Volume 2
Chapter 6 Part
3
Secret
Meeting, Benedetta's True Intentions 3
Translator : PolterGlast
"―Good grief, the
situation has gotten more complicated."
This was the first
sentence uttered by Kuga Houri, who had finished listening to Ryota's report
under the setting sun in the hall, as he expressed his dismay with a sigh.
Everyone present's
shoulders slumped upon hearing these words that simply expressed the current
muddled state of affairs.
"......I'm sorry,
Father.
We let those Vansuir
guys escape."
"Have tried
tracking their trails?"
"Just in case,
yes.
―But they did it in a foreign settlement.
They're all followers
of the [Holy Church of Ariadne], right? I don't think there's much hope of
finding them."
Saki shared her
opinion during the exchange between Ryota and Houri.
"Won't they try
to return to Vansuir using the ship they rode before?"
"No, they won't.
I heard that the ship
they sailed on departed shortly before they had the meeting with Saki.
Only Kamotsu has a
port where fast sailing ships can dock, and I don't think they could procure
supplies on their own to do the replenishing.
―Instead, what we should be concerned about is the
possibility of them joining up with the [Sacred Church of Guidance]."
He had probably made
all kinds of assumptions, including Saki's opinion.
Ryota's shoulders
slumped as he mentioned that Benedetta and the others had moved into action
with their own supply lines cut off.
Houri, who affirmed
with a smile, concluded Ryota's report.
"......It would
be absurd for them to abandon their Consular Rights and join the [Holy Church
of Guidance], but since they are from Vansuir, [Holy Church of Guidance] is the
only one they can rely on."
"Consular Rights,
huh, Benedetta certainly mentioned it.
...... Is it really
that important?"
"If I were to
describe it, it is the right to establish Vansuir's territory within Kamotsu's
territory.
The church itself has
priority over Vansuir's rights, although only to a limited extent.
The police force's
investigative authority can also be vetoed, unless there are extraordinary
circumstances."
That's only until
today. He concluded his explanation with this monologue.
Vanceuil requested a
secret meeting.
The discussion that
Saki had brought up earlier in the morning was a good opportunity for Houri to
find out about Vansuir's internal affairs, which had been of concern to him as
well.
However, considering
that the content of the proposal to Saki was no different from what Houri knew,
it seemed that the diplomats of the Nami Country (Vansuir) had no intention of
conducting sensible diplomacy from the very beginning.
No. From their
perspective, the contents of the proposal must have been a considerable
concession for them.
As he had been dealing
with these people, Houri had come to understand that it was the custom of the
Western Continent to demand contractual agreements from the other side in an
apparently self-righteous manner.
This was especially
true of those involved with Vansuir.
The tendency to hold
themselves to an absolute standard, the arrogance of being convinced of their
own superiority.
He could sense the
same scent of arrogance in them as he felt among the nobility in Central
Province.
I wonder if they
thought they could cover up their outrageous actions this time.
"I have, for the
time being, ordered the suspension of the consular rights granted to Vansuir.
With this, it should
no longer be possible to move anywhere else from Hasebe territory.
This time, there were
four people from Vansuir who had the potential to become a force to be reckoned
with.
―You exchanged blows with three of them at the church,
right? How were they?"
"......I didn't
cross blades directly with them.
Saki should know
better than me."
Saki's lowered gaze as
their attention was drawn to her.
It was indeed Saki and
Akira who crossed blades against them. And it could be said that they were the
ones who had the most information.
But Saki hesitated,
how far should she tell them?
To mention the
information about Akira would be a bad idea, as it would definitely go against
Kihouin's wishes.
Saki carefully
examined the information and held her reply on her tongue.
"The ones I
fought were the chestnut-haired man and Benedetta.
As for the man, I made
him down to his knees. I felt that his role was mainly as a defender, his
sturdiness was more apparent than his number of moves.
Even judging from his
standing position, he was Benedetta's bodyguard. If that is the case, the other
one, the long sword user who crossed swords with Akira-kun, is probably an
attacker who paves the way for them.
Benedetta is, ......
although judging by her attacks, I'd say she's more of an Onmyouji, she used
jujutsu that I've never seen before."
"...... Perhaps
it's what Vansuir calls as Houjutsu.
Just like jujutsu, it
is a technique that combines incantations and signs.
I have seen it once,
but like jujutsu, I believe it was a technique that took a long time to
conjure."
Saki nodded greatly in
response to Houri's words as she crossed her arms.
Although it was the
first time she had fought against Vansuir, it didn't seem to be that different
from the known techniques.
However, as she
thought about it, she began to notice the distortion she felt in their
techniques.
"I wonder if they
ever invented a talisman?"
"Those ought to
be useful, but I've never heard of them.
However, it is not
possible to visit Takamagahara without stopping at Tsonma, so they must have
some knowledge of it."
"I think it's
best not to rule out the possibility that they are hiding it as a trump card.
But from the looks of
it, Benedetta is not someone who will go forward and fight.
If we can bring her
into close-quarters combat, I think we can win.
―However, what makes me uneasy is the abnormally low
output of the spiritual power I felt from them."
Judging from the
spiritual light they released, the amount of spiritual power they possessed
should have been at least as much as a guardian, or at worst as much as an
Eight Family member.
However, Salvatore,
who was supposed to specialize in melee, was fighting almost evenly with Akira,
who had just become a protector.
It was tempting to be
optimistic that there was nothing to be gained by being weak, but the reality
was that it was not that simple.
The answer for this
discomfort came from an unexpected direction.
"......Maybe
they're allocating their spiritual power in different directions."
"Akira-kun?"
Akira desperately wove
his knowledge, trying to put his thoughts into words even while looking down.
This is because he
vaguely noticed that Saki and the others would not be able to reach this
conclusion.
"Basically, any
battle against the defiled beasts will be over in a single night.
We, too, have been
following that pattern, increasing our strength so that we can end the battle
in a single combat.
But Benedetta was,
...... she told me, she had experienced a Sacred War before."
"Aren't they the
same?"
"The premise is
different.
While we are only
aiming for a single battle, they have to go through multiple battles to invade
other countries.
I suppose they had to
prepare for the next battle, even if it meant reducing their own
firepower."
This reminded him of
Salvatore's fighting style.
Even though he wielded
a long sword that should possess a long reach, his attacks were seamless and
small in maneuverability.
Although his
swordsmanship was proficient and his dexterity and speed were superb, his
tactics of using small moves were more like those of a seasoned warrior without
the ability to use spiritual techniques than a defender.
―Above all,
"When I was
decisively defeated, he could have overwhelmed me with spirit techniques, but
he didn't. He kept on trying to stop me with his sword skills alone.
So, I assumed the
reason he persisted in stopping me with his sword was not because he didn't
want to use his spiritual technique, but because he couldn't do it."
"...... Couldn't
use spiritual techniques!?"
"Yes.
As I learned from
Captain Asogi, given the difficulty in getting a headcount of defenders capable
of exercising spirit techniques, it is difficult to question their
quality."
He recalled the
training he had done with Genji before visiting Kamotsu.
"―The reason is
that spirit techniques emphasize power and speed when exercised, but the fuel
consumption of spiritual power is too wasteful.
What an army needs,
above all, is a unified force.
No matter how abundant
the human resources on the Western Continent are, it would be extremely
difficult to have a large number of soldiers who are capable of continuously
releasing spirit techniques in unison.
If that is the case,
the only direction they can aim for is to establish an army by replacing the
proportion of spiritual techniques with Houjutsu.
We have confirmed that
they exercise [Aragamioroshi], but other spirit techniques may only be around
the first transmission."
Upon hearing Akira's
explanation, Houri crossed his arms and let out a deep exhale.
If what Akira said was
true, that would be good news.
―But,
"...... We have no
proof. It's not a good thing to use it as a basis for making a low estimate of
their abilities."
"Don't
underestimate them.
They are just
conserving their strength for the decisive battle.
Even if they don't use
spirit techniques, there is no reason for them to preserve their spiritual
power until after the decisive battle.
―Perhaps, they have some kind of trump card to utilize
their spiritual power."
"...... Indeed,
you have a point.
Whatever the means,
can you assure us that they are going to put everything they've got to achieve
their ultimate goal?"
"Yes."
"...... After all
the bravado they've been spouting, there's no doubt that their target is the
Wind Cave in Kamotsu.
The most likely time
is in the three days after tomorrow."
"Indeed.
I thought it would be
troublesome if they were to join forces with the [Holy Church of Guidance], but
now that this is happening, it would be worse if they were to go out of Kamotsu
for it.
―What shall we do? I think it would be better to lure
out the [Holy Church of Ariadne] under the pretense of destroying the [Holy
Church of Guidance]."
Ryota agreed with
Houri's words.
Although it seemed
like an impromptu plan, it was a natural and solid strategy to lure them out of
hiding under the circumstances.
But Houri shook his head
at Ryota's idea.
"...... Don't.
Luring them out might
sound like a good idea, but it might also turn out to be a bad move if the
[Holy Church of Guidance] is determined to rise up in arms.
If you want to avoid
being stabbed in the back, you should return after you have defeated the [Holy
Church of Guidance]."
"But―"
"The only
troublesome thing about them is that they could join forces. So, if they're
separated, it won't take much for you guys to crush them.
―Starting tonight, I'll be in charge of the Wind Cave
in Kamotsu.
Even if [Holy Church
of Ariadne] has a sufficient number of men, there are only four of them at
most.
No matter how hard
they tried, they would fall prey to the Divine Artifact bestowed upon Kuga."
Everyone present held
their breath under the silent display of Kuga Houri's intimidation.
Sacred Artifact is the
general term for weapons forged from the divine elements of the divine pillars.
It is a powerful
spirit vessel with indestructible properties on its own, and although it
depends on the deity from which it originates, it boasts an output that far
exceeds the upper limit of a mere mortal.
"It is not in my
nature to reduce the strength of our forces, but it cannot be helped.
For tomorrow's
operation, the garrison will be divided into two groups. All regular soldiers
will be sent to protect Kamotsu, while Ryota and the rest will head for the
abandoned village with the drill squad.
According to the
information I heard beforehand, there are no defenders in the [Holy Church of
Guidance].
If that's the case,
you guys should be able to manage on your own."
"Understood".
―――――――――――――――――
Three people had been
holding their breath across the shadows cast by the setting sun.
Benedetta and the
others, who had escaped the streets of Kamotsu and finally had time to remove
their hot cloaks, exhaled a sigh.
[...... Was that all
right?]
[Yes. From their point
of view, they would no longer be able to ignore the Wind Cave in Kamotsu, so
our duty to Sir Ambrosio has been fulfilled.
No matter how they
try, the Lord of Kamotsu will have no choice but to persist in protecting the
Wind Cave.]
In response to
Salvatore's brief concern, Benedetta shook her head and showed patience.
[Sir Trovato seemed to
be knocked down pretty spectacularly, I hope he's all right.]
[Somehow. I guess he
underestimated her because she's a young lady.]
[I suppose it was a
good lesson for him then.
Will he be ready for
the decisive battle?]
[Yes, assuming that My
Lady the Saint can give him some healing arts.]
There was no hint of
seriousness in the light tone of the exchanges.
She breathed a sigh of
relief as she realized that one of her concerns had been taken care of.
[...... Sir Ambrosio
will be fine with this. But what about you, Benedetta?
You seemed quite
concerned about that little boy.]
[It is unfortunate
that I failed to follow through on Her Holiness' oracle, but it is what it is.]
[Oracle, huh?
Come to think of it,
that's what they said in the church too. What if things do not turn out the way
Sir Ambrosio wants them to?]
Salvatore asked,
questioning Benedetta's words.
The oracle given by
the Divine Pillar is not a guesswork prediction, but an event that will surely
happen.
On top of that, it is possible
to move so as to be able to change the outcome.
―And because of this nature, essentially, oracle would
never be announced.
[Yes, I received an
oracle from Her Holiness before I left. The contents were,
―In that land,
we shall be forgiven nothing but to glorify the Phoenix. Victory is far away,
and we shall be left to watch the thousand years we have longed for come to an
end.]
[Benedetta, that's
.......]
The defeat of the
[Sacred Church of Ariadne], which had already been foretold, left the two of
them in a state of agitation.
Since the oracle had
declared what was going to happen, there was no doubt that it would be
impossible to prevent the Sacred War led by Chief Cardinal Stefano Sorrentino
from happening.
In other words,
Benedetta, as well as the two who followed her, were sent into a battle that
they were sure to lose.
However, even
Benedetta's two direct escorts did not expect to be foretold of the [Holy
Church of Ariadne]'s defeat, beyond the prevention of doctrinal collapse by
sacrificing the [Holy Church of Guidance].
[Don't be hasty in
your conclusions, Sir Torliani.
The oracle says that
victory is far away. In other words, it has not yet been decided.
The decisive battle
will take place at Gennaji, right? We just have to win the war there.]
[Aa~, I see. That's
true.
I regret that we were
not able to reduce that kid's blessings to a reasonable degree, but we have
already brought our weapons over there, haven't we?
If we use them, we can
penetrate through any protection the kid has.]
[...... Yes, of
course.]
She let her concern
slip out of her mouth and only agreed to Salvatore's assurance.
She expressed her
inexpressible gratitude to her friends, who were willing to put aside their
misgivings and go along with her.
The oracle brought by
Ariadne certainly does not ensure victory.
But the oracle that
Benedetta had spoken earlier was not the whole of it either.
Benedetta's, or rather
Ariadne's, objective lies in the continuation of the oracle.
Until she fulfills it
with her life, Benedetta will never have the option of leaving Takamagahara.
Suppressing the guilt
she felt for distorting the truth, she stood up and urged them to go.
The sun had somehow
sunk into the distance, and the darkness of the night had taken over the world
without a sound.
―The moon, which was beginning to wane, was the only
light that illuminated their path.
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