by The Hero
"Then, the place your companions are currently hiding out at... 'Heraion', was it called?"
"Yes. A few months ago, the Gorgoneion that was discovered was the emblem of Medusa and Athena. And then, the Heraion is the emblem of the goddess Hera. Legends spoke of the goddess' hair being woven from snakes, and possessing the eyes of a female cow - these traits all point towards her being a goddess of the land."
In Greek mythology, Hera was the wife of Zeus.
However, she had originated from the Peloponnesian Peninsula as a guardian goddess of the earth.
After the area was conquered by the Indo-European sky god worshipping people, Hera was forced to submit herself to Zeus.
Before long, the two of them had arrived at the underground temple.
A pair of witches stood beside a pillar of pure black - Diana Milito and Karen Jankulovski were waiting there.
"It is my honor to meet you, Sir Salvatore. For accepting our request, you have my deepest gratitude - "
"That's not important, let's go straight to the main topic. This is the rumored 'Heraion', isn't it?"
Doni quickly cut her off, inspecting the pillar.
It looked like it was made from obsidian.
From the ground, the pillar stretched upwards, like a growing tree.
On the surface, there were many drawings of serpents, although it seemed clumsily carved onto the rock, one could not help but feel drawn towards it.
Approximately two meters tall, this was the Heraion.
"Alright, I'm feeling a rather incredible divine force from this."
"Yes. This was once discovered in Greece, and then painstakingly transported to this place, centuries ago, by the witches of Naples - our ancestors."
Diana explained.
She was completely serious now, a deep contrast with her previous behavior exhibited back in her bookstore; after all, she was a branch leader of Naples, in the [Bronze-Black Cross].
"It was spring this year - when we discovered the Gorgoneion in Calabria, when it began to react in resonance. Initially, the magical force was not yet so powerful and we could contain it by erecting the [Seclusion] barrier, but now..."
Recently, they have not been able to fully control it.
With a deep sigh, Diana finished her explanation, with Doni happily nodding his head.
"How nostalgic, the Gorgoneion? I was busy slacking off then - "
"... ... Slacking off, did you say?"
"Yep. I was still recovering from my wounds from that last great battle with Godou then, so since I wasn't going to take care of it, didn't you have no choice but to explain matters to him, requesting his aid to clean things up?"
To Liliana who was asking him with a reprimanding tone, Doni replied, blinking his eyes.
This youth with absolutely no sense of responsibility, had found a rivalry in another Campione, the boy who had gained immense power in just a day. Liliana, once again, felt the reality sink in.
Salvatore Doni is a warrior, through and through.
Whether it was joy, friendship, anger, love or pain, he could feel all these emotions on the battlefield. No matter how carefree or generous he seemed - this was not the true Salvatore Doni.
A place where he could truly be himself, could only be the battlefield - while facing the strongest enemies.
Thus, he deeply loved the few enemies he had, befriending them, while polishing his blade in order to defeat them.
Although she and Erica were both considered to be prodigal magicians, there was an insurmountable wall between them and him. Liliana had no choice but to accept this fact.
In the past, Salvatore Doni had been labeled as someone who could not keep up with his peers.
However, that was only because he was someone that normal standards did not apply to.
His talents and capabilities were well beyond the comprehension of normal people, completely disregarding his studies in the magical arts and focusing on martial prowess, the genius who beheaded a god with just his blade.
The innate nature of the [King of Swords].
Of course, his carefree and happy-go-lucky attitude could also be part of his innate nature...
"When I heard that the goddess was Athena, the first thought I had was 'Crap'! I'd have been really happy if I were the one to have fought with her, how regrettable... if I take the Heraion with me, Hera might show up, eh?"
"No, although I am hoping that the probability of that happening is low..."
Diana answered with a troubled expression. It would not be easy to bring out the pillar.
First you would have to excavate it out of the ground, and then transport it.
Manpower and machinery were needed, and then if during the process, the Heraion reacted in a negative manner, it could very well turn into a dangerous situation.
"Come to think of it, you mentioned something about a dragon earlier, what was that about?"
Doni suddenly asked, and the three witches looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
(... ... Do we have to explain that as well?)
(... ... We have to. From the conversation earlier, you can tell that Sir Salvatore's knowledge of magic is of the same level as a trainee magician.)
(Fine, fine, and Karen, please don't say anything weird.)
The above was conveyed purely through eye contact.
As a Campione possessing tremendous powers and receiving the admiration of many, it was unbecoming that he had the knowledge of an outsider.
To grab the attention of everyone, Liliana coughed softly.
"From our deductions, dragons are a transformation of serpents, to put it more extremely, if you combine parts of birds, lizards, horses and lions with a snake, you would get a dragon."
"Eh- Is that so? Somehow it seems really far-fetched."
"That's not the case, when the holy miko fell and were branded as [Witch], the incarnation of the earth goddesses changed with the times and slowly became the [Dragon], the embodiment of ferocity and strength."
Liliana suddenly recalled the rumors about the feats performed by Salvatore Doni.
"By the way, Sir Salvatore, you probably should have authorities that are related to the power of the dragon, am I right?"
"Did I? Although I don't remember fighting a dragon before."
"Of course, although not in a direct confrontation, related to the dragon is - in other words, the hero with the power of water-based divine spirits and sacred beasts, have you not defeated him?"
The first god that was slain by Doni was the Celtic god king, Nuadha.
From Nuadha, he obtained the authority of demonic swords, and after that, he defeated the heretical god summoned by Marquis Voban, gaining the power of the dragon - the authority of the immortality of steel.
To the dragon slayers who have long since regarded dragons and snakes to be their target of conquest, channeled the properties of these beasts into their own power.
Doni nodded in acceptance to that reason.
"... ... I see. Well, I understand your point now."
"You understand? That is good to hear."
"No, I didn't understand what you were trying to say at all. But I've made it this far without knowing anything, so the meaning probably isn't that important, that's what I understood. It's fine, it's fine."
"... ... M-My lord, if you are fine with it, then I guess there is no problem."
Liliana finally understood that this person's head worked in a completely different way.
Although with his sloppy and reckless way of thinking, he had still made it through so many crises, definitely something that the average man could not accomplish, this was one of the reasons why he was so highly regarded.
"Then, what should we do about this Heraion? It is too big for me to bring it home like what Godou did."
The height that protruded above the ground was roughly two meters, meaning that it might be longer.
Doni looked at the Heraion that was a lot bit taller than him, smi
led, and then suggested,
"If we hack it into two pieces, then slowly cut it into smaller sized pieces that can fit into my hand, I could put it in my luggage and bring it home... ... could that work?"
"Cut the Heraion into pieces!? This is a very important, sacred artifact!"
"Is, isn't that going a little too far?"
Diana could not help but shout out loud, even the usually calm Karen had trouble keeping a composed face.
Forget the Gorgoneion, the Heraion is a sacred item to the European witches, even if he were a [King], it was impertinent of him to make such a suggestion. Liliana continued,
"Sir Salvatore, it is as Diana said! Furthermore, no matter how powerful your demonic swords are, they could never cut apart the earth goddess' artifact!"
"No, I think it is very possible to cut apart, because right now I don't have the feeling that it can't be cut apart, that's why I can do it."
Doni softly remarked, gazing intently at the Heraion.
He really intends to do it! Liliana, convinced of that, cried out,
"That would not be good. As of now, the Heraion has stored up a huge amount of earthen and water magical power, although it is currently suppressed by the barrier that has been erected, should you use your authority now, the situation will quickly escalate out of control! In the worst case, the collected energy might be released in an explosion, completely annihilating Naples, which is why we should proceed with caution!"
"But, just simply sitting here and waiting for something to happen is simply too boring."
"That is why we had wanted to consult the king's, your opinion on the matter. After all, if gods are involved, you would be Italy's most knowledgeable specialist... ... Besides cutting it up into small pieces, do you have any other suggestions?"
"Hmm... ... if that's the case - "
After being severely reprimanded by Liliana, Doni sank into deep thought, and quickly shook his head.
"Nope, can't think of anything. Not at all."
"My lord! Please think about it more seriously!"
One's pace could not help but to be disrupted when dealing with this king.
Liliana was angered and frustrated to the point where she was almost shouting, literally breaking out in cold sweat. If one were to speak to Marquis Voban in the same way, they would be instantly executed.
Doni still had that carefree smile on his face, ignoring the verbal disrespect.
"Well, what I wanted to say was that everyone is tired. For now, let's head back and have a good rest as it's already getting late, maybe we'll manage to think of something good tomorrow!"
There were no reasons to object to his order.
To keep staying in front of the Heraion would be a waste of time, thus the three witches, along with the [King of Swords], begun to head back, but... ...
On the way back, Doni did not stop smiling to himself.
From his expression, Liliana could not help but feel a sense of dread, and silently steadied her determination for what might come tomorrow.
Part 3
That night, Salvatore Doni stayed in an inn that they had arranged for him.
Liliana and Karen were both staying over at Diana's house. With that, the day's clamor and activities have long ended - or so it should have been.
It was half past twelve, midnight, when the lonesome figure of Liliana could be seen travelling on the streets of Naples.
They had come here before during the day, the coastal main street of Santa Lucia district.
This time was not considered very late during summer in these big cities of Europe, hence there were still quite a few signs of human activity. To carousers and partygoers, this would be their favorite time of the day to head out.
Although Naples did not have a low crime rate, this was one of the safer districts to be (On the older streets, there were high chances of running into pickpockets and robbers).
Liliana did not go out at night often.
Although she had full confidence in her abilities, it just didn't feel right to her.
... ... With an unease she could not get rid of, Liliana walked into a cafe that operated at night, ordered a few sandwiches to satisfy her hunger and a coffee to keep her awake, and continued on her way.
She broke into a run, there was a place she had to reach as soon as possible.
At any rate - the young women on the streets caused her to knit her brows in disapproval whenever she passed them by.
The amount of skin exposed, wasn't it a little too much?
Camisoles, tank tops were fine. Even if it was summer, being so daring as to expose their midriffs and bra straps, Liliana could not approve of that.
Incidentally, Liliana was dressed plainly.
A loose fitting blue shirt matched with black suit pants, though it gave her a clean, beautiful look, somehow it gave the impression that she was an unfashionable person.
Finally arriving at her destination, the place she had decided that she had to return to during the evening.
The old clothing store run by the fat witch. Because she had an uneasy feeling, she decided to stand guard overnight.
(If it's that guy, it's likely that he will come here...)
(No doubt, better to be safe than sorry...)
After explaining the reason for her unease to her comrades, that was how they replied.
Trust between people was something that was nurtured through normal, daily actions. Having learnt that lesson, she blew a whistle.
A short while passed before a thin, frail stray cat slowly strode up to her.
Before dinner, she had bound the cat by means of a magical contract, and had it watch over the store for her, reporting any suspicious activity.
She placed the palm of her hand on top of the cat, and extracted the cat's memories.
"... ... It's as we expected, such a headache."
What they thought would happen, had happened, and Liliana walked towards the old bookstore.
The doors were made from old wood, and the lock in the doorknob could be opened if you had the necessary skill. As he probably could not use [Unlock] magic, some sort of lock-picking skills must have been employed.
"That guy, why does he always have these kind of weird skills!"
She shouted angrily, and pushed open the door.
The familiar fat lady was lying on the floor, unconscious.
Liliana quickened her pace and reached the underground complex of the Heraion after a few minutes of running. There, she saw the king, who seemed to be in a pretty happy mood.
" - Sir Salvatore!"
"Hm? Kranjcar? Why are you here?"
"Of course, because you were acting strange earlier, that's why I have come here on purpose!"
"... ... Wh, what?"
In the deepest part of the underground ruins, she once again met with the devil king, Salvatore Doni.
"I'm begging you, please don't pull these kinds of stunts! Could you have thought that you would peremptorily do everything by yourself before we nag and chastise you, did you!?"
"You're really impressive, to have managed to predict my actions to this extent... ... Not bad."
In the face of the female knight's interrogation, Doni could only reply in a soft voice, his expression stiff.
He seemed to be repentant about it. Although they had already expected this to happen, he really was a useless member of society.
Liliana really wanted to let out a deep sigh at their lack of options.
To prevent the manifestation of the [Heretical God] was what she wanted to discuss with the godslaying devil king, which was a perfectly natural human thing to do, but her partner wasn't really human anymore.
Italy's [King of Swords] was such a man, like a ticking bomb of shenanigans that could go off at any moment.
Residing in the nearby Balkan peninsula was the [Marquis], dangerous like a wild beast.
The [Kings] residing in America and China were too far away for them to have any relations with.<
br />
England's [Black Prince], was famous for having a terrible personality and being a ruffian.
Alexandria's [Queen] had not been heard of for centuries and has been living in seclusion as a hermit.
Lastly, the [King] of Japan that came to Italy occasionally... ... With an upright character, a youth who had somewhat good prospects for the future, but did not have an eye for women. In conclusion, he was definitely no good.
"It can't be helped. Besides using a sword, there's no other way around this."
While smiling, Doni grabbed his usual black case with his hands.
Until now, the case had been hanging off his shoulders, inseparable from his body. He flipped open the cover, and retrieved the weapon inside, and then threw the scabbard onto the floor.
A blade of pure steel.
Unlike the magic swords used by Liliana and Erica, nor was it the work of a master swordsmith.
It looked just like some mass manufactured product, besides being a sword, there was nothing special about it. Nevertheless, the steel was of a quality enough to match that of the strongest magic swords on earth.
... ... Liliana and the others would never walk around like that, carrying the sword wherever they went, as they could directly summon the magic swords out of thin air.
The reason Doni did not do so, was mainly because he was poor at the magical arts, he could not, even if it was a basic spell like this, he simply couldn't cast it.
In spite of that, he was emitting a tremendous amount of magical energy. Liliana sucked in her breath.
"M-My lord, could you possibly be thinking of using your sword!?"
"Ah, no. I didn't draw my blade to kill you or anything like that, don't worry about it... Listen, you know in those historical Japanese movies, there's this 'mineuchi' thing, right?[13] I was wondering if I could do the same now."
"There's no way I can believe that will happen!"
Liliana, who had quite a fair bit of knowledge on Japanese culture, wished that Doni would not take those sword fighting scenes in those old Japanese movies so seriously and attempt to mimic them, but she was more worried about the stance he had taken.
- Relaxing half his body, his sword was left hanging loose from his right hand.
The knights who have seen Salvatore Doni in action would all know this fact, that his combat stance was simply unbelievably shocking. There was no special skill or technique involved. A stance that prepared for neither offense nor defense.