Campione! - Volume 21 - Chapter 7.3

Part 3
Shanghai──.

Needless to point out, it was a prominent metropolitan city of China.

And then, there were two girls staying in a high-rise condominium near an old France concession. Currently they were in the middle of cohabitation.

Both of them were 19 years old. Their origin was from Milan.

They were Erica Blandelli and Liliana Kranjcar.

It was already two years since they left Japan’s high school and stopped wearing the ready-made uniform. Right now, Erica was wearing the combination of a black sweater on top of white shirt, and then red coat. Liliana was wearing black down vest on top of fleece, and blue denim.

Foreigners weren’t rare at the neighborhood of old France concession.

There were also a lot of roadside trees and nice western-style house there, the traffic volume also wasn’t that much. It was a suitable area for strolling leisurely.

Erica and Liliana were sitting at the terrace of a café in such neighborhood.

The two of them were having leisurely girls talk, not. Erica was talking into the smartphone that she was holding with one hand, while Liliana was in the middle of doing clerical work using a laptop.

『How are your situation over there, Erica-neesan?』

「It’’s extremely excellent. The people you introduced are also useful, although Kusanagi Godou is absent, our 《Round Table Alliance》 is without the slightest opening.」

『That’s great.』

Her talk partner was Lu Yinghua. The young master of Hong Kong’s Lu family and the direct disciple of the mystical sect founder.

A few years since his master vanished from “this world”, the order of the martial art world where the devil king Lu Cuilian once reigned at the top was temporarily shaken greatly.

It then developed into Erica and Liliana heading there.

『Well, it would also be fine if I butt in as my master’s direct disciple though.』

Lu Yinghua laughed haughtily at the other side of the phone.

Even now he was staying at Shinjuku’s Kabukichou. He was in the middle of having his fill of living in Tokyo.

『I can visit the branch factions that are going to cause problem in turn, beat up the so called great leaders or leading disciples utterly, and make them docile.』

「I guess. If it’s you then perhaps you are able to do that.」

Erica recognized his ability while enjoying coffee’s aroma in the café’s terrace.

「Based from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t appear likely that the experts of China mainland can “use martial arts” even half as well as Lu Yinghua. But, doing what you said just now is no good.」

『I get it. It’s that political consideration thing right?』

「Yes. What’s necessary is the placation to persuade the great leaders of each faction. While we are at it we are also bringing them in under the umbrella of the Round Table Alliance with Kusanagi Godou at the summit, to strengthen the great order and our hegemony……」

『As expected from Nee-san. You are really a female fox.』

Lu Yinghua praised in a roundabout way that was typical of him before changing the topic.

『By the way, about that thing, that story, is it true? That in a parallel word somewhere honored uncle──caught news about master’s whereabouts?』

「It seems that it’s true.」

Erica chuckled with a smile and taught him the information.

「About a week ago, a letter from Godou arrived from the 《corridor》 that was made in Blandelli residence in Milan. My maid Arianna confirmed it.」

『And, what did honored uncle said?』

「He will be back temporarily soon. Also he missed the person who seemed to be sect founder Luo Hao only by slightly. It required investigation……」

『Seriously!?』

「The letter was really short and no detail was written on it.」

『Aa. The bottom of my stomach suddenly got heavy……』

「Isn’t it fine? After all you were able to rejoice in your freedom for two years.」

『It’s that. After knowing the taste of freedom, the feeling of not wanting to return under the rule of my honored master after so long is acutely growing stronger inside me……』

「Give up. After the good health of the sect founder is confirmed like this, it’s inevitable that someday you will be reunited with her.」

『Uuuuuh. Nee-san, You can speak comfortably like that just because it’s other people’s problems.』

「Fufufu. You understand?」

『Obviously, damn it.』

「By the way, Lily and I came to China as your proxy, that’s why, take care of the things in Japan properly okay? Specifically the people of Kusanagi family.」

『You mean about babysitting that little sister right? I get it already──oh』

「What’s the matter?」

『It’s a coincidence. There is a message from the little sister of Mariya-neesan through my private handphone. She is bringing honored uncle’s little sister here? What the hell is she thinking!』

「My. It’s quite something.」

『What is it?』

「Hikari and Shizuka-san, I don’t know whose achievement this is, but to be able to encroach to some extent into Lu Yinghua’s private phone……It’s something amazing I think.」

『Don’t get annoying about every single thing. Then, I’ll end the call here. Contact me again soon.』

Like this the call with the child prodigy of martial arts world ended.

Liliana Kranjcar was listening to the conversation from the start to end with an intelligent look.

Coupled with the silver rimmed glasses that she recently used when working with PC, she truly gave out an atmosphere of a “capable woman”.

「Looks like Lu Yinghua is still the same as ever.」

「Yes.」

「I’ll finish with my work in just a bit……. Kuh. This computer thing, just why is it this hard to handle!?」

「……Surely people who are looking from outside won’t even imagine this.」

Erica commented earnestly at the grumbling of her friend and housemate.

「Lily who is facing the convenience of civilization looking like she is really capable──is actually hopeless when it come to things digital and is at a loss even at the basic operations. Even now she is in the middle of a hard struggle against it, such thing……」

「Shu, shut up-」

Liliana’s slender fingers were dancing above the keyboard speedily with *tap tap* sound.

The device was an ultra thin laptop from an American manufacturer. It was comparatively hard to be witnessed inside a trendy café like this, it was even commonly said that this laptop the most expensive type.

Such laptop was being operated by a fairy-like beautiful girl with unruffled air and prim posture.

It was a picturesque scene, but the actual circumstance wasn’t pretty by any means.

「Say Lily. How about you give up and use paper ledgers and……that’s right, a calculator? If you use that, the degree of difficulty isn’t that different from the cellular phone in the past. You are also not using your smartphone other than for phone calls, email, and photo’s correct?」

「No. If I can overcome this, my work efficiency will increase drastically, should be.」

Liliana spoke words that were filled with conviction.

「Besides, didn’t you say it-, that the old people over there can use PC and smartphone better than me!」

「It was a slip of my tongue that time, I’m a bit regretful saying that.」

「Anyway Erica. This is within part of my responsibility. I ask you to not meddle needlessly──oh? A new email is coming……」

「From who?」

「It’s Lucrezia Zora. How unusual.」

「You’re right. Please lend it to me a bit. I’ll look at it.」

「It’s fine. There are also other emails, nearly twenty of them coming. I’ll check them slowly after I finish my current work.」

「And, around what time your so called work will be finished I wonder?」

「Soon. Eerr, the operating procedure for this is……I should have recorded it in my memo if I remember right……」

「As I thought, you aren’t suited for digital at the point you are habitually using paper notepad nowadays……」

Erica sighed deeply seeing Liliana searching her bag.

It was at that timing. A man who was still young──around the same age with the girls was approaching them. And then he called out to them casually.

「Yo」

In front of his carefree smile.

Erica stood up, while Liliana brushed her PC aside.

–