Campione 16

by The Stirring of Heroes

  "Indeed, that may possibly be one facet of Hikari's."

  Yuri murmured as though appraising her younger sister's personality.

  "Very early on, she was already a child skilled in expressing her opinion without causing dissent in the surrounding people. Occasionally, I would feel quite envious of that..."

  "Strategy... No, a keen sense in savoir-vivre."

  "Perhaps this isn't a bad thing. Say, given what His Majesty is like, more girls will continue to gather around him in the future, right? If a girl like Hikari is present, harmony and compromise can result in all sorts of things. There's that thing called human relations, right?"

  Hearing Ena's philosophical outlook of resignation, Yuri and Liliana nodded in agreement.

  The person in the center of their circle was someone who possessed the talent of "increasing the number of intimate partners without conscious intent." Even though he had the kind of personality that treated both genders equally, at the same time, he also had the kind of destiny that caused him to cross paths with women quite frequently—

  "In any case, many issues exist in the current situation."

  Liliana shrugged lightly as though summing up.

  "The spot beside him will be yielded to Mariya Hikari for today."

  "Hikari is going to take a walk with His Majesty, just the two of them, right?"

  "Ah yes. Hikari had Godou-san indulge her wish to go sightseeing in the town, so they went together."

  "Well, I could have found some random reason to go along, but it is better to read the mood a little in times like these."

  "Ena and you two also need to buy chocolate first."

  "I am so sorry.."

  The three girls conversed while selecting the goods they wanted to buy respectively. After checking out and paying, they left the supermarket.

  As a land filled with natural scenery, this area consisted of rural settlements, of course. No modernized buildings were built. Compared to buildings constructed from steel-reinforced concrete, brick structures were far more common.

  The atmosphere of ancient European towns was everywhere.

  Furthermore, the thick volume of accumulated snow everywhere was almost like a makeup layer of white winter. Yet despite this kind of snowscape, the sky was cloudless for miles around.

  Ignoring the possibility of sinking into the deep snow, this could be considered perfect weather for a walk in a certain sense.

  Even making a quick and casual round in the vicinity would be filled with fun for Japanese people from the Far East.

  "Oh, by the way, Erica-san seems to be monitoring King Salvatore at the moment, right?"

  Walking in the lead, Ena asked.

  "Yes. After a discussion with Sir Andrea and Erica's uncle, they assembled an emergency force to keep Sir Salvatore under surveillance. Of course, this should be enough to handle him if only he were a normal person."

  Liliana's explanation was mixed with sighing.

  "However, Sir Salvatore is no normal person. This is the headache-inducing part..."

  "Well, Ena also knows clearly that King Salvatore is very curious about things related to the 'King of the End.' That god seems to be outrageously strong."

  "The king manifesting at era's end—"

  Hearing Ena murmur that name, Yuri suddenly whispered.

  "Just as I mentioned before, I cannot see that god's true name at all... Be that as it may, there is a kind of ambiguous feeling."

  "You actually saw something? As expected of Yuri!"

  "If I had to describe the extent... It really is just a kind of ambiguous feeling. Perhaps the key to elucidating that god's origins exists as an unexpected form in Japan—located in our surroundings."

  Mariya Yuri was an outstanding user of spirit vision.

  Her capability in this area was perhaps the highest pinnacle in the world. Feeling deeply interested, Ena and Liliana listened to this hint revealed by the beautiful Hime-Miko.

  Part 3

  Godou and Hikari were visiting a town named Poppi, a rural commune that was quite small in area.

  Its population numbered six or seven thousand at most. However, the town reportedly had fairly antique origins, tracing all the way back to ancient Roman times. Furthermore, this was where a castle and its associated castle town had been built by feudal lords ruling the area during the Middle Ages.

  Streets from the Middle Ages were still preserved in this little town's historic zone.

  Chapels, churches, the aforementioned castle town and other buildings dating back to that era were still standing.

  These ancient streets were now adorned by a layer of snow like makeup. A simple stroll through this place was enough to evoke a sense of foreign exotic atmosphere that could not be experienced in Japan.

  One could say it was definitely worth touring on foot while enduring the chilling cold.

  "Say, isn't it time for a cup of hot coffee?"

  "Then let's find a place to have lunch, Onii-sama!"

  They had been strolling casually on the snow-covered streets for an hour and a half already.

  As a result, Godou's body was already frozen stiff. It was probably the same for Hikari too.

  That being said, the young girl who suggested lunch still looked quite cheerful in voice and demeanor. She looked like she was quite enjoying things. As a side note, the two of them were fully prepared with winter gear. Godou was wearing a soft jacket made of polyester for winter sports use, while Hikari was dressed in a white duffle coat.

  In addition, they were wearing knitted caps and mittens while Hikari even had a scarf wrapped around her neck.

  "If only there's something like a restaurant here."

  Walking with Hikari, Godou muttered.

  In fact, he had visited this town before.

  That was during March last year when Erica accompanied him to track down the mysterious divine beast lurking in Casentino. Uldin's dragons from fifth-century Gaul had also made appearances here.

  Nevertheless, the visit last time was extremely brief and thus had not offered Godou much of a chance to get to know the town.

  Consequently, they had no choice but to continue their journey while looking around.

  "Come to think of it, Shizuka sent me a text message."

  Due to being accompanied by a young girl, Godou suddenly remembered about his younger sister.

  The text message was received this morning before they headed out from the hotel.

  "It was sent by Onii-sama's sister?"

  "Yeah, because she's a sharp-tongued girl, the message was filled with ranting and griping. Oh well, I guess it's my fault after all for leaving home without saying anything."

  Unlike the younger sister in the Mariya family, the Kusanagi household's younger sister had a personality that was a bit excessively strict.

  Smiling wryly at this thought, Godou began to recall the contents of the text message where sentences like "Where the heck did you run off randomly to, idiot Onii-chan!" substituted for seasonal greetings.

  That said, her words were filled with harsh reprimand for the older brother who had left without notice.

  "She wrote a few things that made me quite curious. For example, she mentioned a chance encounter with the boy from the Christmas party—Stuff like that."

  "The boy at the Christmas party—Speaking of which, that's probably Lu-san from Hong Kong."

  Lu Yinghua was the only boy attending the Christmas party who matched the description.

  Nodding at Hikari who had easily guessed the answer, Godou remarked with heartfelt feeling.

  "I hope Shizuka didn't cause any trouble for Yinghua... Last time, she even said something weird by accident."

  Godou remembered her commenting that Lu Yinghua had an underling flavor to him despite his arrogant demeanor.

  Moreover, Shizuka was born with a personality like a bossy older sister's. A female member of the Kusanagi family who was destined to follow the footsteps of the mother with her natural
vocation of queen—

  Although it was already too late, Godou still prayed for his surrogate nephew who had terrible luck when it came to women.

  On the other hand, while walking beside Godou, Hikari was more concerned with another issue.

  "I still haven't gotten to know Shizuka-san and Lu-san very well. Next time I see them, I'll try my best to become better friends with them!"

  "Eh? There's no need to devote so much effort into that."

  "No no, as someone who serves by your side, Onii-sama, these sentiments are much obliged. Furthermore, I try hard in these areas partially for Onee-chan's sake—"

  "......"

  "I believe that it's necessary for us, the Mariya sisters, to have good relations with your family, Onii-sama. We sisters will continue to be in your care, Onii-sama♪"

  As always, Hikari acted with such care and consideration that it was impossible to believe that she was still a young girl only in six grade.

  But at the same time, Godou found it quite interesting.

  The elder sister, Yuri, was a pure and noble young lady, quite detached from the mundane world, for better or worse. In contrast, Hikari was quite adept in handling worldly affairs with pertinence.

  In terms of personality, there was nothing similar about these two sisters.

  But perhaps this was precisely why they formed a combination that sustained balance—

  "Hmm?"

  Godou and Hikari were currently walking along a main street.

  Ten-odd meters ahead was a familiar young man, featuring a head of blond hair and a tall build, roughly 185cm in height. A face displaying frivolity and lack of discipline—Salvatore Doni.

  Dressed in a gray coat, he had a slender, cylindrical case slung on his shoulder.

  Doni could be seen approaching a light van that was parked on the roadside. Without warning, he opened the door and sat inside.

  Then the engine started immediately. The light van began to move quickly.

  "Where's that guy planning to go...?"

  Godou felt intrigued. Earlier, he had received Liliana's report.

  The reckless troublemaker was apparently quite interested in the "King of the End."

  That was what the female knight, akin to Kusanagi Godou's grand chamberlain, had reported.

  'Of course, the King of the End is a divinity that has lain dormant for almost a thousand years. A being whose true identity remains unknown despite the Divine Ancestors' search efforts over the ages. It is essentially impossible for him to revive from something on the level of Sir Salvatore's minor commotions... But just to be safe, it is still necessary to keep Sir Salvatore under surveillance for now.'

  And among various influential people including Andrea Rivera, Paolo Blandelli and Saint Raffaello, agreement was apparently unanimous. They were all familiar with and understood clearly the truth that Campiones were a troublesome race, always ignoring probabilities somehow, easily overcoming odds of 1%...

  Godou hesitated as he watched the light van's departure.

  Should he intervene "just in case"? But Madame Aisha was also someone who needed to be kept on priority surveillance. Which side was more important?

  "Th-The person just now was Sir Salvatore, right?"

  Noticing Godou's gaze, Hikari also looked at the light van.

  "I've heard that he is your dear friend and fated rival too!"

  "Who the heck is feeding such a rubbish and totally wrong profile to you!?"

  "I-It's wrong? Last night when I encountered Sir Salvatore by chance and greeted him, that's what he said himself—"

  Hearing Hikari's explanation, Godou felt his strength draining away.

  Under those circumstances, the sixth grader had done nothing wrong in offering polite greetings on their first encounter, even when the other party was the world-renowned Campione. The senior who introduced himself totally erroneously was the one to blame.

  "I knew it, I must chase after that idiot...!"

  After Godou made his decision out of instantaneous anger rather than rational thought...

  "Godou, perfect timing for you to be here!"

  "...Erica!?"

  Godou was surprised to be called by a gallant and beautiful voice.

  The voice came from the vehicle lane. Godou turned his gaze to see a female rider approaching them on a mid-sized motorcycle, then stopping her vehicle on the roadside.

  The motorcycle's paint job was a vivid shade of bright red whereas the leather suit was pitch black.

  A rossonero combination of red and black. The female rider took off her helmet, revealing Erica's beautiful face and head of blonde hair.

  "I'm currently following Sir Salvatore who has left this town, thinking it would be terrible if anything were to happen. Want to come along?"

  "Yeah. Letting him run wild is too worrying!"

  Godou instantly replied then looked at Hikari. The young Hime-Miko in training nodded immediately in response.

  Godou's intention was for her to return to the hotel first on her own, having heard that she already had experience traveling overseas many times already despite being only twelve years old. More importantly, she was quite a clever girl. Godou did not worry.

  Hence, Godou immediately climbed on to sit behind Erica, resulting in two people riding astride the motorcycle.

  "Please hold on, Onii-sama! Please take this!"

  Just as Erica was about to start the engine, Hikari quickly ran over.

  Swiftly untying the scarf on her neck, she wrapped it tightly around Godou's neck instead.

  Freezing-cold wind was currently blowing in the first place. Riding a motorcycle in such conditions would mean exposing the entire body to extremely strong, chilling wind.

  Hikari was probably offering her scarf to Godou because she was worrying about this fact.

  "Thanks. Let's go, Erica!"

  Expressing his gratitude for the young girl's care, Godou reached his hands behind his waist.

  He supported his weight by gripping the handle at the back of the seat. This was a horizontal bar for increasing safety for tandem riders.

  The blonde partner instantly twisted the accelerator, causing the bright red motorcycle to start moving.

  She raised the speed all at once. Within the blink of an eye, the motorcycle had sped off, leaving Hikari behind.

  The motorcycle was able to move without hindrance because the accumulated snow had already been cleared from the roads.

  Furthermore, traffic was quite low in volume. The motorcycle was currently trailing Salvatore Doni's light van by several hundred meters.

  Godou was quite impressed with Erica's outstanding driving skills.

  "You sure can ride well, not just horses but also this kind of thing!"

  "Yes. During the Great Sage Equaling Heaven incident, I felt there was a need for this, so I started learning a lot subsequently. I'm now totally different from back then!"

  Carrying two passengers, Godou and Erica, the mid-sized motorcycle sliced through the powerful wind, propelled by its 400cc engine.

  To avoid getting drowned out by the noise of the wind, they had to raise their voices in order to converse. Just now, Erica was referring to the time when she had driven a four-wheeled automobile during the Great Sage Equaling Heaven incident, not a two-wheeled motorcycle.

  Still, sitting behind the young Italian girl, Godou could understand.

  Definitely quite different from before. Last time, Erica was skillfully controlling a car as a driver for the first time(!), using only her inborn talent and sense for driving.

  However, back then, she clearly knew nothing about matters such as traffic regulations and driving techniques.

  But this time, Erica not only controlled the mid-sized motorcycle with graceful motions but also did it without causing any trouble for the surrounding vehicles in motion.

  Erica was driving the motorcycle smoothly along the flow of traffic. Completely stable and safe driving.

  What she meant by
learning a lot was probably knowledge and experience of driving on ordinary roads.

  "Nothing less expected of Erica Blandelli—Godou, you could praise me like that, you know?"

  "That's true. Even though you're always so busy, you still managed to learn such amazing skills. Although only half a year has passed since that time, I can't believe you've already obtained a driving license that's also usable in Italy!"

  "Huh, what license?"

  "...Hey Erica."

  "Speaking of which, the matter of obtaining a driving license needs to be postponed."

  "You're actually driving without a license!? I take back what I said!"

  "Why does it even matter? There are no problems at all with my driving knowledge and vehicle control. Suppose a situation does arise where a driving license is needed, I also have magic to take care of things."

  Erica replied, completely unremorseful.

  In those circumstances, she was probably intending to use hypnosis magic to bewitch police personnel. Still maintaining a magnificent driving posture flawlessly, the [Copper Black Cross]'s premier knight was staring sharply at the light van that was traveling ahead.

  As always, Erica's respect for common sense values was quite weak.

  "Anyway, that's enough of that, Godou! Please hold on tight!"

  "Then there's no helping it... Don't lose that idiot's trail!"

  "Yes, you can count on me!"

  Slicing through the winter season's chilling wind, the motorcycle sped along at seventy to eighty kilometers per hour—

  Naturally, this meant getting frozen solid all over for the duration of the journey. Hence, feeling the scarf around his neck, Godou felt very grateful to Hikari.

  Part 4

  Doni's light van traveled west, cruising along Tuscany's state highways.

  The light van traversed mountainous areas near mountain pass roads to reach Florence's provincial roads, then arriving in the vicinity of the provincial capital. But instead of entering the city of Florence, they continued westward.

  Using provincial roads, Doni's contingent reached the Italian peninsula's western coast.

  "Godou, why don't we stop nearby for a late lunch?"