Volume 2
Chapter 7 Part
2
The Oracle is
Lost Peacefully in the Fog 2
Translator : PolterGlast
"Kufu."
An accursed thorn.
Shuka's throat cried out in delight at the feeling of having a thorn pulled out
of her skin for the first time in a long time.
Even though she could
not interfere due to an agreement, a thorn set by a foreign deity in her dragon
vein is not a pleasant thing to feel.
The feeling of the
dragon veins returning to their original state was accompanied by a sense of
liberation that was irreplaceable, even for her.
...... Especially the
fact that it was her beloved Kanna-no-Mikura who had done it.
That was what stirred
up her joy more than anything else.
"Will Akira-san
succeed in the land of the oracle?"
"Well, he just
got rid of the obstacle.
The rest is up to
him."
The wind chimes hung
in the Bankyu Daigaran chimed over and over again, and Shuka immersed herself
leisurely in its clear sounds that crossed the void.
Across the surface of
the water floating in the red basin, the image of Akira sprinting away was
reflected.
She looked lovingly at
his charming back and felt that all the work she had put into it was worth it.
"Pārijāta, huh?
The leftovers from the
Nirvana religion sure did us a disservice."
"Kufu. Whatever
it is, it tampers with the truth.
They have dammed up
the dragon veins of water Qi to suppress and seal off this Mistress's land.
Although it is clever,
they must never really thought they could stop the oracle with such a small
trick."
The oracle could not
be stopped, but it was difficult to foresee.
Therefore, it was
unfortunate that they could not catch a glimpse of the mastermind.
That would be a clear
failure of Kihouin. With this regretful thought alone, Tsuguho stopped
thinking.
What was used was the
[Holy Church of Guidance] that had survived in small numbers and the Nirvana
religion's sacred artifact that could not be touched due to the agreement.
Instead of using
deceptive means, the mastermind made a big mess of the situation, ...... he has
probably escaped, though.
It was infuriating,
but more than that, it was rewarding.
―What was especially important was this,
"With this,
Akira-san should feel more confident."
"Indeed. Being
humble may be a virtue, but it is a vice when it becomes too extreme.
If he were to be
deemed a companion of the gods, he must behave like a beast at times, devouring
this Mistress' divine energy."
*Chuckle*. Shuka
smiled impishly, just like a mischievous little girl.
However, contrary to
Shuka's cheerful mood, Tsuguho's gaze swayed with uneasiness.
Successful experiences
can be a source of solid confidence. This is a fact that Tsuguho acknowledges.
However, if it were
asked whether a boy who is still in the process of maturing could endure such a
sudden experience of success, even Tsuguho could not give a simple guarantee.
―Blessing is both a protection and a test.
According to an
ancient tradition, when a deity other than Kanna-no-Mikura is loved by a deity,
most of them are crushed by the excess of blessings and die before their
natural life span.
The only reason why
Kanna-no-Mikura are safe and sound is because they are protected by the
unending protection given to them by the divine pillars.
The blessings may
protect his body, but they do not protect his spirit.
Tsuguho was worried
about where the excessive growth would lead this reserved boy.
Even so, there was no
turning back.
―Miasma began to cloud the dragon vein that was
connected from Kokuten Province.
This was the report
Tsuguho had just received from the Onmyoji who was reading the dragon veins.
The Divine Pillar of
the Kokuten Province has likely noticed Akira's disappearance and Ugetsu's
failure. It was easy to assume that this was true.
If so, there is not
much time left.
Even if it means
leaving some problems behind, Akira must grow mentally.
"―Well then, it's
about time.
It's Akira's first
time performing on stage, and I, too, shall be intoxicated by his dance for the
first time in a long time."
"Yes, Aka-sama.
―Please do your best to establish your divine authority
in this land."
*Rustle*. With a
slight rustling sound of her robe, Shuka stood up, and the vermillion-painted
golden fan held in her palm was slightly opened.
I have done everything
I can do.
All that remained was
to leave everything to that boy who was fighting in Kamotsu.
Suppressing the
uneasiness that was still clinging to her, Tsuguho bowed her head deeply toward
the girl as she began to dance.
――――――――――
"―Ojou-sama!?"
"What do you
mean, Kuga-kun? An oracle? Is there an oracle behind this matter!?"
When Akira, out of
breath, rushed back towards the meeting place on the outskirts of the village
where Saki and the others were, he saw Saki cornering Ryota in the rear of the
meeting place.
The only other people
in the deserted meeting place besides Saki and Ryota were Nonoka.
Even Nonoka was
stunned by Saki's impatient attitude and stood still.
"Yeah, that's
right. Since an oracle has descended, we're convinced that the uprising of the
[Holy Church of Guidance] is coming.
Calm down, Saki. Even
if it was the eight families, there's no way we could tell the oracle's
contents to the handful of people we've just dispatched.
―What are you so upset about?"
"I knew something
was wrong from the very beginning. I find it hard to believe that the Kuga
family would request support to the extent of investigating an abandoned
village, and that Kihoin would get the Rindo family involved.
If there's an oracle,
then the whole assumption is off the table to begin with.
―What is the content of the oracle? That would even
make it necessary to change our approach!"
"That's..."
The contents of the
oracle are not something that can be easily divulged to others.
Although there were no
other people around, it was not the right thing to say in the middle of a
public meeting place.
However, Ryota,
perhaps dismayed by Saki's fierce confrontation, reluctantly opened his mouth
to speak.
"...... [There is a shadow of a foreign visitor
lurking to the west of Kamotsu. Signs of rebellion are revealed in the five
offerings.]
The oracle about a foreign visitor was when the [Holy
Church of Guidance] had rebelled before.
By that point, it was
confirmed that the [Holy Church of Guidance] would be the opponent, not the
[Holy Church of Ariadne].
In fact, the [Holy
Church of Guidance] took over a village and began proclaiming its independence,
and the [Holy Church of Ariadne] visited on the same day that Saki arrived in
Kamotsu. So they had nothing to do with the oracle.
The five
offerings refer to the first day of the Obon Festival. In other words, we judged
that today, the [Holy Church of Guidance] was going to launch an armed
uprising."
I see. If that were
the case, Saki would have made the same decision.
But the reality is too
different.
Although they are the
believers of the Holy Church, in reality, they are just a group of old men,
women, and children who cannot even resist.
The number of houses
shows that the number of people in the [Holy Church of Guidance] is accurate.
Something is
definitely wrong. And it is definitely something fatal.
"...... What is
certain is that something was going on here."
Just as Saki's
consciousness was about to be caught up in her thoughts, Akira's voice brought
her back to reality.
"Akira-kun, have
you finished investigating the village?"
"Yes.
―I found this at the shrine."
It was a stone stake
with a mantra engraved in every nook and cranny.
The stone stake, which
looked like a strangely twisted thorn, was looked at by everyone present,
scrutinizing it closely.
"......What's
this?"
"This is the
stake that dammed up the water vein.
By manipulating it,
the man known as Padre must have performed miracles."
Padre. Hearing this
word, Saki returned a dumbfounded stare.
―How could I have forgotten that this village was
supposed to be represented by a man known as Padre?
It was
definitely not Hansuke, with whom I had been conversing until a few minutes
ago.
She hastily called up
Hansuke and questioned him about the whereabouts of Padre.
"......
Padre-sama?
―Ah, he said he left for a trip a while ago."
According to Hansuke,
Padre suddenly appeared in front of them last year when they were living among
the mountain dwellers.
He told them that he
had received a revelation and was in charge of guiding the [Holy Church of
Guidance] to a place of peace and tranquility. Hansuke and the others were
persuaded by him to follow him and ended up in this abandoned village.
"He had been in
charge of negotiations regarding the territory and paying taxes for a while,
but now that his role here was over, he went on his journeys again."
―He fled.
Ryota looked up to the
sky out of frustration upon hearing Saki's summary of the situation.
The mastermind took
into account the movements of the [Holy Church of Ariadne] and the judgment of
the Kuga family before making his move.
Without showing
himself, he played both sides, using them as decoys and turning them into
escape moves without even stepping on their shadows. He was even amazed at his
skill, even though he was his enemy.
"Are we too
late?"
".......No."
Ryota murmured in
frustration, but then looked up when he heard Akira's words.
Akira, too, was filled
with regret, but he did not show any signs of giving up.
"The time limit
is tonight, that is the warning from the Land Deity.
In other words, there
is still time left until tonight."
"I'll put aside
the question of how you can talk to the god of this land.
―Is what you said true?"
Looking back into
Akira's eyes, who gave an affirmative response, Ryota turned his gaze to
Nonoka.
"Nonoka, let's go
back to Kamotsu. Regroup the drill squad."
"......Please
give us at least half an hour to prepare for the formation.
Even if we make it to
Kamotsu in time for the decisive battle, the drill squad will be of no use, so
I think it would be better to leave them here."
"Don't,"
Ryota said, fully understanding that he would be slowed down, but he still
rejected Nonoka's suggestion.
"There is no
guarantee that the [Holy Church of Guidance] is harmless. If the drill soldiers
aren't up to the task, we'll have to bring them back."
"―Yes, sir.
Please wait a moment."
The answer was as
expected, or perhaps it was within her expectations, and without showing any
particular objection, Nonoka began the preparations.
"―Are you sure
that Kamotsu is the objective?"
"What do you mean,
Akira-kun?"
Saki also has no
objection to Ryota's decision.
She was about to
return an affirmation and follow Nonoka, but stopped when she heard Akira's
muttering.
"It's true that
an oracle has descended.
The place which was
described in the oracle is west of Kamotsu, not Kamotsu itself."
"Ain't that what
this stake is all about?
You pull it out and
it's over."
"You're
wrong," Akira denied Ryota's point.
"The oracle will
always tell us what is going to happen.
―In other words, something is sure to happen tonight in
the west of Kamotsu, outside of this village."
"But whether it
is the [Holy Church of Guidance] or the [Holy Church of Ariadne], their
ultimate goal is the wind cave in Kamotsu.
If they can't take
over that place, they won't be able to proceed to the next stage."
"Having come this
far, we should consider the possibility that our assumptions may be
wrong."
Even though he
understood that it was disrespectful, he responded dismissively and pictured
the geography of Kamotsu and its vicinity in his mind.
It would have been
better if he had a detailed map of the area, but with no hope of finding one,
he had no choice but to rely on mental calculations to get the result he
wanted.
"I thought it was
strange. It is certainly true that the Wind Cave in Kamotsu is quite large, but
there is no outlet for the flow.
Without a doubt, that
wind cave is a tributary that is simply large."
The most important
wind caves are chosen to be the base points of the dragon veins.
Because tributaries
that are only large in output have no strategic value in either offense or
defense.
"―If we compare
the Wind Cave in Kamotsu with the Dragon Vein in this village, it is the Dragon
Vein in this village that is closer to the main stream.
There must be a
long-established shrine somewhere in the vicinity of the village."
"A shrine?
If it's a big one, I
can't think of any other one except here."
There are a lot of
small shrines, but none that have a sacred area, even according to Ryota's
memory, who is familiar with the Kamotsu area.
―However,
"...... Umm, yes,
there is."
An unexpected answer
came from Rikuto, who was standing guard at the door.
"It's not a
shrine, but there is a temple of the Nirvana religion called Gennaji Temple.
―It is deeply connected to the holy place in Baratush,
where a sacred object is enshrined."
Is that true? A
dumbfounded mutter escaped from Ryota's mouth.
When he heard that,
the existence of a historical temple certainly came to mind.
In Takamagahara,
temples are usually built in wind caves, which are tributaries.
This is because the
doctrine of Nirvanaism is the teaching of Bharatush, and not of Takamagahara.
People sought solace
in this doctrine of Nirvana, living in the Pure Land of the Afterlife, but in
the end, this doctrine was never about the gods who were always present in the
real world.
Although they were
allowed to live in Takamagahara for a long time, they would never have been
granted a place of importance in the dragon vein.
The fact that a temple
that overturned this common sense existed in the Hasebe territory, which was
the Kuga family's home territory, was enough to make Ryota dumbfounded.
"Perhaps that is
the place.
The Nirvana religion
was once involved in an invasion, just like the [Holy Church of Ariadne.
―In other words, that temple is under Consular
Right."
Pieces of information
were coming together in Akira's mind.
A consular right is
the right that allows one's own country's circumstances to prevail over those
of the land to which one has been granted permission.
Furthermore, there is
a sacred object in the temple of the Nirvana religion. This means that only in
that temple, the convenience of the Nirvana religion takes precedence.
This fact indicated
that this is the only place in Shumon Province where the oracle of the Divine
Pillar cannot reach.
"You're imagining
things, outcast.
―What proof do you have?"
"The proof is in
this stake.
The inscriptions along
the stake's muscles are Mantras.
I have heard that it
is based on the divine characters of Baratush."
Naotoshi's words, who
taught Akira, came back to mind.
Naotoshi, who was
brought in as a son-in-law from one of the eight families in another province,
was one of the rare people who kept in touch with Akira without pitying or
avoiding his circumstances.
A young man, who had
been invited by his grandmother to the Ugetsu family by some means or other,
generously provided Akira with a variety of knowledge.
Especially, this young
man’s knowledge related to spells is so outstanding that even Ugetsu acknowledged
it, and Akira's knowledge, which was directly educated by this gifted young
man, is quite profound, even if it is limited to spells.
"Besides, instead
of going back to Kamotsu now, it would be more practical to go to the temple on
the way there."
"...... Well,
that's certainly true.
All right. Let my
father take care of Kamotsu and we'll head for the temple of the Nirvana
religion."
As Akira pointed out,
it is more likely that they will make it in time if they head for the temple.
Without denying it,
Ryota made the decision easily.
"...... Hey, do
you think the mastermind is in that temple?"
"...... No, that
guy has already gone.
I think the one in the
temple is the [Holy Church of Ariadne]."
"Ah, I knew
it."
Akira responded to
Saki's whisper as he watched Ryota turn on his heel.
Saki shrugged her
shoulders without showing any sign of being surprised, perhaps she had expected
this.
"The person who
uses and abandons his allies so much will not make a bad move like going to the
front just because it is the last phase of the game.
So the only force left
that the opponent has prepared is the [Holy Church of Ariadne]."
"Yes.
Besides, Benedetta
constantly demanded the Wind Cave in Kamotsu.
If that was not a lie,
then there is no point in proposing it to someone so young like us.
In other words, the
purpose of that meeting was to buy time on the assumption that the meeting
would fail.
If that's the case,
then the content of the meeting itself is of no significance.
"―Are you saying
that they're using the content as a decoy?"
Although there are
several gaps in Akira's deductions, there is no failure in its reasoning.
Saki nodded in
understanding.
What's more, Saki
knows that Akira has been given blessings from the Divine Pillar.
Blessings mean
protection and trials.
It is not based on
logic or common sense. It is the desire of the Divine Pillar for Akira's growth
and success.
She wants him to be a
warrior without equal, to be a champion of honor.
―-So this is inevitable,
Akira will arrive at
the site of the decisive battle without a doubt,
―And he will definitely be victorious.
――――――――――――――――――
"..................Good
grief. It seems I've been discovered."
Somewhere in the
mountains, the darkness that stirs in the air howls ruefully.
It is a huge darkness.
The darkness, which constantly rippled, peeked into the abandoned village with
some remaining interest, even though it had been cast aside.
It took him hundreds
of years to devise this plan, and 20 years to cross over to the Western
Continent.
It was too regrettable
for even this Lord of Darkness to leave this land without having ascertained
the outcome of this plan.
On top of that,
movements were shown by Kamotsu's protector.
The Lord of Darkness
did not expect that there would be someone who would pull out the sacred
artifact of the Nirvana religion with all the divine energy contained in it.
The strategy given to
the [Holy Church of Ariadne] was directly related to the time it took to win or
lose.
With Akira and the
others' speed, the disadvantage of the Holy Church would not change and they
would be one-sidedly ousted.
...... That's
troubling. It would be boring as entertainment.
―Hee, hee.
The darkness
snickered.
"That would be
boring.
Alright then, you
greed-driven lapdog of the cardinal committee.
I will show my respect
to you for your clown acts for dancing so well."
―He, hehee.
Without hesitation, he
activated all of the techniques derived from Doujutsu that he had hidden in the
vicinity of the village.
At that moment, a sound
beyond human hearing echoed around the village.
It was the sound of
the miasma-calling whistle favored by the defiled beasts. It is one of the most
evil methods of Doujutsu.
"Look, I've done
my duty.
Dance to your heart's
content, Ambrosio."
―Hee-hee.
The bellowing darkness
surged and snickered in its depths.
I won't meddle
anymore. The darkness, which has set itself up as a spectator from afar,
shudders with amusement,
―It's looked somewhat like a gourd or a catfish.
――――――――――――――――――
A report came to Akira
and the others just as they were getting ready to leave.
"Defiled
beast!?"
"Yes, they are
surrounding the village!"
"Damn it! Was it
the work of the mastermind?"
"I concur.
The time is too
perfect."
Dogs and Nekomata. It
seems that several groups of small creatures have blocked the entrance and exit
of the village.
Ryota's frustration at
the obvious blockage, and the gnashing of teeth, was somewhat appeased by
Saki's concurrence.
"What shall we do
now?
It would take too much
time to break through the crowd of defiled beasts with a group of drill
soldiers."
Everyone thought about
Nonoka's point.
Akira and the others
alone would be able to break through this level without difficulty, but with
the boys from the drill squad included, the speed would drop to the point where
escape would be impossible.
Ryota compared their
strength and looked at Akira.
"Hey, outcast.
You, follow the drill
squad and get out of the village."
"Underst―"
"Don't."
When Akira was about
to reply in affirmation, Saki's words were sharply interrupted.
"Akira-kun's
strength will be absolutely necessary against the opposing forces.
Our opponent who can
make it this far is fully prepared and waiting for us, so we can't afford to
lose anyone, can we?"
"Tch. What are we
going to do then?
It's impossible to
break through a horde of defiled beasts with just a bunch of drill
soldiers."
As a matter of fact,
he was planning to use this as an opportunity to separate Akira and Saki.
Ryota turned his head
away and rebutted.
"―Kuga-sama.
The drill squad shall
barricade themselves in the village and fend off the defiled beasts.
If they continue to
hide in the assembly hall and continue to shave away their numbers, even a
small group of drill soldiers should have a good chance of winning."
Rikuto raised his hand
and suggested this.
His suggestion was
welcomed by an atmosphere of stalemate.
―However,
"Will you be all
right, Squad Leader Mii?"
The enemy is not only
the defiled beasts. The untrustworthy [Holy Church of Guidance] could become an
enemy as well.
In response to Akira's
confirmation out of concern, Rikuto nodded with a strained smile.
"No problem.
I have decided to
become a soldier.
If I can protect my
hometown before protecting my country, I have no regrets about my decision."
"......I
see."
Then there is nothing
more to say.
"Don't push
yourself. I hope you'll be safe."
"―Yes. I pray for
your safety, as well, protector-dono."
――――――――――――――――――
A premonition.
Stopped walking up the
stone steps that lead to the gate of Gennaji Temple, Benedetta's blonde hair
danced as she gazed backward.
Of course, there was
nothing in sight but the moonlit plain of the Hasebe territory.
[What's wrong,
Benedetta?]
[No, it's nothing.]
[....... Is that so?]
To Salvatore, who showed
concern for her, she returned only a pretentious smile.
They have known each
other for a long time. So, he must have noticed the stiffness in Benedetta's
smile, but he backed off without pointing it out.
Benedetta was more
than happy to see his consideration.
[Now then, this is the
Gennaji Temple, right?
Now that we have
arrived at our destination, has our equipment arrived?]
[―No problem, Sir
Trovato.]
Alessandro's
muttering, not expecting a reply, is greeted by Ambrosio's response.
[In anticipation of
this, I had asked Captain Batista to make an early move.
All the church
knights' equipment has been brought into the temple without any problems.]
[Thank you, Sir
Ambrosio.
Sir Torliani, Sir
Trovato, please check the knights' equipment.]
The two church knights
silently began to move, responding to Benedetta's instruction with nothing more
than a simple nod.
Whatever the
situation, it is not a bad thing to be prepared for a counterattack.
[Have you stirred the
Lord of Kuga, as I requested?]
[Yes. Enough for him
not to be able to move out of Kamotsu.
But it is only a
matter of time before Kamotsu's forces find us, and there is nothing better
than to be ready to intercept them.]
[Good.
―This way.]
Guided by Ambrosio,
Benedetta walked through the cobblestone pavement of the temple.
Normally, no one would
enter this place.
Stepping over a wooden
fence that had been destroyed, they proceeded to the middle of the main shrine,
where a stone stake stood majestically in the center of the building.
At first glance, it
appears to be nothing more than an ordinary stone stake, but if one looks
closely, one can see that the stake is filled with an enormous amount of divine
energy and elaborate inscriptions.
[It is said to be
called Pārijāta, the sacred artifact of Bharatush.
Once this is pulled
out, the main stream of the dragon veins will belong to the church in Tsongma.
All that remains is to
put the divine seals that we have prepared over there directly into the Shumon
Province's Divine Pillar, and then put a collar around its neck.
Once one of the five
Divine Pillars has fallen, the rest will naturally have no choice but to fall
as well.]
[...... Will things go
that smoothly?
It is good that we
have succeeded in capturing Gennaji Temple, but it seems to me that Sir
Ambrosio is not thinking about how to proceed with it afterwards.]
[It's not that I'm not
thinking about it.
It's just that the
technology to manipulate dragon veins on a large scale does not exist in
Takamagahara.
After pulling it out,
all we have to do is return to the ship, Katarina, which is waiting offshore,
and wait for the fall of Takamagahara.
Nevertheless, this
technology is a legacy of a once-great nation. The divine energy that is
overflowing in this stake is repelling all interferences.
―We will need a little time to pull it out.]
[Specifically?]
['Give me five hours.]
Benedetta's eyes
twitch with annoyance at Ambrosio's reply.
It's taking too long.
It is a place where
they have no familiarity with. And he easily tells them to endure five hours
with no support.
But they have no
choice since they've come this far.
[I understand.
―Please start working on it right away.]
Turning her back to
Ambrosio, she turned on her heel.
The premonition she
felt before did not disappear, but grew stronger with each passing moment.
No doubt, someone had
noticed the intentions of the [Sacred Church of Ariadne].
And Benedetta knew
with certainty that that someone was Akira.
Within no time, the
most trusted force of the Shumon Province's Divine Pillar would arrive at the
Gennaji Temple.
No one knew what the
outcome would be.
―Benedetta simply does what she has to do.
She put all her
strength into her limbs and took a big step forward.
Ahead of her, she saw
her two friends, who had retrieved their original equipment.
――――――――――
TIPS: Pārijāta.
A sacred artifact of
Baratush, consisting of 28 stakes, with its original purpose to manipulate
currents.
To be more precise, it
has the property of forcibly determining the starting and ending points of the
current.
Its characteristics as
a weapon are not known.
It is used to invade
an opponent's territory by tampering with the dragon veins to suit one's own
convenience.
The very existence of
this divine artifact was responsible for the attempted invasion of neighboring
nations.
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