Vol 2 Epilogue (1/2)
Epilogue
”Hahaha, so that's how it went. G.o.dou punished the old gramps.
Congratulations, this is really something to celebrate, very good.”
— Tuscany, Italy.
In the countryside of the little town Siena, known for its beautiful gothic
architecture, the king was [having an audience].
Looking into the distance, the rolling hills stretching across the landscape
were covered by the lush green of early summer.
One could probably call this a beautiful green wonderland. However, this
scenery of scattered wilderness was unique to southern Tuscany.
On the hillside bank of a small stream, a certain [King] was idly holding a
fis.h.i.+ng rod.
”Could it be that you thought he could not win? How sad, I should have
made a bet from the start... As expected of my rival... My good eternal
rival.”
Muttering to himself with excitement, he pulled in the dangling fis.h.i.+ng line.
A tall, slim, handsome man with blonde hair.
His body, flexible as a whip, was dressed casually in a short-sleeved s.h.i.+rt
and pants.
Sitting on the bank, he had a long rod by his side that was heavily wrapped
under many layers of cloth.
— Liliana Kranjcar knew. Wrapped in that package was the [Sword] that
was like forged steel. Italy's proud [King] Salvatore Doni never went
anywhere without a sword by his side.
It was his pride, ego, and privilege.
”It does counts as a victory, but to have proceeded in that manner, you
really cannot call it a beautiful victory at all...”
”Whether flawless or sc.r.a.ped off the ground like rubbish, a victory is a
victory.”
Doni answered Liliana's accusation with one closed eye.
The one who made such an expression was the good humored youth who
was extremely friendly and loved to joke around.
”Yes, yes. I have contacted the Bronze Black Cross and the grandfather
who caused you such grief. Offering my beloved knight to that unsavory
old man, I will never allow it.”
”Be-beloved!? I am Sir's...!?”
Liliana asked greatly surprised, when did it turn into something like this!?
— Erica Blandelli had advised her before the return trip back to Italy. To
have a meeting with Doni prior to returning to Milan.
The course of action taken by Liliana in this incident, needed approval by
the [King] of this country.
This was due to the grandfather who was an important figure in the Bronze
Black Cross. It was necessary to explain the incident properly.
It was three days after the duel of the two [Kings] in Tokyo.
Liliana was visiting Siena, Doni's base of operations, in order to call on and
report to him.
”Let's spin it that way. It should be easier for them to accept, right?
— Anyway, it would be quite troublesome if I actually fell in love with girls,
but it makes a good cover story.”
Softly spoken words which one cannot pretend to have never heard, were
disclosed from the [King]'s mouth.
I will pretend I never heard it. Liliana bowed her head with such
determination.
”What I am most interested in, is still Kusanagi G.o.dou. How that child will
rapidly mature, I am really looking forward to it. Will it take two years or
one? Half a year would be pus.h.i.+ng it? When he really masters
Verethragna's authority, that will be our next rematch. I have been eagerly
antic.i.p.ating ever since that day, really...”
The Campione of the Sword was muttering as if looking forward to a day of
blessing.
Liliana's body shook.
Perhaps, it was mistaken to think of Salvatore Doni as Kusanagi G.o.dou's
ally. His eagerness to fight was so overwhelming, even greatly surpa.s.sing
Dejanstahl Voban, and would be a frighteningly formidable opponent.
This unsettling thought entered her mind.
It was lunch time on the roof at Jounan Academy's high school section.
The duel with Voban was three days ago, and all the wounds from the
battle had been healed. G.o.dou and his group were just about to have
lunch.
Familiar faces — G.o.dou, Erica, Yuri and s.h.i.+zuka, the four of them.
”Hey s.h.i.+zuka, it's not good for you to be coming in and out of the high
school building all the time, right? What would people think?”
G.o.dou tried to advise his younger sister.
During lunch, s.h.i.+zuka had come to G.o.dou's cla.s.sroom with an unhappy
expression.
Occasionally after school, she would also come over and went home
together.
Thanks to her, strange rumors of 'Kusanagi's sister is a bro-con' have
surfaced recently. Amongst the boys in the cla.s.s, the most
incomprehensible one was cla.s.smate Soramachi who spoke things like 'I
have 108 younger sisters in 2D' and kept asking 'Must be a stepsister,
right? It has to be a stepsister!?'
These problems were all caused by s.h.i.+zuka's suspicious actions.
”About that, Onii-chan, I don't actually want to do this, but in order to
supervise my unruly older brother and prevent him from doing suspicious
things, I have no other choice. Do not misunderstand.”
s.h.i.+zuka's words were full of barbs.
Dear sister, when have my actions been indecent? But s.h.i.+zuka only
snorted and ignored G.o.dou's protest.
”No indecency? No suspicious acts? Where did you find the confidence to
declare such rubbis.h.!.+ The current situation — compared to four days ago,
what happened!?”
s.h.i.+zuka pointed with her finger at the other three.
In the center, G.o.dou was sitting cross-legged on the picnic cloth on the
ground. To his left was Erica sitting sideways on her legs while Yuri sat
very straight and proper on his right — the three of them in a neat row.
”I don't find anything strange?”
”Yes, what is it, s.h.i.+zuka-san, what do you find amiss?”
”I think I know what you are getting at, but there is nothing that needs to be
changed, isn't this great?”
G.o.dou and Yuri were puzzled with their heads tilted, while Erica simply
shrugged.
To the little sister, their responses only added fuel to the fire, and her cute
face tensed further as she roared loudly.
”Then let me ask you, why is Mariya-senpai sitting so naturally right next to
Onii-chan? To have two girls waiting on you on each side, are you some
kind of king? And look, why is Mariya-senpai pouring tea into Onii-chan's
cup? You should do these things yourself!”
Ice cold green tea was being poured into the water bottle cap used by
G.o.dou as a cup.
As G.o.dou listened to his sister while he finished the tea in his cup, Yuri
sitting beside him naturally picked up the water bottle on the side, and
poured for him again in one flowing motion.
Witnessing this scene, s.h.i.+zuka's glare became even more dangerous.
— As a side note, this water bottle was brought by Yuri herself, and cold
tea brewed by someone like her with knowledge of the tea ceremony, was
much tastier than canned tea.
”Mariya-senpai! Even if you were a newly wedded wife, you don't have to
go so far! For this kind of idiotic brother, that tasteless tea from the
self-serve area is good enough!”
”I am G.o.dou-san's — n-newly wedded wife? Please do not say something
so embarra.s.sing...”
Described so by her junior from the same club, Yuri replied with her face all
red.
”d.a.m.n it, to be responding to the word 'wife' and even suddenly changing
her way of addressing him.”
This kind of scene happened on a daily basis during the recent lunch
breaks.
Today after school, G.o.dou was invited by Erica to the Blandelli home.
No, not really invited.
”G.o.dou, please come over to my house, we must finalize our plans for the
summer today... Of course, you cannot refuse.”
After the last lesson ended, Erica who sat next to him made such an
announcement.
...That night after the battle with Voban, G.o.dou and Yuri finally fled from
the pursuit of the [Diavolo Rosso], but were caught the next day at school,
and subject to serious interrogation.
There were none of s.h.i.+zuka's angry snarls or scary threats.
However, Erica was a capable and experienced inquisitor, and kept raising
circ.u.mstantial evidence to accuse them of suspicious activities, skillfully
using all sorts of methods to make them come clean with the truth.
By the time they noticed, everything the two of them did that night was fully
disclosed.
”Yes, so it was like that... Yuri is unexpectedly daring, and G.o.dou turned
out to be surprisingly unfaithful...”
”Come on, to describe that situation as infidelity, isn't that a bit
inappropriate...”
”Th-That is correct, we only did that because we had no other choice.”
”Aya, it's fine. I already mentioned before, that even with one more, an
extra lover would be fine. If it's Yuri whom I can trust, it's not a bad choice
at all.”
Towards G.o.dou and Yuri who desperately tried to explain, Erica
responded with a smile.
The backlash when love was seriously betrayed... Words related to that
theme kept floating into G.o.dou's mind, in the face of that glamorous yet
frightening smile.
A few days after that.
G.o.dou and Yuri were pa.s.sing each day with a feeling that they cannot
oppose Erica.
Guilt and uneasiness. Both of them carried such feelings, or rather, the
interrogation which was acted out like a deliberate performance, perhaps
that was Erica's true conspiracy.
And then, today after school.
G.o.dou and Arianna were sitting in the living room, and Erica spoke.
”Then let's decide immediately? Mountains or the sea, which is better?
Somewhere to stay for about two weeks. Staying in j.a.pan is fine too. Or to
the place where our feelings first developed — the island of Sardinia would
be nice for a vacation. Arianna, where should we go?”
The mistress was asking her a.s.sistant and maid who was about to serve
coffee.
Arianna replied in a very good mood.
”If that's the case, I have never spent a summer in j.a.pan. It must be very