“That’s, um… I wanted to, um, separate my familiar from the maid, that’s why…”
Just like that, Louise very hesitantly informed her older sister.
As Eléonore curled up her hair, she sharply stared at Louise. Like a frog targeted by a snake, Louise curled herself up.
“Let the attendants do whatever they want! As always, you’re a restless kid, aren’t you?! You are a daughter of the La Vallière house, you know?! Be more self-conscious!”
“O-Okay…”
Louise quietly drooped her shoulders.
“B-But… Whatever you say, being taken by the academy’s maid is…”
“Shrimp. Listening? The La Vallière house is not simply a Tristain noble family, it is our noble family. Even you should understand that, right?”
“Yes, Onee-sama.”
“You can’t use only your familiar as an attendant, right? Louise, a lady, you know, is a person that should, at the very least, always have one female attendant to take care of her when traveling.”
Eléonore, serving at Tristain’s Academia, came this morning to the Academy of Magic in order to take Louise home with her.
She caught Siesta, who was passing by with a laundry basket in her hands, said “This girl will be good enough as a female attendant during the journey,” and after getting a nearby aristocrat teacher’s consent, she took Siesta along for the sake of looking after Louise.
Siesta and Saito boarded the carriage for attendants, after it was forcibly prepared by the academy’s employees. Louise and Eléonore boarded their own coach that was used to come to the academy.
There were practically no stops, so there really wasn’t any need for help along the way. Siesta was simply a decoration. However, to nobles, that ornament was very important.
As for Louise’s innermost thoughts, they weren’t calm at all.
That’s because this homecoming wasn’t a part of the plan at all.
The military operation to invade Albion was proclaimed at the school after the summer break ended, approximately at the time the two moons overlapped…
It has been many decades since the last time the king’s troops had insufficient officers in order to organize an expeditionary force. It was decided that in order to do that, aristocrat students were to be assigned as officers. One of the teachers and the academy’s headmaster Osman were against that, but Henrietta, the Cardinal, and the Queen’s army’s generals ignored that objection. The academy was closed down until the end of the war.
The bearer of the “Void,” the court lady under Henrietta’s direct supervision, Louise, in order for the invasion strategies to succeed, was to be given special missions.
However… after Louise reported to her parents that “For the fatherland’s sake, I will join the queen’s army in order to take part in Albion’s invasion,” it ended up causing a huge ruckus.
Joining the campaign wasn’t allowed and, even though a letter arrived, ignoring it, Eléonore came.
Naturally, Louise was very angry. What about going to the front? Even now all across the country, at our parade grounds and garrisons, a lot of students are training to become temporary officers. Most of them are male students that have chosen to enter the war.
I am a girl, but I have to protect Her Majesty’s honor as her court lady. Moreover, in this invasion plan, the airplane of my familiar is supposed to play a key role.
There are a lot of expectations placed upon my Void as well. Henrietta and the Cardinal consider me the Queen’s army’s trump card. As a Tristainian noble, there is no greater honor than that.
Well, I definitely don’t like war. But, for the princess’ and the fatherland’s sake I’d like to offer my poor ability. Since the Void was given to me I have a duty to be zealous in my loyalty to the fatherland. Isn’t the loyalty to the fatherland one of the things the noble family of La Vallière house is boastful of? And yet my own house opposed my firm resolution to join at the front.
“Really, you’re doing such selfish things! War? What would you do there?! Good things? Get ready to get scolded by Mother and Father when we get home!”
“B-But…”
Just as she was about to answer back, her cheeks got pinched. Eléonore was completely treating Louise as a kid, just like in the old days. Just like when she answered back during studies, she called her a shrimp over and over again.
“'But'? 'Yes', you mean, shrimp?! Little Louise!”
As expected of sisters. Eléonore had the same expression as Louise at the times which she trained her familiar. Louise couldn’t do anything to oppose her.
“Fue, Au, Ouch, Ane-sama, my cheeks au au…”
She said with a pathetic voice.
As the incantation never flew over no matter how long he waited, Saito let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like for some reason Louise wasn’t able to complete her incantation.
It seemed that while she was sticking to him, Siesta became happy, so perhaps she had forgotten that there was no roof.
“Hey, hey, Saito-san.”
“Hm? W-What?”
“Traveling sure is enjoyable!”
“Y-Yeah…”
He nodded. Saito hadn’t become that optimistic.
When he thought about the things that were to come, he realized that the problems were piling up.
Henrietta and the others are making war plans. What is going to happen from now on is an assault war. Of course, Louise is going to participate. As things are now, I have no choice but to follow and participate no matter what as well. Most likely for the bearer of Zero there is some kind of war campaign. Most likely we’ll have to do something dangerous.
I can’t get into a cheerful mood.
Damn it, as soon as this war is over this time I’ll search for a way to return to my original world, to Japan, Saito decided. Until then no matter what happens I can’t allow myself to die.
Seeing Saito with the face of a person thinking about a lot of things, Siesta’s face clouded up.
“I don’t want that.”
“Hm?”
“Saito-san, will go to Albion as well, right?”
“Y-Yeah…”
It seems like Siesta’s cheerful attitude until now was just a performance to cheer up Saito.
“I, hate the nobles.”
“Siesta…”
“It would be fine if they simply killed each other… but they involve us commoners as well… Even if it’s for the sake of ending the war… they’re just saying that.”
Remembering Henrietta’s words, Saito muttered
“Doesn’t matter if it’s for the sake of ending one or beginning one, war is war.”
Saito became silent.
Before, during the battle at Tarbes, there was a reason to fight. “Help out Siesta and the village’s people,” that kind of just cause.
But, during the invasion of Albion this time, what kind of reason was there?
I don’t want to fight, is there even a reason behind this fight?
Louise is in high spirits… but I have no interest in this.
But at the time I touched Henrietta I felt a “I want to help such a poor princess’ hand” kind of feeling, Saito cheered up a bit.
“Why does Saito-san have to go? You have no relation, right?”
“Well, that may be so, but…” his elbow was caught.
Siesta buried his face into her breasts.
“Don’t die… Don’t die no matter what…”
Saito felt that such a Siesta was lovely.
To be cried for in this a way by such a cute maid… that alone was reason enough for Saito to keep living on… As I thought, I am an idiot, right.