Insert & Back Cover

  Insert

  Written by Yamaguchi Noboru

  Born in February, 1972. His debut work was "Canary/This thought on a Song", which was serialized in Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Other works include "Green Green kane no oto Fantastic," "Tsuppare Arisugawa" (both in Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko), "Green Green kane no oto Stand By Me" (in MF bunko J), and many other serialized novels, including "Fujimi Fantagia Battle Royal," "Green Green," "Gonna Be??" "Yukiuta," "Shiritsu Akihabara Gakuen," and "Makai tenshi Gibliel". He has also worked as a scenario writer for games.

  Illustrations by Usatsuka Eiji

  A real Osaka native, born and raised. His birthday is the 16th of August.

  He is currently drawing illustrations while employed as an office worker. Usatsuka has worked on one previous novel, titled "Doushi sama to issho" (serialized in Dengeki bunko).

  Back Cover

  Zero no Tsukaima by Yamaguchi Noboru

  "Who are you?"

  Hiraga Saito awoke to find a pretty girl asking him that question. Looking around, he found himself in an unfamiliar place, people dressed as magicians surrounding him and the girl.

  The girl, calling herself Louise, explained that she had "summoned" him from his world to be her "familiar". Saito's confusion grew, especially after she kissed him and claimed it was a "contract"! My first kiss, he lamented, but before he had even a chance to become angry, strange symbols etched themselves into his left hand, marking him as a familiar!

  While searching for a way to return home, Saito must cope with being forced to live with Louise, as her familiar...

  And so begins Hiraga Saito's comedic life as 'Zero's Familiar.'

  Kingdom of Magic

  Chapter One: I'm a Familiar

  "Who are you?" asked the girl intently. She was examining Saito's face. The sky was a clear blue behind her.

  She seemed to be close to Saito's age. Underneath a black cloak, she wore a white blouse and a gray pleated skirt. She knelt down and looked, shocked, at his face.

  Her face is... cute. Reddish-brown eyes danced upon the stage of her flawless, white skin and strawberry blonde hair. She looks kind of like a foreigner. In fact, the girl must have been a foreigner. A cute, doll-like foreigner. Maybe she’s half-Japanese?

  Still, that's some kind of weird school uniform she's wearing isn’t it? I don't recognize it.

  Saito was lying on the ground, face up, though he was unsure of how he had got there. He raised his head to take a look around. A crowd of people in black cloaks were curiously examining him. In the distance, on an endlessly rich grassy plain, he saw a huge castle with stone walls, just like the ones in those European tour photographs.

  It's just like a fantasy.

  My head is killing me. Giving his head a shake, he answered, "Who am I...? I'm Hiraga Saito."

  "Where are you from, commoner?"

  Commoner? What does she mean by that? Everyone around him had some sort of stick in their hand and wore the same uniform as that girl's. Did I wander into an American school or something?

  "Louise, what were you thinking, calling a commoner with 'Summon Servant'?" someone asked, and everyone but the girl who was looking at his face started to laugh.

  "I... I just made a little mistake!" The girl in front of Saito shouted in a refined voice that carried like a bell.

  "What mistake are you talking about? Nothing unusual happened."

  "Of course! After all, she's Louise the Zero!" someone else said, and the crowd burst into laughter again.

  It appeared the girl looking into Saito's face was named Louise.

  Either way, this is no American school. You won't see those kinds of buildings just anywhere.

  Could it be a movie set? Are they filming something? But then Saito thought all of a sudden. But it's too big to be a movie set. Could this kind of scenery really exist somewhere in Japan? Maybe it's a new theme park? But then why was I sleeping here?

  "Mr. Colbert!" The girl, Louise, shouted.

  The crowd parted, revealing a middle-aged man. Saito thought it was funny because the man looked ridiculous. He carried a big wooden staff and was covered in a black robe.

  What is he playing at? He's dressed like a wizard. Is he even sane? Oh, I've got it, this must be a cosplay gathering. But it doesn't seem to have that kind of atmosphere. Suddenly, Saito was gripped with fear. What am I going to do if this is a religious sect? It's possible. They could have put me to sleep somehow and brought me here while I was taking a walk in town. That mirror must have been a trap. If not, I have no other explanation for this.

  Saito decided that he ought to stay quiet until he understood what was going on.

  The girl named Louise seemed to be in a panic, begging to redo something and gesticulating frantically.

  I feel sorry for her, being stuck in this weird religious group, since she's so cute.

  "What is it that you want from me, Miss Vallière?"

  "Please! Let me try the summoning one more time!"

  Summoning? What's that? They mentioned it earlier.

  Mr. Colbert, the man wearing the black robe, shook his head. "I cannot allow that, Miss Vallière."

  "Why not?"

  "It is strictly forbidden. When you are promoted to a second year student, you must summon a familiar, which is what you just did."

  A familiar? What's that?

  "Your elemental specialty is decided by the familiar that you summon. It enables you to advance to the appropriate courses for that element. You cannot change the familiar once you have summoned it because the 'Springtime Familiar Summoning' is a sacred rite. Whether you like it or not, you have no choice but to take him."

  "But... I've never heard of having a commoner as a familiar!"

  Everyone around laughed. Louise scowled at them, but the laughter did not stop.

  'Springtime Familiar Summoning'? What's that? I don't understand. What are they talking about? How did I end up in a place like this? It has to be one of those New Religions[1]. The safest thing to do is to take the first opportunity to run away. I mean really, where is this place? Was I taken to a foreign country? A kidnapping! I've been kidnapped! I'm in real trouble, thought Saito.

  "This is a tradition, Miss Vallière. I cannot allow any exceptions; he," The middle-aged wizard cosplayer pointed at Saito. "He may be a commoner, but as long as he was summoned by you, he must be your familiar. Never in history has a human been summoned as a familiar, but the Springtime Familiar Summoning takes precedence over every rule. In other words, there is no other way around it; he must become your familiar."

  "You have got to be joking..." Louise drooped her shoulders in disappointment.

  "Well then, continue with the ceremony."

  "With him?"

  "Yes, with him. Hurry. The next class will begin any minute. How much more time is this summoning going to take? After mistake upon mistake, you have finally managed to summon him. Hurry and form a contract." Everyone voiced their agreement and began jeering.

  Louise stared at Saito's face as if troubled.

  What is it? What's she going to do to me?

  "Hey," Louise addressed Saito.

  "Yes?"

  "You should count yourself lucky. Normally, you'd go your whole life without a noble doing this to you."

  Noble? How stupid. What nobles are you talking about? Aren't you just a bunch of twisted cosplaying new-religion freaks?

  Louise closed her eyes with an air of resignation. She waved around the wooden stick in her hand.

  "My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being and make him my familiar."

  She chanted those words over and over, like a magic spell, and touched Saito's forehead with the stick. Her lips then slowly drew closer.

  What... What are you doing?!

  "Just stay still." Louise said, a touch of irritation in her voice. Her face got closer.

  "Oi, wait a second. I'm... Well, I'm not... ready for this..."

  His face twisted in panic.

  "Ah, geez! I told you to stay still!" Louise grabbed Saito's face roughly with her left hand.

  "Huh?"

  "Mmm..."

  Louise's lips touched Saito's.

  What is happening?! What kind of contract is this?! The touch of her soft lips confounded Saito even more. My first kiss! Stolen in this weird place by this weird girl whose motives I don't understand! Saito remained frozen, paralyzed.

  Louise removed her lips. "It is done."

  Her face is all red. Is this idiot embarrassed by her boldness? Saito thought.

  "I should be the one embarrassed, not you! It was me who was kissed all of a sudden!"

  But Louise ignored Saito completely.

  You kissed me and now dismiss me? If this isn't rude, I don't know what is. Really, who are they?! I'm scared. I want to go home right this minute. I just want to go home and go on the computer. Saito thought. He had just registered with a dating site, so he wanted to check his e-mail.

  "You have failed 'Summon Servant' many times, but you have managed to succeed with 'Contract Servant' in one try." Colbert said happily.

  "It's just because he's only a commoner."

  "If he was a powerful magical beast, she wouldn't have been able to make a contract."

  Some of the students laughed.

  Louise scowled at them. "Don't ma

ke fun of me! Even I do things right once in a while!"

  "Truly 'once in a while', Louise the Zero." Laughed a girl with gorgeous curly hair and freckles on her face.

  "Mr. Colbert! Montmorency The Flood just insulted me!"

  "Who are you calling 'The Flood'? I'm Montmorency the Fragrance!"

  "I heard that you used to wet the bed like a flood, didn't you? 'The Flood' suits you better!"

  "I hadn't expected better manners from Louise the Zero."

  "Watch it! Nobles ought to show each other the proper respect." The middle-aged wizard cosplayer interjected.

  What are they talking about? What contract? Who are they calling a servant?

  Suddenly, Saito's body started to heat up.

  "Aaah!" Saito stood up. "I'm burning up!"

  "It will be over soon; just wait. The Familiar's Runes are being inscribed." Louise said, irritated.

  "Stop it! What are you doing to me?!"

  There is nothing I can do, but I can't just lie around quietly. It is unbelievably hot!

  "By the way."

  "What?"

  "Why do you allow yourself, a commoner, to use that kind of language in front of nobles?"

  The burning sensation lasted only for a second. His body rapidly cooled down.

  "That was quick..." The middle-aged cosplay wizard, known as Colbert, approached the kneeling Saito and checked the back of his left hand. There, jumping out at him, were unfamiliar letters.

  Are those runes? It looks like a wriggling snake in some strange pattern. Saito stared at it and thought, If this isn't a trick, then what is it?

  "Hmmm... These are very unusual Runes," said the middle-aged wizard impersonator.

  At this point, Saito suddenly lost it. "Who are you people?!" he yelled out, but no one reacted.

  "Well, let's go back to class, everyone."

  The middle-aged cosplay wizard turned on his heel, then rose gently into the air. Saito gaped after him. Is... Is he really flying? Is he floating in the air? Unbelievable! The other people who looked like students also floated up.

  It can't be! The whole lot of them? One person could rise up into the air by some trick, but so many? Saito looked for wires or even a crane, but the surrounding area was just a large grassy plain. There was nothing to suggest that any tricks or setups were used.

  Everyone who was floating quietly moved towards the stone walls of the castle in the distance.

  "Louise, you'd better walk back!"

  "She shouldn't try to fly. She can't even manage levitation."

  "A commoner is perfect as your familiar!" the students jeered as they flew away.

  The only ones left behind were Saito and the girl named Louise.

  As soon as it was only the two of them, Louise took a deep breath, turned toward Saito, and yelled, "Who are you?!"

  That made Saito mad. That's my line! he thought.

  "Who are you? Where is this place?! Who were all those people?! Why can they fly?! What did you do to my body?!"

  "I don't know what backwoods you came from, but all right, I will explain it to you."

  "Backwoods? This is the backwoods! Tokyo is nothing like this!"

  "Tokyo? What is that? What country is it in?"

  "Japan."

  "Never heard of it."

  "Oh please! But why are they flying?! You saw it too! They flew! They all did!"

  But Louise took no notice of it at all, as if to say, "What's wrong with flying?"

  "Of course they flew. What would we do if mages couldn't fly?"

  Saito grabbed Louise's shoulders and yelled, "Mages? Where the hell am I?!"

  "This is Tristain! And this is the renowned Tristain Academy of Magic!"

  "Academy of Magic?"

  "I'm a second year student, Louise de La Vallière. I am your master from now on. Remember that!"

  All of Saito's fire suddenly disappeared. He was starting to get a really bad feeling about the situation. "Uh... Miss Louise..."

  "What?"

  "Did you really summon me here?"

  "That's what I've been telling you over and over again. I can't believe you're that dense. Why does my familiar have to be so uncool... I wanted to have something wicked like a dragon or a griffin or a manticore. At least an eagle or an owl."

  "A dragon or a griffin? Really?"

  "Yeah, those would be totally cool familiars."

  "Do they actually exist?"

  "They do. Why?"

  "You've gotta be kidding me," Saito said, laughing. But Louise didn't seem to be joking.

  "Well, you've probably never seen them before," Louise said seriously, pity in her voice.

  The mages who had flown away and the fantasy words they used suddenly connected.

  He felt a chill run down his spine, and broke out in a cold sweat. "Maybe... These people, they really flew, didn't they? Are you really witches and wizards?"

  "Of course we are! Now, let go of my shoulders! You shouldn't even be talking to me!"

  "A dream... This has to be a dream..." Slowly, his strength left him, and Saito fell to his knees.

  "Louise," he said with a weak voice.

  "Don't call me directly by name."

  "Hit me."

  "What did you say?"

  "Please, hit me in the head as hard as you can."

  "Why?"

  "I want to wake up from this dream. I'm gonna wake up and go on the computer. Tonight's dinner is hamburger steak[2]. My mom said so this morning."

  "Computer?"

  "No, it's nothing. After all, you're just a part of my dream, so you don't need to worry about it. Now just let me escape this dream already."

  "I don't know what you're talking about, but you want me to hit you, right?" Louise clenched her hands into fists.

  "Yes, please."

  Her fists began to tremble. Louise's expression became unreadable, but it seemed a lot of thoughts were going through her head. "Aren't you concerned at all about being summoned?"

  "How should I know?"

  "How could I, the third daughter of the Vallière family... a noble who takes pride in her proper pedigree and ancient lineage, end up having to make someone like you my familiar?"

  "How should I know?" Saito repeated.

  "...And just who decided that the contract had to be sealed by a kiss?"

  "How should I know? Look, will you just get it over and done with? I hate nightmares."

  "Nightmares? That's my line!" Louise clobbered Saito in the head with all her strength. "That was my first kiss!"

  Perhaps she was a bit too forceful... "Mine too," thought Saito, losing consciousness.

  * * *

  Hiraga Saito. Seventeen years of age and in his second year of high school.

  Athletic ability: normal. Grades: average. Duration without a girlfriend: seventeen years. Overall: no positives or negatives.

  Teachers' evaluation: "Ah, Hiraga-kun. He refuses to give up, and he has a strong sense of curiosity, but he's a little slow."

  Parents' evaluation: "You should study more. You're on the slow side."

  Being slow, he was rarely bothered by accidents, and accepted pretty much anything — relative to most people, at least. Earlier, when he saw people flying, he made a commotion, but given that an ordinary person would have been so shocked as to be brought to their knees, he owed much to his disposition.

  To put it plainly, he just didn't think too deeply about things before acting.

  Also, he had a fiercely competitive spirit. In that sense, he might have been quite similar to Louise in personality.

  Anyway, a mere thirty minutes ago, Saito had been walking down a street in Tokyo, Japan; on Earth.

  He was on his way home after having his notebook computer repaired. He was quite happy, in fact, since he could go on the internet once more. He'd recently registered at an online dating site and had a chance to finally find himself a girlfriend.

  Though what he really wanted was something to spice up his otherwise monotonous daily life. However, instead of discovering it on the internet, he found it in the middle of the street.

  He was walking past the train station on his way home when suddenly a shining mirror-like object appeared in front of him. Saito stopped to take a good long look at it. Remember, his curiosity was about twice that of a normal person.

  It was a large ellipse, about two meters high and one meter wide, with no substantial thickness. Then he noticed it was actually floating a little above the ground.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14