace through the rain. At a time like this, where the heck has Saito gone to? She clicked her tongue angrily. Really, just when you need him the most he is not there! 

Agnes pulled the horse that she was riding on to a stop in front of a certain large residence. It was the Richmon’s residence… here, during the day, she conferred with Henrietta. 

It was the corner of an upscale residential area where often lords resided. Agnes looked at a huge and wide two-storied residence and crooked her lips. She knew painfully well that Richmon lived here for 20 years and used any possible method to build this luxurious mansion. 

She knocked against the gate, loudly announcing her visit. The gate window opened and a page stuck out his head. 

“Who’s there?” 

“Please tell Richmon that Her Majesty’s Musketeer Agnes arrived.” 

“At such hour?” 

The page said in a suspicious voice. 

Indeed, it was around midnight. 

“Urgent message. I need to convey it by all means.” 

Inclining his head, the page disappeared inside. After a while, he returned and removed the bolt of the gate. 

Agnes gave the bridle to the page and headed towards the residence. 

After a while, when she passed the living room, she finally saw Richmon sitting at the fireplace, dressed in his nightclothes. 

“An urgent message, huh? It better be good to wake me up so abruptly.” 

Richmon muttered, not trying to hide his lofty contempt towards Agnes. 

“Her Majesty disappeared.” 

Pikun! - Richmon’s eyebrows shot up. 

“Kidnapped?” 

“It’s under investigation.” 

Richmon looked doubtful. 

“Big incident indeed. However, is it similar to the other day’s kidnap case? Is Albion involved again?” 

“It’s under investigation.” 

“That’s not the way guardians should talk! Under investigation! Under investigation! Yet you cannot do a thing. You always bring trouble to the law academy. What units were on duty?” 

“Us, musketeers.” 

Richmon stared at Agnes unpleasantly. 

“It just proves your incompetence as a newly established unit.” 

Richmon declared in a voice loaded with sarcasm. 

“To clear our name, we are doing the best we can at investigating.” 

“That’s why I said! Swords and guns are children toys against magical wands! A whole unit of commoners cannot replace a single mage!” 

Agnes watched Richmon quietly. 

“Grant the permission of military acts… I would like to get the permission to block highways and ports.” 

Richmon rejected the cane. He grabbed a pen that flew towards him through the air, wrote something on a parchment and handed it to Agnes. 

“Do your best to find Her Majesty. If you are not able to find her, all members of the Musketeers will be hanged by the war tribunal. Think about it.” 

Agnes turned to leave but halted in front of the door. 

“What? Is there anything else?” 

“Your Excellency…” 

In a low, anger filled, stifled voice, Agnes began to squeeze out words. 

“What?” 

“There is hearsay about the incident you were involved in 20 years ago.” 

Hauling the string of memory, Richmon closed his eyes. Twenty years ago… a revolt that shook up the country and he remembered the suppression. 

“Aah, so?” 

“Your Excellency was involved in the ‘Slaughter of D'Angleterre’.” 

“Slaughter? Don’t call it so ill. Weren’t the commoners in distant provinces planning to overthrow the nation? That was a rightful duty of repression. Anyway, it’s mostly a legend.” 

Agnes left. 

Richmon watched the closed door for a while… Would he be given the pen and the parchment again, he might change his decision, as he felt that a vicious force had been unleashed just now. 

Agnes, who left the residence, took the horse from the page. She took out of her saddle bag a black robe and put it over the chain hemp garment, placing the hood over her head. Then she took out two pistols and carefully reloaded them, watching that the gunpowder would not get wet from the rain. Then she checked the fire grate, percussion hammer and shut the gun barrel. It was a new, flint type gun. 

Then she placed her sword in a sheath and straddled the horse, finishing up the battle preparations. But then… someone ran out through the rain. The girl could be seen coming from the Chicton Street, who, after noticing Agnes straddling the horse, ran up to the female knight. Because she was running through the rain she looked poorly. Her white camisole was dirty due to mud and barefooted as she had taken off her shoes since they were too uncomfortable to run with. 

“Wait! Wait! Please wait!” 

Wondering, Agnes turned around. 

“Lend me your horse! Hurry!” 

“I refuse.” 

Saying that Agnes tried to turn her horse away but the girl blocked the way. 

“Move aside.” 

She said but the girl did not listen. She took out some parchment and pointed it in front of Agnes. 

“I am Her Majesty's court lady! I have the authority to use police powers! Your horse is requisitioned in Her Majesty's name! Dismount it at once!” 

“Her Majesty's court lady?” 

Agnes looked doubtful. The girl looked like a woman from a bar. However, though she was all dirty from running in the rain, her noble features could still be recognized. Agnes hesitated for the moment. 

Louise, finally losing her temper because Agnes didn’t dismount her horse, pulled out her wand. Mimicking Louise’s movements, Agnes pulled out her pistol at once. 

Two people went still aiming wand and gun at each other. 

Louise said in a trembling low voice. 

“…Though I am still not well accustomed to my magic. Nontheless, it is still more powerful. Give up.” 

Agnes replied, with her finger on pistol’s percussion hammer. 

“…from such distance, a pistol will be more accurate.” 

Silence settled over. 

“Introduce yourself. You have a wand, thus you must be a noble.” 

Agnes said. 

“Court lady, directly accountable to Her Majesty, de La Vallière.” 

La Vallière? That was a familiar name. In the conversations with Henrietta, she heard that name on countless occasions. 

“Then, you…” 

Agnes withdrew the gun. This trembling girl with her wand set up… is rumored to be Her Majesty’s best friend. This young girl with disheveled pink hair… 

“You know me?” 

Louise, with a blank expression on her face, put down her wand as well. 

“I often heard about you. I am very honored to meet you at last. You can share a horse with me. Let me explain the circumstances for you. If you were shot, it would cause Her Majesty to hold a grudge.” 

Agnes stretched forth her hands to Louise. Agnes easily pulled up Louise with a strength that was hard to imagine for such a delicate woman to posses. 

“Who are you?” 

Louise straddled behind Agnes. 

“Her Majesty's musketeer. Commander Agnes.” 

This made Louise, who heard about the ‘Musketeers’ from the soldier before, enrage. 

“What on earth were you doing?! Were you sleeping while forgetting your guard?! Her Majesty was shamelessly kidnapped!” 

“As I said, let me explain the situation. Anyway, Her Majesty is safe.” 

“Whaat?!” 

Agnes spurred on the horse and it started to run. With the rain falling hard the two people disappeared within the darkness of the night. 

On the bed of the cheap lodging house, Henrietta was sitting with her eyes tightly shut and Saito’s arms around her, trembling. Saito couldn’t find words… so he just sat and held Henrietta’s shoulders. 

When the rain finally changed into drizzle, Henrietta calmed down a little and forced a smile. 

“I am sorry.” 

“No…” 

“I brought you to this useless place. Yet, I was helped by you again in the end.” 

“Again?” 

“It is so. On that night, I… I could not think straight, I was manipulated and tried to leave with Wales… You stopped me…” 

“Yeah.” 

“You said at that time. 'If you go I will cut you. I cannot permit you to lie to yourself even if you are madly in love', you said.” 

“I s-said so.” 

Embarrassed, Saito turned down his face. 

“Still, the foolish me did not awake. I tried to kill you. However, you stopped the foolish tornado that I myself unleashed.” 

Henrietta closed her eyes. 

“By the way, at that time… I felt relieved.” 

“Relieved?” 

“That’s right. Even I noticed that it wasn’t the same Wales whom I loved. The truth was different. I... in the bottom of my heart, wanted for someone to say those words and stop the foolish me.” 

Taking a deep, as if painful, breath, Henrietta continued to talk. In a withdrawn voice. 

“Therefore, I ask you, Familiar-san. If I were to do something foolish again… if I were instigated again… Would you stop me with your sword?” 

“Why?” 

“At that time, I was ready to kill, not holding back. Even though I was asked by Louise, that gentle child, I could not stop. Therefore…” 

Saito said in a surprised voice. 

“I can’t do it! Really… you can’t be weak. You are the queen. Everyone obeys your will. Don’t talk like this, Princess. You would not be alive after all this if you were not brave. Was that all a lie?” 

Henrietta looked down. 

Then… 

Don, don, don! 

Someone battered against the door. 

“Open up! Open the door! It is royal police! We are searching for run away criminals hiding in this inn! Open up now!” 

Saito and Henrietta looked at each other. 

“They do not seem to be searching for me.” 

“…Let them go away. Stay silent.” 

Henrietta nodded in agreement… 

Meanwhile, the knob began to turn. However… it was not possible to open because of the lock. Clank-clank! The knob shook violently. 

"Open up now! It’s an emergency! Or I will break it!” 

Bam! One could hear the sounds of sword against the door knob, trying to open it. 

“Not good.” 

Henrietta, with determined face, unfastened the buttons of her shirt. 

“Princess?” 

His surprised voice was cut short as Henrietta captured Saito’s lips with her own. The kiss was sudden and intense. Locking her arms around Saito’s neck, Henrietta pushed him down to the bed. Seemingly undisturbed, Henrietta had her eyes closed and with a deep sigh, pushed her tongue into Saito’s mouth. It could take one’s consciousness away, so intense was the kiss. 

Simultaneously with Henrietta pushing Saito down to the bed, the soldier, who was trying to break the door knob, kicked the door open. 

What the pair of soldiers saw… was a young woman, lying on top of a man, intensely kissing his lips. The woman did not pay any attention to the soldiers and kept on going crazy. Sighs of affection were escaping from the opening of the pair of lips. The soldiers watched the spectacle for a while… then one murmured to the other. 

“…T-they seem to be just sheltering from the rain, and enjoying it a lot.” 

“Damn, lets finish up checking the others.” 

Thud! The door was closed and they disappeared down the stairs. Since the doorknob was broken, the door opened up, slightly squeaking. 

Henrietta separated herself from his lips… but, even though the soldiers were already outside the hotel, she still kept on watching Saito with moist eyes. 

Saito was completely surprised by Henrietta’s behavior at that moment. When the time comes, she could sacrifice her own body, like tonight, just to keep the secret. She was really strong. 

With flushing cheeks, Henrietta kept quietly watching Saito. 

“…Princess.” 

Henrietta said in a strained voice. 

“I already told you to call me Ann.” 

“But…” 

Not waiting for him to finish, she pressed her lips against his again. This time, it was a gentle… emotional kiss. In the dingy lamplight… he could see Henrietta’s white shoulders that he held just a while ago. 

With Saito strongly confused, Henrietta’s lips started to trace the shape of his face. 

“Do you have… a lover?” 

In a hot voice Henrietta whispered into his ear. He felt like melting from that sound. Then, Louise’s face popped up in Saito’s head. Louise was not his lover. But… 

“I don’t, however…” 

Henrietta started to nibble Saito’s earlobe. 

“Then, treat me as your lover.” 

“W-what?!” 

“It’s all right, only for tonight. I am not telling you to be my lover. But, please, hug me… and kiss me.” 

That moment - time stopped… this way, a few minutes passed. 

Moisture filled the room thanks to the rain. The mixed smell of futon and bodies drifted in the air. 

Saito watched Henrietta's eyes. Even in such a dirty room… Henrietta’s beautiful face was dazzling. No, maybe it dazzled because of this dirty room. 

He was almost inadvertently drowned in these charms. But… he could not go beyond Henrietta’s kiss… Louise would never forgive Saito. Not only would she never forgive him but also she would be saddened, because Louise respected Henrietta the most. 

He could not do such a thing. 

He could not pretend to be lovers and kiss with a person… that his important person held important. Henrietta was just lonely. There must be another way to comfort her. 

Therefore, Saito lightly patted Henrietta's chestnut hair. 

“I cannot become a prince.” 

“I’m not asking to do such thing.” 

“Remember? I am not a person from this world, I am from a different world. I can't… substitute someone.” 

Henrietta closed her eyes and drew her cheek to Saito's chest. 

After that… when the heat gradually vanished… Henrietta muttered, embarrassed. 

“…You must think I am a shameless woman. Even though I am called a queen… I am still a woman. And at night I still miss someone’s warmth. " 

For a while…, Henrietta didn't say a word and just laid there, pressing her cheek against Saito's chest. Inside a cheap lodging house, that might be the cheapest in town, the noblest woman of the country trembled like a child in his arms. Saito smiled wryly at this somewhat absurd situation. 

And… felt uneasy. 

“Princess.” 

“What?” 

“Please explain to me slowly. What on earth are we doing here? Secrets… everyone looking hard for you. And… you are trying so hard to hide yourself. It cannot be just one of those capricious things, right?” 

“…Oh well. I guess I need to tell the full story.” 

Henrietta voice regained her usual dignity. 

“It’s a fox hunt.” 

“Fox hunt?” 

“Yes, you know that clever animal, the fox? Even with dogs at it, even with beaters, it is not easy to capture one’s tail. Therefore… I set a trap.” 

“Trap?” 

“Yes, and the bait is me. Come tomorrow… the fox will leave its nesting hole.” 

Saito looked at her. 

“And who is the fox?” 

“Albion’s spy.” 

Agnes and Louise were riding the horse down the alley leading to Richmon’s mansion. Though the rain eventually turned into drizzle… it was still cold. Agnes gave Louise her own mantle to wear. 

“W-what are the circumstances?” 

“Rat hunt.” 

“Rat hunt?” 

“Yeah, they not only damage a kingdom's granary… but also try to betray the master in the middle of the hunt.” 

Uncomprehending, Louise stared at her 

“Explain it in full detail.” 

“There is no time to explain it any further now. Nha! We arrived.” 

The gate of Richmon's residence opened and a young page appeared before Agnes’s horse. It was a 12 or 13 year old boy with red cheeks. Holding a torch, he looked around restlessly before starting to lead his horse again. The page started to gallop while holding a torch. Agnes smiled thinly and began to chase after the horse, following the light of the torch. 

“…What’s going on?” 

“It has started.” 

Agnes answered briefly. 

In the night air, the page continued galloping the horse at full speed. Seems he was told beforehand by his master to hurry. The boy was surveying his surroundings while desperately clinging to the horse's back. 

Agnes, keeping a distance between them, followed him. 

The page's horse passed the upscale residential area and stopped at a suspicious district. In the surroundings of the night, one could hear the Queen's search party drinking and having fun. 

Omitting going through Chicton Street, the horse disappeared into a secluded alley. 

When he disappeared at the entrance of the alley, Agnes descended from the horse and looked into the alley. 

Leaving the horse at the stables, Agnes turned to the hotel once she made sure that the page entered there. Jumping off the horse, Louise asked while running after her. 

“What, what is happening?” 

Agnes did not answer any more. 

She entered the hotel and elbowed her way through the mass of people at the bar in the front till she saw the page going up to the second floor. She followed. 

From the staircase, Agnes confirmed the door through which the page had entered. 

Two people had expected visitors for a while there. 

Agnes whispered to Louise. 

“Take off the mantle. Start leaning over me in a bar woman's way.” 

Not understanding, Louise did as Agnes said and took off her mantle. Then she pretended to be a fizgig flirting with the knight. She saw such scenes often during the hustle at the bar and had them imprinted in her mind. 

“Good.” 

Agnes said to Louise without averting her glance from the second floor. Though her voice was still womanly, when keeping silent she left an impression of an honorable knight, probably because of her short hair. Louise’s cheeks started to blush inadvertently. 

The page walked out of the room at once. 

Then Agnes drew Louise to her. Ah, and snatched a kiss. 

Though Louise tried to wriggle out in rage, Agnes suppressed her with strong power, and she could not move... 

The page gave a short glance at Agnes and Louise kissing, and turned his eyes away at once. 

A kiss between a knight and a bar woman. Just like in the painting that hangs on the wall of the residence, an ordinary spectacle. 

Then the page went out through the exit, straddled a horse just like the time he came here, and disappeared into the town of the night. 

Agnes finally let Louise free. 

“W-what are you doing?!” 

Louise shouted, blushing. If her partner were a man, she would have pulled out her wand and blown up this place already. 

“Relax. I do not have such a hobby. This is duty.” 

“Neither do I!” 

Then Louise recalled the page who left. 

“You won’t follow him?” 

“It does not matter anymore. That boy doesn't know anything at all. His role was only carrying the letter.” 

Agnes, not making a sound with her footsteps, silently approached the front of the door in the guest room that the page entered. Louise asked whispering. 

“…You aren’t a mage, right? You can’t blow this door off.” 

“…you still can break it with enough strength.” 

“…it is surely locked. There is nothing you can do. With all that rattle he might run away.” 

Louise pulled out the wand that was attached to her thigh, took a deep breath, and muttered the spell of 'Void', aiming the wand at the door. 'Explosion'… the door exploded and was blown off into the room. In no time, Agnes pulled out a sword and jumped inside. 

A merchant was there, standing near the bed with a surprised expression on his face. He was holding a wand in one hand. A mage. 

The man seemed to be a considerably good magic user, as he quickly pointed his wand at Agnes, who had jumped in, and muttered a spell. A mass of air blew Agnes away. When he uttered another spell and threw Agnes into the wall… Louise entered. 

Louise's explosion hit him. The explosion hit straight in front of him, the man fell on the ground holding his face. 

Agnes stood up and hit the wand out of the man’s hands with her sword. Louise picked up the wand that lay on the floor. 

Agnes pointed at the man's throat with the tip of her sword. It was a middle aged man. Though he looked like a merchant, the light in his eyes was different. He probably was an aristocrat. 

“Do not move!” 

Still pointing her sword, Agnes pulled out handcuffs from her waist and locked the iron circles on the man’s wrists. Then put a gag of torn sheet in his mouth. 

What is happening at this time of night? – Visitors of the hotel started gathering and looking into the room. 

“Do not make any noise! Just arresting a sneaky thief! ” 

The scared hotel people withdrew their faces. 

A letter that page gave to the man must be somewhere inside, Agnes thought. With a smile on her lips she rummaged through the man’s desk drawers. She found lots of letters and documents and began to slowly read them one by one. 

“Who is this man?” 

“Albion’s rat. He pretended to be a merchant and lurked in Tristania, gathering information for Albion.” 

“Then, this fellow… is an enemy spy. Isn’t it great?! We caught him!” 

“It is not finished yet.” 

“Why?” 

“The parent rats still remain.” 

Then Agnes found one sheet of paper, she gazed at it quietly. That was the rough sketch in the building. Notes written in some places. 

“So that’s how it is… you damned ones must have planned to contact in the theater, right? This letter arrived some time ago, saying to meet at the same place as usual tomorrow. As it looks from this rough sketch, the place must be a theater, huh? I am sure of it.” 

The man did not answer. He became silent and quietly looked the other way. 

“Answer me… Noble’s pride.” 

With a cold smile on her lips, Agnes pinned the man's foot to the floor with her sword. With the mouth gag still on, the man writhed in agony. 

Agnes pulled out a pistol from her belt and pointed it at his face. 

“I’ll count to two. Choose. Pride or life.” 

The man’s brow started to sweat. Gachink… The sound of Agnes lifting the percussion hammer echoed in the room.