Campione 14

by The Eighth Godslayer

  "We wish to act like ladies and won't force you to bestow your love upon us. So let us sit down here and discuss what's necessary, shall we?"

  "If that's the case, why are you leaning your body against me!?"

  "That's because it's comforting and delightful. The ideas won't flow if one were to force too much self-restraint."

  Erica whispered softly. Apart from a soft shawl wrap, she was only wearing a sheer layer of silk.

  Also, she was wearing nothing over her lower body. Godou felt terrified. In other words, the current sense of warmth from her body pressed tightly against him, the sense of weight from those soft breasts—Aren't these feelings almost like touching a nude body? The only difference was the smoothness from the sheer layer of silk in between.

  "Of course, should you have the intention, Godou, I am very open to the idea of enjoying things in a different manner after the discussion."

  Rather than seductively charming, the element of adorable loveliness was more prominent in Erica's current smile.

  In contrast to her usual boldness and initiative, Erica was deliberately easing the pressure on her prey. In order to increase her lead on her competitive rival, Erica was carefully adjusting the pace of her rhythm.

  Feeling the astuteness of her strategy, Godou shook his head in a panic.

  "Jeez. You keep insisting on ladylike behavior in your speech, but immediately you act like this, Erica-san..."

  Ena grumbled as she approached with displeasure on her face.

  Opposite to Erica, she leaned from Godou's left side, pressing close as if trying to oppose her rival in the same manner. Naturally, the sensation was considerably warm and soft as well. The size and elasticity possessed by her breasts were enough to rival the Italian girl's touch.

  In actual fact, Erica and Ena were quite similar in height and build.

  Purely by the numbers, Erica's measurements were probably slightly superior. However, the visual impression of the two girls was "virtually the same." And through the current direct contact, Godou never expected he would have a chance to find out by touch that the conclusion was also "virtually the same."

  "This reminds Ena of the time at Kisarazu together with Your Majesty."

  Ena went "Ehehe" and smiled shyly as she recalled the past.

  Seeing Godou shocked by her expression, Erica immediately spoke up:

  "Oh dear, I have also shared a bed with Godou during that time in Sicily? That was quite a night we spent together."

  "Even Ena has cooked personally for His Majesty before, you know?"

  "In that case, I have also..."

  Erica stopped herself midway while Ena went "......", falling silent.

  Then the two girls nodded at each other by coincidence.

  "What our competition in these areas proves is that Godou is a wolf who never misses out on prime opportunities."

  "Yes. Never missing out on any chance, that's His Majesty's style."

  "R-Rather than that kind of issue, we have more important things to discuss, right!?"

  Godou protested against the two girls who seemed to be getting along amiably.

  Although the two girls getting along was supposed to be a good thing, Godou could not help but feel that his body was in danger. As he pulled the map over to his side for a look, the two girls also turned their gazes to the map.

  The map showed the Rhine flowing from east to west. After flowing past the city of Augusta Raurica, the river took an L-shaped turn to the north at a certain point. As a side note, were this modern Europe, Raurica would be situated between Basel and the city of Rheinfelden which is famous for its hot springs.

  Following east along the Rhine, one would reach Uldin's stronghold.

  That was also the location of the forest that Godou and his companions had seen when they first arrived in ancient Gaul.

  "The following information is only on the level of rumors. Reportedly, Uldin's forest contains several dozens of those flying dragons—The divine beasts resembling dinosaurs."

  Erica continued to be leaning tightly against Godou as she spoke in a sonorous voice.

  "In fact, we have sighted three of them already. Although the figure of 'several dozens' cannot be ascertained, there should be a considerable number of divine beasts at any rate."

  "The guys in the army don't have accurate information in this regard either."

  Ena was an innocent and forthright girl who could converse with older men without any reservations.

  She was apparently making use of this skill even in the land of Gaul, making more and more acquaintances in the army.

  "Recently, there are reports that no one dare enter the forest for fear of the dragons. Should Ena make a trip to do some detailed scouting?"

  "Although I already considered it already... I object to the idea."

  "That's right. If there really are several dozen dinosaurs, it's too dangerous."

  Seishuuin Ena was highly agile and held the trump cards of divine possession and Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi.

  She was supposed to be the ideal person to scout. However, Godou also nodded and agreed with Erica's decision.

  Due to the severe depletion of stamina caused by divine possession, Ena was not suited to protracted battles.

  An ordinary monster would be fine but the lair of divine beasts would be far too dangerous for her.

  "So I guess I'll have to take a look myself after all..."

  "That's true. If we are going to collect information while encountering and fighting divine beasts, I believe it is the right decision for this situation. In that case, we can't let go of the opportunity to enter the heart of enemy territory provided by the opposing side's invitation..."

  "Then that means we're accepting the invitation?"

  "That is what I intend to do. However, permission is needed from the commander here."

  Erica frowned as she answered Ena's question.

  The mercenary contract already contained a clause granting "Kusanagi Godou the autonomy to act according to his own judgment." However, this was only applicable during battle.

  Was the commander going to allow them to face off against Uldin proactively?

  "Swiftly suppressing bandits and hostile tribes was originally the prided skill of the Roman army. However, should there exist a certain gap in battle potential against the enemy, the Romans would leave them alone in most cases. Especially against a powerful foe like Uldin, it would be like a gamble."

  "Indeed, that guy only talks tough but he shows no intention of attacking proactively."

  Hearing Erica's explanation, Ena nodded in agreement.

  "If Your Majesty were to leave the stronghold, there would be no one capable of fighting Uldin-san. Should we try to apply for permission first, then sneak out if it's rejected?"

  "Oh... In that case, there should be a way to accomplish that."

  Hearing Ena's proposal which seemed quite improper, Godou replied.

  He recalled his conversation with the fourth(?) companion during the daytime. Then again, relying on her power was also quite an unorthodox "method" as well—

  The next morning, Godou and his companions arrived at the top of the stronghold's castle walls.

  These were the walls built from a large amount of stones piled over five-meter-tall earthwork fortifications. The top was also paved with a pathway wide enough for two or three soldiers to walk side by side.

  For example, when Uldin attacked, effective use was made of this pathway to defend the stronghold.

  Godou, Erica and Ena were standing together on the pathway over the castle walls to watch the army in a military exercise. Roughly six hundred soldiers had gathered outside the stronghold to conduct training.

  With six to a row, the soldiers were arranged in a formation.

  Each soldier was uniformly armed with a spear and shield. Advancing together at the same speed, the soldiers in the front row all raised their spears in unison. Then without any disorder, everyone turned directions
at the same time.

  The stronghold was roughly two kilometers away from the town.

  Hence, there was plenty of empty land to perform large-scale exercises.

  "Watching them like this, it really feels like an 'army' now."

  Simply watching the soldiers acting as a well-organized army was enough to feel somewhat moved. This sort of organized movement was impossible for an army of several hundred without accumulating substantial training experience. As Godou nodded, Ena also expressed her deep admiration from beside him.

  "Since the empire is about to collapse, I was expecting the guys in the army to be so-so... But they turn out to be great."

  "The soldiers are definitely well-trained. At this point, less than half a century has passed since Emperor Julian the Apostate led a Roman army of ten thousand to defeat an allied force of Germanic tribes, thirty thousand strong."

  The one shrugging with an expression of commiseration was Erica of course.

  "However, those people are enlisted from locals. Most provinces in the Western Roman Empire had armies like these, composed of Gauls and even Germanic peoples who had fled from the Huns. These people only sought to get paid and one could hardly expect any loyalty from them. Furthermore, the number of soldiers is paltry."

  "They really do have all sorts of difficulties."

  Lamenting the vagaries of life, Godou searched for Madame Aisha by sight at the same time.

  He had requested for her to "convince" the commander. On further examination, Godou located Madame Aisha in her white overcoat, standing beside the commander who was overseeing the exercise.

  She looked like she was making some sort of plea, going as far as to clasp her hands together as though she were praying. The commander nodded readily and the Madame smiled radiantly like a blooming flower.

  The sight of this smile was enough to know that things went smoothly as planned.

  "Looks like it's a success..."

  "Although it really was a great help, it somehow feels a bit terrifying..."

  "That type of authority can probably be abused within a substantially vast area. Someone with the Madame's temperament might be fine, but if the user were a villain with greater ambition..."

  Feeling a sense of unease towards the air of spring geniality in Madame Aisha's face, Godou and his two companions nodded at one another.

  Ever since their arrival in ancient Gaul, they had gone with the flow for most things.

  However, it was time for them to take action with initiative.

  "Our next problem is to consider how seriously to fight Uldin."

  "I intend to resolve matters with that guy through dialogue... If it develops into a battle, will there be any problem?"

  Seeing Erica murmur worriedly to herself, Godou felt baffled.

  Then Ena suddenly asked:

  "Is Uldin actually a person who is going to leave his name in history? If something happens to him, the future will be affected more or less, right?"

  "I'm not sure yet, but a few possibilities come to mind."

  Erica shook her head with a gloomy expression and continued:

  "Even if the corrective force mentioned by the Madame truly exists, it is quite worrying whether it is capable of correcting the current situation..."

  As a new journey was about to begin, Erica's murmurings felt rather inauspicious to the listener.

  Chapter 6 - Captivity in the Devil King's Castle

  Part 1

  Before the whole commotion, Salvatore Doni had challenged Godou, "let's play a game!"

  Viewing things through those words of his, they were now heading back to the game's starting point. Godou was currently entering the forest where Uldin's castle was located.

  Sunlight streamed through the foliage, projecting sparkling radiance while a comfortable spring breeze blew past.

  Were this the modern age, it would be a trek through a beautiful Swiss forest. However, this place was currently ancient Gaul and the forest was even a terrifying lair belonging to divine beasts.

  "It said I'm welcome to visit any time I want..."

  The content of the invitation letter could be described as rather ordinary.

  Basically, something like 'Greetings comrade. If you happen to be currently living in that town there, then it's perfect. Please visit me any time you want. I will offer the best hospitality within my ability.'

  Neither time nor place were decided. How enviable the lifestyle of an idle nomad.

  Godou stepped into the forest which had neither entrances nor signs.

  Taking a carriage took roughly a day to reach here. Since there were no roads for the carriage to pass through the forest, Godou had to continue on foot from this point onwards.

  In any case, the Rhine's shore was his target. Godou walked casually for roughly thirty minutes.

  During this time, he sighted divine beasts twice. Those black dinosaurs resembling Deinonychuses. Despite their seven-meter-long, massive bodies, they moved quite nimbly as they roamed the forest.

  Without exception, they panicked and fled into the forest's depths as soon as they saw Godou...

  "Isn't this treating me like a bear?"

  Just as Godou shrugged, he heard the rustling of leaves.

  Some kind of giant organism was pushing its way through the vegetation to approach him. Probably another Deinonychus? Indeed, the result was just as expected.

  It was walking upright on two legs in its characteristic posture with its head, back and tail in a straight line.

  With viciously hooked talons on the hind legs and a massive black body, the divine beast made another appearance, quite a familiar sight by this point. However, this time there was someone riding in the saddle on its back. Not Uldin.

  "Greetings to you for the first time. You seem to be the other godslaying monarch similar to my lord. Or am I mistaken?"

  "Yeah, I am. That'll do for now. I am Kusanagi Godou."

  Due to the other person's politeness, Godou bowed his head in modern Japanese etiquette.

  The rider on the black Deinonychus was a blonde woman, clad in armor and leather with a helmet. Adorned with feathers on two sides, the helmet looked quite magnificent.

  Furthermore, she was a great beauty with a slender figure and face and incomparably graceful airs.

  "My name is Clotilde. Let me show you the way to my lord's castle."

  She gave off a vibe like an elegant female warrior. Godou answered "Thank you" to accept her offer. The forest was mostly likely under surveillance and the appearance of an intruder had been reported.

  "If you are not opposed to the idea, please ride behind me."

  "Eh, is that really okay!?"

  Godou was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected suggestion.

  Riding on a dinosaur's back would be a rare experience indeed. Helped by Clotilde's hand, he mounted the back of the crouching Deinonychus.

  During this time, the Deinonychus remained still and acted quite obediently.

  Unlike the other ones earlier, it was not afraid of Godou. Hence, he was able to mount the saddle effortlessly.

  Naturally, Clotilde was the one sitting in front of him. She had quite a tall figure for she was only slightly shorter than Godou whose height was 180cm. Speaking of which, she was quite strong despite her slender and delicate physique.

  "Are you ready? Then we'll set off."

  Issuing the command to start moving, Clotilde kicked the belly of the dinosaur that was no horse.

  The Deinonychus stood up and began to run. Due to its long strides, it moved very quickly. Also, the motion was less rocking than Godou had expected, so the ride felt quite nice actually. This divine beast must be a type of creature that was quite talented at maintaining balance.

  As a side note, Clotilde's feet were firmly planted in the stirrups.

  Judging from the riding equipment, it seemed to be in the style of equestrian tribes. Hanging on the saddle were also a small bow and a quiver of arrows.

  "We
're about to take flight. Please hold on tight!"

  Clotilde suddenly announced when they reached the Rhine's shore.

  Although surprised for an instant, Godou immediately understood. Like riding behind a motorcycle driver, he wrapped his arms around Clotilde's waist.

  Then immediately, the Deinonychus' short front limbs turned into wings.

  Spreading its wings, the dinosaur took flight.

  Thus the flying began. The height was probably thirty, forty meters or so.

  Roughly at the speed of a horse's gallop, the Deinonychus flew over the grand river of the Rhine.

  The castle was already visible several hundred meters ahead. It was surrounded by walls on all four sides.

  From the air, it could be seen that the castle was built in the same Roman army style as the stronghold at Raurica.

  "So that's the fort Uldin annexed from the empire..."

  Godou nodded. There were two Deinonychuses swimming leisurely on the surface of the water below. One easily got the impression of eels because only the slender outline from head to tail was visible.

  "Do these things really like water?"

  "Yes. Although their movements are not impeded in drier places, they do become more nimble and lively near sources of water."

  Godou recalled the incident of slaying the divine beast at the Arno River. According to Clotilde's explanation, these beasts really had an affinity for water.

  "By the way, how many of these beasts are there roughly?"

  "Probably ten at the moment. I'm not too sure about the exact number."

  The number of divine beasts could be regarded as Uldin's combat potential.

  Godou simply asked without expectation but Clotilde answered with surprising readiness. Did she have no intention of keeping the information a secret, or was she providing false intelligence? Which was it?

  During their conversation, they had already reached the airspace above the castle before Godou realized.

  Indeed, the structure was similar to the stronghold at Raurica. There were roughly five long and narrow buildings with a plaza and headquarters in the center.

  Controlling the pterosaur, Clotilde descended slowly to the plaza.