Volume 2
Prologue
The Sea Breeze
From Afar, Swaying Among the Waves
Translator : PolterGlast
―Is this a dream?
Benedetta Casalini was
convinced of this for no reason.
Ah, the royal
palace, the pride of my old hometown.
In her memory, the
Blue Moon Room at the inmost part of the palace came vividly back to her.
Sunlight tinged with
azure shone through the glass of the high windows.
The deep azure glow
fell on the polished white marble floor and stained the Blue Moon Room with the
color of the deep ocean floor.
The Lord, seated on
the throne in the Blue Moon Room, looked down at Benedetta.
She has brown skin,
silver hair, and eyes that are filled with the radiance of the endlessly blue
sea.
She has the appearance
of a young girl of about 10 years of age, but she is eternal and immaculate,
having lived in this land for thousands of years.
The only God who
cannot see emotions, yet continues to give infinite love to humankind.
Surrounded by a deep
azure glow, Benedetta recalled her conversation with the divine pillar to whom she
pledged her unparalleled love and loyalty.
―...... Are you heading for the Far East?
―Yes. I apologize for not being able to contact you for
a while.
―I see. ...... perhaps this is also your fate.
The divine pillar
sitting on the throne nodded, unusually, with a sad and happy emotion
permeating in her gaze.
―Off you go. At the end of your journey, you will know
your destiny.
―Yes.
What do you
mean by destiny? She wanted to ask such a question, but she knew that the divine pillar
would not give an answer, so she merely nodded her head in agreement.
It was a message from
the future, known only to the divine pillar.
Benedetta, who was a
mere mortal, would not understand the meaning of the words until that very
moment came.
―Don't worry, it will be no different from the usual
holy rite, just a little distant.
―In a few years, please let me offer five of the
deities and the dragon's veins in that land to you.
―……Is that so?
―Your Holiness?
Benedetta asked,
feeling something akin to indescribable anxiety when she saw the girl's slight
hesitation in her words.
After a long
hesitation, which rarely happened, the divine pillar looked into Benedetta's
eyes as she had made up her mind.
―I should tell you after all.
―Ha.............
Is this the continuation
of the oracle?
Benedetta bowed her
head and waited for her words.
―This is an oracle. ......――、――――, .............
"......~!
............!!"
"............!
.........!!!"
The incessant hustle
and bustle pulled Benedetta out of her nostalgic memory trance of more than
half a year ago and into reality.
She shook her head and
forced her drowsy eyes to wake up from her trance to the unusual disorderly
commotion.
Forcing herself to
wake up from her stupor.
She took a scoop of
water from a wooden barrel in her first-class cabin, scooped it into a sculpted
wooden cup, and drank it all in one gulp to wake herself up from her
drowsiness.
The feeling of the
water running down her throat finally made her feel at ease, and she changed
into her usual nun's white robe and went out to the outside.
The salty sea breeze
swept Benedetta's blonde hair, her pride and joy, fluttering through the air.
Benedetta's eyes were
involuntarily scrutinized by the feel of her hair fluttering in the air,
sailors rushed toward the bow deck in front of her.
Benedetta, too,
stepped onto the deck while trying not to get in the way of the sailors' pace.
"Good morning,
everyone."
Benedetta spotted her
two companions, who were standing closer to the bow, and she walked toward them
without hesitation.
"Good morning,
Lady Casalini. ―I see that your complexion has greatly recovered, have you
gotten used to life on the ship?"
Benedetta, who until
recently had been battling headaches and nausea caused by seasickness, nodded
with a wry smile at the warm words from her companion.
They would normally
have been obliged to offer their prayers as clergymen, but they felt awkward on
the deck where so many sailors were passing by, so she and Benedetta only
offered a brief curtsy to each other, making a simple hand gesture of the holy
seal.
"Thanks to you, I
managed to recover. ......It's quite lively, isn't it? Has something
happened?"
"My apologies. Did
we wake you up? ―It's because of that."
Alessandro, a church
knight who had accompanied Benedetta on this trip as her attendant, showed a
cheerful laugh and a chin-pointing gesture toward the other side of the ship's
bow.
Turning her gaze in
that direction, she saw a grayish ridgeline in the distance between the
slightly higher waves, subtly different from that of the ocean.
It was a land.
Since she had heard
that the port where they had stopped earlier for supplies was the last transit
port, that must be their destination.
Takamagahara, an
island nation in the Far East.
"......Have we
finally arrived?"
For the first time in
a long time, she could put her feet on the ground that wasn't shaking.
Benedetta's mouth
involuntarily broke into a smile.
"We are still in
the open sea though. We need to get the steam engines running and get over the
high tide. Even if we enter the coastal waters, we will have to wait a long
time, depending on how crowded the ocean-going ships are. Even if everything goes
smoothly, it will be two days before we can dock this sailing ship in the
mooring port and replenish our supplies."
"..........................."
"I'm sorry, I
didn't word it right. Since we are treated as passengers, we can get on the
ferry and go ashore ahead of the others. Tomorrow we can have a good night's
rest on land."
Benedetta was
crestfallen, expecting to sleep in a bed that wasn't shaking, but ended up
feeling disappointed.
Perhaps seeing her
excitement at the sight of land and her disappointment immediately afterward
was reflected in her expression, Alessandro tried to cheer her up.
Upon hearing that she
only had to be patient for a little longer, Benedetta's spirits began to
brighten.
"......I'm
relieved to hear that. Nevertheless, it took us quite a long time to arrive,
half a month after we left Seido Port. According to the map, it shouldn't have
been that far away."
"―That's the
frustrating thing about this island nation."
Benedetta's almost
monologue-like muttering was answered by a voice from behind her.
A man approaching his
prime was standing at the end of the row.
His body did not
appear to be well-trained.
He was dressed in a
jet-black priest's robe that indicated his status as a bishop.
"Look. The high
tides that protect the small island nation are so strong as to cover every
crevice, and the island is slightly out of the wind currents path so that it
cannot be reached by the power of sail alone. In addition, to land on the
island, one must go around it to the only port town where trade is allowed. All
of this is an act of treachery to hide a treasure that should be in the
possession of our divine pillar. What a foolish endeavor, don't you think? That
tiny island holds the world's greatest dragon den."
"...... Sir
Ambrosio."
Benedetta suppressed
her feelings of bitterness as she turned to the man ranking above her.
Benedetta was not very
fond of this man.
The man's gentle smile
remained unwavering on the outside, but the smile on his mouth reminded her of
a snake.
"I heard the same
information before we left, is it accurate?"
"Oya. You are
saying that you doubt the reliability of the planetary sequence calculations
that have been followed for many years by the Bureau of Astronomical
Observations?"
"I didn't mean it
like that......"
Benedetta's mouth was
shut when the question was sarcastically answered with another question.
A torrent of spiritual
power flowing through the world. It is called the "dragon vein" and
while it usually flows in the depths of the earth, it is known to release
spiritual power into the atmosphere from dragon dens scattered all over the
world.
Dragon dens are an
inexhaustible fountain of spiritual power, but humans are incapable of
controlling them.
However, there is a
way to control it indirectly.
―It is through the divine pillar.
By having the divine
pillar rule over the dragon dens, the land where the dragon dens are located
can receive the grace of the divine pillar to the fullest and prosper.
The Ariadne Holy
Church, to which Benedetta is devoted, also reigned as the largest religion on
the continent, with the largest dragon den on the western part of the continent
as its sacred ground, and by controlling the other dragon dens on the continent
and the divine pillars that reside there as their subordinate deities.
Benedetta's departure
to the Takamagahara began several years ago, when the Bureau of Astronomical
Observations, which observes and maps the dragon's veins, submitted a report.
―According to the report, they had discovered the
starting point of the dragon vein in Takamagahara, an island nation in the Far
East.
There had been several
confirmed terminus points for dragon veins, but the opposite, the starting
point of the dragon veins, had never been confirmed.
There were various
theories, but there was no way to confirm it because the Eastern part, which is
the upstream of the dragon vein, was under the control of other divine pillars.
The situation changed
when trade routes expanded with the prevalence of steam engines.
Until then, only minor
intelligence activities had been conducted by missionaries dispatched by the
missionary association, but as a result, highly accurate information began to
flow back to the home country one after another.
At any rate, the upper
echelons of the Cardinal Council were excited by the discovery of the land that
served as the starting point of the dragon vein.
However, the invasion
plan was doomed to failure due to a serious geographical problem. The distance
between the two countries was so great that it would need to travel halfway
around the world to reach the land.
The situation changed
when Vincenzo Ambrosio, the bishop in front of them, proposed a feasible plan
to reclaim the Holy Land.
The Cardinal Council,
enthusiastic about this plan, unanimously decided to dispatch the saint
Benedetta and two church knights to escort him.
"It is a common
rumor among the Cardinal Council that the Far East referred to in the third
chapter of the scripture [The Journey of the People of Yasok] is indeed this
island."
"Wait a minute.
Wasn't it concluded a hundred years ago that it was the Hill of the Covenant in
Vansuir?"
Salvatore Torliani,
another knight of the church who had remained silent, interrupted in a hurry.
This strongly
patriotic fellow could not forgive the existence of rumors that disparaged the
sacred ground of his home country, which he strongly believed in.
"Sir Torliani,
please calm down."
"Calm down! Our
sacred ground, and by extension, our divine pillar, has been disgraced. And you
want me to calm down!!?"
"Sir, it's just a
rumor."
Alessandro and
Benedetta restrained Salvatore, who was so agitated that he was about to lash
out at his superior, Ambrosio.
"...... Either
way, it doesn't change the fact that this land is rich in blessings.
―And yet, there are five barbarian deities nestled on
this island who presumptuously claim to be divine pillars in place of our one
and only God."
Ambrosio walked toward
the edge of the bow, ignoring Salvatore, whose agitation had not abated.
"We understand that
fact. That's why the Cardinal Council has decided to dispatch us."
So please refrain from
making any remarks that might provoke Salvatore.
While Benedetta
pleaded so in her heart, Ambrosio's monologue-like speech continued.
"I hear that the missionary
order has been content to continue its slow but steady indoctrination in the
land for 500 years."
Ambrosio took a hand
cloth from his pocket and covered his mouth.
"It's soft. ―Too soft. As Ariadne's emissaries, we have the duty
and the right to guide the barbarians who rule that island and to properly
manage the Dragon Dens, the cornerstone of our glory, under the guidance of our
Ariadne's Holy Church."
"...... We do
understand that, Sir Ambrosio. We have come to this place to be martyrs for the
movement to restore the Holy Land, with the prestige of the Goddess Ariadne at
our backs."
Benedetta, choosing
her words so as not to provoke Ambrosio's occasional fanatical excitement as
much as possible, expressed only her agreement.
Benedetta had no
objection to that point, since it was true that the upper echelon had ordered
the usurpation of the dragon dens from Takamagahara.
Still, only Benedetta
and her two guards could actually be counted as a fighting force.
Ambrosio would have to
be excluded, as he did not seem to be involved in any rough affairs.
In other words, they
were being asked to take on a nation, even if it was an island nation in the
Far East, with only three people.
Benedetta fully
understood that this was an excessive amount of recklessness.
―But even so,
"Very well.
―Then, everyone, let's teach the barbarians of that
island a lesson.
The Pillar of Truth,
the supreme doctrine."
They will not stop.
There is no stopping.
They have come this
far after all.
The fact that they
have come this far means that the prestige of their nation is at stake.
If this operation is
completed successfully, the five barbarian deities said to be lurking in
Takamagahara will be defeated and the Holy Church of Ariadne, which upholds
only one God, will be established as the supreme faith.
Otherwise, the Ariadne
Church, the largest religion on the Western Continent, would face the
possibility of collapsing from within due to the inevitable contradiction of
beliefs.
Once again, a glimpse
of the distant lands, which were still only glimpsed between the waves, was
brought into view.
--It's not that
anything has changed.
The excitement she
felt the first time she saw the island was already fading, and the second time
she saw it, Benedetta had the impression that it was covered with something
dreary, even in the midst of clear skies.
――――――――――――――――
At the same time, in
the southern Shumon Province, Hasebe region, Outsu town.
*Splash, splash*.
Waves crashed incessantly against the man-made quay.
They come and go, then
disappear, breaking into countless droplets of whitish foam.
The repetition of the
waves, though interesting at first, soon became tiresome, and Akira shifted his
gaze to the distant horizon.
He was intrigued by
the sight of ships, many of them clearly of foreign origin, floating on the
line between the blue of the water and the blue of the sky, which couldn't be
fully covered in his field of vision.
"Akira-kun."
He turned around to
see a girl he had become familiar with over the past few days, Rindou Saki,
smiling at him modestly.
"Is this your
first time at the beach?"
"I've seen it
once from the distance, through the steam train's window. This is the first
time I've seen it this closely, ―honestly, this is beyond my imagination."
When Akira was
banished from his hometown, he had seen the blue sea stretching out in the
distance from the steam train's window, where he boarded in order to escape.
However, at that time,
his mental and physical strength was at its limit, so he did not have time to
pay attention to the scenery outside, and his memory of it was vague.
"―I see. My
territory borders the sea, so I am used to seeing it, but for those who have never
seen it before, I guess it is very meaningful to them."
"I guess it
depends on the person, but I think the sheer beauty of this place is worth
seeing."
*Clink*. He turned
toward Saki while making the sandy ground beneath his feet clink due to the pebbles
hitting each other.
"Sorry for
holding you up. Shall we go?"
"Yes, let's.
There will be plenty of opportunities to see the ocean from now on, so let's
just focus on getting our errands done."
Seeing Akira nodding
his head in agreement, Saki stood and began to walk ahead of him, as if leading
him.
While following her
back, Akira took a second glance toward the sea.
The endlessly pleasant
blue color and the sea breeze made his eyes scrutinize.
The dark-red colored
long sword bag in Akira's hand, with a walnut carving fastened to it, swayed in
the wind as if rushing him, and Akira began to run after Saki.
―August 3rd, 3999.
A month had passed
since the Hyakki Yagyo, which was triggered by the Kutsunagahara apparition,
and Akira, accompanied by Saki, who had become his instructor, was on his way
to Outsu, a town in the Hasebe region at the southernmost tip of Shumon
Province, under the guise of being transferred to a new location.
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