Campione 08

by Trials of the Devil Kings

  Erica stared with her eyes wide open as a result of Liliana's explanation.

  The young man known as the idiot, did have a hidden trump card after all.

  "Though this matter is rather concerning, picking up his trail again is our first priority. Lily, let's hurry to where he is! You know the place, right?"

  "Ah, it is that plaza over there. Follow me!"

  Using the Witch's Eye would likely have the same result again, so it was not a solution.

  Liliana started running first, with Erica following behind.

  San Gimignano's streets were built on a hill. The land got steeper the closer to town centre, and the sloped path extended uphill.

  Even so, the two of them ran effortlessly and passed pedestrians without getting out of breath.

  The place they reached was — a plaza with a great church.

  It was natural to find solemn holy sanctums in Italian towns of sufficient scale.

  Important facilities and tourist attractions targeted towards foreigners were bound to be found at the town center. Located at San Gimignano's Piazza del Duomo was the Palazzo Communale, the seat of civic authority and museum whose style of architecture dates back to medieval times.

  Furthermore, seven of the town's iconic towers were located here.

  It was a must-see for tourists to ascend one of these towers to admire the view of the San Gimignano's immediate surroundings.

  The young man happened to be exiting a tower. Erica and Liliana nodded at each other and approached him.

  "You really did something out of line! Did you recover your memory!?"

  "...Ah. You're the girls just now called... whatever."

  The young man turned to face Erica with an indifferent expression as she called to him. It was shocking how badly he failed at remembering anyone's name after all this time.

  Erica and Liliana were beautiful girls who should have left deep impressions. People who remembered their names and faces would vastly outnumber those who forgot them completely —

  "Please allow me to ask a question, Mr. Amnesiac. Why do you seem to be trying to avoid bringing us to meet Saint Raffaello? Are you facing some sort of difficulty? ...Or could it be, that you don't want us to obtain the twin swords?"

  A rather instigating query.

  Earlier at the restaurant, Erica and Liliana had not explained their purpose.

  However, at that time the two young knights had expressed their wish to meet Saint Raffaello. If the young man was really her disciple then he should have easily figured out their reason for wanting to meet her.

  So he must be playing dumb and deliberately withholding clues —

  "Based on what your suspicious behavior indicates, is that not the most plausible conclusion? Are you really wandering around because you are trying to find Saint Raffaello's residence?"

  However, if he really did not know magic then they needed to change their approach.

  If he is like that then things could only be decided by a direct frontal confrontation. Though Erica was a quick-witted girl well-versed in strategy, ultimately, she had the heart of a soldier who loved a good frontal charge.

  However, this frontal confrontation did not lead to any dramatic result.

  "No no, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I really can't remember who that Saint whatever person is... Ah, wait a minute, somehow hearing that name makes me think of a horse's tail."

  The young man spoke as he racked his brains. A horse's tail?

  Erica frowned in response to this cavalier attitude that seemed to be making fun of her. Liliana interrupted and said:

  "So why did you come to this town? You lost your memory, right?"

  "Hmm, for some reason, I have a strong feeling that this town with the many towers is the place where I will meet the one I want to meet. That's why I asked that acquaintance if he knew a place like that and begged him to take me here..."

  The young man looked around at the medieval streets with a nostalgic expression.

  "And then, it really did feel familiar, so I tried going somewhere higher, and then something caught my attention."

  Flawlessly acting the fool all this time, the man finally made a noteworthy comment.

  Faced with this situation, Erica readied her stance. Was this a trap? Was he trying to lead her and Liliana into a mistaken direction?

  "Hey you two, would you mind coming along with me? If I am really related to the person you seek, then it should be easier to find clues about that person, right?"

  Unexpectedly, the young man was asking for more favors.

  "What an incomprehensible request...?"

  Faced with Liliana's surprise, the young man responded with a very serious expression.

  "Because just now when I bought the ticket to the tower I became completely penniless. And that was because I was a little short and begged the older lady for a discount of 1 Euro. That is why I need friends who can help me with further travels!"

  Come to think of it, San Gimignano was a tourist center. Though there were many towers and museums, they more or less all charged entrance fees.

  (By the way, in various streets, even public facilities had times when entrance fees were required.)

  Faced with this spontaneous request, Erica shook her head in vexation, caught in a quandary.

  Drawing her lips close to Liliana's ear, they began to discuss in whispers.

  (...Hey Lily, what do think of this man? Is he the "sly old fox skillfully playing dumb" we thought earlier, or the apparent "complete fool in appearance and essence" we see now?)

  (What a strange experience. Actually, I am beginning to suspect the latter too.)

  Rare it may be, but Liliana also agreed with Erica's assessment.

  (Well, there still are many suspicious points, but the opportunity should not be given up.)

  (Right, as the saying goes — nothing ventured, nothing gained.)

  In the worst case scenario, if this guy really was an unforgivable idiot, then he would just muddle through no matter what.

  Thus the girls reached a consensus, aiming for venturous gains.

  "Understood. So, Mr. Amnesiac, let us travel together then. Take us to the place which caught your attention."

  "Of course! Let's go over there?"

  "Right, by the way, there is something I need to confirm. Just now you discovered my Witch's Eye and dispelled it so splendidly. How did you do it?"

  Liliana slowly phrased her question to the young man who was nodding away in response to Erica.

  That's right, how could the young man who was supposed to be a complete failure in magic use an ultimate skill like that? This mystery must be cleared up no matter what.

  "Ah, I just felt a kind of uneasiness like being watched. So it was you? I didn't use a spell though. All I did was throw this at it."

  The young man took out a fork from his pocket.

  A completely unremarkable piece of cutlery. Colored silver, it was most likely stainless steel.

  "Actually, what I threw was the knife I secretly took along with this fork. Not for any particular reason, but only because I thought it'd be fun to play with back at the restaurant."

  Now that it was mentioned, the fork did look familiar.

  However, knives and forks casually taken from dinner tables should not have antimagic effects.

  Erica questioned acutely.

  "So you mean you infused magic into the knife to neutralize other spells?"

  "No no, I was just wondering if that spell could be easily sliced through. I suck too much at magic and didn't do anything complicated. Hmm, really, all I did was to try cutting it."

  Was this another instance of perfect acting from the young man?

  Or was his explanation not clear enough? Erica sighed.

  It was a first time for her to be completely unsure of a man's character. Despite having absolute confidence in her grasp of social and interpersonal relations, Erica still had yet to find the proper reins to keep this man und
er control.

  Amazed and impressed by the young man, Erica and Liliana signaled each other through their eyes.

  The amnesiac young man walked along the open streets.

  Going in the direction of some eateries and shops, he suddenly stopped and turned his gaze to one of the shops selling local souvenirs.

  "This is the shop that 'caught your attention'?"

  "Nope, but I saw something else... I'll just be a moment!"

  The young man dove straight into the shop immediately after answering Liliana's question.

  Helplessly, the two girls followed after him.

  This was a shop selling typical souvenirs such as folk works of art and artistic postcards.

  Neither Erica nor Liliana had any particular interest in enjoying this kind of well-stocked souvenir shop.

  As the two browsed the shop with disinterest, they found the young man going "ahah, just as expected!" with his eyes shining brightly.

  He was in a corner of the shop where many weapons were hung on the wall.

  Long swords, short swords, shields, battle axes, bows and arrows, etc—

  There were all sorts of classic weapons from the medieval battlefield. However, all were merely replicas created as souvenirs. They even offered Japanese swords, further proof of selling out to commercialism.

  "This one this one, I really like this!"

  The young man was holding a long sword.

  Even though it was obviously a replica, the craftsmanship was very good.

  When forging a real sword, molten steel was first poured into a mold. After cooling down, the blade portion was polished and sharpened.

  This replica simply lacked the sharpening stage.

  Hence, it was identical to the real thing in both weight and shape. Not bad at all.

  "...Isn't this just a fake? I don't think it will be useful to you."

  Erica commented coldly as Liliana nodded in agreement beside her.

  However, the amnesiac young man shook his head.

  "That's not right. Come to think of it, for swords there's no such thing as real or fake, only skilled or unskilled — only the user's skill matters. If wielded by a true master, even a fake sword can cut like a peerless treasure. If used by a clumsy rookie, even the strongest magic sword would be no different from a fishing rod."

  He proceeded to take out the restaurant fork from just now.

  "Taken to the extreme, a swordsman's mission is to be able to use any ordinary weapon as if it was King Arthur's Excalibur. Whether the weapon in hand is the strongest magic sword or an oaken branch, a saber or a fork, all should be the same. You fail if you can't use it well enough."

  "That's just idealism. If you're going to use a weapon on the battlefield, of course you should use the best possible."

  In terms of the pursuit of skill, the young man's perspective did carry some truth.

  Erica played devil's advocate even though she agreed in principle.

  There existed exceptional masters who could obtain splendid victory against lance-wielding knights with nothing but a short blade, or otherworldly martial artists who could dominate sword users with their bare fists —

  But those who possessed such divine skills were extremely rare.

  Erica's Uncle Paolo Blandelli and Saint Raffaello were probably the few exceptions.

  However, this did not mean they could ignore the quality of their weapons. After all, a personal weapon was a helper, an important partner needed to resist and destroy enemies.

  "Well, that's good enough for little kids like you. Trying to do difficult things before you are mature enough would not work anyway. However, once you grow up into adults with clear judgment like me, you will see the failure in your ways."

  The young man spoke rather unhappily for once. However, the way he stared at the sword on the wall was like a child in poverty looking wistfully at a little trumpet in a shop window.

  Wanting badly but unable to buy.

  "...So, what exactly do you wish to do about this sword, Mr. Adult?"

  Greatly surprised, Liliana spoke in a rare moment of sarcasm. The young man looked back at the girls with a smile from the heart.

  "No, this is exactly the time when an adult's power is needed. —Mr. Shopkeeper, may I ask, does this shop allow temporary unpaid bills? Eh, guarantors? Credit cards? Loans? No no, I'm not talking about those warmthless consumer terms of modern society. I want something that can bring out miraculous connections between people, warming people's hearts or something like that..."

  No wallet, personal identification, prepaid funds or guarantors.

  Faced with such a shameless young man, the young shopkeeper of the souvenir store refused in shock. However, the young man continued to plead repeatedly like a spoiled child.

  In the end, Erica and Liliana settled the matter of the sword by paying for him.

  "Thank you so much for buying the sword!"

  The young man grinned from ear to ear as he walked ahead, embracing the replica sword from the souvenir shop that was wrapped in a rag.

  Erica and Liliana secretly whispered to each other as they followed behind him.

  "Well, for something of that price..."

  "That idiot — no, that man, how far are we going to believe in him..."

  Erica could fully understand Liliana's sentiments as she was about to utter the words "shameless idiot."

  Regardless, the trio continued on their way.

  Leaving the walled city, the wide open Tuscan fields came into view.

  Gentle rolling hills. Well-maintained vineyards and olive tree plantations. Modest little huts used by farmers. Sparsely growing trees. Little streams. This was an ancient road that led straight to Rome—

  Amongst such scenery were the remains of medieval castles and forts.

  The young man made his way towards them. Of course, Erica and Liliana were still following.

  "...Hmm, this place really seems familiar after all. Though I have some kind of feeling I suffered a fair bit of hardship here before, but what was it exactly?"

  The self-pronounced amnesiac muttered and grumbled to himself.

  Erica cared little for his reactions, but suddenly Liliana began to shake and speak quietly with eyes out of focus.

  "Ancient knightly skills... Ancient incantations, treasures... Are hidden in this holy sanctum..."

  It was spirit vision. Liliana had obtained an oracle.

  Those who possessed a witch's disposition would mutter divine oracles on occasion. Erica nodded and immediately walked towards her childhood friend who was both a knight and a witch.

  "What did you see through spirit vision, Lily? Does it help our cause?"

  "Ah, yes, Erica, this place is where ancient knights frequented. Near their fort — in the depths of the darkness a temple was built. That was the image I saw through spirit vision."

  "Interesting words. A temple built in the depths of darkness, intuition would suggest it is underground?"

  Erica tried kicking the ground with the tip of her foot.

  It would be a good idea to check out the surroundings. Together with Liliana, the two of them began to use investigative magic.

  "Sure enough, a hint of remaining magical power can be sensed from straight down in the earth..."

  "Yes. It feels a bit suspicious, but we cannot let go of that tiny probability..."

  "This place is definitely being concealed by a barrier. This underground temple is most likely a secret holy sanctum."

  "The place once visited by Mr. Amnesiac who has connections with Saint Raffaello — anyway, the probability of finding Saint Raffaello here should be quite high."

  "Conversely, the probability of Saint Raffaello being the guardian of this place is also..."

  Though it was mere speculation, the two of them still exchanged their ideas.

  The only thing left to do was to confirm the actual situation. The two girls nodded to each other. This was the tiger's den they must venture into for worthy gains.
Now, where should they begin their plan of attack?

  They then heard the young man's frivolous voice.

  "I should have been doing something here before I lost my memories...? It was definitely the person related to a horse's tail. I want to make contact but I haven't a clue about the telephone number or address... Should I consider something more classic like signal fires or war pigeon services?"

  Strange words were being uttered. Naturally, Erica and Liliana ignored them.

  Their experience thus far had convinced them that a meaningful discussion between themselves would be more constructive than having an idiotic conversation with the amnesiac young man.

  However, this became the precise reason why they missed the critical moment.

  As the two engaged in discussion, a horrifying amount of magical power was exploding.

  Using an analogy, it would be like a volcano eruption.

  Neither Erica nor Liliana had ever experienced magical power erupting in an instant like this.

  To make a forced comparison, it would be like having dozens of top ranking magi taking part in a magical ritual of explosive power.

  On the other hand, for a single person to use the same kind of spell and gather together such a massive amount of magical power, it would take an inordinate amount of time and effort to prepare. It was not something that could be done in an instant like this.

  —What on earth happened?

  Erica and Liliana turned back to look at the same time.

  They saw the young man making a pose as if swinging his sword towards the heavens. Apparently he had started swinging that replica.

  Furthermore, a medieval fort had been split through the middle and the halves had collapsed outwards. It was a medieval structure built out of stone on a hill.

  The fort had one level for soldiers to garrison and an upper level for lookout posts. It was a large and impressive historical building.

  Just like that, it was sliced into two.

  Severed as if a giant sword had been swung down from the heavens—

  Collapsing left and right, the stone building materials made a great noise as they hit the ground.