Campione! - Volume 20 - Chapter 4.3

Part 3

「Looks like Godou is sleeping soundly.」

「If there is allowance to rest even for a bit# don’t let it get away and rest! That’s what is called as the disposition of warrior! Well# though perhaps it’s simply being impudent!」

「I guess. Even though this place is also the same as enemy territory in a sense.」 

That was a conversation between the voice of a calm woman and a theatrical man. 

It was a talk that was exchanged between Annie Charlton and 

“one other person”! Kusanagi Godou was sleeping like log while being watched over by them. 

He was sound asleep while still wearing his clothes, with only his shoes taken off. 

The Japanese young man was making the back seat of a red convertible car as his bed. 

It was pulled out from the treasure warehouse and turned into the front of the entrance of the palace. Of course, it was something to be the rode for the travel. And then, while Annie and “the other” were preparing for the departure# Kusanagi Godou shrewdly crawled onto the seat……!

「What a really impudent person, to act like this after coming into the secondary residence of the fairy king and also godslayer John Pluto Smith and――Annie Charlton! Fufufufu!

」 

“The other” that was chuckling was put at the assistant driver’s seat. 

As for Annie, she was riding on the driver seat. Today she was also wearing the black pants suit that she often wore.

「Or else this might be a proof of trust? Something like, even in the middle of this extremely devil king civil war# it’s only John 

Pluto Smith that I can trust.」

「If that’s the case# than my natural virtue ought to be praised!」 

The convertible car was parked in front of a simple mansion. 

The building had the size that looked like it could be used by thirty, forty people to live together, but it was completely made from wood, the internal and also external looked like extremely simple and plain residence mansion. 

If Celtic people in the fourth ~ fifth century were building something, then perhaps it would turn out into this kind of construction. 

And then, the mansion was located at the center of a forest. 

It was a vast woods to the degree that it filled a whole stratum of Astral world. Green broad leafed trees that were centered on oak were growing in abundance, and there were a lot of fairies. 

Those with appearance that were completely like human children or girl# but they were fairy’s with wings growing on their back. (TN: The fairy here is written in English in the raw. The word fairy written before this was written in Japanese and that word could cover fairy, sprite, or elf) 

Those that looked like old men with growing beards while having short heights that didn’t reach three feet, were the leprechaun. 

Mischievous small demons with large noses, goblin. According to the land they were born at, fairy race of Europe could become ugly giant that was a troll, or they could even be old men or small men wearing hat. 

Races of fairy females in the form of beautiful woman or girls existed in every country. 

Other than those there were also banshee, dullahan, satros, silenos# and so on! So many kind of fairy’s were living here# that there would be no end to it if it was listed one by one. 

This was the forest where once fairy king Oberon and his people were living at. Since he who was dyed in madness was exterminated by the masked godslayer# it became John Pluto Smith’s territory! Since then, each time Smith/Annie came to Astral world as a part-time fairy king, this mansion was used as base-camp and secondary residence……! 

The spare of equipment was generally prepared inside the treasure warehouse of the king. 

This convertible car was also one of those. It was a kind of high-class car that was also known to be used by America’s president. However it was an old model from year 1959. 

It was unclear whether it was drifted away to Astral world by some kind of situation. 

Smith also thought to take it to earth and sell it to old car maniacs, but the blacksmiths who lived in Oberon’s forest had learned the method to maintenance it. 

Thanks to that, it could be used as exclusive car of Annie/Smith.

「Annie. We should depart soon.」

“The other” that was put at the assistant driver seat spoke his opinion. 

It was a jet black mask. It was the item that was worn by Annie’s other self# the hero of Los Angeles『John Pluto Smith』. 

Smith’s personality dwelled in the mask and talked with the main body Annie. It was a mystery that occurred only when she came to Astral world. Surely it was because in this place, mind and soul were emphasized more than the flesh body. Usually Annie changed her voice tone and let out tenor voice. But, it was only right now that the mask was speaking with 

Smith’s voice!

「Seeing from the messenger report sent just now, those guys are starting to gather at the conference room in this time.

」

「I guess. I believe Godou will also wake up eventually.」 

She inserted the car key and put her hand on the handle. 

Annie drove her beloved car forward. Currently, there were several roads that were maintained inside this 『Forest of Oberon』. 

Trees and underbrush were cut, the ground hardened, and wide roads were laid out to every direction. 

They were so that beasts like horse, and also carts and the like that could easily pass through. 

Although this place was a forest, but it was the royal capital. In a sense# it was the natural consideration! Annie’s beloved car was accelerating without any danger.

「That’s right!」

Annie murmured while moving fast against the wind on the driver seat.

「I overlooked a crucial point. The reason that Godou can act this defenselessly in front of me.」

「Hou, what is it?」

「That’s because the relationship between me and him is progressing. Thinking back, when I said『fruits of wife’s labor』in the middle of battle# Godou didn’t look like he was that dissatisfied. If through this and that, it caused a feeling toward Annie Charlton to ferment inside his heart, than this attitude of his can be completely explained.」

「…………」

「Even this time, I let him take the active role while it’s me instead that is rotated into the support role. Perhaps that kind of detailed consideration is raising his feeling toward me, stimulating his desire of『wanting to love and be loved by an older woman that he can trust and also respect』.」

「…………」

「This is troubling. The location where we live and the age between us are just too separated. And the burden we are both shouldering is also too big. Even if the relation between the two of us is advancing like this, perhaps it will bring unhappiness to everyone at the surrounding because of that……」

「……」

「You know, he sometimes sent me meaningful glances with expression that seemed to say『If it’s you then you understand right?』. He fully believes in me. Hey, are you listening Smith?」

「Uh huh.」 

While Annie was talking dispassionately, the mask was persisting in its silence. 

The mask stopped with only pouring its flood of emotions into its slight grunt before suddenly changing the topic.

「Let me just express my opinion at some future date after I finished putting my thoughts in order. For now, how about you changed clothes soon? We are going to come out of the forest before long and exit our barrier.」

「Certainly it’s just as you say! ――Birth# death! And then infinity!」 

Right after she chanted the transformation’s words of power! The mask vanished from the assistant driver seat and was instantly equipped on Annie’s face! Black cape and highly dignified blue costume were renewed on her body. 

The driver of the convertible car became that person, John Pluto Smith. He imaged the destination and transferred. Smith repeatedly transferred through stratum along with the convertible car with his usual method. 

Stratum of intensely cold ice field that was exposed with blizzards. Stratum with dry ground that had flame pillars spurting out like geyser from it one after another. 

Stratum, a city where souls that were formerly human became shadows that possess living humans and wander aimlessly. Stratum where white horizon was continuing endlessly, and so on. 

Smith was driving very detachedly like an automatic driving machine. 

If a traveler didn’t go around the stratums following the designated order# they wouldn’t be able to arrive at the destination they aimed at――! Such magic of ground confinement was working, so the travel became troublesome no matter what. 

En route, Kusanagi Godou at the back seat awoke.

「Nn……」

「You really slept soundly there, Kusanagi Godou.」

「Isn’t it fine! Yesterday was really busy!」

「Even though I might assassinate you while you were sleeping?」

「If I’m concerned with that# then I wouldn’t accept your proposal right from the start.」 

Kusanagi Godou easily accepted to『travel with Smith just the two of them』with this mood. 

He instructed his princess shrine maidens companion to chase after Salvatore Doni’s party and linked up with them while went until the forest of Oberon. 

Fuu――h! 

Smith smiled behind his mask. 

Fighting slyly as godslayer devil king, and not hesitating to make a friend. 

Godslayer that was able to make these two actions coexisted without any contradiction would be Kusanagi Godou and――Salvatore Doni (though in the case of the Italian that was too optimistic, the implication of that was slightly different……)! 

Was it as he thought, should this Japanese be left as the last? 

Smith was toying with that thought because he had different reason with Annie who had ulterior motive.「So, how much you are able to recover?」

「My stamina is at 100%! As for my authority……all of it will be okay in a few more hours.」

「Hou! It’s unexpectedly quick.」 

The authority『The Persian Warlord』that Kusanagi Godou owned. Each of its abilities that were related to the respective ten avatars that god Verethragna boasted could only be used once per day. 

And then, it seemed that an avatar that had been used once couldn’t be used anymore for the whole day! 

That was what the wise man parliament of Greenwhich conjectured. 

However, it should be only half a day that had passed since the battle at Okutama……!

「I guess I should confess.」 

Kusanagi Godou said, perhaps because he was sensing something from Smith’s silence!「The time for my――Verethragna’s power until it become usable once more, it had been shrinking even though only little by little! Perhaps right now……it only needs half the time compared to the start. The time for me to revive once I died was also gradually shrinking.」

「That’s really honest of you!」 

Smith smiled wryly.「Is it okay to reveal such matter to me?」

「Someone that will abuse this kind of info won’t let me sleep peacefully in the first place.」 

This defenselessness in opposite of his determination as warrior. 

It would become an opening that was hard to cover, at the same time it would also become impetus that attracted even his arch¬enemy the gods. That was why, he heard from rumor that even the goddess Athena too――!

「Come to think of it, the princess with glass colored eye, she is also your acquaintance isn’t it?」

「You, so you know about that person?」

「I had a bit of chance to meet her before the civil war began. I should say that she is really a lady that left an impression.」 

The princess of glass and the former divine ancestor. That it was preferable for Kusanagi Godou to be at the last battle, and also the reason for that. At that time, she said that she wanted to bet on this man’s defenselessness――. Smith was recalling that while finishing the last transfer.「It will be our destination soon.」

「Somehow this is a scenery I have recollection of.」

「Personally I think this scenery is resembling the southern part of Britain……of the area of Cornwall!」 

It was grassland that was rampant with verdant grass. 

As far as the eye could see, there was green spreading out without end like sea. 

Above the head was vast starry sky. This stratum was constantly night. And then, the artificial things that were blending into this grandeur nature without any out of place feeling――!「Eh# isn’t that the thing called menhir?」 

Kusanagi Godou said. Menhir(Large stone structure). Stones larger than even human height (it was generally long and narrow stone pillar) were lined up in good order, while just one was made to stand tall like a stone monument, they were proof of a sacred place! They were the legacy from Europe’s prehistoric civilization. 

Those menhir clusters were standing here and there at the too vast grassland. 

And then, there was also a single road connecting to the far beyond. The convertible car ran through the road for around five kilometer before finally arriving at the destination. As expected, there was also menhir there. 

So to speak it was a stone circle. 

Dizens of cuboid huge stones with height that could reach five meter were lined up to form a ring. 

The size of the circle was around the diamond shape of a baseball field. There were more than twenty attendances gathering inside there. Faces that Godou saw for the first time weren’t few! 

The fairy kings of Astral world were also taking along expert who wasn’t king with them! 

「Here is a discussion place for the kings that reign in the fairy realm and the wise men to gather and have discussion. Today I wish for you to participate in this gathering too by all means.」 

Smith informed Kusanagi Godou.

「It seems that the beautiful glass princess is absent, but I heard that there is also your acquaintance here.」

「My acquaintance is――hm?」 

As soon as he got down from the car along with Smith, Kusanagi Godou focused his eyes. 

Ahead there was a white haired old man wearing oriental clothing, and a girl wearing chiton, a clothing that represented ancient Greece! Smith wasn’t acquaintance with any of them! 

The girl one left special impression with her silver hair and beautiful face, she was clad in divine aura.

「Isn’t this old man Susanoo and……Athena!」 

Kusanagi Godou whispered in amazement.