Chapter 10: Holy Anri Thearchy
“Then, I’m off.”
“A, ahaha……”
“Take care, Tena oneechan” (TN: elder sister)
“Wait, am I someone who needs to be taken care of?”
Tena was gently called out by Anri and Lili who came to see the 2 people off. On the other hand, extremely frigid eyes were turned towards Reiji.
“If you hurt Tena…….I’ll pluck it off.”
“Where so!!!?”
“…….you are not allowed to make Tena Oneesan cry.”
“I won’t make her cry!!”
Reiji broke out in cold sweat towards the words from the 2 people.
“That’s right, please do a banzai.” (TN: Cheer with hands up in the air while shouting Banzai!)
“Ha?”
Anri suddenly said a strange thing towards Reiji. Reiji who doesn’t understand, returns a perplexed sound.
“Banza~i” (TN: Cheering, literally ten thousand years old or long live!)
“All right…..Tena”
“Y, Yes?”
Anri called out to tena next after nodding contentedly to Reiji who obediently did a Banzai with a shameful appearance, although his face only colored up slightly.
Although Tena who was called was tilting her head to one side wondering what happened, she approaches and stops near Anri’s beckoning. Anri took Tena’s hands and made them grasp the hem of Reiji’s clothes.
“That, what is it?”
“Travel like this so that you will be okay when auto magic triggers.”
“Ha!?”
“Ehhh!?”
Two people utter an astonished cry to Anri’s abrupt announcement.
“Why in such a state!?”
“Uu, that’s right but…….”
“When not in contact, you may become separated when metastasis magic is triggered.”
“Ce, Certainly the need to avoid that is understood, but……”
It was a strange instruction, but the reason heard is unexpectedly sound, and the two person, Reiji and Tena were at a loss for words without being able to refute immediately.
“With the means of magic continuously sealed off like that on a dangerous journey, it’s a suicidal act without any margin. Since I think that it’s okay even if it’s sealed in the town, receive it from Tena when you enter into town.”
“Ugu…….”
Although Reiji objects after recalling last night’s magic, it has been refuted at once within the moment. However Reiji did not notice that currently, there would not be any problem even if his magic is sealed as he cannot actually use magic by himself.
“With this appearance, I’m a little embarra.s.sed……”
“That’s, that’s no good…….I understand. Even though it’s shameful, I will endure it.”
In the end, it’s impossible to refute Anri’s opinion, and two people, Reiji and Tena, were seen off in that state by Anri and left the black rose mansion before long.
Immediately following, flame blew up from Reiji’s hands towards the sky.
“……Hmm?”
Reiji walking towards the town with the dungeon felt a sense of discomfort due to Tena’s appearance. It isn’t that her clothes, a robe worn on top of a mysterious kantou style shrine maiden clothes identical to yesterday, with red pattern on top of black cloth, are strange.
(TN: Kantou style: simple type of clothing consisting of a large piece of cloth with a hole in the middle for the head)
Then, when speaking of where the strangeness is, is the presence perched on her right shoulder.
“He, Hey Tena? That…… crow on top of your shoulder, what is it?”
That’s right, a crow with black glossy feather was perched on her right shoulder.
Although it seems to be an ordinary crow, but, it’s eyes had a similar shape to a human’s scornful eyes that was unnatural.
“Ah, This child? It’s Anri Sama’s familiar. Anri sama was hoping I would take it along no matter what.”
“Is, is that so.”
Having a bad feeling for some reason, Reiji broke into a cold sweat.
Anri did not go to the extent of holding animosity against Reiji and should have sympathize with his predicament. It doesn’t mean that Reiji himself is bad even though he was rude to have suddenly raised her skirt by magic. After all, lodging was permitted although she was a little mean.
However, concerning the relationship with Tena, it is understood that there was very strong suspicion held in her heart. Tena bringing along Anri’s personal familiar could only be thought to mean that she is observing Reiji so that he does not put his hands on her.
“Kaa-?”
The scornful stares of the crow induces that uneasiness. Perhaps when Reiji tries to approach Tena, it’s certain that he will come under the pecking of this crow.
Towards Tena, Reiji swore to tear down and change her heart with a gentlemanly att.i.tude.
“By the way, what kind of place are we going towards after this?”
“H, Holy Anri Thearchy?”
Reiji broke into cold sweat unconsciously towards that excessive country name.
To being with, according to the story heard from Anri yesterday, as a divine being, her cla.s.sification should be an Evil G.o.d.
It is too far apart from the word called holy.
When her name is included in the country’s name, it’s painful to look at. The capital name is the same too.
“Kaa-”
The crow stares and scowl at Reiji who was thinking about such a thing.
“Although the country is quite small, it’s lively since people gathers from all over the world.”
“The people from around the world? Is there so much faith?”
Reiji have only met Anri of the human race and have not met Anri the G.o.d.
Nevertheless, considering they were originally the same person, there isn’t thought to be difference in their character. It was impossible to imagine her being called someone whom people around the world have faith in. In the first place, he thought that the belief in Evil G.o.d was usually carried out a little more discreetly.
“Ah, Well, although believers exist in all parts of the world too, the majority gathered to come here are adventurers challenging the dungeon. As the dungeon over there is the best known dungeon in the world, there are many people trying to capture it.”
“Yes. Because there are a lot of shops for adventurers around the shrine, let’s prepare and buy various things there.”
Reiji was suddenly worried at the words of Tena.
“To prepare and buy, in the first place I do not have money of this world though.”
What Reiji was holding on to was j.a.panese yen. It isn’t likely to be able to use it in this world.
“It’s alright. Because Anri sama gave it.”
When saying so, Tena took out a small bag from her chest and showed it to Reiji. Judging from the reaction of Tena, the small bag is probably fully packed with money. However, Reiji’s sight wasn’t on the small bag, but the place where it was taken out from.
“Kaa-”
Feeling the scornful glare from the crow getting stronger with a cry, Reiji averted his eyes from Tena’s chest in a hurry.
“Nevertheless, to be given such a large sum. She is fairly kind.”
“Yes, Anri sama is kind!”
Reiji praises Anri by saying a half truth. Although it wasn’t a lie to have expressed his grat.i.tude for Anri’s consideration. Tena merely nod her head in approval delightfully towards Reiji’s statement.
“Ah, however Anri sama said something strange when giving me this money, like 『Make it 10 times more then』.”
“………………….”
It probably means something like ‘because Tena is travelling together’. If Reiji was alone, it would only be 1/10 of that small bag. As there was no obligation to prepare money for Reiji and get taken care of from Anri, even though it might be better to have received it, it’s still a complicated feeling.
“Kaa-”
“It’s close.”
Tena suddenly exclaimed after walking along the highway for a while. When Reiji raised his head to those words, a strange object was reflected in his sight.
“Th, That’s?”
The face of a huge girl is seen in the distance.
However, that isn’t a real person of course. It would be understood once the color is seen, it’s a bronze statue. Although there is a body when one’s line of sight moves below the face, Reiji remembered the clothes that it was wearing.
“That is one of the symbol of the Thearchy, a huge statue of Anri sama.”
In that way, what the huge bronze statue wore and the black rose Anri was wearing are like 2 peas in a pod. Even though Reiji did not see Anri’s face under the mask in the end, it was possible to honestly agree with Tena’s words that That was modeled after Anri’s image.
It looked a little younger than what he remembered, but that was probably because it was constructed a little while ago.
“Oh, it was such a face though I did not get to see it with a mask.”
However after the statue was done, she said it was embarra.s.sing and reached a point where she hides behind a mask.”
“Eh? Wasn’t it because of the demon eyes?”
Reiji who had received that kind of explanation from Anri raised a doubt at the one from Tena.
“I think there is more or less that too, but the primary reason is to avoid causing an uproar due to having the same face as a the divine statue.”
Certainly, if there is a woman with the same face as a statue of a G.o.d, it will normally cause an uproar. Besides, it’s really the same person in her case, not just an accidental resemblance like others. Reiji understood Tena’s explanation while having some doubts with the discrepancy from Anri’s one.
Incidentally, the reason why Anri did not explain the reason properly was because she was ashamed to say the fact that there was a bronze statue of herself.
“By the way, I think that there is a check to enter the town, will I be able to enter?”
“That means, I won’t be able to enter if I’m alone?”
“……th, that’s right.”
If Reiji had come alone as originally planned, he would have been stranded without being able to enter the town. Reiji and Tena noticed the fact and broke into cold sweat.
“After all, it’s good that Tena came together.”
“By the way, isn’t it about time for you to apply the dark magic to seal the use of magic?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
When Tena chanted the magic, the fog similar to what Anri released last night coiled around Reiji’s body.
As a result, Reiji was finally released from his banzai appearance.
“I entered normally.”
“Yeah, I also can’t settle down without having an identification. Will you show me later?”
“Okay!”
Reiji and Tena who barely pa.s.sed the gate check with an rough face pa.s.s was chatting while walking on the street of Anrinia. (TN: Face pa.s.s – allowed pa.s.sage due to being famous, entry on sight.)
Although the streets are not such a different scene from Luxiria Theocracy where Reiji was summoned, the number of people coming and going was extremely different. The town is overflowing with liveliness, and voices of touting employees are resounding everywhere. Reiji was baffled with the considerable difference from the words ‘home of the Thearchy sect’ with it’s peaceful and calm impression.
Rather, to be called adventurer’s town would be fitting.
When that was stated, Tena expressed a wry smile.
“Hehe, that’s so, isn’t it. With the dungeon as a town, because the prosperity of the town is due to challenging adventurers, therefore I think it’s natural to have become so. Oh, but because it’s dangerous to view Anri sama’s matter as foolish in this town, please never say that.”
“Kaa-?”
Reiji who did not hold a strict image of her from the impression of exchanging words directly with the human Anri, is puzzled by Tena’s words.
“Though I do not think Anri sama would get seriously angry as she is a kind person, it’s because her believers will not permit it.”
But with that, Tena continued.
— I have the same feeling too, though.
Even though a pretty smile is expressed, Reiji felt a chill down his back when he caught a momentary glimpse of her eyes that were not smiling.
“Ah, yes. Of course, I do not say things like a fool as she is my benefactor too.”
“Ka, Kaa-”
Reiji learnt deeply that there are things a person will not yield to anyone.
Reiji “Scary……..!?”
Although Tena came to be concern about Reiji, as the reason is an unconscious compensatory act for repaying Anri’s favor, the degree of liking for now is Anri >>> (the wall that is not crossed) >>> Reiji.
Where the [>] sign between them can be reduced to is up to his future efforts
Although it is mainstream to hear of heroine falling in love with the protagonist relatively soon, as I do not want him to pa.s.s without receiving suitable hardship after all, I feel regretful but I would like to advance it in this direction.
It’s unrelated, but I already felt that Anri’s crow might be good enough although I was wondering whether to name the crow or not.