Chapter Three: The Founder's Prayer Book
Sir Osmond was staring at the book delivered from the palace and absent-mindedly twirling his beard. The cover, wreathed by old leather, was so worn out that it looked like it would tear up from a single touch. The color of the book's pages had a tawny color to them.
Hmm... while muttering, Sir Osmond turned a page. Nothing was written there. There were about three hundred pages in the book and they were all blank.
"This has been handed down through the Tristain royal family, ‘The Founder's Prayer Book’…"
Six thousand years ago, Founder Brimir offered a prayer to a God and wrote down the spells, using magical runes as letters.
“This isn't a fake?”
Sir Osmond looked suspiciously at the book. Fakes… that often happens with ‘Legendary’ things. Apparently, only one ‘Founder's Prayer Book’ existed in the world. Rich nobles, temple priests, royal families of every country- All of them claimed to have a real ‘Founder's Prayer Book’. Whether it was real or not, they were all collected in the library equally as if they were the genuine article.
“But if it is a fake, it's an awful one. All of the characters are gone.”
Sir Osmond had seen a ‘Founder's Prayer Book’ several times before, at different places. The runes always leaped from it and were arranged in one or the other order. However, he never found a book with such characters like this one. Could this one be real?
At that moment he heard the sound of someone knocking. I should hire a secretary thought Sir Osmond as he invited the guest into the room.
“It’s not locked. Please, come in.”
The door opened and a slender girl stepped in. She had pink-blonde hair and big reddish brown eyes. It was Louise.
“I heard you called for me, so…”
Louise said. Sir Osmond stood up and spread his hands, welcoming the tiny visitor. And sympathizing again with Louise’s pain the other day.
“Oh, Miss Vallière. Have you rested after the tiresome journey? Your great efforts ensured the alliance's safety and prevented a crisis in Tristain.”
Sir Osmond said in a soft voice.
“And, next month in Germania, there will finally be a wedding ceremony held between the princess and Germania’s emperor. It is all thanks to you. Be proud of yourself.”
After hearing this, Louise became sad for a moment. Her childhood friend Henrietta, as a political tool, will marry Germania’s emperor without love. Even though there is no other way for the alliance, when Louise recalled the sad smile on Henrietta’s lips, her chest tightened.
Louise silently bowed. Sir Osmond became silent for a while and watched Louise, then remembering the possession of ‘Founder's Prayer Book’ in his hands, held it out for Louise.
“What's this?”
Louise looked at the book with a suspicious face.
“Founder's Prayer Book.”
“Founder's Prayer Book? This?”
It was given to the royal family. A legendary book. But why did Sir Osmond have it?
“In the Tristain’s royal family tradition, during a royal family wedding one aristocrat is chosen to take the role of bridesmaid. The selected bridesmaid traditionally is given the ‘Founder’s Prayer Book’, following the imperial edict.”
“Uh huh.”
Louise, who wasn’t aware of palace etiquette in such details, replied absent-mindedly.
“And the princess has chosen Miss Vallière to be that bridesmaid.”
“Princess?”
“That's right. The shrine maiden should come up with the written edict while carrying this ‘Founder’s Prayer Book’”
"A...ah! I'll have to think about the edict?"
“Indeed. Of course, there are still things in palace etiquette that you need to practice… Traditions can be rather bothersome. However, Miss Vallière, the princess is looking forward to you. This is a great honor. So follow the palace regulations and written edict, because something like this happens only once in a lifetime.”
Henrietta, my childhood friend, chose me to be her bridesmaid. Louise firmly looked up.
“I understand. I will obey respectfully.”
Louise received the ‘Founder’s Prayer Book’ from Sir Osmond’s hands.
Sir Osmond smiled, looking at Louise.
“You are willing to undertake it. Good, good. The Princess will be pleased.”
That evening, Saito was preparing a bath. Certainly, Tristain Magic Academy had a bathhouse. It was a Roman style bathhouse, lined with marble. It had a huge swimming pool, filled with perfume mixed hot water that was said to grant a heavenly feeling, and of course, Saito could not enter there. Only nobles were allowed to use it.
The Academy’s bathhouse for commoners, compared to the nobles' bathhouse, was rather shabby. The joint bathhouse for commoners looked like a hovel. Placed on the stones, underneath which fire burns, strong smell of sweat and tightly pressed bodies, only made one sweat more.
One day in that bathhouse was enough to make Saito disgusted. Saito, who was raised in Japan, set up a bath which was a kettle filled full with hot water. The sauna was unsatisfying.
Bothered, Saito asked Marteau, the head chef and received one big, old kettle. He made a bathtub from it. It was a bathtub heated from beneath with a floating wooden lid which was pushed under the water by the bather. Firewood, burning under the kettle, heated the water.
Saito’s bath, was arranged at the Vestri Courtyard’s nook. It was convenient, as people do not often come to this courtyard.
The day was coming to an end and two moons appeared, shining faintly. Once the water was hot enough, Saito quickly threw his clothes off and sank his feet into the big kettle.
“Aah, nice, hot, water.”
He put a towel on his head and started humming a melody.
Derflinger, who was leaning against the wall of the kettle, called out to Saito:
“Does it feel good?”
“Yeah.”
“By the way, partner, why didn’t you take advantage of the young mistress a while ago?"
Saito threw Derflinger a tepid glance.
“Don’t look at me like that. It feels bad, partner.”
“Hey, legendary sword.”
“Indeed I am a legendary sword, what?”
“During these six thousand years, have you found someone important to you to protect?” Derflinger shook lightly.
“I do not protect. It is the one that holds me that protects someone.”
“You poor thing…”
Saito said from the bottom of his heart in a sympathetic voice.
“Poor, you say? On the contrary, it is quite comfortable.”
“Is that so? By the way, what things do you remember about this ‘Gandálfr’? How great was he and what kind of things did he do?” Saito, showing his inborn curiosity, asked Derflinger.
“Forgot.”
“Huh.”
“It was a long time ago. Besides, partner, someone is coming.”
A shadow appeared in the moonlight.
“Who is it?”
Saito’s call startled the shadow. It dropped down something that it was carrying with a clatter. Under the moonlight, one could hear a sound of a breaking pot.
“Waaah, it broke… I will be scolded again… sniff”
From that voice, Saito was able to recognize the person who showed up from the darkness.
“Siesta?!”
Illuminated by the moonlight, a figure of a housemaid working in Alviss Dining Hall - Siesta - appeared. She had just finished her work and, although she was still wearing her usual maid clothes, the kachusha covering her head was now gone. Her loose shoulder-length black hair shone glossily.
Siesta squatted down to pick up the thing that she dropped earlier.
“W-what are you doing here?”
Saito’s call made Siesta turn around.
“Uhmmm... Today I was able to get some really tasty goods and wanted Saito to try it! I would have given it to you in the kitchen, but you didn’t come today! Waah!”
Siesta said in panic. Indeed, there was a tray lying next to Siesta, an overturned teapot and some cups. It seemed like Siesta dropped one cup, surprised by the sudden call.
“A treat?”
Saito asked, still submerged in the bath. Suddenly Siesta became aware of Saito’s nudity and, for a moment, averted her eyes in shame.
“That’s right. Some unusual goods came from the east town ‘Rub' al Khali’ today. Tea.”
“Tea?”
Those kind of things were extremely rare. Siesta poured some from a teapot into the cup that was not broken and gave it to Saito.
“Thank you.”
Saito lifted it to his lips. The sweet aroma of tea tickled his nostrils. And when it was in his mouth, it tasted like Japanese green tea.
Saito suddenly felt overwhelmed with nostalgia. Aah, Japan. Dear mother country. In his big kettle bath, Saito spontaneously wiped the corners of his eyes.
“W-what’s the matter! Are you alright?”
Seista bent over the edge of the kettle.
“N-no, I just felt nostalgic for a moment. I’m alright. Yeah.”
After saying that, Saito brought the cup back to his mouth. Though a tea and a bath made a strange combination, they both soaked Saito with longing.
“Do you miss it? That’s right, Saito-san comes from the east.”
Siesta flashed a shy smile.
“I... I probably feel that way. However, did you know that I was here?"
Saito’s words made Siesta blush.
“T-that’s, that’s. I’m just here because I saw you going this way with hot water and…”
“You peeped?”
Saito’s voice saying that was blank. Siesta hastily shook her head.
“N-no, I didn’t mean it that way!”
Flustered, Siesta tripped over the edge of the kettle and with a loud splash, fell into the kettle.
“Kyaaaaaaa!”
Siesta screamed, but her shriek was suppressed by the hot water inside the iron kettle.
“Are you alright?”
Saito asked in blank surprise.
“I-I’m alright… Wah, but I am soaked now…”
Siesta stuck her wet head out of the hot water.
The poor girl’s housemaid clothes were sodden. And when she became aware of Saito’s naked state, a furious blush spread on her face.
Saito panicked.
“S-sorry! Even though the bath is on a stove, it is still possible to fall in!”
“N-no, I’m sorry!”
Although she was apologizing, Siesta didn’t try to get out of the bath. Saito then decided to take a defiant attitude as well. He pretended in a somewhat manly manner that it was not big deal she was not getting out.
At such times, he tried to act in a calm and collected manner. Was it manly? Saito thought so. Which means that Saito was a fool as well.
“Ufufu”
Siesta laughed still soaking with her maid clothes inside the big kettle. Though it wasn’t a laughable situation, she still laughed.
“W-what’s wrong?”
Perhaps his size was a laughingstock? Though it was dark and no one could see below the surface of hot water, Saito suddenly felt insecure.
“Nothing, but, it feels good. Is this how you bathe in Saito-san’s country?"
Feeling relieved, Saito answered.
“That’s right. Though, it is unusual to get in while wearing clothes."
“Ara? Is that so? Yet, if you think about it, that must be true. Well then, I’ll take them off.”
“Yes?”
Pop-eyed Saito asked Siesta.
“What did you say just now?”
Siesta, who is usually hesitant and shy, for some reason became bold. Slightly biting her lips she looked at Saito in a determined way.
“I said, I’ll take them off.”
“But Siesta? I am a man…”
Saito said dumbfounded.
“That’s alright. I know that Saito-san is not a person who would hurt me.”
Saito nodded, though he hadn’t heard a single word.
“No, oh my, don’t do such thing…”
“But I also want to use this ‘Bath’ properly. It is nice.”
And, eh? Saito stared as Siesta rose from the hot water and started taking off her soaked clothes. Saito turned his eyes away in panic.
“S-stop it! Siesta! Wait a moment! I tell you!"
However, Saito’s ‘Stop’ sounded weak, betraying his real thoughts.
“B-but I am dripping wet… The Chief would be mad if I return like this to the room. I think I should dry it off on the fire first.”
Though looking obedient, Siesta can be really bold once she decides to.
The buttons of the blouse and the hook of the skirt were unfastened in a flash. It felt good taking off wet clothes.
Siesta took off her housemaid uniform and underwear and left them to dry on the firewood, close to the fire. After that, she stepped into the hot water again. Saito with the corner of his eyes watched the submerging Siesta’s legs. He had never seen Siesta’s bare legs, as they were always hidden behind the skirt. They were white and healthy. Aah, if only he would turn his face that way, he would be able to worship her entire body.
“Uwaa! Feels good! Sharing a bath this way, soaking in the hot water really does feel good! Feels like taking a noble’s bath. I am so jealous, but I can make it myself, right? Saito you are really smart.”
“N-not really.”
Saito answered, still turning his face away. It felt as if the hot water suddenly turned hotter. Next to him was a naked girl. In that sort of situation, Saito felt dazed and almost fainted. Siesta said with a shy smile on her lips.
“Please don’t be so shy. I’m not shy as well. It is all right to turn this way. Look, my breasts are hidden behind my arms… besides it’s so dark that you cannot see through water anyway, so stay calm.”
Saito, feeling half-confused, half-happy, turned around.
Siesta was sitting right before Saito, submerged in the hot water. Because it was dark, you couldn’t clearly see the body behind the surface of the water. He was somewhat relieved.
Yet, Saito took a deep breath.
In the darkness, Siesta's wet black hair was fascinatingly glittering.
From a close look one could see that Siesta was actually a very lovely girl. He hadn’t noticed until now, but she was different from Louise or Henrietta, she was like the charm of a lovely flower, freely blossoming in the field. Her big dark eyes, friendly nature and tiny nose were charming and pretty.
“Hey, Saito, what kind of place is your country?”
“My country?”
“Yes, please tell me about it.”
Siesta innocently bent forward listening. Ah, when bending forward so much one could see, ah, aah… Saito fell backwards in panic.
“W-well! There’s only one moon, there are no magicians, that’s why they use switches to turn the light off, and they fly in the sky with planes…”
Because Saito was so incoherent, Siesta puffed her cheeks.
“Stop it. One moon, no wizards, are you making fun of me? Don’t look down on me just because I’m a village girl.”
“I-I’m not making fun of you!”
Saito thought that even if he told her the truth it would only confuse her. After all, the only ones that knew at the moment that Saito was from a different world were Louise, Sir Osmond and Henrietta.
“Well then, tell me the truth.”
Siesta looked up into Saito’s eyes. Siesta’s black hair and dark eyes wistfully reminded Saito of a girl from Japan. Of course, the face was different from a Japanese. However, a simple, nostalgic feeling still shot through Saito, making him flurry.
“R-right… We have different eating habits.”
Saito started talking about the distant Japan. Starry eyed Siesta listened attentively to the story.
Though it might feel like a vapid talk, Siesta was eagerly catching every single word. And before one realized it, Saito and Siesta lost any track of time, as the story of the hometown was told.
After some time passed, Siesta stood up covering her breasts. Saito hastily turned his eyes away. However, for one moment, he still saw Siesta’s breasts through a gap of her arms, and felt his nose bleed. Without a word, a thin trickle rolled down. Holding his nose Saito looked at the other side, while Siesta put on her now dry clothes and bowed her head thanking Saito.
“Thank you. It was very fun. This bath was great, and Saito-san’s story was amazing as well.”
Siesta said gladly.
“Can I hear it again sometime?”
Saito nodded.
After that, Siesta cast her eyes down with a blush, and shyly fiddled her fingers.
“Well, err? The talk and the bath were great, but you were the most amazing…”
“Siesta?”
“Could you…”
...
seamuss