Campione! Vol 15 Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - G.o.ddess from the Land of Gaul Part 1 Salvatore Doni had drifted to the land of ancient Gaul, three months earlier. After encountering the G.o.dslayer of this era, Uldin, he wandered north aimlessly. At the time, he simply took the sword he had brought from the modern era, stood it casually upright on the ground. The blade happened to point north when it fell. Apart from the sword, all he had was the clothing on his body. Completely penniless, he embarked on his journey in the past. The language was also different from the modern world. Without a single acquaintance. An ordinary twenty-first century person would probably have given up in less than three days. Nevertheless, Doni actually enjoyed himself. During the few days he stayed at Uldin's castle, he already learned the local language. Despite lacking money, using his natural cheerfulness and shamelessness, he was able to join a caravan he encountered by chance to serve as a bodyguard, thereby starting to travel for free openly. Also, he confiscated all the money from the robbers he captured alive when they attacked the caravan. Furthermore, he forced them to lead him to their stash of valuables and very astutely claimed them for his own... Casually going about in his travels, Doni soon arrived in the area where the Franks resided. The Franks originally roamed the area along the Rhine and were a tribe of barbarians who repeatedly looted from the Roman Empire's inhabitants. But ever since they were suppressed by Emperor Julian the Apostate, they became subservient to the Empire as allies and moved to live in what would become southern Holland and northern Belgium in modern times. Furthermore, in the village that Doni happened to visit by chance... Reportedly, it was as quiet as a funeral wake. The Frankish villagers cursed the cruelty of fate, weeping, sighing mournfully. According to the villagers, this village was going to be destroyed soon, due to a divine curse. "Curse?" "Yeah. Due to angering that G.o.ddess from just now, Artio, she prophesied that These people will all die in a matter of a few dozen days.' Then I arrived." Doni explained to the puzzled G.o.dou. After fighting the bears, G.o.dou and Madame Aisha went along with the Franks and stayed overnight. Then the next morning, the whole group took off for Colonia Agrippina. With the three Campiones sitting with the cargo on the horse-drawn carts, they slowly advanced on the roads. In order to allow Doni's followers to keep up, some of which were walking on foot, they did not travel at too fast a rate. "So that was why you fought the G.o.ddess..." "It really was an awesome battle. We both injured each other severely, finally ending in a draw. Oh well, I just happened to recover much faster than her." Doni's magic sword was able to slice through everything. But that was not all. It was also able to cause explosions when cutting through the enemy's body, produce wounds that had difficulty healing, along with a number of myriad applications. G.o.dou had tasted it personally himself. That was probably why Artio's wound was recovering so slowly. On the other hand, the third person present was listening to their conversation with a touched look on her face. "So, Doni-san was fighting all-out to protect the Franks... What a n.o.ble sense of self-sacrifice!" Naturally, the speaker was none other but Madame Aisha. Perhaps due to her honest and benevolent personality, she interpreted Doni's actions as motivated by good intentions. This was completely different from G.o.dou's thoughts, which were along the lines of "This guy definitely took action as he pleased without thinking deeply at all. He's fighting simply because he met a deity." "1-1 am truly sorry. To think I even mistook Salvatore Doni for an atrocious demon whose tyrannical willfulness caused trouble without any concern for the people around him." "Really? Well, the misunderstanding can be cleared up right now." Answering in this manner, Doni laughed foolishly in a matter-of-fact manner. "Oh dear, to be honest, my friend Andrea keeps saying that I'm human sc.u.m, without any value in living, as lacking in thought as an invertebrate, born as a beast that creates trouble for others, etc, so I was beginning to think I might really be like that." "Goodness gracious, to think he would be unable to understand your n.o.ble heart, Doni-san! That person must surely be the greatest idiot of all." Seeing the two Campiones getting along so well, G.o.dou sighed towards the heavens. The Madame looked like she had completely forgotten Doni's "atrocious act" of conquering Colonia Agrippina. Oh well, this might be much easier to deal with compared to having a conflict. Deciding to put this matter aside for now, G.o.dou changed the subject. "So, how did you become the boss of the Franks?" "Well, this happened back when I was recuperating in the Frankish village after the battle with the G.o.ddess. They asked me, hoping I could become the chieftain to rule the Franks in this area." "Why did it become like this!?" Seeing G.o.dou's outburst, Doni explained without a care. "Since having me around, even a G.o.ddess can be defeated. That's why. Also, the Franks from other lands heard about me and came one after another to make friends with me, or to test my power... After handling them as appropriate, I was already the great chieftain by the time I realized." "What the heck, great chieftain..." "Something like a big boss who unified a number of Frankish tribes and now rules over them? Oh well, I think it's kind of nice to fight alongside everyone." "Don't go becoming king so thoughtlessly..." The Franks were most likely a tribe of fierce and courageous warriors. G.o.dou could tell clearly from the way they fought the bears. Furthermore, awestruck by Doni's power in singlehandedly fighting a deity on equal footing, they wors.h.i.+ped this man as a living G.o.d... In actual fact, for G.o.dou who was able to summon the [Boar], they also received him with the highest level of respect. Madame Aisha was already wors.h.i.+ped by them for her "miraculous hands of healing." After all, she had displayed her ability to heal the injured Frankish warriors and even revive bears as well. "Thereafter, the G.o.ddess frequently ordered bear armies under her command to attack the Frankish settlements. In order to protect these people who are under attack, a city is needed, right? Since there happened to be a walled Roman city nearby over by the Rhine, I decided to head over and ask them to borrow it for now." "Is that the city called Colonia Agrippina?" "Yes yes, that's the one. Since our discussion broke down, it became a battle between me and the Roman army. It ended up something like me driving them out of the city by force." "Using 'ended up' is totally wrong!" "So, hearing that I took the city, the Frankish tribes gathered here from all over the place. Right now, they're preparing for round two against Artio. Since I was too bored, I took some troops and went out to scout, resulting in yesterday's battle." After learning of the situation, G.o.dou sighed. "Don't go changing history so easily, okay?" "Oh well, I just went with the flow!" "No matter how radiant a smile you make while speaking, idiotic words are still idiotic words... By the way, I've got a question. Why did that G.o.ddess called Artio curse the Franks?" After admonis.h.i.+ng Doni who was making a thumbs-up, G.o.dou changed the subject. Perhaps because he felt compelled by a sense of duty to say something constructive. "Perhaps she bears some kind of grudge against them?" "Now that you mention it, what could it be?" "That's the most important point, you idiot!" "Uh, lemme think, during the earlier duel, Artio did say something. I remember it was something about her being summoned by the resentment of the people of Gaul who died from Frankish attacks." "The people of Gaul — Their resentment?" But the Franks were also inhabitants of Gaul, right? G.o.dou did not understand what it meant. On the other hand, Doni was uninterested in the meaning of those words. However, the third Campione reacted differently from both of them. Madame Aisha murmured slightly sadly. "The G.o.ddess named Artio... She's probably a Celtic deity." "What does that mean?" "Summarizing the essentials, although ancient Gaul was part of the Roman Empire's territory, its inhabitants, the Gauls, were mostly tribes of Celtic descent." That was who the Celts were, inhabitants of ancient Europe. G.o.dou knew these facts roughly. They were an ethnic group that had no written language, wors.h.i.+ped nature and were adept at using iron tools. However, they were supposed to have gradually fallen into decline as history transitioned from the ancient to the medieval period. "I think I remember the Celts losing in their battle to resist the Germanic peoples and were driven out of their lands. Then they crossed the Strait of Dover and migrated over to Britain, right?" "Yes, that what is believed. Also, the Germanic peoples include the Goths, the Lombards, the Burgundians, the Franks who later founded France, and others." "Ah..." "The Franks invaded various places in Gaul over a long period of time, looting and killing repeatedly." "So the victimized peoples' curse summoned that G.o.ddess huh..." "This could be the result of a magical ritual to summon a [Heretic G.o.d], performed by magi or priests inheriting Celtic bloodlines..." A rise and fall story of earthly impermanence. Viewed from a modern perspective, the Franks' current predicament, attacked by the G.o.ddess, could only be described as their comeuppance. That said, intervention from the authorities of Heretic G.o.ds did factor into the human world's rise and fall. As one may expect, this was not entirely out of place. In the end, G.o.dou was nothing more but a modern visitor in pa.s.sing. Whether the Franks or the Roman Empire, he had no intention of aiding either of them. However, G.o.dou believed that as a human, first and foremost, he was at least obliged to repel the pursuing G.o.ddess... "Well, even if I'm doing it, I'm definitely not going to use Doni's approach..." "Hey hey, don't say it like I've been doing something stupid." "'Like' doesn't even cut it. You are currently doing stupid things, in the present continuous sense. I'll figure out a way to deal with that G.o.ddess, so you should take a break for now." "No no, I've got an idea about this matter, actually." G.o.dou proposed his correct opinion, but Doni objected frivolously. "Kusanagi G.o.dou and Salvatore Doni, let's see which of the two Campiones will defeat the G.o.ddess first — We should have a contest between the two of us!" "This guy still likes to talk nonsense as always..." G.o.dou muttered while trying to think. Letting Doni do whatever he pleased was definitely out of the question. But trying to imprison him somewhere also posed a challenge. Why not go along with him to act as someone to monitor him and stop him from continuing to act stupid? Was this where he should compromise? Sighing from the bottom of his heart, G.o.dou spoke: "It can't be helped. If I agree to your idea, you must stay within my sight at all times, okay?" "Oh, so you're saying that stealing a march is forbidden. Then before the battle against Artio, we might as well have a duel between you and me first, to decide who gets to challenge the G.o.ddess, how's that?" "Shut up. As if anyone's going to do something so tiring!" Worn out from dealing with Doni, G.o.dou noticed something by chance. Madame Aisha was staring at him intently. Her gaze also seemed to be expressing disapproval. "What's the matter, Aisha-san?" "Oh nothing. Kusanagi-san, didn't you just say something like 'you must stay within my sight at all times'? It sounded almost like a speech of courts.h.i.+p..." "Please don't misinterpret. Because I'd like to request the same from you, Aisha-san." "Eh?" "Absolutely do not leave my sight — Please stay by my side." Since it would be bad if she only paid lip service, G.o.dou tried to plead in as sincere a tone of voice as possible. As a result, Madame Aisha began to act awkward for some reason, nodding vigorously. "R-Really, it can't be helped. Since you've already said this much, Kusanagi-san, I will try my best to do that..." After that, they kept going on their journey while protecting the Franks. By afternoon the next day, walking on a road along the Rhine's sh.o.r.e, G.o.dou and the group could already see a large city ahead of them. This was also a Roman colonial city built beside the great river. On the city's east was the Rhine. The remaining three sides on the north, west and south were surrounded by city walls. Defense on all sides was rock-solid. This was Colonia Agrippina. ...The city that Doni had taken possession roughly a week earlier. Part 2 Many modern European metropolises were originally ancient Roman colonial cities. Apart from the few cities G.o.dou had visited, this also included Bonna (Bonn), Lutetia (Paris), Portus Namnetum (Nantes), Lugdunum (Lyon), Genava (Geneva), Ma.s.salia (Ma.r.s.eille), Aquinc.u.m (Budapest). All of them were cities that even a j.a.panese person would recognize and go "come to think of it..." upon hearing their modern names. This was only logical, given the presence of aqueducts, road networks, public baths, and other infrastructure for living, as well as amphitheaters, arenas and other entertainment facilities. Also, there was protection conferred by standing Roman armies... Presumably, all colonial cities offered all these things without exception. Naturally, people would flock to the cities for their comfort and stimulating entertainment. The cities' subsequent development would then be inherited by the future world. Later known as Cologne, the city of Colonia Agrippina was also perfectly equipped with all sorts of urban infrastructure. Life here for G.o.dou was just as comfortable as in Augusta Raurica earlier. Furthermore, unlike that city, this one was defended on all sides by city walls. At one point, Roman soldiers a.s.suming the t.i.tle of emperor had apparently used this city as the capital of their short-lived Gallic Empire. "To think he conquered this place singlehandedly, what kind of heroic saga is that..." G.o.dou recalled what Doni had cheerfully talked about. It was now two days after they had arrived in Colonia Agrippina. G.o.dou's current location was in the courtyard of a vast mansion that the Franks had prepared for "the great chieftain's ally." Salvatore Doni's only skilled weapon was the sword. However, the sword was just a weapon wielded in "one-on-one" battles to begin with. In the ancient Roman army, soldiers used spears and s.h.i.+elds as their basic equipment, arranging themselves into formations to move en ma.s.se on the battlefield. Cavalry armed with bows and arrows were necessary to oppose them. Hence, these kinds of armaments and tactics on the battlefield were the most effective. Conquering the battlefield with a single sword was not something a human was capable of. Nevertheless, Salvatore Doni achieved it effortlessly. More than likely, using the mystic sword skill he displayed in the battle where he annihilated the bears in one strike, he had blown away dozens if not hundreds of soldiers all at once, thus by his own very words, obtaining victory before he knew it. Absolutely ridiculous. "Excuse me, master." "...I already told you yesterday, could you not call me that?" G.o.dou instantly replied as soon as he was addressed. Imperceptibly, a maid had arrived by his side. She was a roughly sixteen-year-old Frank with quite a cute face. Offered to him together with the house when he was taken to "Kusanagi G.o.dou's residence" yesterday, a servant — One of many servants. "It makes me feel uncomfortable. Besides, I don't really need servants." "What are you talking about? Master, you are exalted as the great chieftain's ally in addition to rivaling Tyr's Sword' Uldin in power. No one would object even if you had thirty servants or so. Rather, even double that would be fine." Including this girl, G.o.dou's residence had a total of thirty servants. This was actually quite a pain and it was all arranged by the Franks. Originally a Roman army officer's mansion, this residence was frighteningly vast. Even with thirty servants living together here, there was still plenty of s.p.a.ce. "Well, let's put that aside for now." G.o.dou could feel a shred of agony in his voice. "Among those thirty people, what the heck is with all of them being young maidens!? With me as the only man in a house filled with women, I can't help but feel embarra.s.sed! At least replace them with men!" "Hoho, what are you saying now?" No matter how G.o.dou requested from the bottom of his heart, the maid remained smiling. She had mentioned earlier that she was a daughter of Frankish n.o.bles and already "used to" getting along with prestigious people. Perhaps because she was used to it, G.o.dou could frequently see her acting "with too much familiarity." G.o.dou was almost about to scream "I get it" when she spoke up: "I have heard how you lived in your previous city, master, surrounded by your two beloved consorts, building something like a nest of love. Furthermore, you got along well with His Highness Uldin who is known for his l.u.s.t. The two of you even established an alliance of comrades as a result of your 'compatible taste in women'..." "This rubbish must be coming from Madame Aisha, right!? Almost everything is false!" It would not be surprising for rumors purely about Kusanagi G.o.dou at Augusta Raurica to have spread all the way to Colonia Agrippina. But information regarding Uldin's ties to the "great chieftain's ally" should be very spa.r.s.e indeed. Despite that fact, this maid actually knew of that event. Apart from Madame Aisha who had come from Raurica together with him, G.o.dou could not think of anyone else leaking such news. On the other hand, faced with G.o.dou's indignation, the maid gave a knowing look. "Apart from preparing a residence worthy of your stature, we have also put in consideration in the choice of personnel to serve you. This is our tribe's hospitality, so please enjoy yourself without reservation." "That's exactly why I feel embarra.s.sed! It really makes me very uncomfortable!" G.o.dou was currently in the courtyard of his residence. Thirty girls, ranging from early to late teens (most of them with pretty faces), were hard at work doing ch.o.r.es throughout the interior of the residence. Unable to remain calm inside the house, G.o.dou felt forced to come to the courtyard like a father going to the veranda for a smoke. "The rumors turn out to be completely true. You are only serious in your words." "I'm not lying, this is honestly what I think. By the way, did you have something to tell me?" "Yes. Actually, there are guests to see you, master." Finding their positions on parallel lines which would never meet despite any further discussion, G.o.dou changed the subject. Then the maid left to bring in the guests. Several minutes later... "I knew it was you two. Finally, we meet up again." The maid had brought in his two companions. Naturally, they were Erica Blandelli and Seishuuin Ena. Although G.o.dou had used Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi to transmit news that he was safe and had met Doni, it was impossible to hold conversations like a phone after all. G.o.dou was glad to be finally reunited with his companions. As expected of Erica and Ena, they did not encounter any trouble on their way here. However, the blonde Italian girl looked quite displeased. On the other hand, the black-haired Hime-Miko was making a face as though she had eaten something bitter. "Why h.e.l.lo, G.o.dou, it's been quite a while... Isn't it wonderful that you're still the same as always?" "After parting for a matter of days, you've already established this residence, all filled with girls. Your Majesty truly isn't someone who can be left alone to do as you please." The two girls had apparently toured the mansion thoroughly, witnessing how it was teeming with maids. Erica was dripping with piercing sarcasm while Ena sighed mournfully. G.o.dou objected in a panic: "It's not like that. It's just those surrounding people who decided on their own to prepare this for me!" "This sort of destiny should be called the Kusanagi G.o.dou disease, I suppose. A disease that causes you to die unless you're surrounded by women." "Surely Your Majesty must have done something to these girls all around you. Definitely." Then the two of them sighed together. "L-Let's put this aside first and talk about what happened while we were apart. We need to exchange information, right?" "You're really poor at changing the subject, G.o.dou. But no matter, indeed you are right. I'll let you off the hook this time." "Well, after Ena and Erica-san fell off the s.h.i.+p, we quickly got back on land." "Indeed, we did not suffer much hards.h.i.+p. As soon as the storm subsided, we resumed our journey." Despite her anger, Erica still acted rationally. The forgiving Ena also did not look like she intended to pursue the matter further. Gratified by his companions' consideration, G.o.dou explained about Doni and Artio. "...Then, that guy Doni is now staying with the Frankish warriors and living in what used to be a Roman army outpost." Roman army outposts were military installations established at many Roman colonial cities. Doni's subordinates were trying their best to gather Frankish warriors from nearby lands to Colonia Agrippina. Naturally, the outpost was the best location to shelter all these people. "So, what about Aisha-san... She's also in this city, right?" "Uh yeah, she's actually..." "If you wish, should I go and call her here?" Just as G.o.dou hesitated in answering Ena's matter-of-fact question, the maid went ahead and made a suggestion. G.o.dou jumped in surprise. On further thought, he realized this matter could easily be misinterpreted. No, he had not done anything against his conscience, so it should be fine — While he was thinking, the maid left the courtyard to call Madame Aisha. Then in merely three minutes, she rapidly arrived. "Well I never! Although I've already heard that the two of you are safe and sound, it is truly wonderful that we are reunited again so smoothly without trouble. I am so happy! Hohoho!" Coming here, Madame Aisha smiled warmly while exclaiming in joy. However, Erica was glaring at G.o.dou in terrifying manner while Ena was making a pained expression as though about to exclaim "This again." She replied to the female Campione: "Yes. Ena and Erica-san are very happy too. But let's put that aside first." "Oh sure. What may be the matter?" "It feels like you took only a very short time to visit here, Madame. I was thinking it would take an hour at least, but unbelievably, it turned out to be instant..." The Madame smiled cheerfully and answered Ena and Erica's question. "Oh, getting here quickly is only natural. That's because I'm currently living in Kusanagi-san's residence. So if you call me, I'll instantly arrive." Madame Aisha continued. "Of course, I felt a little resistant against staying in a man's house, but this place turns out to be a huge mansion. Furthermore, Kusanagi-san threatened me, saying 'you must stay within my sight' with a horrifying expression... So I had no choice." In actual fact, the Madame was the one who insisted yesterday on staying in this residence. But for some reason, she seemed to be admonis.h.i.+ng G.o.dou and he could notice her looking at him with a slightly shy expression. In addition, even Erica and Ena were glaring at G.o.dou again. "As expected." "Although I did consider the possibility of G.o.dou playing around on occasion, it really did turn out this way." "Ahhh, jeez. That's the kind of person His Majesty is..." Ena's words were mixed with complicated emotions of anxiety and resignation. On the other hand, Erica sounded like a detective who had discovered important evidence. Ever since G.o.dou's duel against Uldin, the two girls had become inexplicably in tune with each other. G.o.dou was surprised by this unexpected discovery. At the same time, he spoke up to defend his honor. "Uh, I'm sorry to interrupt while you're so engaged in the conversation, but I need to go out a while to handle a necessary task." Hence, G.o.dou rode his favorite horse and went into the streets of Colonia Agrippina. However, he was accompanied by three people. The maid from earlier, Erica, as well as Ena. The three girls were riding respectively on horses taken from the stables at G.o.dou's residence. "G.o.dou really isn't a person who misses out on any opportunity!" "Who could've expected things to get weird between him and that person..." "C-Come on. You two should know very well that Madame Aisha is the one who needs to be watched the most closely, right!?" His two companions were riding behind G.o.dou's horse with the maid slightly further away. Apart from the maid in the back who dutifully remained silent, the rest of them chatted casually while moving through the Roman colonial city. Peace was maintained in the city's interior and the citizens were living their lives as usual. Reportedly, the standing Roman army normally stationed inside Colonia Agrippina was defeated by Salvatore Doni singlehandedly and had retreated already. At the time, Doni's Frankish subordinates had arrived, resulting in the occupation of the city. Normally speaking, the Franks would begin to loot, resulting in a great deal of bloodshed among the citizens, with people captured as slaves and towns burned by arson — This kind of tragic scene would be usual, but contrary to G.o.dou's expectations, Doni actually prohibited such atrocities. "That man turned out to be quite wise in this area, thank goodness..." While patrolling various parts of the city by horse, G.o.dou muttered to himself. Seeing the Frankish warriors looking restless in the city, Doni had realized their intentions and had apparently given orders to prohibit looting from the very start. After all the effort spent in obtaining a stronghold needed to fight a deity, labor should not be wasted unnecessarily. That was how Doni expressed it. Back in modern Milan, Doni once commanded the [Copper Black Cross]. G.o.dou was surprised to find Doni quite used to leading subordinates. But rather than a general, it would be more accurate to describe him as a bandit boss or a barbarian chief. "By the way, Your Majesty. By 'necessary task,' you mean patrolling the streets?" "Yeah. As for why—" Just as G.o.dou was about to explain the reason to Ena, it so happened that the "reason" took place before their eyes. As they pa.s.sed before a bar, three Frankish men with topknots were causing a ruckus inside the shop. It looked like an argument had erupted between them and other customers in the bar. "Could you help me go stop them?" "Understood, master." Under G.o.dou's orders, the maid waiting at the back dismounted swiftly. Then she entered the bar and spoke a few words to the rioting Frankish men. As a result, the troublemakers instantly stopped, looked at Kusanagi G.o.dou who was waiting outside, and began to show panic on their faces. "In other words, G.o.dou, you're watching over the Franks' actions?" "Well, even with the great chieftain's orders, it's inevitable that people from the conquering side would get c.o.c.ky. Since that idiot is kind of sloppy with certain details, I was thinking that this kind of incident should be reduced if I let those Franks know that I will patrol around town." G.o.dou nodded in response to Erica. Doni and the Frankish warriors were currently at what used to be a Roman army outpost. The city streets where G.o.dou's group was visiting were located on the Rhine's west bank. In contrast, the outpost's location was on the east bank. Going back and forth simply required crossing a bridge. Due to irregular bouts of isolation, the Frankish warriors seldom visited the city streets on this side. But still, there were a small number of exceptions as one would expect. "I have returned, master." "Sorry for troubling you. Thanks for the help." "This sort of thing is nothing at all. On the other hand, I did hear something strange." Returning from the bar, the maid made a slightly displeased look. "The men were causing trouble just now because they heard someone in the bar bring up disrespectful rumors..." "Rumors, you say?" "Yes... Soon, a hero wielding a sword of light shall arrive to vanquish Devil King Salvatore Doni of the Franks, the black-haired ally as well as the witch in white. That was what they said." G.o.dou signaled to his two companions with his eyes. The two girls nodded together in response. "That was the rumor we heard in Augusta Raurica as well." "Did a rumor spread from that city all the way here? When did Your Majesty and Aisha-san get added in as well... Eh, wait a sec." After Erica murmured casually, Ena showed a pondering expression. "This seems like something that Ena heard before somewhere." "I am also wondering about this rumor. Something about it bothers me regarding that G.o.ddess called Artio." Erica also murmured in deep thought. G.o.dou only felt that it was a strange coincidence, but the girls apparently found the rumor to be some kind of hint. The blonde Italian girl suddenly proposed a constructive idea. "In any case, let's visit Sir Salvatore's side next. G.o.dou's patrolling job should be handed over to someone else. Of course, don't ask Sir Salvatore to do it but let me take command instead." Despite having arrived in this city for less than half a day, Erica was already thinking with such practicality. Having displayed how nothing less should be expected from the one named Erica Blandelli, she turned to the maid and smiled glamorously. "I will be returning to the mansion afterwards to get reacquainted with all the other servants. From here on, Ena-san and I shall be the mistresses of the house. You don't mind serving us, do you?" "Of course not, madam." The maid bowed her head respectfully. Thus began their new life in Colonia Agrippina. Part 3 Later at night, on that day when Erica and Ena met up with G.o.dou... For the first time in a while, G.o.dou gathered with his companions for dinner together in his residence. The dishes included salad with olives and broad beans, fruits such as figs and grapes, boiled pork, roasted hare, sausages, grain porridge, deep fried flower bulbs whose name was not known, etc. Quite a sumptuous array of offerings. Also, there was the casual chatting between G.o.dou and the two girls who were finally reunited with him. Although it was supposed to be quite a lively occasion, there was the addition of Madame Aisha who was "freeloading" here, as well as the presence of thirty maids to wait on them. After finis.h.i.+ng dinner and escaping to the office reserved for the residence's master, G.o.dou spoke from the bottom of his heart. "There's too many girls here. I really feel like moving over to live in the soldiers' quarters with Doni and the rest. It's basically all men there..." The former Roman army outpost was located on the opposite side of the river. Currently, it was where Doni's faction lived for now. Gathered at Colonia Agrippina, the Franks' women and children were also living in the city. Most of the men capable of fighting were at the outpost. Apart from women who went there to cook, it was all men and quite a pig sty. Nevertheless, G.o.dou still envied that sort of environment devoid of females. Casually sitting down on the desk meant for handling official matters, G.o.dou crossed his legs and spoke: "I'd feel so much more relaxed in a place with only the smell of men's sweat, like a baseball or soccer club's activities room." "This is a little difficult for me to understand." "No matter what, this isn't something you should be saying in front of Ena and Erica-san." Next to the desk, Erica showed surprise while Ena made a wry expression. Unlike the rest of the female lineup here, G.o.dou did not feel mentally exhausted when hanging around these two girls. Well, in a certain sense, Madame Aisha was also someone he "did not mind" interacting with. "It's no big deal, right? I'm actually more able to adjust to that kind of place. Other than that, living like before, just the three of us, would be nice and relaxing too." "Oh dear, compared to such a grand harem, you're saying that having just Ena-san and me would be better instead?" "Ehehe... Putting it that way, Ena feels embarra.s.sed by the compliment." "Oh no, I don't mean anything weird in that." Seeing the two girls smile suddenly, G.o.dou began to panic. Then a knocking was heard from the office's door followed by a voice from outside. "Is everyone inside? To celebrate our safe reunion, let us drink and chat the night away in joy. This is called a free and easy party, hohoho." Madame Aisha had arrived at the door. Just as G.o.dou was about to reply, Erica took action first. Taking a seat on the desk where G.o.dou was sitting, she moved up close to him and leaned herself intimately against his body before saying: "Please come in, Madame!" "Ah yes. Pardon my intrusion." Seeing G.o.dou who had stiffened from the sudden intimate contact as well as Erica leaning against him, the cheerful Madame froze as she entered the room. "E-Erica, stop doing weird things!" "Yes, that's right, G.o.dou. The Madame has come over. — How terribly sorry I am, Madame. Please excuse the unsightly display." By the time G.o.dou regained his senses, he found that Erica had merely separated slightly from him before apologizing gracefully. Nonchalantly, she placed her hand on top of G.o.dou's while continuing to apologize in a pa.s.sionate tone of voice: "Wanting to fill up the lonely void we felt due to our separation with this person — G.o.dou — we impatiently desired privacy for the three of us. Unable to bear it, we hid in this kind of place." "W-When did I do such a thing!?" G.o.dou retorted against the blonde beauty whose eyes were lowered in a gaze of ecstasy. Madame Aisha's mouth opened and closed, muttering meaninglessly, apparently speechless. Nonchalantly ignoring all this, Erica murmured pa.s.sionately like a lover: "Seriously... G.o.dou is so shy. Just bear it for a little longer. After a delightful night of chatting with Madame Aisha, we still have enough time. — Ena-san should also understand, right?" "Ah, yes. Of course, Ena understands, Your Majesty." Catching the signal from Erica's eyes, Ena spoke abruptly. Then took a seat on the desk as well, taking up the spot next to G.o.dou — opposite Erica's side — whispering in a stiff tone of voice: "Although Ena also wants to enjoy Your Majesty's love sooner, Ena is good friends with Aisha-san too and wants to chat over many things. No problem, Ena can wait patiently..." The Hime-Miko's watery eyes drew near to G.o.dou while she whispered softly. Caught in the middle between Ena's cuteness and Erica's bold pa.s.sion, G.o.dou was quite shocked. Meanwhile, Madame Aisha's mouth finally stopped muttering unintelligibly and managed to find words: "S-S-Sorry, I didn't notice. Th-That's true too. Surely, the three of you must have many things to talk about and apart from that, with this and that to do, you must be very busy tonight. I-I-I will excuse myself now!" Finis.h.i.+ng her speech extremely rapidly, Madame Aisha left the office. Her face was bright red and her head was bowed low... "Ehehe... Feels so naughty, like driving her away." "But it's true that we would like to spend some quality time together, just the three of us. A prank of this level probably shouldn't deserve karmic retribution." The two girls next to G.o.dou commented respectively. Furthermore, Erica suddenly brought her lips near G.o.dou's ear and bit him without warning. "Ouch! W-What are you doing, Erica!?" "Not like it matters. After all, we originally wanted to say private time for two, but changed it to three people together instead. Consequently, you should be thanking Ena-san and me for our generosity, G.o.dou." "For example, you should share the joy of reunion through a kiss." This time, Erica brought her face and lips close to G.o.dou's lips. Although he considered evading, G.o.dou did not actually carry through with this thought. He suspected this was because he was already used to it and he could also understand to some extent what the audacious Italian girl was implying. But as the kiss progressed to the point when both of them were sucking forcefully at each other's lips, one could no longer regard this as one-sided intimate contact that G.o.dou was accepting pa.s.sively. "N-Not just Erica-san, Your Majesty..." After separating from Erica's lips, G.o.dou found Ena's face drawing near this time. However, the Yamato Nades.h.i.+ko, who would tend to grow timid in situations like this, did not press her lips towards him no matter what, despite bringing her face close enough for their foreheads to almost touch together. At the very brink, she was hesitating, still unable to commit her resolve. The sight of her behavior invited G.o.dou's tender affection. G.o.dou took initiative and kissed her gently, making contact like a light peck. Ena smiled blissfully as a result and pressed her lips against him in the same manner, kissing G.o.dou on her own. Just as this sweet air of burning pa.s.sion was produced between the trio of Erica, Ena and G.o.dou — Sitting on the office desk, the trio was suddenly startled. "Uh, umm... It's about time we start discussing serious matters, right..." "Perhaps you are right. D-Discussing the situation is necessary, after all!" "S-Speaking of which, Erica-san, there's something you find concerning, right!?" The girls exchanged a few words as though trying to change the mood. Prior to the battle against Uldin, the trio had engaged in that certain ritual. This was their first kiss since that event. However, for some reason, it now felt even harder than before to resist the momentum in such behavior... Was that why Erica and Ena both pulled themselves back to regain their senses? This posed a different kind of risk compared to being alone with one of them. G.o.dou felt his heart pounding madly. Ena was also clearly panicking. Then Erica coughed drily and finally managed to muster a resolute voice to start talking: "After listening to what was said, the impression I gathered is that the G.o.ddess Artio should be a mother earth G.o.ddess. The bear is a totem of the earth, while saying she'll bring her son along is also proof of this fact." "She's one of Athena's kind?" "Yes. It is quite common for G.o.ddesses linked to the earth mothers' lineages to have a boy or a young man by their side as a companion. This companion is sometimes a lover, sometimes a brother or follower. However, for this type of myth, in their most ancient form, in most cases it is a 'son'." Hence she was identified as a mother earth G.o.ddess. G.o.dou agreed with Erica's argument. "If I had to give examples, in Greek mythology, there is the handsome young man Adonis who was loved by the G.o.ddess Aphrodite. G.o.dou, you should recall the name of Baal, the divine king who was revived by his sister, the G.o.ddess Anat. Then there's the earth G.o.ddess Leto's son Apollo... Tracing all the way back to the origins, these are all relations.h.i.+ps between earth mother G.o.ddesses and their sons." Erica suddenly lowered her voice at this point. "In addition, through the pa.s.sage of time over the ages, the 'mother earth G.o.ddess and son' relations.h.i.+p has given rise to another variant, that of 'a woman possessing magical powers along with the hero under her protection'..." "Hero? Erica-san, you can't be saying...?" "How sharp of you, Ena-san. The so-called hero is the warrior whose very being could be taken as a metaphor for a 'sword.' Possessing the trait of invulnerability, one who subdues dragons and snakes. The various sword G.o.ds. Heretic G.o.ds. These are the heroes that we call the [War G.o.ds of Steel]." Bringing up the term referring to the war G.o.ds who stood as the Campiones' mortal enemies, Erica continued. "For example, there is the hero Achilles whose invulnerability was conferred by his fairy mother, Thetis. Raised by the Lady of the Lake, Lancelot du Lac also fits the mold." "Lancelot huh..." Nostalgically recalling the name of his great rival, G.o.dou could not help but mutter. "On further thought, these kinds of guys also exist in this era." "Yes. However, the problem here is King Arthur — the hero that Lancelot and Divine Ancestor Guinevere were seeking. Did you know? The name Arthur evolved from the word 'artos.'" "What does it mean?" "Hero. There's also another meaning, bear. Coming from the strongest beast in European forests, the [Bear], that was probably why it took on the meaning of hero, brave and powerful. Furthermore, the name Artio's etymology also comes from Artos." Saying that, Erica shrugged. "The name of the G.o.ddess Artio carries the meaning of [Bear]. I recall her definitely being a G.o.ddess wors.h.i.+ped by the Celts in central Europe. If this G.o.ddess has a son, then Artos would surely be his name. Then becoming the hero who later served as King Arthur's prototype — " "Eh, wait a sec, okay?" G.o.dou's memory was jogged by the repet.i.tion of the two words, Artos and Arthur. "Didn't Alice-san mention before? King Arthur's legend was a fake myth fabricated by the witches of old. I remember Gascoigne trying to solve the puzzle." "Indeed. Moreover, Prince Alec has also made the following findings through his investigation — the hero called the 'King of the End' by the Divine Ancestors had descended at one point under the name of Artos during a certain period between the fifth and sixth centuries..." "Actually, Ena also thought of something." The Hime-Miko of the Sword began to speak in an uncharacteristically strange tone of voice. "Recently, haven't there been rumors of the hero wielding a sword of light to defeat the Devil Kings? Actually, something similar also happened in j.a.pan's Bousou Peninsula, where people spreading rumors of a hero's divine sword would suddenly appear..." Queen Oto Tachibana-Hime, jumped into the sea with sword embosomed. Sea currents carried her sword to a landless location, whence a floating island subsequently appeared. Ena recalled the legend that kept appearing in the land of Bousou. Reportedly, no matter how many times the History Compilation Committee tried to cover up these rumors, people spreading the rumor still continued to appear. G.o.dou jumped in surprise. Sayanomiya Kaoru had told him the same thing earlier. In addition, he had also learnt of something else from a certain person — 'Regardless, the location where the 'King of the End' sleeps definitely gives rise to legends about warriors and divine swords.' 'In that case, one would naturally think there was an authentic Floating Island somewhere in Tokyo Bay.' These were Alexandre Gascoigne's speculations. The 'King of the End' should be sleeping somewhere in Tokyo Bay, near the Bousou Peninsula. "Could the G.o.ddess Artio's son be King Arthur's prototype — the 'King of the End'?" Artio — Artos — Arthur. A chain of connections. The relations.h.i.+p between the 'King of the End' and places where legends surfaced about divine swords and warriors. G.o.dou muttered due to these details stimulating his imagination. That man was supposed to be the hero who exterminated all G.o.dslayers, the existence that Athena once warned him about. Part 4 The G.o.ddess Artio had undoubtedly said: 'In our next encounter, I shall bring my son before you.' However — G.o.dou began to ponder. After all, subordinate or allied G.o.ds summoned by a G.o.ddess were not supposed to possess particularly powerful divinities. Nevertheless, if it really were the 'King of the End'...? "In a fight against that guy, I'd die beyond a doubt. That's what Athena said once." "a.s.serted already? That's not so good." "Whatever, there's no point getting bothered by it. I'll just do the same as always." "The same as always? Ahhh, you mean naturally getting into a fight." "At least call it adapting to the situation, Seishuuin..." This was the morning two days after G.o.dou was reunited with Erica and Ena. Almost simultaneously with the break of dawn, G.o.dou left the house, accompanied only by Ena. The two of them crossed the Rhine by bridge on horseback, arriving at the opposite sh.o.r.e. Indeed, they had gone from the city on the west bank over to the east bank — The opposite sh.o.r.e was where Doni and the Frankish warriors lived in a Roman army outpst. But apart from that, there were no other major buildings. This was no longer within the city's boundaries, since east of the Rhine was Germania, a land where Roman imperial rule did not extend. The army outpost was on the east bank in order to intercept enemies coming from Germania. (As a side note, the current period seemed to be when the Roman Empire had built "great walls" in the interior of Germania to establish frontier fortifications for blocking Germanic invasions. However, the defensive line had retreated to the Rhine's position by this juncture.) Compared to the west bank with well-equipped urban facilities, the east bank consisted more of undeveloped, natural areas. If the horses were allowed to gallop for a bit, one would be greeted by the sight of flouris.h.i.+ng forests. This area was essentially a plain. The flat gra.s.sland stretched endlessly with rather good visibility. This sort of scenery with small and medium sized forests scattered spa.r.s.ely here and there was quite rare in j.a.pan. G.o.dou and Ena was heading to one of these forests. It was the Hime-Miko's request. "Ena has been spending all her time in cities recently. Hence, purifying the body and mind is necessary." Ena spoke cheerfully. The two of them walked amidst the dense coniferous trees as well as deciduous trees such as oak, white oak and beech, strolling under them casually. Before stepping foot inside the forest, they had tied their horses outside. Summoning a G.o.d's energy into one's body was the secret art of divine possession — As the user of this technique, Ena regularly distanced herself from civilization to purify her body and mind using the spiritual energy deep in the mountains. "So even in this era, you're still able to receive power from that old man Susanoo?" "Ena only tried it out as a test without much hope. It seems like there is a weak connection between this time period and our present... Looks like it's really possible." "A weak connection?" G.o.dou could not help but mutter. In response, Ena gave an unexpected answer. "Yes, although Aisha-san's corridor appears to manifest only once a month, Ena thinks that it isn't totally gone during this time. It's just that it's invisible to the human eye and its ability to transmit things is weakened." "Probably, 'subtle things' like spiritual energy and magical power can still be transmitted between this and the modern era. Ena thinks that's why divine possession can be used." "But is it okay for me to be here? If you're trying to purify your body and mind, being alone should be better, right?" "What are you talking about, Your Majesty? Hey, on the last trip to Uldin-san's place, didn't Your Majesty travel together with Erica-san as a pair? So this sort of counts as compensation." "S-So that's what this is about?" "Yes. That's why Erica-san didn't come along. How considerate of her... Well, her trouble with getting up early in the morning is also partly the reason." "That girl is always so lethargic in the mornings..." The pair walked in the forest, advancing deeper. The spring breeze, blowing through the trees, felt pleasant beyond belief. Streaming through gaps between the leaves, the sunlight was bright and dazzling. Rather than purifying one's body and mind, this felt more like a countryside outing. Soon after, G.o.dou and Ena reached the edge of a spring. The size was roughly the same as the school swimming pool. The spring water was so clear and pristine that the sight was simply touching. "It's so unbelievably clean that I wouldn't be surprised even if a fairy or two lived here." "Coming from Your Majesty, that's completely not strange at all — Look, it feels great!" Laughing at G.o.dou's words, Ena took off her boots and stepped into the spring water. The coldness of the spring water felt refres.h.i.+ng, resulting in carefree laughter — But suddenly, she cried out "Ah." "Speaking of water, Ena now remembers. Ena was chatting with Aisha-san yesterday, right, along with Erica-san. It was something mentioned at the time." "Something related to water?" "Yes. She said that after drifting in the river with Your Majesty, she was trying to dry her drenched clothes and you ended up seeing her naked body. When we were asking Aisha-san about what happened after we were separated, she acted very suspiciously. However, Erica-san managed to get it out of her." "Hold on! Many things are wrong with that explanation!" It was an event that was quite difficult to talk about. Couldn't she have expressed it in a slightly more prudent manner? Believing he needed to defend his honor, G.o.dou loudly protested. "Things only turned out that way because we were both careless. It felt more like an unfortunate accident!" "Well, Ena thought so too." Ena gazed at G.o.dou with a face like a sulking child's. Then she suddenly took out a ribbon and tied her long, silky, black hair into a ponytail. After she walked into the shadows of some nearby trees, out of G.o.dou's sight — The rustling of undressing could be heard. "!? Seishuuin, what on earth are you doing!?" "B-Because Ena is here to purify her body and mind..." Ena answered from the shade in a stiff tone of voice. Then a splash followed immediately. Having removed all her clothes, Ena had entered the spring water. "Seishuuin, what are you doing!? I'm right here on the side!" "S-Sorry. Looks like Ena got careless as well... N-No, Your Majesty is at fault too. To think you'd stand in this kind of place, th-that's called carelessness too, right...?" II II "B-But being even more careless and taking a longer look is okay too, you know...? Like the time with Aisha-san, it's just an accident, right?" Waded into the spring water at chest height, Ena spoke quietly. She was separated from G.o.dou at the spring's edge by only five or six meters at most. Furthermore, the transparency of this spring water was rather high. Hence, even her body from the chest down was clearly visible under the water. G.o.dou had witnessed the same at the Chuuzenji hot spring before, the sight of Ena's complete nudity. Despite a voluptuous figure rivaling Erica's, with all the curves in the right places, Ena huddled her body and her pale skin became flushed red. Naturally, this was due to embarra.s.sment. The Hime-Miko of the Sword was now sitting on an underwater rock. Perhaps still indecisive? She was using her arms to cover her bountiful bosom. Gazing upwards at G.o.dou in a coy manner, Ena had tied up her silky black hair in a ponytail for the very first time, exuding a kind of charm different from her usual liveliness. Thanks to that, G.o.dou was unable to tear his gaze away from the embarra.s.sed Ena. "Ah. Ena's very sorry recently, Your Majesty." "Eh? I don't think there's anything you need to apologize for, is there?" "There is. Recently, Ena seems to have nagged at Your Majesty a lot — Due to another increase in girls, Ena is feeling jealous... Sorry, Ena was supposed to be more calm in the first place." Sitting in the spring, Ena bowed her head despondently. As a result, she lowered her arms and the b.r.e.a.s.t.s she had been covering became completely clear to view. "Ena feels a slightly heart-wrenching feeling. It's fine when it's Erica-san, Yuri or Liliana-san, but Ena feels very unpleasant when other girls get near Your Majesty..." "S-Seishuuin." This was a jealous side that did not quite suit the bright and cheerful child of nature. Hearing this confession, G.o.dou felt compelled to give Ena a hug, so he took a step forward. Walking any further forward would mean stepping into the spring. Nevertheless, driven by an impulse to shower the Hime-Miko with tender affection, he did not mind and was just about to approach closer — At that very instant... Even though it was clearly in the early morning hours, the sky suddenly went pitch black. Despite being in a forest, G.o.dou was currently in a wide open s.p.a.ce, being next to a spring. Gentle sunlight was supposed to be s.h.i.+ning down, illuminating the clear spring water and the forest air. G.o.dou and Ena looked up into the sky and were surprised at the same time. "The sun — It's gone dark!" "A-An eclipse?" Before they knew it, the morning sun had turned black, becoming a circle of blackness. The circle was ringed by a white halo. The sky was pitch black, almost like the scene of a total solar eclipse. This occurred despite the fact that no impending signs of large-scale astronomical phenomena were sensed! Furthermore, accompanied by a crash of thunder, white lightning descended from the dark sky to strike the ground. From G.o.dou and Ena's location, the black sun lay to the east. The flash of lightning gave off extremely powerful magical power. '—It's here.' Suddenly speaking softly was Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi from G.o.dou's right arm. 'My kindred, the blade born from the star of [Steel] has crash landed. Although its origin is unclear, it is surely a horrifying and sharp sword. King, miko, best to beware.' "Ama no Murak.u.mo, do you know where it fell?" Ena exposed her gorgeous nude body while rising from the water. Bearing a nervous and commanding expression, she came over to G.o.dou's side and asked her steel partner. 'The approximate location is — ' G.o.dou and Ena exchanged a glance then nodded respectively. Beneath the still-dark sky and the eclipsed sun... After Ena had put on her clothes again, G.o.dou and Ena were currently riding their horses in a gallop. Following Ama no Murak.u.mo's guidance, they moved northeast. Unlike Gaul, Germania on the Rhine's east bank was an undeveloped region. Forests were especially numerous in this area. It was also a forest region frequently used by royalty and n.o.bles as a hunting ground ever since medieval times. However, G.o.dou and Ena were currently riding across a plain where there were few hindrances to visibility. Hence, even as novice riders, G.o.dou and Ena still managed to traverse the plain without problems. Soon after, the sound of equestrian hooves could be heard from the rear. Three riders were galloping on horseback to catch up. "Ah, G.o.dou, you're here too!" "You're heading to the place where the lightning descended, right?" Finally caught up, Doni greeted G.o.dou who replied with a question. The Campione standing as Europe's strongest swordsman also seemed to be a skilled equestrian and was displaying superb riding form. The same need not be said for Erica whose horse was galloping alongside. To G.o.dou's surprise, even Madame Aisha was also riding skillfully. "Yes. The sky turning into this would be clearly very unusual, right? Intending to investigate the powerful presence of magical power that descended just now, I left the city and came over with the two of them." Erica explained in response. Presumably, she had used magic to divine which direction to pursue. Anyone could tell that the three riders who caught up from behind were very skilled equestrians. "To think it would be at such a time, could Artio-san have done something...?" Murmuring in this manner, Madame Aisha was dressed in clothing facilitating mobility for once. Instead of a one-piece dress, she was wearing knee-length pants with her usual white overcoat on top. This was probably for riding more conveniently. Most likely, she was already used to traveling on horse. "Come to think of it, Aisha-san, you mentioned about crossing deserts by camel before, right?" "Yes. I've also ridden horses all over South Dakota during the Wild West era." She happily revealed her past exploits. As expected of the expert traveler who had traversed the world, oriental and occidental, past and present. Allowing their horses to take occasional breaks, the five of them hurried northeast. The trip was guided by Erica's magic and Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi. Not long after that, a small hill appeared before them. White, rectangular pillars of stone were arranged in a circle there. Similar to England's Stonehenge, it was a historic site known as a stone circle. The nearer they approached the stone circle, the more G.o.dou's body and mind filled up with power for battle. As expected, the G.o.ddess Artio emerged from the depths of the stone monument. Wearing a bear pelt, the beautiful G.o.ddess looked down at the world below from atop the hill. Imperceptibly, the black sun had moved to what would be the very center of the sky. The time was estimated to be noon. Dismounting several hundred meters from the hill, G.o.dou signaled to Erica and Ena with his eyes. From this point on, only the three of us should proceed — That was what he conveyed. Comprehending his message, the two companions stopped their horses to wait on standby. Conversely, Doni and Madame Aisha dismounted. One of the three Campiones, who knows which one, started walking towards the stone ring's hill. "I don't have any intention of fighting in a group of three. It's just that something weird is going on in this area, so the three of us came to check it out..." Standing at the foot of the mountain and speaking to Artio, that person was Doni, of course. "Who should take the fight? Having a deciding match here first sounds like a good idea." "What are you talking about, Doni-san? Even if she is a deity bringing calamity, it is not right to slay her without saying a word. It is more appropriate to have a calm discussion first, making compromises where possible. Bloodshed should be avoided as thoroughly as possible." "In contrast to your proposal, Aisha-san, you've already defeated quite a few G.o.ds..." G.o.dou could not help but point out the inconsistency. Perhaps because this was a question that had been weighing on his mind a long time already. "Although you keep saying stuff like how you're not good at fighting, in contrast, you've already defeated one, two... at least four or more deities." "Oh G.o.dou, you didn't know? Madame Aisha fights in quite a sly manner." "Eh? Although I've slightly guessed this much already, is it really that amazing?" "W-What are the two of you talking about!? There was never a battle I wanted to fight in. I always felt bad after every victory!" Under unusual conditions akin to total solar eclipse, with a G.o.ddess ahead, expected to counterattack any moment... Nevertheless, none of the three Campiones said anything serious. They simply took things in stride and faced the situation as usual. On the other hand, this was different from a lack of tension. G.o.dou and Doni were gazing sharply uphill. Facing off against a deity, their bodies and minds were filled with concentration and power unique to Campiones. It was probably the same for Madame Aisha. In a rare moment, she was also displaying a solemn expression. On the other hand, the G.o.ddess waiting to strike at the three Campiones... "You came as expected, G.o.dslayers." Solemnly, her beautiful face tensed up and she closed her eyes. "The three of you, in addition to those located in distant land... Four, five... a total of six G.o.dslayers existing in this present world. How lamentable beyond compare." Still with her eyes closed, Artio murmured. She was apparently watching the state of the world ill.u.s.trated beneath her eyelids, thereby counting the number of Campiones. What kind of ability did she rely on to obtain such clairvoyance? "In that case, given my injured state, exterminating all six would be quite a challenging task. Even if my son were to be summoned, it would probably fail to make a difference in the situation..." Summoning her son. Did she mean summoning a subordinate G.o.d? After ruling out the idea of a summon, Artio haughtily gazed down at the G.o.dslayer trio. "Be that as it may, I am not completely bereft of options. If the one who stands as my son's proxy — the Devil King-exterminating hero — manifested to confront you G.o.dslayers... Hoho, the victorious side should prove difficult to predict, yes?" In other word