Chapter 3 - The Knights and the Sword TrialPart 1That human kept opposing him with wonderful tenacity.As leader of the divine beings called Danann, he swung an invinciblesword.He was a king and a warrior, a mighty G.o.d. His opponent, although hard tobelieve, was no hero. The blond man was not even a mage.But the long spear swung by that human showed splendid skill.He could give high praise to the martial arts that child of man had learned."Let us stop this, you who are destined to die. However hard you try tofight, it will not change my victory. Saint George, who brought you to thisother world, has already perished. He pa.s.sed, leaving nothing but thatspear. Even if you follow him in death, you can choose a gentler way."Thrust, slash, swipe.The human"s spearmanship was ever-changing. There was not a singlemediocre attack.But he did not bother with them one by one. Moving his sword and armpurely by reflex, he warded them all off.Alas, child of man, your enemy is an unrivaled invincible G.o.d.Most likely the human had used up all of the skills he had learned.Gradually he cast technique aside and simply thrust the spear. Aiming athis — the G.o.d"s body, he thrust out the spearhead with a clear heart.Again and again, he foolishly repeated it. With a clear heart. With a clearmind. Not thinking, not feeling anything.Or maybe combat experience had made him realize the most difficultsecret along the martial path, that of attaining the mental realm of serenityand nothingness.If that was the case, this human held unimaginable talent.Splendid. He smiled.The spear the human wielded sent the invincible sword in his hands flying.The sword danced high through the air and fell at the human"s feet.However, Saint George"s spear which had allowed this exploit had beensmashed to pieces. Before reaching its end it had saved the humanwarrior. Repelling his sword was truly worthy of praise."Your master George has perished and you have reached your limit.Therefore, child of man, your hope has already vanished.""...Nahh. We"re just starting. With this I can finally fight for real."The blond human stretched his hand out towards the sword sticking in theground before him.Claiomh Solais [1] .He gripped the otherworldly steel that should be handled by the lord of theTuatha De Danann^ and took it."Spears aren"t bad, but this type of thing is still better. If I don"t lay myhands on a weapon like this, I can never get fired up enough to enter mytruly serious mode. Sorry, but I"ll be borrowing your sword."He was striving for victory, fighting to the very end.Commendable spirit. It was truly magnificent fearlessness. Or maybe hewas just a moron.In reality, a mortal human should not be able to handle that sword. Heshouldn"t be able to use it as a simple blade, to say nothing of the divinepower hidden inside. Well, it might be useful as a steel club...He called a new sword into his hands and casually took a stance.Although not as much as his shining sword, it was sharp. With this hewould bring death to the fool who challenged a G.o.d. It was the least hecould do for that idiotic hero.The G.o.d and the simple human crossed blades, fighting between life anddeath.After a long, long time, a winner was finally decided and the duel came to aclose. The tale to be told this time takes place after this event.Part 2The refreshing early summer atmosphere of June was hanging over thehills of Tuscany."It"s not too bad after all. If only the one accompanying me wasn"t you."The current location was the southern gates of Porta Romana at theancient city of Florence.As the car continued along its way, swathes of farmland soon came intoview.This scenery of green rolling hills covering the landscape was unique toTuscany. This was the time of year before the arrival of the mercilesssummer heat, and the air was filled with joy as it came rushing through theopen windows of the car."Hey Gennaro, you should be a relatively sensitive person. Isn"t this awonderful occasion?""So annoying! You are a little girl who chatters away without end!"Roaring at the graceful Erica Blandelli was the driver, an unrefined man.Gennaro Gantz.A Great Knight belonging to the magic a.s.sociation, the [Copper BlackCross].His ma.s.sive bearded appearance was full of solemnity and completelyconcealed his mere age of nineteen. One could easily mistake him fortwenty-five or six in age. He was not very tall but extremely well built. Apatterned bandanna, wrapped around his head, made him look like apirate who had jumped out from a movie screen."If it wasn"t our great leader Paolo who made the request, "Please give myniece a ride," and therefore impossible to refuse, I wouldn"t have saidsomething like "Leave it all to me!" without a thought!""Precisely, your inability to come up with a pertinent manner of refusalshows how slow-witted you are. Truly hopeless."Retorting at nineteen-year-old Gennaro, Erica was only twelve at the time.However, her adult-like beauty and slender figure as well as lady-likedemeanor were not typical of her age."Since I have no wish for you to drive and you don"t want to be anywherenear me, look, our interests are aligned. But you have agreed to Uncle"srequests twice already... How about it, let me give you a lesson on thebasics of social etiquette right now?""Give me a break, I"ll never be able to remember your sharp-tonguedmanner of speech!"Erica was not sitting on the pa.s.senger side next to the driver but on one ofthe back seats.Obviously, it was to avoid sitting beside Gantz.Both of them were knights and members of the [Copper Black Cross].In the world of magi in southern European countries like Italy and Spain,"knights" meant Templar Knights. Of course, the real Order of the KnightsTemplar recorded in history — the "Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and ofthe Temple of Solomon" had already disbanded in the early fourteenthcentury.However, a small number of people survived.There were those who inherited their magic and martial arts, as well asthose who inherited their wealth.These people, who continued to call themselves "knights," were not simplymagi but also special ability users skilled in martial arts and pridingthemselves on their n.o.ble spirit of chivalry.(Originally, Templar Knights were supposed to be members of Christianmonastic orders — commonly called monks, but this distinction blurredover time, allowing women like Erica to become knights. The originalKnights Templar did not accept women as members.)Whether Erica or Gantz, both were comrades who aspired to the sameideals of chivalry.But their fundamental incompatibility could not be overcome.Born in Reggio Calabria on the southern tip of the Italian peninsula, Gantzwas a wild and rough but good man with a kind heart. On the other hand,Erica was an elegant young beauty born and raised in the northern Italianmetropolis of Milan, as well as being the little princess of the prestigiousHouse of Blandelli (and even tracing their ancestry to a Devil KingCampione).The difference in upbringing was an unbridgeable gulf.Furthermore, as the closest rivals, the two of them were inevitably going tocompete for the [Diavolo Rosso] position. This was the t.i.tle of the premierknight representing the [Copper Black Cross].They were members of the [Copper Black Cross], one of the top magica.s.sociations in the world.On the other hand, not all members were Italians.Particularly for talented members amongst the core leadership, many wererecruited from various countries. However, it was customary for thecommander-in-chief and the [Diavolo Rosso] to be selected from Italians.And amongst the young and talented destined to rise to ranks of the coreleadership, Erica and Gantz were the only two Italian-born knights.This was the fundamental reason why they always maintained theirdistance from each other.The present generation"s [Diavolo Rosso], Paolo Blandelli, was Erica"suncle.His request for Gantz to take care of his niece must have been an attemptto improve relations between the young candidates for core leadership... Itcarried such sentiments.— But anyway, the sports car driven by Gantz was now racing across theTuscan fields.Their destination was a village roughly twenty minutes away from Florence.This was an old monastery probably established during the Middle Ages.Rumored to have been built as a stronghold, its surrounding stone wallswere of st.u.r.dy construction.After Gantz stopped the car on the outskirts of the premises, Erica got offtogether with her baggage."The means of return has already been prepared so there is no need foryou to wait here. I wish you well, Gennaro. Though it wasn"t a delightfuljourney, it is necessary to express thanks for your efforts.""If you want to say thanks, be more upfront with it! Bye!"Gantz left and drove off in a hurry.Erica walked towards the monastery.Her extraordinary talent had already been recognized at the age of twelve,and she had been officially awarded the t.i.tle of "Knight" two weeks earlier.Receiving a blessing at this place was customary for new inductees likeher....In that case, that other girl was likely here as well.She had heard that there was another who received the t.i.tle around thesame time at another magic a.s.sociation, the [Bronze Black Cross]."Just as I thought, exactly as predicted."A familiar girl was standing there in the garden of the monastery.The beautiful silver hair was kept straight and long. Delicate facial beautymade for a perfect combination with the slender and glamorous figure,producing an appearance akin to a fairy descending upon the mortal realmfrom the moon. However, the girl"s profile revealed a stern expression.Despite her young age, her eyes shone with a resolute l.u.s.ter of knightlypride.Like Erica, she was twelve years old.Similarly, she was a prodigy from a prestigious magic a.s.sociation based inMilan.Standing before Erica was Liliana Kranjcar whom she had already knownfor the past ten years."Greetings, Lily. Truly, our fates are bound together tightly as ever.""...Please do not call me using such an intimate nickname. Furthermore,our meeting here is not coincidence. Instead, it should be described asinevitable. You too, came here to receive the "sword"?"Her stiff manner of speech suited neither her age nor her gender.This was, of course, part of Liliana"s personality, which Erica smilinglyaccepted.The silver-haired childhood friend was flawless in appearance and intellect,but lacked lady-like aspirations. She would make a good knight, a goodwife and a good mother, but she would never become a flower of the courtlike a salon patroness."Yes, it is exactly as you say, Lily.""Hmph... I already reminded you and here you go acting intimately withoutany mindfulness."Whether Erica, who never changed her ways, or Liliana, set in herdispleased expression, both of them were here for the same purpose.It was customary for new knights in northern Italy to be bestowed theirpersonal sword at this San Gilardino Monastery (of course, it was limited tojust the knights of the seven prestigious magic a.s.sociations).Weapons used by knights were all specially crafted.Taking steel smelted through alchemy, master craftsmen forged andpolished them into blades further strengthened through alchemy — onlysuch swords and spears were worthy of being treasured.Ever since ancient times, this monastery had been the holy sanctum whereyoung knights were bestowed with weapons and blessed.It was said that the Medici family in Florence at the height of theRenaissance was already managing this industry."Having been summoned here specially, allow me to express my deepestgrat.i.tude. Erica Blandelli pays her respects today as invited."Noticing the approaching monk, Erica greeted gracefully.Since she was visiting as a knight, vulgar behavior would not be tolerated.Erica Blandelli"s a.s.sertive yet graceful personality made her the center ofattention in the vast majority of situations."I am the eldest daughter of the Kranjcar family, Liliana. I shall be in yourcare."In comparison, Liliana"s greeting lacked individuality and commonpleasantries.Despite being a knight with a witch"s disposition, as well as possessinggreat potential rivaling Erica"s, she only applied herself towards being asoldier no matter what."For a long time, I have heard much about you two prodigies of Milan."The monk in a black habit was a man in his prime who replied calmly to thetwo girls" greetings.Despite the loose fitting garment, it was apparent that the man"s physiquewas very well-trained.From his approaching footsteps and the manner he carried himself, hisextraordinary martial arts was readily apparent. As befitted the leader ofthe monastery of swords."It is truly delightful to witness such outstanding talent from the two girlshailing from prestigious families. This monastery will perform the blessingsfor the award ceremony and bestow weapons worthy of chivalric honor.May you one day follow in the footsteps of our predecessor SaintRaffaello.""Yes, in order to become a praiseworthy knight, I shall strive to improvemyself."Liliana bowed her head in response to the monk"s polite words.Doing everything by the book was in her character. But acting in allseriousness did not suit Erica, who wanted to say something moreinteresting."As newcomers like us, I am extremely touched by this rare occasion... Bythe way, speaking of following in the footsteps of Saint Raffaello, it wouldbe most delightful if we can begin emulating with the "Blessing of theSword" ceremony.""Oh?"The monk showed emotion for the first time, smiling wryly in response toErica"s politely delivered words of audacity.At the same time, Liliana was frowning beside her."Wait a minute, Erica. What is the meaning of such shameless words?""My, Lily, what adversarial interpretations. Listen well then, our esteemedmonk here asked us to "walk in the footsteps of Saint Raffaello," right? Thatmeans learning from the great lady swordsman, the one who received the"Position of the Knight of the Holy Grail," as well as being the highestranking Templar Knight."The t.i.tle of the premier knight at Erica"s [Copper Black Cross] was the[Diavolo Rosso].[Saint Raffaello] was also a t.i.tle of similar nature.The Florentine a.s.sociation [Capital of Lilies] bestowed the t.i.tle on the theirmost gallant knight. The present generation Saint Raffaello was a woman.Though she had retired from the front lines long ago, she was stillconsidered Europe"s strongest swordsman."Due to Saint Raffaello"s outstanding swordsmanship, a special exceptionwas made and two swords were bestowed instead of one, becoming alegend pa.s.sed down in this monastery.""That"s right, it"s the Twin Swords of the Lion and the Master Musician."Erica"s eloquence forced the monk"s wry smile to become even moresevere.Finally, Liliana erupted in an expression full of anger and glared at Ericafuriously."So in other words, Dame Erica, let us imitate the story of Saint Raffaelloand bestow you with two swords, how about that?""Please do not joke of such matters! No matter how much you wish tofollow in the footsteps of the great knight, going that far would be toodisrespectful!"" — No, I was not suggesting that. Besides, it would be too impertinent."Met with their objections, Erica"s beautiful face smiled like the devil.This was completely unexpected. This was Erica Blandelli, the one whoalways accomplished what no one could predict."A few years ago just before her retirement, Saint Raffaello paid thismonastery a visit, bearing her two bestowed swords. Back then, she said"rather than have these two swords accompany an old lady like me, whynot give them a more befitting mission of helping young knights in theiradventures?""With that, she had returned the two famous magic swords."Having learned of the above story, we, Erica Blandelli and her ally, LilianaKranjcar, wish to come here as the new masters of the twin swords."With extravagant words, she expressed her wish.The elderly Saint Raffaello had exited the world stage a long time ago.(To be precise, she belonged to the same era as Italy"s highest rankedwitch, Lucretia Zola.)The anecdote of her retirement was picked up while researching the detailsof various top European magi."Seeking to receive two swords at once like Saint Raffaello would, ofcourse, be too impertinent. However, if we were each to receive one of thetwin swords left behind by the great predecessor, there is nothingimpertinent about inheriting her will. I implore you to satisfy my wish."After all, if a sword was to be bestowed, it was only natural to wish for abetter one.Erica had planned this from the start. Taking into account that Lilianahappened to be around to satisfy the requirement for the twin swords, itwas perfect.However, the silver-haired childhood friend and rival still bore anexpression of displeasure.She was struggling against opposing emotions — anger at being used byErica"s scheming on one hand, and intense temptation offered by SaintRaffaello"s twin swords on the other."I see. I now understand Dame Erica"s wish."The monk went from a wry smile to a complete laugh. What was going tohappen next?The famous "Twin Swords of the Lion and the Master Musician"reappearing in the world once more and bestowed upon new users —such an event could not possibly happen without widespread report."However, in actual fact there are conditions here that you two may notknow. The great one has retired in seclusion in the vicinity of Florence. Inresponse, this monastery proposed to her the following — we entrustedSaint Raffaello with the twin swords again together with the task ofpersonally testing prospective new users to see if they were worthy ofreceiving the swords and continuing her legend."So that was how things worked. It required meeting the legendary paladinofor her personal approval.Erica nodded arrogantly, while Liliana suddenly became greatly emotional."What... Not only do I get to meet Saint Raffaello, but also the chance toinherit her magic sword — What are you dallying for, Erica, hurry and let usset off now!""What"s come over you, Lily, with this sudden motivation?"The unexpected intensity of her childhood friend"s enthusiasm seemed tobe slightly ruining Erica"s mood."I have always wished to follow the same path as my admired idol, SaintRaffaello. Though it is with great reluctance that I yield to your connivingschemes, it is of no importance at this time. Let us go meet herimmediately! Go!"" Well, I see now."Once roused, Liliana"s pa.s.sion knew no bounds. The silver-hairedchildhood friend essentially acted in complete accordance with Erica"spredictions.Though manipulating her was a simple matter, there were times when sheexceeded expectations. In those occasions, even Erica found it difficult tokeep her in check. It was exactly like the type of girl who is sosimpleminded that she is impossible to understand and unexpectedlydifficult to handle."So, esteemed monk, where does Saint Raffaello live?""For real...? Actually, we don"t know either."The monk gave a perfunctory answer to Liliana"s impatient question."Saint Raffaello apparently thinks that this sort of information should befound out by yourself. That is why she disappeared into seclusion withoutletting us know.""Oh my... this turns out to be unexpectedly challenging."Erica smiled, intent on taking on the unforeseen challenge.There were many villages and roads scattered across the countryside inthe surroundings of Florence. Trying to find a woman whose name andface were unknown would prove to be quite a troublesome ch.o.r.e.However, this was welcomed. This kind of trouble, I shall overcome asmany of them as they present themselves."Other than us, have there been any others who sought the twin swords?"Liliana posed another question to the monk."Quite a few. However, almost all of them gave up because they wereunable to locate Saint Raffaello.""Almost all... In other words, there were exceptions?""Yes, one. No one could have expected such an idiot to succeed.However, that fellow was not seeking to inherit the twin swords. All hewanted was to meet Saint Raffaello."The monk cast aside his strict tone of voice for once, using the word "idiot.""His swordsmanship was truly exceptional. Yes, having witnessed the skillof so many masters, I"ve never seen anyone like him. However, he was acomplete failure in magic. With such low ability, he was never regarded asa successor candidate in the first place."So that was what happened. Erica nodded.No matter what, it was useful to know that someone had once succeeded.In that case, surely she can do the same. Erica"s lips naturally shapedthemselves into a glamorous smile.It was neither a n.o.blewoman"s smile nor a devil"s mischievous smile.Rather, it was more like a lioness" smile. An expression fitting for thebeautiful female knight about to undertake a difficult and risky challenge.— At this time, an unexpected intruder appeared.A young man had squirmed his way through the gates of the monastery.He was a handsome man with well-proportioned facial features and messyblonde hair, but looked rather haggard and lacking in ambition. Despite hisslim physique, it was clear that his body had undergone intense training.Around twenty in age or so, he was from the same generation as GennaroGantz. Dressed casually in a half-sleeved t-shirt and cotton shorts,everything was wide open and in a tattered disheveled state.This young man was walking unsteadily with no strength in his steps."This man?! ...What a coincidence. Returning here again after one year."Muttering softly, the monk approached the young man.Liliana went over to inquire about the situation."Is he affiliated with this place? I"ve never seen him amongst the monks.""No, but he is related to the current conversation. He is the hopeless idiotmentioned just now. The method he used was to visit each of the nearbyvillages, and against every single female he encountered — even younggirls and old ladies without exception — he would swing a wooden branch,saying that out of these hundred and seventy people, the one who dodgedhis strike must be Saint Raffaello. That is why we call him the hopelessidiot."Well, he did withdraw all attacks on contact. The fact that no one was hurtwas rather laudable.Explaining this, the monk sighed.Liliana went "Huh?" with a shocked expression. Erica too, agreed that hewas an idiot, for it was quite a surprise that such a dangerous man was notarrested by the police...However, it stood as fact that such an unbelievable method succeeded.Because she was — rather, precisely because she was the brilliantlytalented Erica, such a ridiculous idea never occurred to her."Hey, what is going on!? What on earth happened!?"The young man did not respond to the monk"s questions.Instead, he fell over headlong, losing consciousness. The monk franticallyhurried over and started examining the young man"s body.Was injury or disease the cause? The conclusion was neither.The young man"s stomach gave off an enormous rumble. Apparently hehad fainted from hunger."Scaring others for no reason just like before... Hmm? What, this woundis?"The monk"s gaze focused on the upper body which had been undressedfor examination. There was an enormous red-black scar where the rightarm connected to the shoulder.It looked like the entire right arm had been amputated and welded backtogether —A strange and horrifying sight. An ominous feeling, as well as a mysteriousand incredible scar.Part 3"Ah, so full now, I"m so grateful."The young man was wolfing food down with a delighted voice.In the modest kitchen of the monastery, plates on the workbenches werefilled with hard bread local to the region of Tuscany.Then there were bottles of unlabeled red wine fermented in the village.Both were provided by the monks."Then having expressed my thanks, it would be even more perfect if Icould have some meat and vegetables here. For me, right now,carbohydrates are not really enough...""Regrettably, today"s food has all been consumed."The monk spoke casually unlike the way he was talking to Erica andLiliana earlier."We"ve never gone out to buy other stuff, so give it up... By the way, wherehave you been and what have you been doing all this time? A year ago,after you found Saint Raffaello, you were clearly training under her for awhile, but disappeared after a month.""Haha... That"s it, so that"s what I did, maybe.""This fellow never talks seriously, just like before! Respond seriously tome!"The monk started to get annoyed at the young man"s stupid face.But the young man remained unfazed and calmly wiped his mouth with anapkin."I am being serious in my own way. Well, let"s put that aside for now, it"stime to get going.""What?""My first priority is to recover the state of my body. I will gladly express mythanks for your hospitality, someday... But first, I need to find some placebetter stocked in food."The young man got up and quickly left the kitchen."So, I"ll be going now, bye!"The young man"s footsteps were as quick and light as the spring breeze.Calling out was not going to delay his departure. Erica and Lilianaexchanged glances as they observed quietly."Esteemed monk, we will also take our leave.""We will surely obtain Saint Raffaello"s approval and return with the twinswords. When that time comes, please bestow the blessing upon us."The two knight inductees got up from the table and bid their respectivefarewells.Liliana rigidly adhering to preset forms, while Erica was as glamorous as an.o.blewoman. The monk smiled wryly as he prayed for their safety."On the battlefield, only unparalleled speed is truly invincible. Taking actionswiftly and never letting fortune slip by — such spirit and initiative isadmirable. But that man is too much of a fool, but at the same time,someone extraordinary. Please take care."Those were the monk"s final words as he saw the two girls off from themonastery."Hey, wait up! Where on earth are you going?"Erica yelled at the young man who was hurrying on his way ahead.As he walked briskly along the dirt road in the countryside, his blonde hair was shaking side to side."Umm... Sorry, who are you people again?""I am Liliana Kranjcar, knight of the [Bronze Black Cross], this one here isErica Blandelli of the [Copper Black Cross].""Hmm, sounds a bit familiar, did I remember wrong?"The young man looked bewildered after Liliana announced their names."There"s some kind of familiar feeling.""We just met at the monastery. Standing next to the monk.""Oh, so that"s why you look so familiar!"The young man looked very laid back, but did not seem to be lying.Could he really have forgotten faces he had met mere minutes ago?"I"m sorry, I"m someone who"s not very good at remembering names andfaces — that"s what I believe. It"s like those kinds of memories aresometimes there, sometimes not.""Why are you talking about yourself as if commenting on another person...""Well, you know, it"s surprisingly difficult for humans to look objectively atthings related to themselves. So it"s not a bad idea to practice this kind ofthing.""Even so, for memories to become fuzzy after a mere five minutes, it isvery problematic!"Liliana angered for the first time at the young man"s lack of serious att.i.tude.However, this kind of conversation was not going to lead to any progress."You said you wanted more to eat, so where are you going exactly?""Hmm, I still haven"t figured that out yet."The young man complained about his hunger in response to Erica"s nosyquestion."In truth, I am actually quite poor, there"s not too many coins left in mypockets.""Well, that was pretty much what I expected."Liliana whispered softly as she stared at his appearance.He had no belongings other than the t-shirt and the cotton shorts he waswearing, not even a bag. Besides, if he were flushed with cash, he wouldnot have reached such a famished state in the first place."So, I just thought of a perfect plan to get myself a full meal despite beingpenniless. Listen well, first I will wander around the area to find localresidents and yell out names of single women.""...You know a lot of people in this neighborhood?"The young man standing before her seemed rather incompetent?Liliana questioned with eyes full of doubt."No, I don"t know anyone here, but it doesn"t matter. Francesca, Gianna,whatever, just call out a random name. I will pretend... that I mistook themfor someone I know and use the opportunity to strike up conversation,gradually get familiar and becoming more and more engaged. Once thetime is ripe, when mouths are dry and stomachs are empty, I will graduallymake my way into the home of this single lady, and sit down for a deliciousmeal."A perfect plan? How naive of this young man to conclude.Erica coughed deliberately before offering her opinion."In that case, there is an even faster method. If you wish, come togetherwith us to a nearby restaurant — how about that?"Thus, the three of them sat down at a restaurant in the village.Soon after, their orders arrived and covered the table: pasta with tomatosauce, mushroom and cheese pizza, fried rabbit and beef, cow offal stew,a large bowl of salad, and a complete set of white wine, rose wine, redwine and soda water.All this was essentially swept away by the blonde young man.Normally, someone who had fainted from hunger would eat somethingeasily digestible to avoid straining the stomach.However, this young man wolfed down everything in huge mouthfulswhether it was cheese, meat, deep-fried, or alcohol. What an amazingdigestive system. Back in the monastery"s kitchen, it was already apparentfrom the way he casually cleared out the bread that was hard as rock(usually eaten with sauce or gravy)."Yes yes, now this is what I call being alive!"The young man smiled as he exclaimed.A cheerful and delightful smile, but also incredible in the way it felt like amonster"s."By the way, we still have not asked for your name yet, right?"Liliana"s question made him pause in his conquest of food."...Name?""Yes, having been edified by Saint Raffaello, you must also be a knight,right? Next comes the most important question, that great person — therespected master who instructed you, could you tell us the location of herresidence?""Master? Residence?""Yes, we must meet Saint Raffaello no matter what!"Liliana questioned with great intensity of emotion. What kind of answer wasshe going to receive?Erica shrugged sarcastically beside her."Saint Raffaello... The name seems kind of familiar. Was this person reallymy master? Then what about my own name eh, name... name, hmm."The young man spoke rather intriguing words, and began to enter deepthought with a frown."Please do not joke around. You cannot mean to say you have evenforgotten your own name?""Hmm, that does seem to be the case."The young man answered in earnest in response to Liliana"s interrogation."I think I"ve lost my memory. I can"t recall my name or what I"ve been doinglately. What"s this? My memories of what I did in this neighborhood are sovague."In the end, the restaurant conversation concluded with nothing achieved,except for treating the young man to a sumptuous meal."Thank you all! May G.o.d be with you!"Thus, the young man shamelessly walked away.Treated to a meal by two twelve-year-old girls, that was all he expressed.It was now readily apparent why the monk had been repeating commentslike "idiot" and "unbelievable fellow." His personality was way tooshameless."...Erica, you were uncharacteristically reticent just now, what is going on inyour mind?"Outside the restaurant, the young man had departed with footsteps like thewind.Watching him leave, Liliana questioned Erica."Oh? Lily noticed?""Of course, you could not possibly let a caught fish go so easily withoutdoing anything. Just now you hardly said a word, and when that manfinished eating, all you did was watch, right?"Erica smiled in response to her childhood friend"s accusation.As expected of my rival, she discerned my true intentions without fail."Hey, do you still remember how I excused myself for a brief momentduring the meal?""Ah, did you do something bad during that time?"While the young man was focused entirely on eating, Erica had randomlyexcused herself at one point."Based on the result, the answer is no. I was hiding far in the distance,casting the magic of [Sleeping Powder] on that glutton."Exactly as the name implied, this was magic for making someone fallasleep.Though very versatile in its wide-ranging applications, this magic had noeffect if the target was wary in any way. Even ordinary people wouldrecover swiftly after feeling sleepy.However, there should be no problem against someone delightfully stuffinghis face in such a state."In such an unwary state, he should have simply gone to sleep? I wasthinking it would be acceptable as long as we obtain the information weneed, even if it meant using hypnosis to rob his will. Given such a strangepersonality, getting things directly would be a lot faster than trying to havea serious conversation.""Flawlessly decisive and merciless as ever. But the plan failed.""Yes. It"s still unclear, but he deflected my spell perfectly.""Counter magic or a protection barrier... which one was it?""Completely unknown. However, the esteemed monk did say very clearlythat he was "a complete failure," so he should have zero dispositiontowards magic. But for Erica Blandelli"s spell to have no effect...""Could the idiotic att.i.tude be just an act?""In that case, he must be a real sly old fox. He is serious trouble if he canhide things so well."Even at the tender age of twelve, Erica had great confidence in her abilityto judge people.However, the encounter with the young man had shaken this confidence.The man judged as an "idiot" by the monk who should be highlyexperienced, having met so many knights.Erica could not believe the young man had the ability to "retract his talonslike an eagle."On the other hand, he was able to foil Erica"s plan despite her beliefs."So Erica, how shall we obtain tangible information from him?""Now it"s your turn to shine, Lily. Didn"t you master the [Witch"s Eye] amonth ago?""You actually want me to track down that man using the [Witch"s Eye]?"Of course. As Erica nodded, Lily looked up into the sky."Using clairvoyance for the despicable act of following someone in secret?""There are other vision-enhancing spells for long range recon... But noneare as good as the Witch"s Eye. Now is the perfect opportunity to makegood use of it."Only those with a witch"s disposition were able to use witchcraft.The Witch"s Eye allowed one"s sense of sight to travel afar and movearound freely. Other lineages of magic also had similar spells but none ofthem could offer clairvoyance that moved as rapidly as the Witch"s Eye.This spell was surprisingly useful for tailing someone.Erica borrowed a large basin from the restaurant and filled it with water.This restaurant and bar also had open air tables out front.That was where the two of them sat after setting down the borrowed basin.After sitting properly at the table, Liliana closed her eyes and released theWitch"s Eye.Soon after, the young man"s image appeared on the surface of the water inthe basin.The man seemed to be casually chatting away with an older man withgreat enthusiasm. They seemed to have just met but they had their armson each other"s shoulder, and were so familiar that it seemed like theywere longtime friends.The young man kept repeating certain words as if pleading for something.The man immediately laughed in response and motioned for him to follow.Then the two of them got in a car and left."Lily, check out where they are going."A witch"s clairvoyant [Witch"s Eye] was even able to keep up with thespeed of a car.Liliana had already antic.i.p.ated such an order."Understood. But how are we going to get there?""Relax. I, Erica Blandelli, can"t possibly fail to achieve the same task asthat man, right?"Erica declared with immense pride.Part 4San Gimignano"s streets dated all the way back to the Middle Ages andwere cla.s.sified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.A total of fourteen towers had been built all over the town during the MiddleAges.Situated close to Florence, it was less than an hour away by car. The oldenCity of Flowers, Florence, and the Eternal City, Rome, were both importanturban centers that brought exceptional prosperity to their surroundings.Nowadays, historical buildings were fully put to use as tourist attractions.And so, the self-proclaimed amnesiac young man hitchhiked his way to thistown."So Lily, let"s find the guy immediately, you haven"t lost his trail, right?""Ah, no problem... That man suddenly got a lift. He should not be goingsightseeing, so what is he doing exactly?"At the entrance to the town was the Porta San Giovanni.Built in the thirteenth century, these gates had great historical significance.Standing before this structure, the two knights were whispering to eachother.Liliana had been keeping her eyes tightly shut all this time starting from therestaurant at the last village. When using the Witch"s Eye, her own eyesmust be kept closed.Erica skillfully guided and protected her childhood friend in this state asthey went on their way.Following the young man"s lead, she chanced upon an idle-looking olderman and pleaded for a ride.(This kind of idle older men seemed to be unexpectedly common in theItalian countryside. As if on duty, these men would chat and flirt with youngladies on first sight regardless of whether they were local Italians or foreigntourists. Having a day job would be a hindrance to such activities.)Chatting amiably with the older man in the car helped add liveliness to thebrief journey.Erica explained Liliana"s closed-eye and silent condition with an excuse of"not feeling well."With that, Erica and Liliana easily followed in the young man"s footsteps."—What!? What on earth is that man trying to do!?"Liliana suddenly yelled out, opening her eyes that she had been keepingshut."What is it, Lily? Something unusual happened?""Ah, that man casually climbed to the top of a tower and was lookingaround... And suddenly, the Witch"s Eye was nullified.""Counter magic? Or is it that [Fortune"s Blessing] used by fairy doctors?""Intuition tells me that it is neither. Very likely it is not regular magic... Morelike something used by fairies, demonic deities or the like. Something thatfelt like magical and spirit power. In the end, all I saw was the man lightlywaving his right hand — "Erica stared with her eyes wide open as a result of Liliana"s explanation.The young man known as the idiot, did have a hidden trump card after all."Though this matter is rather concerning, picking up his trail again is ourfirst priority. Lily, let"s hurry to where he is! You know the place, right?""Ah, it is that plaza over there. Follow me!"Using the Witch"s Eye would likely have the same result again, so it wasnot a solution.Liliana started running first, with Erica following behind.San Gimignano"s streets were built on a hill. The land got steeper thecloser to town centre, and the sloped path extended uphill.Even so, the two of them ran effortlessly and pa.s.sed pedestrians withoutgetting out of breath.The place they reached was — a plaza with a great church.It was natural to find solemn holy sanctums in Italian towns of sufficientscale.Important facilities and tourist attractions targeted towards foreigners werebound to be found at the town center. Located at San Gimignano"s Piazzadel Duomo was the Palazzo Communale, the seat of civic authority andmuseum whose style of architecture dates back to medieval times.Furthermore, seven of the town"s iconic towers were located here.It was a must-see for tourists to ascend one of these towers to admire theview of the San Gimignano"s immediate surroundings.The young man happened to be exiting a tower. Erica and Liliana noddedat each other and approached him."You really did something out of line! Did you recover your memory!?""...Ah. You"re the girls just now called... whatever."The young man turned to face Erica with an indifferent expression as shecalled to him. It was shocking how badly he failed at rememberinganyone"s name after all this time.Erica and Liliana were beautiful girls who should have left deepimpressions. People who remembered their names and faces would vastlyoutnumber those who forgot them completely —"Please allow me to ask a question, Mr. Amnesiac. Why do you seem to betrying to avoid bringing us to meet Saint Raffaello? Are you facing somesort of difficulty? ...Or could it be, that you don"t want us to obtain the twinswords?"A rather instigating query.Earlier at the restaurant, Erica and Liliana had not explained their purpose.However, at that time the two young knights had expressed their wish tomeet Saint Raffaello. If the young man was really her disciple then heshould have easily figured out their reason for wanting to meet her.So he must be playing dumb and deliberately withholding clues —"Based on what your suspicious behavior indicates, is that not the mostplausible conclusion? Are you really wandering around because you aretrying to find Saint Raffaello"s residence?"However, if he really did not know magic then they needed to change theirapproach.If he is like that then things could only be decided by a direct frontalconfrontation. Though Erica was a quick-witted girl well-versed in strategy,ultimately, she had the heart of a soldier who loved a good frontal charge.However, this frontal confrontation did not lead to any dramatic result."No no, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I really can"t rememberwho that Saint whatever person is... Ah, wait a minute, somehow hearingthat name makes me think of a horse"s tail."The young man spoke as he racked his brains. A horse"s tail?Erica frowned in response to this cavalier att.i.tude that seemed to bemaking fun of her. Liliana interrupted and said:"So why did you come to this town? You lost your memory, right?""Hmm, for some reason, I have a strong feeling that this town with themany towers is the place where I will meet the one I want to meet. That"swhy I asked that acquaintance if he knew a place like that and begged himto take me here..."The young man looked around at the medieval streets with a nostalgicexpression."And then, it really did feel familiar, so I tried going somewhere higher, andthen something caught my attention."Flawlessly acting the fool all this time, the man finally made a noteworthycomment.Faced with this situation, Erica readied her stance. Was this a trap? Washe trying to lead her and Liliana into a mistaken direction?"Hey you two, would you mind coming along with me? If I am really relatedto the person you seek, then it should be easier to find clues about thatperson, right?"Unexpectedly, the young man was asking for more favors."What an incomprehensible request...?"Faced with Liliana"s surprise, the young man responded with a veryserious expression."Because just now when I bought the ticket to the tower I becamecompletely penniless. And that was because I was a little short andbegged the older lady for a discount of 1 Euro. That is why I need friendswho can help me with further travels!"Come to think of it, San Gimignano was a tourist center. Though therewere many towers and museums, they more or less all charged entrancefees.(By the way, in various streets, even public facilities had times whenentrance fees were required.)Faced with this spontaneous request, Erica shook her head in vexation,caught in a quandary.Drawing her lips close to Liliana"s ear, they began to discuss in whispers.(...Hey Lily, what do think of this man? Is he the "sly old fox skillfullyplaying dumb" we thought earlier, or the apparent "complete fool inappearance and essence" we see now?)(What a strange experience. Actually, I am beginning to suspect the lattertoo.)Rare it may be, but Liliana also agreed with Erica"s a.s.sessment.(Well, there still are many suspicious points, but the opportunity should notbe given up.)(Right, as the saying goes — nothing ventured, nothing gained.)In the worst case scenario, if this guy really was an unforgivable idiot, thenhe would just muddle through no matter what.Thus the girls reached a consensus, aiming for venturous gains."Understood. So, Mr. Amnesiac, let us travel together then. Take us to theplace which caught your attention.""Of course! Let"s go over there?""Right, by the way, there is something I need to confirm. Just now youdiscovered my Witch"s Eye and dispelled it so splendidly. How did you doit?"Liliana slowly phrased her question to the young man who was noddingaway in response to Erica.That"s right, how could the young man who was supposed to be acomplete failure in magic use an ultimate skill like that? This mystery mustbe cleared up no matter what."Ah, I just felt a kind of uneasiness like being watched. So it was you? Ididn"t use a spell though. All I did was throw this at it."The young man took out a fork from his pocket.A completely unremarkable piece of cutlery. Colored silver, it was mostlikely stainless steel."Actually, what I threw was the knife I secretly took along with this fork. Notfor any particular reason, but only because I thought it"d be fun to play withback at the restaurant."Now that it was mentioned, the fork did look familiar.However, knives and forks casually taken from dinner tables should nothave antimagic effects.Erica questioned acutely."So you mean you infused magic into the knife to neutralize other spells?""No no, I was just wondering if that spell could be easily sliced through. Isuck too much at magic and didn"t do anything complicated. Hmm, really,all I did was to try cutting it."Was this another instance of perfect acting from the young man?Or was his explanation not clear enough? Erica sighed.It was a first time for her to be completely unsure of a man"s character.Despite having absolute confidence in her grasp of social andinterpersonal relations, Erica still had yet to find the proper reins to keepthis man under control.Amazed and impressed by the young man, Erica and Liliana signaled eachother through their eyes.The amnesiac young man walked along the open streets.Going in the direction of some eateries and shops, he suddenly stoppedand turned his gaze to one of the shops selling local souvenirs."This is the shop that "caught your attention"?""Nope, but I saw something else... I"ll just be a moment!"The young man dove straight into the shop immediately after answeringLiliana"s question.Helplessly, the two girls followed after him.This was a shop selling typical souvenirs such as folk works of art andartistic postcards.Neither Erica nor Liliana had any particular interest in enjoying this kind ofwell-stocked souvenir shop.As the two browsed the shop with disinterest, they found the young mangoing "ahah, just as expected!" with his eyes shining brightly.He was in a corner of the shop where many weapons were hung on thewall.Long swords, short swords, shields, battle axes, bows and arrows, etc —There were all sorts of cla.s.sic weapons from the medieval battlefield.However, all were merely replicas created as souvenirs. They even offeredj.a.panese swords, further proof of selling out to commercialism."This one this one, I really like this!"The young man was holding a long sword.Even though it was obviously a replica, the craftsmanship was very good.When forging a real sword, molten steel was first poured into a mold. Aftercooling down, the blade portion was polished and sharpened.This replica simply lacked the sharpening stage.Hence, it was identical to the real thing in both weight and shape. Not badat all."...Isn"t this just a fake? I don"t think it will be useful to you."Erica commented coldly as Liliana nodded in agreement beside her.However, the amnesiac young man shook his head."That"s not right. Come to think of it, for swords there"s no such thing asreal or fake, only skilled or unskilled — only the user"s skill matters. Ifwielded by a true master, even a fake sword can cut like a peerlesstreasure. If used by a clumsy rookie, even the strongest magic swordwould be no different from a fishing rod."He proceeded to take out the restaurant fork from just now."Taken to the extreme, a swordsman"s mission is to be able to use anyordinary weapon as if it was King Arthur"s Excalibur. Whether the weaponin hand is the strongest magic sword or an oaken branch, a saber or a fork,all should be the same. You fail if you can"t use it well enough.""That"s just idealism. If you"re going to use a weapon on the battlefield, ofcourse you should use the best possible."In terms of the pursuit of skill, the young man"s perspective did carry sometruth.Erica played devil"s advocate even though she agreed in principle.There existed exceptional masters who could obtain splendid victoryagainst lance-wielding knights with nothing but a short blade, orotherworldly martial artists who could dominate sword users with their barefists —But those who possessed such divine skills were extremely rare.Erica"s Uncle Paolo Blandelli and Saint Raffaello were probably the fewexceptions.However, this did not mean they could ignore the quality of their weapons.After all, a personal weapon was a helper, an important partner needed toresist and destroy enemies."Well, that"s good enough for little kids like you. Trying to do difficult thingsbefore you are mature enough would not work anyway. However, once yougrow up into adults with clear judgment like me, you will see the failure inyour ways."The young man spoke rather unhappily for once. However, the way hestared at the sword on the wall was like a child in poverty looking wistfullyat a little trumpet in a shop window.Wanting badly but unable to buy."...So, what exactly do you wish to do about this sword, Mr. Adult?"Greatly surprised, Liliana spoke in a rare moment of sarcasm. The youngman looked back at the girls with a smile from the heart."No, this is exactly the time when an adult"s power is needed. — Mr.Shopkeeper, may I ask, does this shop allow temporary unpaid bills? Eh,guarantors? Credit cards? Loans? No no, I"m not talking about thosewarmthless consumer terms of modern society. I want something that canbring out miraculous connections between people, warming people"shearts or something like that..."No wallet, personal identification, prepaid funds or guarantors.Faced with such a shameless young man, the young shopkeeper of thesouvenir store refused in shock. However, the young man continued toplead repeatedly like a spoiled child.In the end, Erica and Liliana settled the matter of the sword by paying forhim."Thank you so much for buying the sword!"The young man grinned from ear to ear as he walked ahead, embracingthe replica sword from the souvenir shop that was wrapped in a rag.Erica and Liliana secretly whispered to each other as they followed behindhim."Well, for something of that price...""That idiot — no, that man, how far are we going to believe in him..."Erica could fully understand Liliana"s sentiments as she was about to utterthe words "shameless idiot."Regardless, the trio continued on their way.Leaving the walled city, the wide open Tuscan fields came into view.Gentle rolling hills. Well-maintained vineyards and olive tree plantations.Modest little huts used by farmers. Spa.r.s.ely growing trees. Little streams.This was an ancient road that led straight to Rome —Amongst such scenery were the remains of medieval castles and forts.The young man made his way towards them. Of course, Erica and Lilianawere still following."...Hmm, this place really seems familiar after all. Though I have some kindof feeling I suffered a fair bit of hardship here before, but what was itexactly?"The self-p.r.o.nounced amnesiac muttered and grumbled to himself.Erica cared little for his reactions, but suddenly Liliana began to shake andspeak quietly with eyes out of focus."Ancient knightly skills... Ancient incantations, treasures... Are hidden inthis holy sanctum..."It was spirit vision. Liliana had obtained an oracle.Those who possessed a witch"s disposition would mutter divine oracles onoccasion. Erica nodded and immediately walked towards her childhoodfriend who was both a knight and a witch."What did you see through spirit vision, Lily? Does it help our cause?""Ah, yes, Erica, this place is where ancient knights frequented. Near theirfort — in the depths of the darkness a temple was built. That was theimage I saw through spirit vision.""Interesting words. A temple built in the depths of darkness, intuition wouldsuggest it is underground?"Erica tried kicking the ground with the tip of her foot.It would be a good idea to check out the surroundings. Together withLiliana, the two of them began to use investigative magic."Sure enough, a hint of remaining magical power can be sensed fromstraight down in the earth...""Yes. It feels a bit suspicious, but we cannot let go of that tiny probability...""This place is definitely being concealed by a barrier. This undergroundtemple is most likely a secret holy sanctum.""The place once visited by Mr. Amnesiac who has connections with SaintRaffaello — anyway, the probability of finding Saint Raffaello here shouldbe quite high.""Conversely, the probability of Saint Raffaello being the guardian of thisplace is also..."Though it was mere speculation, the two of them still exchanged theirideas.The only thing left to do was to confirm the actual situation. The two girlsnodded to each other. This was the tiger"s den they must venture into forworthy gains. Now, where should they begin their plan of attack?They then heard the young man"s frivolous voice."I should have been doing something here before I lost my memories...? Itwas definitely the person related to a horse"s tail. I want to make contactbut I haven"t a clue about the telephone number or address... Should Iconsider something more cla.s.sic like signal fires or war pigeon services?"Strange words were being uttered. Naturally, Erica and Liliana ignoredthem.Their experience thus far had convinced them that a meaningful discussionbetween themselves would be more constructive than having an idioticconversation with the amnesiac young man.However, this became the precise reason why they missed the criticalmoment.As the two engaged in discussion, a horrifying amount of magical powerwas exploding.Using an a.n.a.logy, it would be like a volcano eruption.Neither Erica nor Liliana had ever experienced magical power erupting inan instant like this.To make a forced comparison, it would be like having dozens of topranking magi taking part in a magical ritual of explosive power.On the other hand, for a single person to use the same kind of spell andgather together such a ma.s.sive amount of magical power, it would take aninordinate amount of time and effort to prepare. It was not something thatcould be done in an instant like this.— What on earth happened?Erica and Liliana turned back to look at the same time.They saw the young man making a pose as if swinging his sword towardsthe heavens. Apparently he had started swinging that replica.Furthermore, a medieval fort had been split through the middle and thehalves had collapsed outwards. It was a medieval structure built out ofstone on a hill.The fort had one level for soldiers to garrison and an upper level forlookout posts. It was a large and impressive historical building.Just like that, it was sliced into two.Severed as if a giant sword had been swung down from the heavens —Collapsing left and right, the stone building materials made a great noiseas they hit the ground."W-What happened?"Erica was a girl who always maintained lady-like composure at all times.However, in that moment she was muttering in shock, completely forgettingher usual mannerisms."Could it really be that man"s doing...?"Liliana was also stupefied.This expression was unbecoming for a talented mage and witch whoshould be better versed in mysterious matters than the average mage."Sorry, did I scare you two? Umm, actually I was wondering if this wouldwork like a signal fire to call out people related to this fort."This frivolous-sounding voice belonged to the amnesiac young man, ofcourse.Who on earth was this man — !?Just as the two girls cast a gaze of fear at him for the first time...A gray horse arrived, galloping across the rolling Tuscan hills. It was astrong, vigorous and fierce-looking horse with a raven-haired beauty sittingupon its saddle. She appeared to be of Latin descent, bearing a resoluteexpression.Her black hair was tied back in a ponytail. Or as the words implied, like ahorse"s tail."...I was wondering if it was an invasion started by some a.s.sociation, andwho does it turn out to be? Salvatore Doni. Though I suppose our briefcontact makes you my unworthy disciple, what on earth is going on here?Depending on circ.u.mstances, I may have to cut off your head ascompensation."The black-haired rider declared heroically from atop her horse.If this was indeed Saint Raffaello, then she must be the exalted paladino— the top swordsman in Europe holding the position of the "Knight of theHoly Grail"!Part 5Though supposed to be advanced in age, Saint Raffaello lookedcompletely like someone in her twenties.Magi whose magical power had reached the purest heights would recoversignificant youth and vigor. It was said that the effect was particularlypotent for women.Saint Raffaello"s heroic and awe-inspiring beauty must have been theblessed result of that effect."What"s up, Doni? Did you forget my face because of injuries from thebeating you took? If that"s the case, I won"t be surprised at all because it"syou.""...Ah, it"s exactly as you say."The young man named Salvatore Doni replied, undaunted by his master"squestioning.This was a name that Erica had never heard before, even though she hadgathered personal profiles on virtually all the top ranking knights acrossEurope in case it might come in handy. Who on earth could this young manbe — ?"To be frank, I do seem to have lost my memory.""Don"t say it like you caught a flu, moron!""Well well, don"t be angry. This morning when I woke up I found myselfsleeping on some unknown country roadside... And then, I was thinking Imust do something to recall past events."Now that it was mentioned, this was the first time for Erica to hear of thepast experiences of the young man named Doni."Strolling over to the nearby monastery, I heard your name beingmentioned. Anyway, making my way through this and that, I finally gothere... Seeing you, I finally understand."The man named Doni smiled. It was a friendly smiling face as radiant assunshine.However, a dark shadow seemed to flash across his pupils for an instant.He was no ordinary person. His body clearly held evidence that he was nocommon mortal."What I needed to do was see you. And if I could fight you then that senseof vagueness would surely go away. That"s what I have been feeling, andit"s unbearable."The young man readied the replica sword in at middle level.It was an ordinary looking stance that felt uninteresting and lacking insplendor.However, Erica somehow felt a chill when she saw that posture.If she had to face sword strikes delivered by that ordinary stance, verylikely any spell would be sliced apart?A meaningless notion.Erica glanced at Liliana beside her. She too, was staring at the mannamed Doni with her face completely pale.Perhaps her childhood friend and rival was facing the same fear? This wasa man who was more than a match for the prodigies of Milan, the red andblue young geniuses!"Indeed, doing this is perfectly within your character. Unilaterally doing asyou pleased while muttering to yourself..."Saint Raffaello grumbled and dismounted."Maybe this counts as an acceptable reason? I keep feeling that my swordtraining has