Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The City of Galatia

The sun cast its gentle glow over the earth. That day, a group dressed in extravagant clothes reached the town of Galatia, a settlement on the southern edge of Rhoadseria. Whoever these people were, they were obviously of high status.

At the head of the caravan was a highly decorated, expensive-looking carriage, and behind it followed a long row of knights. Their heads were held high, and the banner of the Church of Meneos flapped above them. Temple Knights clad in white armor surrounded the carriage.

“Very well. You have permission to enter our country,” a commissioner told Rodney. Unsurprisingly, the man’s attitude was all business.

Finally. It sure took you a while.

Rodney held back the urge to say that aloud because the man oversaw entry into Rhoadseria. Feuding here could lead to their permit being revoked, and they’d gone to such lengths to obtain it.

Rodney bowed to the man, made his way to the leading carriage, and knocked on the door.

“My apologies for the long wait, Cardinal Roland.”

The cardinal laughed jovially from inside. “You’ve nothing to worry about. Entering a country is cumbersome no matter where you are. You are not at fault here.”

Rodney and Cardinal Roland had been on friendly terms for a long time. Those around Rodney had heavily criticized him, but Cardinal Roland was among his most influential backers. Be that as it may, the cardinal was currently an emissary on orders from the pope, and Rodney was nothing more than a guard escorting him. Things would be different if they were in private, like in a room at an inn, but in public, Rodney had to stand on ceremony.

“Much obliged,” Rodney replied, bowing his head.

“Not to worry. I’m well aware of how hard you’re all working. I’m grateful, and not at all displeased with you,” Cardinal Roland said, laughing.

The cardinal was correct. Galatia was near the border with Tarja, one of the southern kingdoms, making it an important checkpoint. Things between the Kingdom of Tarja and the Kingdom of Rhoadseria were stable at present, but the two counties had clashed many times before, resulting in countless casualties. Because of this, anyone entering Galatia had to undergo strict inspections.

However, this caravan had been delayed for two months, and not just because of inspections. Rhoadseria was extremely wary of a foreign force entering their borders. This was why even an official emissary from the Church of Meneos had been stalled and forced to remain within Tarja.

Rhoadseria’s caution didn’t come as a surprise. With the state of the kingdom being as chaotic as it was, a foreign country’s interference could lead to the kingdom’s destruction. Their concern was all the more understandable considering that the Church of Meneos wasn’t a mere rival or neighboring country, but a vast, powerful entity that exceeded any nation. Rhoadseria likely had no idea how to handle them. Denying the church entry could worsen their relationship, but they didn’t know what might happen if they let the party enter.

Cardinal Roland could understand their hesitancy, but he was on orders from the pope. He couldn’t return to the holy city empty-handed just because Rhoadseria denied him entry. He wasn’t a child on an errand, after all.

Thankfully, Rodney and Menea had been able to use their connections to ask a Tarjan noble to negotiate with Rhoadseria on their behalf. And today, they were finally granted permission to enter the kingdom. It was all thanks to their blood, sweat, tears, and money.

Not many would acknowledge the fact that Menea and I did that, though.

Even clergymen were human, and doing nothing but waiting for two months would make anyone upset. This was especially true for cardinals, who had the same power and authority as a high-ranking noble. Depending on the situation, even a king might have to kneel before a cardinal. If Roland were to aggressively insist, he could have his way with just about anything. Being the powerful and influential man that he was, Roland wouldn’t need to thank Rodney verbally. In fact, most other cardinals would have rebuked Rodney for his incompetence.

The important thing was that they’d finally gained entrance into the country, but Rodney couldn’t feel pleased about that. They were only halfway through their journey to Pireas. Once they reached the capital, they’d need to meet with Queen Lupis. And therein lay the true objective of their trip—investigating Ryoma Mikoshiba.

We just have to deal with things as they come for now. First, we’ll meet with Count Winzer and plan for what comes next...

Rodney raised his hand to signal to the driver, and the carriage began moving through Galatia’s gates.

Their party was like a living, breathing incarnation of God’s might and majesty—a symbol of fanatical faith. As they descended from the carriage and began walking, even the civilians of this eastern kingdom, where the influence of the faith was weaker, parted to allow them to pass. Though it was the main street of a large city, all the tumult died down in their presence. They silently and solemnly continued their procession, approaching a large inn in the center of the city—The Golden Sunlight Inn.

♱

Tachibana sat in a chair by the window in Asuka’s room, sipping on a cup of tea. Asuka had prepared the tea herself, though she’d asked the inn’s employees for the ingredients. She sat opposite of Tachibana, her expression downcast.

Why would Tachibana come to my room?

Tachibana had said that he had some time on his hands and wanted to speak to her, but Asuka had already guessed that Menea was the one behind his visit. Even if Asuka weren’t a teenage girl, a man visiting a woman’s room was unacceptable, no matter which world they were in. Tachibana was well aware of this, so he must have had a good reason to come anyway as soon as they entered Rhoadseria.

I’m glad Menea cares this much, but she’s being a bit overprotective.

Menea and Rodney had saved Asuka’s life and become her guardians in this world. She’d parted ways with her granduncle, Koichiro, and his whereabouts were still unknown. With him gone, Menea and Rodney were the only people she could turn to in this world.

She was, of course, very grateful to them, but sometimes their assistance felt suffocating. That wasn’t to say that she had no freedom. She wasn’t physically bound with shackles like a slave, nor was she ever locked up in a cell. But compared to her life in Japan, she was much more restricted.

Those restrictions were there for a reason, though. Asuka had only been allowed to live in the holy city of Menestia because Rodney had made arrangements for her with the help of Cardinal Roland. Were it not for their influence, Asuka would have surely ended up the mistress of some high-ranking church member. Indeed, a few captains in the Temple Knights had expressed interest in doing just that.

Asuka’s looks had drawn their attention. Her features were fair, and her ebony hair had the sleek sheen unique to Japanese people. Most people in the western continent resembled Caucasians in Asuka’s world, so her smooth skin was an attractive trait. She was a beautiful girl, more beautiful than many of the commoners. But this was assuming that one wanted her as a wife. For those in power, things were quite different. Her features made her a desirable plaything. This was why Menea and Rodney didn’t let her out of their sight.

Rodney and Menea were currently away, guarding Cardinal Roland on the way to visit Count Winzer, which left Asuka alone at the inn. But even at times like these, when they couldn’t bring her along, they always left her with someone trustworthy. Asuka was something of a little sister to them, an unfortunate girl who’d stumbled into this other world. Even so, Asuka wasn’t naive enough to believe that they did everything out of goodwill.

Rodney and Menea are kind people, for sure, but...they probably...

Asuka’s gaze turned to the Japanese katana resting in the room’s corner. This was one of two blades that belonged to her granduncle, Koichiro Mikoshiba, and he’d left it in her care...or perhaps vice versa.

I can’t blame them. There’s plenty I want to ask grandpa too.

How was he in possession of a blade forged with endowed thaumaturgy? How did he know about this Earth? How had he returned home after being summoned to this world?

How? Why? One question beckoned another, but only Koichiro could answer them.

That was actually the other reason Rodney and Menea were so overprotective of Asuka. What she’d told them about her granduncle should’ve been impossible. As far as they knew, no otherworlder in recorded history had ever returned to Rearth. Normally, they would’ve ignored Asuka’s story and assumed she was speaking nonsense, but the fact that she had Kikka, a piece of undeniable physical evidence, changed everything.

The Church of Meneos hadn’t made any significant moves against the Organization yet, but that was only because they knew nothing about them. Where were their headquarters? How many operatives did they have? Did they even exist to begin with? If they could find enough evidence that the Organization existed, then they could plot their next move.

The Church of Meneos had branches and churches all across the western continent. Though some of those weren’t as influential or powerful, the church’s presence was widespread, and their intelligence network exceeded the scope of any one nation. If they were to mobilize all of their resources, it wouldn’t take long for them to expose the shadow organization’s existence. And since Koichiro Mikoshiba seemed to hold all the answers, they had to keep Asuka safe. She was their sole connection to him. She wasn’t as important as Cardinal Roland, the person they were really guarding, but Rodney and Menea would still protect her with their lives.

Though Rodney and Menea’s protection was a bit restricting, Asuka didn’t necessarily think it was a bad thing. Her life here was infinitely better than wandering aimlessly through this vast, dangerous continent.

As Asuka sat lost in her thoughts, Tachibana suddenly said, “It was a roundabout journey, but we finally made it here. Considering how long it’s been since we were summoned, I can see just how different this world is compared to Japan. But I didn’t think things would be this rigorous or harsh.”

The tone of his voice spoke to the memories of their arduous journey.

“I was surprised when Rodney asked me to join them on their trip as a guard, but even then, I didn’t think it’d take us this long.”

It had been a year since they left the holy city of Menestia. The trip had felt incredibly long, especially because they were from modern Japan. For example, luxury cruisers could travel around the world in roughly a hundred days. And usually trips like that were for sightseeing, so the ships would take detours across different locales. But even with those additions, it was possible to travel the forty thousand kilometers of the equator in less than four months. In this world, it took around a year just to cross the western continent.

Since transportation methods were limited here, the very premise of travel in this world was completely different. The only way a commoner could travel was by walking. Rodney, being a temple knight, had a horse, and the leader of this group, Cardinal Roland, had a carriage. Everyone else other than the highest ranking members of the group had to travel by foot, unless they were favored by the carriage owner or were too ill to travel on their own. Those on horseback would have to match the speed of those on foot. After all, the leader of the group needed his servants within arm’s reach; they were the ones who fed and served him drinks.

Based on what Menea told me, it sounds like this continent is about the size of Australia, and there’s five thousand kilometers between Menestia and Rhoadseria’s capital. People generally walk about four kilometers per hour, so even if we walked forty kilometers a day, we still should have gotten here in four months or so. I guess I’m missing something.

It had taken them three times that to get here. Asuka’s calculations were just a rough estimate based on what she’d learned of this world in the time she’d been here, so her guesses were no doubt incorrect. Besides, this world didn’t have maps as accurate as the ones in her old world. Even if such a map did exist, Asuka would never see it.

Mapping techniques weren’t as developed in this world, and since distances and terrains related directly to national defense, countries often kept that information secret. They did provide fairly accurate maps when it came to war or development, but those wouldn’t find their way into the hands of the common citizen. The maps they’d get would only help them estimate their general direction based on mountains and forests. In other words, they were better than nothing, but not much more. If all of the western continent were eventually united under a single nation, they might make more accurate maps, but not while so many powerful nations vied for supremacy.

Besides, traveling at four kilometers per hour by foot assumes we’d be walking on a straight paved road.

There were other factors to account for when traveling in this world. One couldn’t plan an itinerary based on distance alone. Even the highways connecting different cities had their own issues, like monster infestations. Barrier pillars that used endowed thaumaturgy protected the highways by keeping monsters at bay, so one was safe as long as they remained on the road. Still, the pillars could break or stop functioning, and the monster-repelling incantations on them couldn’t keep back the bigger breeds.

Also, the pillars only halted monsters; they did nothing to stop bandits and criminals. Since this world didn’t have any kind of social safety net, crime was an easy way for some people to stay alive. Criminals went by many names—thieves, bandits, pirates—but there were more of them here than in Asuka’s world, meaning that one was far more likely to encounter them. So while a road was safer than the wilderness, it was still rife with mortal danger.

Just the road itself had its own share of problems. The country handled maintaining and repairing the barrier pillars, but it was up to the governor in charge of that land whether the road was paved. Some governors were devoted to internal affairs, but others thought spending money on something like that was a waste. Some intentionally left the roads unpaved to impede the march of enemy armies.

The closer one came to the borders, the worse the roads became. And whenever it rained, the ground turned into a bog that impeded progress. There were other difficulties besides those to consider too.

Traveling close to mountains means risking falling rocks and landslides, and fallen trees can block off roads in the forest. But...

Those were all things Asuka had seen during their journey. When things like that had happened, they’d either taken the long way around or asked Rodney and his men to physically remove the obstacle.

However, the most dangerous factor one had to consider when traveling was war. The reason for that was simple: there were always signs before a war broke out. War devoured all manner of resources—manpower, money, supplies. Not to mention, gathering those things required preparation and a great deal of time. And the larger the war, the more grim those signs became. Small skirmishes between local governors were exceedingly problematic, but if the war was international, there was no way to hide those preparations from sight.

These wars would greatly impede travel, but there were ways to avoid the damage. If nothing else, travelers could wait in safe cities until the fighting died down. If they absolutely had to cross the country, then they could take detours that avoided the battlefield. If they were brave enough, they could even hire mercenaries and cut their way through the battlefield. Whichever option one chose, success depended on one crucial precondition: being able to read the signs of the oncoming war.

When a traveler entered a city, it would be apparent that a war was about to break out. It was especially noticeable in the southern kingdoms, the most war-torn region in the western continent and a place where skirmishes broke out frequently. But when it came to small territorial disputes, detecting those omens could be very difficult. Unlike warring countries, where armies clashed in the tens of thousands, territory disputes between nobles only involved hundreds, sometimes even less than that. The war between Ryoma Mikoshiba and Count Salzberg was much larger, but that was an exception. Count Salzberg was the alliance leader of the ten houses of the north and had used their armies to reinforce his own. Ryoma had used his wits to expand and strengthen his army.

“It’s easy to say this in hindsight,” Tachibana added, “but if we’d known it would take us this long, we might have been better off cutting through the O’ltormea Empire to get here.”

Asuka nodded. “If we could’ve negotiated with the empire, maybe it really would have been the better option.”

Though Asuka agreed with Tachibana, she knew this wouldn’t have been possible. So did Tachibana.

The O’ltormea Empire doesn’t openly oppose the church, but they’re not on friendly terms either.

The O’ltormea Empire and the Church of Meneos had never officially crossed blades, but a huge war of intelligence was going on behind the scenes. Menea and Rodney had even fought them directly a few times, so a secret intelligence race was quite plausible.

The empire was, in fact, actively antagonistic toward the church, though it had never truly declared war. Having spent a few years in this world, Asuka had grasped the continent’s political state—not because she particularly wanted to, but because ignorance would mark her as weak. And whether one was weak could decide your fate.

A few years before Asuka was summoned to this world, the O’ltormea Empire had invaded the Holy Qwiltantia Empire, which stood between them and the southern kingdoms. The attack came as a complete surprise to Qwiltantia. At the time, O’ltormea was in the middle of an intense war with Helnesgoula in the north, so Qwiltantia had never expected the empire would start another war during that. Because of this, the O’ltormean military was able to invade quite far into their land. Of course, Qwiltantia wasn’t known as one of the western continent’s big three for no reason. It soon prepared an army of one hundred thousand troops, retook their land, and swiftly drove O’ltormea from their domain.

The O’ltormean commander who had led that expedition was slain during the retreat, and the tide of battle swung in the holy empire’s favor. Fortunately for O’ltormea, the emperor’s heir—Shardina Eisenheit’s brother—had the same talent that had enabled his father to build his empire from nothing in a single generation. When he learned that the invasion had failed, he marched an army of twenty thousand from the O’ltormean capital, persistently resisted the Qwiltantian counter-invasion, and impressively pushed them back.

In the years that passed after that, Qwiltantia had the occasional skirmish and had to repeatedly snatch back stolen territory. The fires of war smoldered still, and the frontlines seemed to move north little by little along the border. As a result, the border between O’ltormea and Qwiltantia had become somewhat hazy.

If it had been just that, there wouldn’t have been any friction between O’ltormea and the Church of Meneos. The dispute was between the two empires. But there was also a discord between O’ltormea and the church, the cause of which related to the holy city of Menestia.

For the Holy Qwiltantia Empire, Menestia was like what the Vatican is to Italy. Technically, the Vatican is an independent city state, but since it shares its economy with Italy, they have a close relationship with each other. The Church of Meneos and Qwiltantia had a very similar relationship. The main difference between Menestia and the Vatican is that the Vatican only has a population of several hundred people. It’s home to the Christian clergy and their relatives alone, and it doesn’t have any citizens to speak of. Menestia, on the other hand, had citizens, but they all adhered to the Church of Meneos.

From what I hear, that war was exceedingly brutal. The church’s relationship with O’ltormea has been shaky ever since.

The Church of Meneos acted outside the scope of any one country, and since people all across the continent practiced its faith, it was fundamentally a neutral faction. Sometimes, however, one’s principles masked the truth. The church’s base of operations was in the heart of Qwiltantia, so it was only natural that the two had forged a close relationship.

Their relationship was most noticeable when a nation’s sovereign handed over the throne to a successor. The church always sent a member of its clergy, at least a cardinal or higher, to give their blessings to the new ruler. Regardless of how strong the church’s influence was in that nation, this diplomatic rite was performed equally across the continent.

The Holy Qwiltantia Empire, one of the big three countries vying for supremacy over the continent, was the sole exception. For whatever reason, the Church of Meneos didn’t dispatch messengers to bless their new kings. Instead, they had another tradition. The new emperor would visit Menestia, and the pope would crown them personally and give his blessing.

Needless to say, this was an extremely special privilege. True, Qwiltantia’s capital and Menestia weren’t far from each other, but if distance was the only factor, then several of the southern kingdoms’ capitals were just as close. None of them got that privilege, though, except for Qwiltantia. This was proof of the close relationship between the Church of Meneos and Qwiltantia.

O’ltormea had known of this relationship when it declared war on Qwiltantia, and it had ravaged the land rather viciously as a result. They never attacked Menestia, though, for fear of the church’s authority. However, they did pillage and ruin the surrounding villages. Asuka had heard stories of how the corpses had piled up into mounds and the rivers had run red with blood. Considering that human rights weren’t a thing in this world, those stories weren’t exaggerations.

O’ltormea had also approached the Church of Meneos and high-handedly demanded that they ally with them. Their haughty attitude enraged the church, and though they didn’t go as far as excommunicating O’ltormea’s emperor, they did send messengers to the other countries at the request of Qwiltantia’s emperor. They also deployed the Temple Knights, the greatest defenders of the holy city.

Eventually, the Temple Knights returned to Menestia and the fighting died down, but because of their history, the relationship between the Church of Meneos and the O’ltormea Empire continued to worsen. It was somewhat similar to the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Both sides vigilantly eyed each other, waiting for the other to present a weakness. It was even rumored among the church members closest to the pope that should Emperor Lionel abdicate the throne, the pope didn’t intend on sending any messengers to bless his successor.

Why, then, is the empire special in that regard?

That was a question only the highest ranking members of the church knew the answer to. Whatever the reason, the church couldn’t ask O’ltormea for permission to cross their territory. As a result, their trip had ended up becoming a journey across the southern kingdoms.

Having to carry so much luggage across unpaved roads is rough. This world is too different. There’re bandits too. If Rodney and Menea hadn’t been there, we probably wouldn’t have made it.

Asuka sighed as she thought of the differences between her satisfying life in Japan and her life in this world. Since leaving Menestia, they had been attacked more times than she could count. Each time, Rodney and his Temple Knights had protected Cardinal Roland and the caravan from the assailants. Asuka hadn’t been able to do anything other than passively let them defend her.

Maybe this is how Xuanzang felt when he traveled to obtain the sutras in Journey to the West?

If Asuka was Xuanzang, Rodney was surely Sun Wukong. And Menea, as his collected advisor and helper, was Sha Wujing.

Which I guess means Tachibana is Zhu Bajie?

Asuka couldn’t help but chuckle as she looked at Tachibana, imagining him with a pig’s gut.

Zhu Bajie was a pig demon who marshaled the Heavenly Navy Soldiers. In Journey to the West, he was mostly a joke character who served as a foil for Sun Wukong. He did have more time to shine than Sha Wujing, who was more of a passive character, but he was still a glutton, a drunkard, and a womanizer. Despite being a priest, Zhu Bajie prioritized his worldly desires, and those got him in trouble every time. Such a person would be despised in real life, but this comical, almost human character was quite beloved in China, at times even surpassing Sun Wukong’s popularity.

Asuka had called Tachibana that because Zhu Bajie was the only character left, but Tachibana was burly and not at all a good fit for the role. Also, most Japanese people would be offended if they were called Zhu Bajie. No one would take it as a compliment. But now that she’d thought it, Asuka couldn’t banish that mental image from her mind.

As Asuka snickered, Tachibana eyed her dubiously.

“What’s the matter?”

“N-Nothing...” Asuka said evasively, then carried on without a hint of laughter. “I just thought we’d come a long way.”

Tachibana nodded firmly and said, “Yeah, I never imagined I’d be thrown into another world like a protagonist from a light novel.”

Asuka’s eyes widened. “A light novel?”

Tachibana smiled softly. “Surprised I’d know about that?”

“A little, I guess,” she murmured.

Asuka was surprised because she thought his comment had sounded like a classmate making a joke, but she knew better than to say that out loud. Tachibana had been a constant presence in her life since they’d been summoned to this world. They were pretty much comrades who’d lived through thick and thin together. Still, he was old enough to be her father. She didn’t feel the need to be formal with him, but she didn’t feel comfortable cracking jokes with him either.

“It makes sense you’d be surprised. I would be too, if I were you.”

Tachibana was aware of how other people saw him. He had a solid body and a stern face. He’d spent years fighting the mafia and various crime organizations, so his body had a certain ghastly appearance. The only reason he’d read light novels was for his job. He’d read teen fashion magazines and music magazines too. He’d tried to stay up-to-date with youth culture because he’d been part of the juvenile welfare department and needed to interact with minors.

“I’ll just say it was necessary for dealing with the younger kids,” Tachibana said, smiling sheepishly.

Otherworld summonings and reincarnation had become popular in web novels recently. They’re interesting, but...if only those things had stayed in fiction, Tachibana thought.

He’d read stories about protagonists who came to other worlds and received transcendent powers, and stories about dark fantasy and terribly cruel worlds. While he wasn’t a zealous fan, he had enjoyed them...before he’d been thrown into this world. That fiction had become his reality. Life in this world was hard to enjoy, namely because, unlike in those novels, Tachibana hadn’t gotten any special powers.

“They say truth is stranger than fiction, but this is a whole other level of uncanny.”

Misha Fontaine—the former court thaumaturgist for the Kingdom of Beldzevia, one of the southern kingdoms—had summoned Asuka and Tachibana to this world. Nearly three years had passed since then. During that time, Asuka had experienced more cruelty than she’d ever wanted to see. Since the moment her granduncle Koichiro cut off Misha’s head, she’d seen countless atrocities. It reminded her that in this world, only the fittest survived.

Asuka and Tachibana looked at each other in silence, the sights from their journey flashing through their minds. But Menea hadn’t asked Tachibana to go to Asuka’s room for sentimental reminiscence.

Tachibana took a sip of tea to clear the air. “Well, you must be wondering why I’m here, Miss Kiryuu. Now that you’ve finally made it to Rhoadseria, what will you be doing next?”

Asuka didn’t need to ask him what he meant by that. That question has tormented her all throughout this journey, and she’d yet to answer it.

“What do you think I should do?” Asuka pleaded, hanging her head. The conflict in her heart was bubbling up to the surface.

Tachibana merely shook his head, which conveyed his opinion louder than words.

Yes, he’s right. There is no right answer.

Asuka hated that she had to ask others for advice. And she knew that Tachibana hadn’t responded coldly.

But what’s the right thing to do?

Rodney and Menea had saved Asuka after she’d split up with Koichiro. Even if they’d had their own agenda, she still owed them her life. Without their protection, she wouldn’t have survived in this world.

But Ryoma was in the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. If she were to meet him, he would certainly greet her like family. But the problem was that the Church of Meneos’s relationship with Ryoma was uncertain. Based on what Rodney had told her, they didn’t oppose him at present. But the high-ranking church members did regard him as a potential threat because of how he’d developed the Wortenia Peninsula and quickly risen to power.

The church’s intelligence network had already learned that Gaius Valkland, the former court thaumaturgist for the O’ltormea Empire, had summoned Ryoma. They also knew that Ryoma had been a part of the Rhoadserian expedition that stopped O’ltormea’s invasion of Xarooda. Those alone were enough to mark him as a hero, but there were still too many inexplicable things about him. Asuka wasn’t sure about those things herself, which made her hesitant about meeting him. She wasn’t intent on siding with the church, but she couldn’t believe in Ryoma unconditionally either.

Who even knows how a conversation with Ryoma would go, and it could possibly lead to battle. And we have too many guards.

Even though the cardinal was an important man who required bodyguards, several hundred palace knights felt excessive. It was clear what the Church of Meneos was thinking. On the surface, they came to Rhoadseria to bless the newly appointed Queen Lupis and visit the churches along the way. But that wasn’t their true objective. They came all the way to Rhoadseria to confirm what kind of influence Ryoma Mikoshiba might have on the church. Based on what they found out, they could choose to eliminate him right then and there.

And if that happens...

The thought of Rodney fighting Ryoma sent a chill down her spine. That was one of the worst possible outcomes Asuka could imagine, but she didn’t know how to avoid it. It would be best if Ryoma joined hands with the church, but Asuka knew this religious group had both a light and a dark side. Their light shone without fault, but the darkness they harbored ran deep. She knew Ryoma well enough to understand that he could never forgive the evil brewing within them.

“I don’t want to fight him, but...” Asuka whispered. She held back her sob, then fell silent.

Tachibana sighed. It makes sense she’d be conflicted. It’s like Menea suspected.

Tachibana owed Koichiro a debt of gratitude for saving his life, but he felt nothing for Ryoma, especially now that Rodney had invited him to live under the church’s wing. Tachibana wasn’t the slightest bit conflicted. But Asuka was different. She was torn between her benefactors and her own flesh and blood. It wasn’t an easy decision. In his forty years of life, Tachibana had survived countless scenes of violence, and even he didn’t know what he’d do if he were in her shoes. All he could do was comfort her with neutral words.

“Well, you don’t have to force yourself to come up with an answer right now,” he said with a soft smile. “First we need to meet their queen. And before that, we need to wait for Rodney to return. They went to this city’s governor to arrange everything.”

A shadow settled over Tachibana’s face. He knew his words hadn’t really solved anything.

♱

Around the time that Asuka and Tachibana were talking in her room at the Golden Sunlight Inn, Koichiro Mikoshiba was in an alleyway inn near the heart of Galatia, taking in the scent of the tea he was drinking.

Simply lovely...

The tea had been brought to boiling and left to cool, so it was now the ideal temperature. The leaves had also been cooked inside the pot for a few minutes beforehand, boosting the flavor.

Honestly speaking, being around Liu Daijin meant that Koichiro often had Chinese teas, like Oolong tea. Drinking a more traditional tea like this one made him feel back home for the first time in a while since he’d returned to this world.

Of course, no ordinary inn would serve this kind of tea. On the outside, this one looked like a dirty, derelict establishment, and indeed, most of its rooms were no different from that of a seedy love hotel on the city outskirts. The place didn’t serve meals either, offering only a bed to sleep on. Besides the bed, the rooms were furnished with a wooden table and chair. There were no cupboards or vases, only a lone window. But perhaps the lack of natural light was best, because the bedsheets were yellow from repeated washings and were likely full of mites and ticks.

Saying the room was simple was an understatement. It was only good for a place to sleep, and it was hardly even good for that. It was better than a barn or stable in that one would have a rooftop over their head, but that was the only good thing to say about the place. If one really tried to come up with another positive, it would be that the rent was appropriately cheap. However, the rooms being what they were, anyone with coin in their pocket would look for somewhere better. Even the poorest traveler could probably find better lodgings in the alleyways.

That wasn’t to say the inn had no foot traffic. It wasn’t going bankrupt either. After all, the manager was involved with the Organization. And unbeknownst to most, the inn had one room that was unlike the others.

This special room occupied the entirety of the inn’s basement. Only a select few of the staff even knew it existed. It was exceedingly luxurious, almost excessively so. Works of art hung along the walls, and expensive bottles of alcohol lined the shelves. Those who stayed here could order a meal cooked by a master chef or beckon young women to keep them company. It left nothing to be desired. On top of that, the rent was free. If the room had any flaws, it was that it was underground and had no windows. And since it was hidden, one had to be careful about their movements.

It was in this room that Koichiro Mikoshiba sat sipping his tea in a rare moment of luxury.

Unfortunately, that moment didn’t last much longer. Zheng Motoku entered, ready to deliver the report Koichiro had been waiting for.

“My apologies for the wait, Master Koichiro. The caravan entered the city earlier today.”

Koichiro nodded. “I see. Finally,” he said, overcome with emotion.

“Yes, they arrived at noon,” Zheng added, bowing deeply.

“Raise your head, Zheng. I forced you to take this troublesome job.”

Koichiro bowed his head in response, grateful for what Zheng had done.

Zheng had pulled strings and pressured the Organization members into arranging this room for Koichiro, who would wait there for Cardinal Roland and his entourage to arrive in the city. But as grateful as Koichiro was to Zheng, Koichiro wasn’t obligated to bow his head to him.

Despite Koichiro’s attitude, Zheng kept his head lowered as he said, “But approaching them now might be...”

It was clear that whatever he was about to say next wasn’t easy to admit, but Koichiro soon understood what Zheng was trying to say.

“I suppose that’s only natural,” he whispered, sounding displeased yet resigned.

There was a lot that Koichiro wanted to say. Cardinal Roland’s entourage had dawdled for so long that it had thrown Koichiro’s plans off schedule. He’d only come here in the first place for the Organization’s yearly meeting, which was to take place in Pherzaad, a city in the Kingdom of Myest.

Koichiro had hoped to rescue Asuka and, at the same time, arrange a meeting with one of the Organization’s elders, Akemitsu Kuze. After that, he’d wanted to go to O’ltormea’s capital city, where he would meet Akitake Sudou. Koichiro had heard of this dangerous man and wished to learn his intentions.

This isn’t our world. Traveling across the continent takes time, and monsters are a hindrance. I wasn’t expecting their journey to go smoothly, but...

Though he understood that, Koichiro wasn’t pleased with how long it had taken. He hadn’t meant to vent his frustrations to Zheng, though. Zheng only tended to Koichiro’s needs under orders from Liu Daijin. Nevertheless, Koichiro couldn’t help but complain just a little.

Blast it all. Where did my calculations go wrong?

There were a few reasons Koichiro’s plans had gone awry, but it boiled down to two major miscalculations. The first was that Cardinal Roland had decided to also visit the southern kingdoms’ churches—quite the long detour. That meant they’d had to take the overland route. The cardinal’s decision surprised not only Koichiro, but Liu Daijin as well.

The western continent’s southernmost and northernmost tips were almost diagonally opposite of each other. If one were to sail along the southern sea route, it would take them three months to get from one end of the continent to another, even accounting for wind fluctuations. If one were to reserve a ship, they could reduce that time substantially, and the Organization’s hidden high-speed vessels could shorten the journey by as much as a month. However, the fact that Roland and his entourage had gone by land changed everything.

The southern kingdoms were among the most perilous lands on the continent. On any given day, there was some kind of skirmish somewhere in that region. That translated to public disorder. It was hard to tell whether the public order was worse in the southern kingdoms or in Rhoadseria, given its current state of affairs. As one might expect, Cardinal Roland’s journey had been stalled several times.

I didn’t expect he’d bring that many bodyguards either.

That was Koichiro’s second miscalculation. Cardinal Roland brought five hundred knights with him as bodyguards. A man of his station couldn’t travel as far as Rhoadseria alone and unguarded, but usually a cardinal brought a hundred knights at most. Roland brought five times that number. It wasn’t an entourage of bodyguards; it was a military expedition.

Because of the large number of knights, they had difficulty entering the southern kingdoms, even though the Church of Meneos was influential there. No matter how fervently those countries followed the church, there was a difference between accepting a small entourage of knights into their borders and letting an army march through their lands. Plus, said knights were Rodney Mackenna’s Temple Knights, who boasted the greatest martial prowess in all the Church of Meneos. Any country would be hesitant to let them cross their borders.

As he received reports of the cardinal’s travels, Koichiro couldn’t help but wonder time and again how much easier it would have been if they had used the same illegal means the Organization did. What surprised him the most, though, was that each country had eventually consented to let them pass.

Still, traveling through the southern regions wasn’t even the most dangerous route. Many in the south adhered to the faith, which gave the cardinal and his group a great deal of wiggle room, but that had only lasted until they’d reached the Kingdom of Tarja. Rhoadseria was quite far from the holy city, so the church’s influence there was weak. When Rhoadseria refused to let them enter, they had been forced to spend two months in Tarja. Because of that, Koichiro had canceled his meeting with Kuze.

“Thankfully, Master Kuze said he would be willing to meet you whenever you contacted him,” Zheng said.

“Who knows when I’ll be able to do that,” Koichiro scoffed. After all, Asuka’s journey wasn’t going to end here.

I doubt anything good will come from all of this.

Honestly, Koichiro was sick and tired of this whole affair, but he couldn’t let Cardinal Roland’s entourage leave.

Maybe it’d be easier to just attack them? He banished that dangerous thought from his mind. No. That’s too much of a risk.

Koichiro had sent Zheng to investigate the entourage, and apparently Rodney Mackenna’s deputy, Menea Norberg, had been guarding Asuka and the two had formed a close relationship. Perhaps thanks to that, Cardinal Roland himself was acquainted with Asuka, and she led a relatively peaceful life in Menestia.

Koichiro was grateful for that. This world didn’t suit Asuka Kiryuu, and she was incredibly lucky to have found someone who’d keep her safe. Sadly, that stroke of luck worked against Koichiro and made it hard for him to rescue her.

Asuka often interacted with Rodney and his direct followers, so she was constantly protected by five hundred knights. Nonetheless, if the Organization were to mobilize its full strength, it could easily take care of those knights. The Organization’s strongest force, the Hunting Dogs, were without a doubt a match for the Temple Knights. But there was no guarantee that Asuka would survive the fight that would ensue if they did that.

I don’t have much of a choice...

Koichiro’s only option was to keep his distance and wait for the opportune moment to rescue Asuka. However, a second later, a knock on the door wiped that resolve from his mind.

The knock came in a specific rhythm, a code that had been decided ahead of time to inform him of an emergency. Zheng glanced at Koichiro, and after Koichiro nodded, Zheng swiftly opened the door.

“What happened?” Koichiro asked. Whatever it was, it must have been urgent.

The man whispered something into Zheng’s ear, and Zheng went pale.

“There seems to have been a bit of a snag with regards to Miss Asuka,” Zheng said.

“What kind of ‘snag’?” Koichiro asked, his voice much colder than it was a moment ago.

“You see...we got a report that the Hunting Dogs are launching a raid tonight on Count Winzer’s estate.”

Koichiro clicked his tongue. “How many of them?”

“A hundred or so.”

The Organization had decided to eliminate Count Winzer, the governor of Galatia. Koichiro now understood why Zheng was so alarmed by the report.

Koichiro cared little for Count Winzer. He didn’t want the man dead, but he didn’t care if he was alive either. The same held true for anyone in his estate.

But a raid tonight was awful timing. And since Zheng had said that this concerned Asuka, it didn’t take much to figure out what he’d meant.

However, there was one thing Koichiro was dubious about.

They mobilized a hundred men from the Organization’s strongest force?

With that many men, Count Winzer’s estate would become a sea of blood and viscera. If the estate’s guards were normal soldiers who couldn’t use thaumaturgy, or even trained knights for that matter, they wouldn’t so much as leave a scratch on the Hunting Dogs—unless some of them happened to be extremely skilled.

Seeing the Organization resort to such extreme measures was rare. It always kept its existence and presence shrouded in darkness. Even when it clashed with the Church of Meneos, it refrained from acting in the open as much as possible. It didn’t make sense that they would ignore that precedent and attack a noble’s estate. There had to have been a good reason to justify this.

“What’s their reasoning?” Koichiro asked.

“Well, through whatever means, Count Winzer seems to have obtained some kind of firearm...”

Koichiro’s expression contorted.

I can’t ask the Organization to stop the attack if that’s their reason. I couldn’t even ask them to push it until tomorrow.

The Organization had to prioritize this above all else. Firearms didn’t exist in this world—no revolvers, no automatics, not even arquebuses. When people were summoned here, the only things that came with them were the items directly next to them when they were abducted. If someone were summoned in their sleep, their bed or a book they’d been reading would maybe go too.

Considering that, it was hard to imagine that no one carrying a gun had ever been summoned. Firearms had found their way into this world before, but they’d never spread to society. The Organization went to great lengths to keep the existence of firearms hidden. That was actually the Organization’s greatest strength in this world. They had Rearth’s technology, but they kept it secret.

Koichiro didn’t know and honestly didn’t care how Count Winzer had gotten his hands on a gun. The people of this world couldn’t recreate one to begin with. Then the gun needed ammunition, otherwise it was a glorified paperweight, and different firearms used different types of ammunition. If a gun were summoned already loaded, it would be usable, but the chances that it would be mass-produced to an extent that it changed the face of warfare were slim.

Koichiro wasn’t concerned that firearms would spread; he was concerned that Count Winzer was the one who’d gotten one. If the Organization were to maintain its superiority, it would stop at nothing to take that firearm out of his hands, no matter what it had to sacrifice to do it. The problem lay with Rodney Mackenna and Menea Norberg. They’d only just reached the city today, but as Zheng had implied, they were currently at Count Winzer’s estate. Count Winzer was closely acquainted with the Rhoadserian royal family, and Rodney and Menea were approaching him to mediate their meeting with Queen Lupis.

Such bad timing...

If things had happened even a day sooner or a day later, this could have been avoided. But there was no point regretting that now. If those two were at Count Winzer’s estate during the attack, they would undoubtedly fight back. Unfortunately, they were up against a hundred of the Hunting Dogs. No matter how skilled they were, they would be killed.

Koichiro had left one of his treasured katanas in Asuka’s hands. If he were to find himself in Rodney and Menea’s position with just one of them, he wasn’t sure he’d survive either. He couldn’t leave them to die, however. If something were to happen to them, Asuka would lose her protectors within the Church of Meneos.

“What shall we do? With your standing, you might be able to negotiate with them,” Zheng said hesitantly.

Koichiro Mikoshiba and Zheng Motoku were both highly regarded within the Organization, and they could have perhaps arranged to have the attack pushed back a day or two. But that could compromise Liu Daijin’s position. Koichiro also feared that he might lose Asuka forever if he did that.

Silence filled the room. Koichiro closed his eyes like he was meditating. Zheng watched him, saying nothing. Eventually, Koichiro exhaled.

This is the only way to protect everyone.

His eyes alight with a burning resolve, Koichiro reached for the sword rack on the wall.