Campione! Vol 3 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Light from the East Part 1 A certain night in the latter half of March, in the Nezu area of Bunkyo ward in Tokyo. In the living room of the Kusanagi home, two old men were enjoying alcohol. G.o.dou was also there, sitting at a corner. But he was there only to pour the liquor, moving back and forth to deliver the bottles of warmed sake. ...With one whiff, he was able to tell if the sake was warmed to the right temperature. Actually, this was one of G.o.dou's skills. But to have such a skill at an age of fifteen, it doesn't feel right at all. But still, it was a skill that was trained by his grandfather from a young age. " — So, why do you suddenly want to go to Italy?" The one who asked this was grandfather's old friend, Takamatsu-sensei. He was from the same generation as grandfather, a professor at a private university within Tokyo who taught western history. It was also because of this, both G.o.dou and his sister Shizuka called him 'sensei.' "Eh? I am only going there to meet an old friend." The one who answered was the one who was leaving for Italy in just two days' time, Kusanagi Ichirou. Even though he was a person who liked to travel, he had rarely left the country recently. However, during this spring, he suddenly said that he wanted to go to Italy. And also due to that, Takamatsu-sensei specially came to see him off with bottles of alcohol. ...Grandfather also used to be a professor in folkloristics, but was already retired. Now, he pa.s.sed his days leisurely. Too leisurely, sometimes. G.o.dou really wanted to tell him off. Even though he really wanted to thank him for doing all the household ch.o.r.es. But to instill in his grandson knowledge about alcohol's taste, aroma and even origins, to be popular among all the women who frequented the shopping district (both old and young), and to frequently meet older women (which G.o.dou believed to be beauties in the past) on the street, seeming to know many of them, G.o.dou felt like there was definitely a problem. "...That old friend you mentioned is a woman right?" Takamatsu-sensei, grandfather's old friend, said with some disgust. As a side note, this person would always say something like "you look so similar to Ichirou..." whenever he saw G.o.dou's face. Come on, inherited DNA is bound to cause facial similarity, so please do not have these weird concerns. "Ah, now that you brought it up, you know her too. Yes, do you remember? Lucretia Zola the Italian foreign student back when we were in university?" "Oh, that woman. Hey, don't tell me you have kept in contact with her all this time?" "No. It only started recently. I sent a letter to her Italian home address she gave me before, and a reply came back. That thing she left behind in j.a.pan forty years ago eventually came into my possession. If possible, I would like to return it to her personally." "Wait a minute! Didn't you promise Chiyo you would never see that woman again? Did you forget already?" The conversation was getting out of hand. Chiyo was the name of G.o.dou's grandmother who pa.s.sed away a few years back. Back in the old days, grandfather was a handsome man. He possessed the gift of conversation to skillfully win people's hearts, perfect diplomacy, and outstanding observational skills. In other words, he was very popular with women. And he never refused anyone. Due to grandfather being like this, grandmother sure had it tough. "Promise... Wasn't it that I will not see her off at the airport?" "It's not that! I'm sure you remember, you're just playing dumb. What's more, you're not obliged to go personally, all you need is to send it over by air mail." Towards grandfather who was acting like he didn't know, Takamatsu-sensei pointed out the situation. "It looks like something precious. Wouldn't it be troublesome if it is damaged on the way there? And I also wanted to visit Italy once and have a nice chat with Lucretia Zola whom I have not met for such a long time." "Ichirou, do you even know how to speak Italian?" "No, not even a word. But things will work out somehow, so it will be fine." If this was said by any ordinary old person, he would either be a very relaxed person, or is suffering from dementia. But it was not the case for grandfather. When Kusanagi Ichirou was still an active folkloristics scholar, he was like a celebrity in field research. Specializing in studying different traditional arts and cultures, he would often go to various countries to investigate. The places he went to investigate would sometimes be isolated village communities. He was able to integrate himself into their community quickly, build good relationships with the villagers and even acquire a few village secrets which are usually not told to outsiders. What's more, most of these villages are situated in Southeast Asia, China, India and other foreign countries. He was able to easily overcome language barriers that would usually stop other people. It could be said to be at a superhuman level. "A precious item... Just what did that woman leave here in j.a.pan?" "About that, remember the group of buddies during university that would usually go on trips together? At that time, there was a certain incident concerning about a curse from a guardian G.o.d and if I remember correctly, twenty died and it caused a great commotion." "Curse!?" Hearing such an unbelievable story, G.o.dou shouted out unknowingly. Stealing a glance at his grandson, Ichirou smiled and said. "Yes, it was a story I heard during my time at the research inst.i.tute. A group of good friends went to Noto for a vacation. At that time, many, many things happened." "I remember that it caused quite the uproar... That witch seemed to have hidden herself somewhere and did weird things." "W-Witch?" From Takamatsu-sensei's mouth came an extraordinary phrase, G.o.dou was even more shocked. A curse followed by a witch, just what happened back then? "...It is the woman that Ichirou is going to meet, foreign student from Italy nicknamed 'witch.' A girl with a strange presence, I do not know when it started, but people started to call her by this nickname." "However, she always smiled and answered 'Yes, I am a witch'." With all this said, Takamatsu-sensei started to look a little upset, while grandfather was still very happy. Most likely reminiscing old happenings, he closed his eyes and continued: "She was a very interesting woman. She got along well with cats and birds, was able to find lost things immediately, and predicted the next day's weather with greater accuracy than even the weather forecast... Oh, and she was very fluent in j.a.panese — Basically on the same level as locals such as us." This woman, together with the younger Ichirou and Takamatsu-sensei, had gone on a hot spring trip. During their visit to a hot spring inn at a remote village, strange things had happened. "There were lots of people dying from heart attacks, over a span of merely half a month, with roughly twenty victims. There was neither an epidemic nor a murder incident so rumors spread that it was retribution brought about by a local earth G.o.d's curse." "Curse... If it were a detective story, then there must be some sort of shocking trick right?" G.o.dou did not dislike the detective story genre, but his grandfather simply shook his head and laughed wryly. "Too bad, there was no trick revealed. It was just by luck that we were there on our trip. We were all in a great panic. The only calm person was Lucretia Zola. She went out that night, only coming back in the morning exhausted. When she returned, she made a 'prophecy,' that from that day onwards, n.o.body would die like that again. Everything was resolved." Such an unbelievable story. It all seemed like a lie. But the grandfather did not appear to be joking. Takamatsu-sensei also had a serious face. "Seems like an amazing person... By the way, why did she come here to study?" His interest piqued, G.o.dou could not help inquiring further. "It was to study j.a.pan's ancient legends — especially legends about Yamato Takeru^l Actually, she was more knowledgeable about such myths and stories on legendary swords than us. Before coming to j.a.pan, she had been researching the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table at a London university." "This doesn't make sense, why would she deliberately leave a university in London to come to j.a.pan?" "Who knows, if you asked Lucretia Zola personally, all she did was smile and say she had her reasons." "That means many things happened between grandfather and this woman." Back when grandfather was a graduate student, he was only engaged to grandmother and they had not married yet. That grandmother subsequently forbid grandfather to see Lucretia Zola-san, which is why Takamatsu-sensei was now showing such a pained expression. With this, G.o.dou finally understood the whole story. "Many things? Please do not speak so ill of me. We were just friends with mutual respect who just happened to have opposite genders. Chiyo and Takamatsu really shouldn't have had such strange misunderstandings." Such an honest sounding answer, it definitely cannot be trusted. G.o.dou let out a sigh. ...Recalling the deceased grandmother's oft repeated words: 'G.o.dou, you must never become like your grandfather. Though he is an amazing person, he had a fatal flaw from the very beginning... Ever since you were very young, Grandma has always worried about you since you resemble your grandfather so much. Even though he usually seems like a decent man, he is noted to do things lacking in common sense sometimes... Oh dear, I am so worried.' How could she say such things to G.o.dou who had not matured yet? The cause of grandmother's worries, was the womanizing husband who stayed with her throughout all these years, and definitely not G.o.dou's own actions. G.o.dou thought to himself as he stared straight into his grandfather's eyes and spoke. "Hey, grandpa, before I talk about other problems, isn't this a promise you have made with grandma? Why not just give it up. Please cancel the trip to Italy." "That, I cannot do. Even if it is very unfair to Chiyo, a promise with an old friend is also very important. I've already promised her that I will personally bring the item to her." A promise to a friend. If that was the case, G.o.dou had no reb.u.t.tal. Despite being such a Casanova, grandfather had never betrayed the trust of his family. This too was one of the reasons why his male friends admired him. Whether male or female, Kusanagi Ichirou will never act unjustly towards a friend. The moment he hears that a friend requires aid, he will immediately rush over to help, even if it is outside of j.a.pan. He possessed a chivalrous heart. A person who valued relationships above all else. G.o.dou respected and admired this aspect of his grandfather's character, and wished to become such a person himself as well if possible. "...That woman's possession, what is it? You just described it as something precious." "About that, in the village where the curse incident happened, didn't she leave something behind? ...That night, Lucretia Zola had visited a shrine which was burned down by disrespectful locals, presented this item as an offering. After that, the curse stopped... Perhaps the curse and the witch are real after all?" Facing Takamatsu-sensei's inquiry, grandfather left his seat and quickly came back. Carrying a flat object wrapped in a purple cloth. And then he placed it on the table and unwrapped it. A B5 sized stone tablet, on it was a childish drawing. It should be a picture of a man with both his hands and feet locked up, distributed on the edges of this drawing were drawings of a bird with its wings spread out, the sun, moon and stars. The tablet was well-worn in appearance and even had signs of being burnt. "...A lithograph, could this be very ancient?" G.o.dou gave his honest opinion. A carving left behind by primitive peoples of some place. If that's the case, it made sense. "Probably not. For it to be an artifact unearthed from some archaeological site, its condition is too good... Though you can't rule out the possibility it is the work of some avant-garde artist." Looking at the stone tablet with interest, grandfather answered. "Ichirou, how did this thing come into your possession?" "Actually that village was vacated more than ten years ago. The person who managed the shrine was troubled over how to handle the stone tablet. They had no idea how to locate the owner but was able to recall the face of one of the accompanying students, and that student turned out to be me. Through various twists and turns, they were finally able to get in touch with me." "After that, grandpa decided to go meet that person." This perfect coincidence made G.o.dou's heart stir with feeling. As a scholar in folkloristics, Kusanagi Ichirou had publications, thus his name was recorded in the university where he worked at the time. By getting in touch with the university, they were able to find grandfather's contact information. If grandfather had been an ordinary person in an una.s.suming occupation, most likely they would not have found him. In fact, it took a lot for them to find each other again. G.o.dou could understand the feelings of grandfather who wished to return the stone tablet to the original owner. However, he could not let him break the promise with grandmother like that. After some consideration, G.o.dou made his decision, the tablet will be delivered some other way. "OK, I get it — I will take this stone tablet to Italy. This way, grandfather can keep his promise properly." Seeing G.o.dou make such a proposal, his grandfather showed great interest in his eyes, while Takamatsu-sensei looked very worried. "G.o.dou, are you serious? Do you know any Italian?" "Nope, none at all. But things will work out somehow, no problem." G.o.dou already had several experiences of being taken overseas by grandfather. The places visited were mostly Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam or Thailand. Getting separated from grandfather then meeting up several days later had also happened. Every time it occurred, G.o.dou had to spend over half a day alone with no money and the difficulties of a language barrier. In severe cases, he had to wait for several days. Having experienced such situations numerous times, G.o.dou actually became used to it. Language barriers could be handled by body language. This proved to work surprisingly well for communicating even though complicated meanings could not be expressed, but it brought him close to others. Other j.a.panese would probably freeze if they met a foreigner in the streets and had to converse in English. In such situations, G.o.dou would appropriately make use of however much English he knew to establish a fragmented dialogue. ...By the way, the younger sister Shizuka had also gone travelling overseas with grandfather a few times. But she never met the things that happened to her brother, making G.o.dou suspect if his grandfather deliberately set him up to train his grandson. "Hoho, G.o.dou wants to go in my stead... Can I really entrust this to you with confidence?" A teasing smile appeared on the grandfather's face. "That's right, a man keeps his word. It's currently spring break, so I'm bored to death anyway." "The place Lucretia resides, though considered Italy, is actually an island in the Mediterranean — Sardinia, and is located deep in the countryside of the island's interior. I think you will have it rough." As he watched his grandson's declaration, the nature of the grandfather's smile changed. It gave off a feeling of praise but at the same time like playing a joke. It was a smile mixed with complicated emotions, a very joyful smile. "I understand, then I will leave everything to you. Handle it well." Picking up the stone tablet from the table, he placed it in G.o.dou's hands. Part 2 On the south side of Italy, a vacation island floated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. This was Sardinia, an island about the same size as Shikoku^, its population was roughly one and a half million of which over half was concentrated in the largest city there, Cagliari. Enclosed by crystal clear seawater, the surrounding natural environment was also very beautiful. The biggest industry on the island was tourism. Every summer, it was crowded with tourists whose purpose was to vacation in Europe. Particularly on the northeastern side, the sea sh.o.r.e as beautiful as an emerald was renowned as a vacation spot exclusive to the upper cla.s.s n.o.bility. However, G.o.dou kept his plans to come here a secret from his younger sister. "What is going on... Onii-chan. You suddenly tell me you're going travelling. Could you have forgotten your promise to me? You're the worst." Thanks to his grandfather, G.o.dou suffered severe scolding from his sister. All because of the grandfather's suggestion. 'You can tell the truth, but I don't recommend it, G.o.dou. If Shizuka knew you were going to a prime vacation spot in southern Italy, what would she think?' 'She would want to go, or rather, she will insist in tagging along?' 'Exactly. But even though it's Europe, travelling in those countryside places can be very troublesome. The most prosperous streets of the city would be fine, but that place is even more deserted than this shopping street in Nezu... So, I will ask you a question, travel casually alone in the countryside or bring a troublesome sister and devote your efforts to taking care of her, which will you pick?' 'Of course alone.' He had replied without thinking. In the end, an excuse was made to cover things up. Shizuka was told he was going to an acquaintance's Zen monastery, to work odd jobs for a week. But for some reason, Shizuka scolded him with exceptional fury. While G.o.dou was preparing his luggage in his room on the second floor at home, Shizuka suddenly burst in. "There's no helping it, mother ordered me to go there in her stead." "Mother's orders? ...Then it can't be helped, she must have thought it was too troublesome and pushed it onto Onii-chan, that's so willful of her." "...Yes, your willful character is probably inherited from mother as well — ouch." "What a rude thing to say! I don't have that kind of personality like a queen!" Clearly he was already off the hook by blaming his mother's interference, but G.o.dou made an unnecessary comment. Stepped on by Shizuka, G.o.dou knew he had to be more careful with his words. By the way, the monastery he was supposedly visiting was located deep in the mountains of Chichibu. Apparently there was once an ancestor of the Kusanagi family who was an abbot there, but he continued his life of indulgence despite monastic vows. The monastery still maintained the tradition of drawing water from a well to use for cooking. But at the same time, it was equipped with an industrial scale refrigerator that one would find in a winemaking business, which was stocked full of alcohol purchased from the liquor store at the foot of the mountain. Furthermore, they eschewed alcohol euphemisms like 'soup of wisdom'^ and openly ate meat and drank alcohol. All past abbots have been strange characters, and every single one of them was an intimate friend of the Kusanagi family. As a side note, Grandfather Ichirou once trained there, but ended up committing all sorts of travesties, culminating in an immoral relationship with the widow of a rice shop, leaving him no choice but to flee to Shanghai. Despite dating back to the Taishou era^, these kinds of philandering exploits continued to be the talk of the monastery whenever G.o.dou visited. ...Due to that kind of environment, little sister Shizuka stayed far away from that place unless obliged to take part in Buddhist rites. Which was why it made for a viable excuse. Thanks to grandfather's explanations, G.o.dou was able to reach an understanding with his mother without paying any price. Normally, this would require being at her service for three hours or more. Everything was ready. But Shizuka was unhappily glaring at G.o.dou — why? "But didn't Onii-chan promise me beforehand? Couldn't you have thought up a way to refuse? So dense and slow, d.a.m.n it! You're the worst!" "P-Promise? That thing earlier counted as a promise?" G.o.dou was greatly surprised. He suddenly recalled Shizuka's words a few days before the school closing ceremony. 'Onii-chan, are you free for spring break? You must be very free for sure, without club activities or a girlfriend. Yes, it is decided you are free! So listen carefully, I happen to have a free slot in my spring break, so I plan on sharing this precious time with you, Onii-chan. First accompany me to go clothing shopping. Next there's a new coffee shop opened in Ni-choume^, we should go there. Next is...' Just like that, his sister forced her plans on him. If he was actually free, he didn't mind spending time with his sister. At the time he had paid little attention as he listened, so it didn't register. "Didn't you say something like 'as long as I'm free'? To think you'd rather run off to a monastery instead of putting effort into squeezing time out for your cute little sister... Onii-chan, you have failed as a brother!" "How could one fail as a brother so easily?! Besides, who goes around calling themselves cute?!" G.o.dou at least tried to tell her off. He did wish his sister could act a little more lady-like. But from an objective standpoint, it was undeniable that Shizuka was the cute type, because she greatly resembled the beautiful mother who was renowned for her looks. ...As a side note, the mother's skill with makeup had already entered the territory of G.o.ds. Definitely in the realm of G.o.dly skills, to that G.o.dou offered his utmost respect. "After all, I can't possibly spend the whole spring break there. Why don't I accompany you to go out when I return home, is that ok?" "Clearly you forgot the promise, and now you're trying to weasel out of it? It's not simply 'accompany you', but I am going out for the sake of accompanying Onii-chan, don't get it wrong!" Sigh, this sister was making decisions on her own again. But having known her for so long, I had grown accustomed to such willfulness. G.o.dou laughed wryly as he reminded himself not to speak without thinking. "Ah, right, do you still remember Yui? My friend, the one who was relatively short." "Yui? Yui... Is that the girl who used to come and play all the time? Now that it's mentioned, she did come to cheer for me at the compet.i.tion once... Yes, I didn't forget." Faced with the name that suddenly appeared, G.o.dou felt greatly troubled. Though the child with that name often followed behind Shizuka, G.o.dou had little impression of her. "Onii-chan, the way you are, it's not surprising you completely forgot her." "I didn't completely forget, there are still some lingering impressions in my mind." G.o.dou tried to refute Shizuka's mockery of him. "Don't force yourself, Onii-chan, you're not someone who notices my friends... Actually it's Yui who said it, if Onii-chan is free during spring break, she wanted to go out and have fun with you. How's that? Are you interested?" It felt like his sister was deliberately playing a joke on him. Go out with his sister's friend? Why must he do something like that? "No, not really... I'm not interested, I think she would find me boring instead. Forget it, help me refuse her." "Oh really, it's not easy to have someone offer you a date, what a shame." Teased by Shizuka who suddenly seemed inexplicably happy, G.o.dou sighed as he shook his head. "Don't call it a date, it's just going out for fun... Spending time with someone like me will only make her bored. I don't know what your friend is thinking." " — You're right, someone as dense and boring as Onii-chan... Clearly so unreliable and ridiculous all the time, but extremely serious in strange areas, a normal girl cannot take a fancy to you... Girls like your sister who would spend time with you are extinct. You should show me some grat.i.tude." "Yes, yes, I know. Shizuka is my cute little sister, and I have troubled you all this time. Is that acceptable?" "Your tone of voice is not serious enough, and there's no sincerity, and the lines are too ordinary, completely no good. Out of a hundred, I can only give you fifteen points. Try harder, Onii-chan!" She looked like she was complaining, but her mood seemed to be great. Though she was my sister, she was impossible to understand. "Onii-chan's good qualities are probably limited to that physical stamina that rivals a cart horse as well as playing baseball with... I'm sorry, I said something wrong." Originally in a good mood, Shizuka suddenly stopped. G.o.dou put his hand on his depressed sister's head and caressed back and forth. "Actually I'm not that amazing at baseball. It's ok, pay no mind to it. I am really grateful to have a cute little sister like you. You don't have to be so concerned." "B-But, I'm sorry. I got carried away and said those things." "It's fine, those things don't matter. I've long accepted that I can't play baseball any more, don't worry." For a brief moment, neither of the siblings spoke. Noticing Shizuka's depression, G.o.dou not only said things he would never say normally, but also stroked her head all this time. Her mood slightly restored, Shizuka's parting words could never be forgotten. "Onii-chan, I'm not asking for something expensive, but just something you chose with care will do. Buy something that will make me happy. If you pick something without care, I won't forgive you!" She clearly knew her brother did not have an eye for picking things, and yet she made such a demand? G.o.dou sighed deeply. Kusanagi G.o.dou was now fifteen years old, just graduated from middle school, and about to enter high school. From elementary to middle school he had always been playing baseball. During middle school, he was the starting catcher and fourth hitter for a certain strong youth team. He also had the experience of representing j.a.pan in overseas games as well as the Tokyo Selection Match, a World Series compet.i.tion. However, during the summer of his third year in middle school, his shoulder was injured during a group training camp for the World Series compet.i.tion. A certain pitcher who threw fastb.a.l.l.s that were difficult to control had struck G.o.dou with the ball while he was running from third base to home. Due to the direct impact of the ball, both his back and his right shoulder were hurt. Though the injuries have healed, his most important weapon as a catcher, the strong shoulder was no good any more. Disappointed by the weak trajectories of his thrown b.a.l.l.s, G.o.dou began to worry about his future in high school. Even though the shoulder was no good, there were still ways to continue playing baseball. There were actually schools that appreciated G.o.dou's batting abilities, and invited him to join their high school teams as a batter, but he refused them all. — After all, he had already played for nine years, it was enough. Thus, treating the shoulder injury as an opportunity, G.o.dou began to tell himself it was about time to try new experiences. In fact, he had already convinced himself it was true. His baseball playing was actually not that great. The things he said to Shizuka, about half of them were actually serious. Since G.o.dou had the opportunity to play baseball at the highest levels, there were many opportunities to meet those with genius talent. Compared to those who possessed true talent, Kusanagi G.o.dou was high average at best. So it could be said that because he didn't have enough talent, he did not insist on pursuing baseball. Partic.i.p.ating in other sports or even cultural clubs might be acceptable. These few months, G.o.dou had been studying and facing examinations with that kind of att.i.tude. 'Hey, G.o.dou, what about me who had always lost to you? You've got to give me a chance to avenge myself! Don't you dare run away after you had won!' This was what his friend Miura said when he came to visit at the end of the second term during middle school senior year. 'Even if I continue baseball in high school, I probably can't hit your b.a.l.l.s any more. Unlike me, you were born for baseball, born to be a pitcher. I think you will soon leave me in the dust, so please give me a break.' That was how G.o.dou replied to Miura, the one who was rated the number one pitcher amongst the youth teams. Though they were originally from different teams, they had been a.s.signed to the same team during the Tokyo selection match. 'b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Are these the words of the fellow who defeated me? In all our confrontations, I have never been able to get you out on three strikes!' 'No, for something that's akin to cheating, pay no mind to it.' 'Cheating? What are you talking about?' 'Yes, your personality is very straightforward, so I can tell at a glance what you are thinking. Back in senior year of middle school, whenever I saw your face, I could predict how you would pitch with roughly fifty percent certainty. This was taught to me by my grandfather once, in compet.i.tions and negotiations, understanding the opponent's personality and targeting their weaknesses will basically allow you to win seven times out of ten, so it doesn't really count as true baseball capability.' Even so, Miura continued to pester him, saying things like "let's go to that school together" or "at least pick a school with a stronger baseball team"... But G.o.dou chose the high school section of the nearby Jounan Academy. His younger sister Shizuka was studying in the middle school section there, and the baseball club at this school was abysmal, so he would have no wish to play baseball there. Removing the option of baseball from his high school life in such a semi-forceful manner, how will things turn out? After completing his preparations for going to Italy, G.o.dou suddenly had a strange notion. "If I think about it, travelling overseas during such a period, it really feels like a 'soul searching' journey." Feeling that such a delicate term suited himself poorly, G.o.dou naturally laughed wryly. Part 3 Comparing northern and southern Italy, their inhabitants had completely different temperaments. Of course, this was just a general stereotype. Due to the north being rich and urbanized while the south was relatively poor, people described those in the south as more modest and friendly. Widely known around the world as a center of various areas such as culture, economy, fashion and sports, Milan was a metropolis that exemplified the north. And anyone acquainted with Erica Blandelli would know that she was the girl who embodied the essence of Milan. The young mistress of the prestigious house of Blandelli where all previous generations were Milanese. Beautiful and n.o.ble, she grew up with a strict upbringing starting from an early age, and was full of wit and talent. The beautiful young lady glamorous as a blooming rose. "Of course, my outstanding beauty is undeniable — " Erica smiled elegantly. However, her smiling face bore no resemblance to a pathetic flower, rather, a more apt description would be a she-leopard or a lioness. The proud and powerful queen of the beasts, that was how her a.s.sertive appearance was best described. "But like the chocolate on a cake, there are many important elements adorning my being, but these alone cannot represent my complete self — so for this matter, I must decline, Uncle." "If you put it that way, I have no choice but to consent, Erica." The one who replied with a wry smile was her only relative, her paternal uncle. Paolo Blandelli, whose figure could be compared to the Statue of David. Even though he was pushing forty, he still possessed the youthful vigor of a young man, a face like a perfectly crafted sculpture, and an intellectual and n.o.ble presence. And his perfect body was steeled through and through - as fitting for his t.i.tle as the top knight. Italy's strongest knight was the "King of Swords" — Salvatore Doni. But the highest ranking knight was Paolo Blandelli. There was no doubt about this fact, though the uncle humbly denied it, while the other person in question, Salvatore admitted it freely with a smile. "I am flattered... But to make me a role model, who is the idiot who came up with this? I have no need to publicize my beauty, for there is no meaning in a pleasing exterior alone. External beauty has to be complemented by ability and insight from within. That is the true Erica Blandelli." "I knew you would refuse like that, which is why I came to talk to you first. I don't think it's a foolish thing." Smiling wryly as he faced Erica, the two of them were currently in a corner of a certain coffee shop. They were family and originally lived together in the Blandelli residence. Preoccupied with official affairs, the uncle had been away from home for many weeks, so they had not seen each other until now. Suddenly communicating "it's been so long", they decided to meet here — "Uncle, let's talk about something more meaningful, have you heard about the incident at Sardinia?" "Yes, it seems to be real, the chance of a [Heretic G.o.d] descending seems likely. Our leader Sir Salvatore is in the middle of his expedition to South America and will take time to return, so it would be best to gather intelligence first, and investigate the local situation." "Then please a.s.sign me reconnaissance duties. Uncle — No, Commander-in-Chief Blandelli of the [Copper Black Cross], the knight Erica Blandelli hereby pet.i.tions." The Knights Templar organization had dominated Europe in the Middle Ages. As the descendants of knights, the sons of G.o.d, as well as magi who served the demonic deity Baphomet, this dual origin was the true ident.i.ty of Erica and the rest of her order. Though there were numerous magic a.s.sociations which inherited the secret rites of the Templar Knights, the [Copper Black Cross], with its headquarters in Milan, was one of the strongest a.s.sociations. Unsettling incidents were occurring at Sardinia at the south of Italy. This report arrived at the [Copper Black Cross] two days ago, brought by one of their members who happened to be there. This information likely had not spread to the vast majority of magic a.s.sociations in Italy. Which is what gave Erica the idea of pet.i.tioning to be sent there. However, Uncle Paolo was shaking his head with a serious expression. "You are my precious — a genius child who will one day stand at the top of the magic a.s.sociation. I do admit that is my personal wish. Anyway, you probably don't have any prior experience with G.o.ds, right?" "Yes that is correct. Precisely because I have none, I want to gather experience this time." Erica boasted without tact. Absolute confidence in her ability was the root of that kind of att.i.tude. The martial arts personally taught by her uncle from a young age, as well as all sorts of magic inherited from the lineages of the Templar Knights from ancient Rome to medieval Europe. There were very few people who could gain mastery in all these difficult techniques by the age of fifteen like Erica. In Italy, Liliana Kranjcar, also from Milan, was the only rival of the same age that Erica recognized. "In the past, you allied with Princess Alice, ruler of the Witenagemot^, to jointly oppose the Black Prince Alec. In recognition of your successes, you were bestowed the t.i.tle of [Diavolo Rosso]. If I were to inherit my esteemed uncle's t.i.tle, then I have a need to display my outstanding talents." "I was already twenty-five years old back then, ten years older than your current age. Don't be hasty, there is still much for you to learn. If you want to approach G.o.ds, it's not too late to do so in a few years' time." Possessing great foresight, the uncle tried to dissuade his niece with sincerity, but Erica did not accept. "Too late. If I don't earn it now, the t.i.tle of [Diavolo Rosso] that my esteemed uncle guards will be inherited by that crude and lowly Gennaro. I definitely do not wish to see the n.o.ble t.i.tle of the [Copper Black Cross]' leader fall into the hands of that kind of man." [Diavolo Rosso] was the t.i.tle earned by Paolo Blandelli almost twenty years ago. This was a t.i.tle of honor possessed by the knight that represented the [Copper Black Cross] to outside parties. However, three months ago, her uncle had to relinquish the t.i.tle due to finally ascending to the office of commander-in-chief. It was forbidden to hold both t.i.tles of top knight and commander-in-chief, in other words, Paolo Blandelli has now retired from the ranks of knights in service. Though Erica was known as a prodigy, she still lacked experience. Neither her achievements nor her reputation were enough to inherit the t.i.tle. However, it would be different story if she earned accolades in the face of the greatest disasters appearing in this world — [Heretic G.o.ds]. "...Erica, could you be intending to become a Campione?" "I am not that full of myself. Of course, if there was a chance, I don't mind becoming someone like Sir Salvatore Doni, but that's just wishful thinking... However, I do have some ideas on how to seal a G.o.d's existence or suppress them." "Really! If you say so, then surely you have made preparations!" Erica nodded in a matter-of-fact manner at her uncle. "I knew such a day would come, so I've been working hard at studying the Golgotha^ spell words and summoning ritual. If possible, I wish to display them right now." "Mastering the holy spear of prayer and lamentation at such an age, what a scary little brat." Sighing as he spoke, the uncle's facial expression changed. It was now the face of the severe commander-in-chief of the fearsome organization of the crimson knights. "Fine, Erica. Go forth to the land of danger. Displaying courage and might is a knight's duty. Once the words have been spoken, you must absolutely complete this challenge. Do you understand?" "Affirmative. Erica Blandelli will now set forth for Sardinia to investigate and uncover the true ident.i.ty of the [Heretic G.o.d] appearing there. I will try my utmost to seal this G.o.d and restore peace to the island. Await my good news." The uncle nodded lightly at the respectful answer of the niece. "Looks like, being born in this peaceful era, you sure have it rough. I really hope you will learn the difference between courage and lack of forethought. I pray that you will possess trusted friends and companions to walk along the knight's path together. I also wish your journey a success, and pray that you can give me peace of mind." "Oh my, esteemed uncle, are you treating me as Hannibal^?" Erica smiled. Once upon a time, there was a famed general of Carthage who defeated the Roman Republic and marched into Italy. As the greatest ancient military tactician, he was praised by the famous Roman general Scipio^ before a decisive battle. Scipio's words were 'being born in this peaceful era, you sure have it rough.' In the ensuing Battle of Zama, the world cla.s.s tactician general was finally defeated. "Compared to the loser Hannibal, I fancy I am more like the victor Scipio — " "This will be determined at the time when you meet the [Heretic G.o.d]. Then I shall depart first, and pray for the day we meet again after your survival." Uncle Paolo rose from his seat, and left before Erica's eyes. — Perhaps it was pure coincidence, but this was the same day when Tokyo's Kusanagi G.o.dou made his declaration to go to Italy. Of course, she could not have known this. References 1 . t Yamato Takeru: a j.a.panese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty. One of his exploits resulted in the Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi gaining its alternative moniker, the Kusanagi no Tsurugi ("gra.s.s-cutting word"). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_Takeru 2. t Shikoku: the smallest of the four main islands of j.a.pan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikoku 3. t Prajha: one of the three divisions of the n.o.ble Eightfold Path in Buddhism, meaning wisdom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_in_Buddhism 4. t Taishou era: July 30, 1 91 2 to December 25, 1 926, the reign of the Taishou Emperor. 5. t Ni-choume: a district in the Tokyo ward of Shinjuku. 6. t Witenagemot: ("meeting of wise men" in Old English) a political inst.i.tution in Anglo-Saxon England. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witenagemot 7. t Golgotha: the name of the site believed to be where Jesus Christ was crucified. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary 8. t Hannibal: the legendary Carthaginian general renowned as one of the greatest generals in history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal 9. t Scipio: Roman general best known for defeating Hannibal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scipio_Africa.n.u.s