The Final Crusade (3)
Come to think of it...
Shirone remembered that Ares's profession was explorer and accepted it at once.
"I make maps," Ares said.
"Wherever I go, your name follows me. How's Amy? She's doing all right, right?"
"You haven't gone back to your family home, have you?"
"Haha! Life's turned out that way. I send letters sometimes, but I never get replies."
Ares looked cheerful—the very image of the freewheeling Karmis family.
"By the way..."
After their warm reunion, becoming aware of the curious looks around them, he leaned in to whisper.
"Let's find somewhere quiet. You're planning to enter the Pyramid of Truth, right? I want to talk."
The mission was still dangerous, but it was worth hearing what Ares had been up to.
"Shall we at least eat first?"
"Sure. My team is waiting. I'll introduce them—take a good look. They're all capable."
He steered the conversation toward an informal interview, but Shirone didn't flinch.
On the way to where Ares's team waited, Ares asked, "How have you been?"
He didn't need to ask who the other person was.
Stang National Magic Academy.
At dusk the final training had ended.
"Hah. Hah."
The Wizard drew ragged breath, but her face was full of satisfaction.
She'd done it.
Everything Shirone could teach—literally the essence of Shirone—had been poured into this moment.
"Congratulations, Wizard."
The teachers applauded as Shirone and Amy, who had been watching the training, walked over.
Shirone couldn't smile completely—the reason being how harsh the Wizard's first real test had been.
"Can she do it?"
Kill someone.
"Even if it's the worst person in the world, killing someone is never easy. It's separate from skill. If the Wizard hesitates even for a moment... Habitz will take that gap."
"Teacher."
The Wizard looked up at Shirone with clear, bright eyes.
"Good eyes."
Eyes so pure and clear you couldn't imagine them killing even a bug.
"But that very purity is what makes it possible."
Shirone didn't mean to romanticize it, but the Wizard's thinking transcended the usual bounds of murder.
"No grudge against Habitz, no special motive or will—pure beyond humanity."
That purity let her perceive banishing.
"It's like a natural phenomenon. No, her mind already is nature. If I had to describe the Wizard... a benevolent Habitz, perhaps?"
The weight of that phrase pressed on Shirone.
"Her only natural predator. This is the only way."
Now, knowing how he felt from just Shirone's look, the Wizard smiled and said, "All preparations are complete."
"Good. Let's go."
To Zaibro, where the Crusade General Assembly would be held.
"Rest well tonight. We'll leave the Kingdom of Stang tomorrow. I'll follow you."
"Yes. Thank you for everything so far."
Watching the Wizard walk away, Shirone exhaled, and Amy patted his shoulder.
"You did your best. Trust her."
"Of course."
Shirone's gaze softened for a moment, then he turned as if remembering something.
"Oh—have you heard from Mr. Ares?"
"Huh? Our brother? No, I haven't. Why, all of a sudden?"
"Well... actually he's with me right now. In the Paras Kingdom. Seems he's investigating the pyramid."
Amy, who'd been blinking blankly, suddenly frowned.
"You idiot..."
She grabbed Shirone's ear and shouted, "Hey! If you're alive and in one piece, you should at least come home once! Do you know how worried Mom and Dad are?"
"Ow!"
Shirone winced, but Amy was half beside herself.
"No news whether he's dead or alive! The only letters he sends are blood-stained drawings and I really—"
"Enough, enough!"
Shirone rubbed his earlobe and scolded her.
"Don't do that. This—"
But when he saw tears welling in Amy's eyes, he had nothing more to say.
"I really thought he was dead..."
Shirone hugged Amy and patted her back.
"It's okay. He's all right."
At the training ground's entrance, the Wizard had turned and watched them for a long time.
Nagnak Oasis.
"When this is over, you should contact them. They're worried sick."
Ares smiled sadly.
"...Is that so?"
When you love your work too much, you sometimes wound those you love.
"Ares!"
At the gruff shout, Shirone glanced ahead.
Three people who looked like Ares's team were wearing puzzled expressions.
Shirone recognized one of them.
Greatsword Eupra.
Aside from his greying beard, he looked almost the same as in Omega's records of his younger days.
"A master of twin swords. Belligerent temperament."
He was well past sixty but clearly still active.
The other two looked like a pair—late twenties, wearing priestly robes.
The woman asked, "Ares, who are these people?"
Ares laughed heartily and introduced Shirone as if it were nothing.
"Arian Shirone. Amy's boyfriend."
That was the whole introduction, but there were few who didn't know Shirone.
"Yahweh?"
"Pleased to meet you. I am—"
Shirone reached out to shake hands but noticed the priests' brows tighten.
"Rami Church, then."
Only a Rami believer would bristle at the word Yahweh.
The man turned to Ares. "What's going on?" He was asking why Ares would bring them here knowing the situation with the Rami Church and Yahweh.
Ares scratched his head. "Well, it's like this..."
If it were some other matter, he wouldn't have bothered with introductions, but this time the circumstances were different.
"The bureau refused our request. I even showed the minister's certificate, but it didn't help."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? The Holy See did a lot of lobbying—no, persuasion—to get that."
She glanced at Shirone and added, "Give it here. I'll go."
"No need. They won't listen to anything I say. First, the king has changed. Also, there's talk that the current monarch isn't sane."
The man asked, "So what? How does that relate to bringing Yahweh? Can this person enter?"
"Exactly."
"Hmm?"
"I have a pass personally approved by the king. With this, we're free to pass."
Shirone interrupted, "I never said I'd be accompanying you."
The priests' expressions hardened, and Ares gave Shirone a nudge.
"Now, now! Let's just eat. Let's eat."
As Ares led Shirone's party, he winked at the priests.
The woman asked, "...What will you do?"
"Let's go for now. The Holy See has high hopes for this expedition."
If there was something out in the wider world, the Rami Church would insist it proved their one God.
Ten people gathered in the dining hall and sat along a long table.
When Ares introduced them, Canis and Arin looked surprised.
"That's Ares? I didn't notice because of the beard, but his eyes do look like Amy's."
Archaeology and mapmaking were different disciplines, but under a broad view they were related.
"These two priests are, as you might guess, from the Rami Church."
The man's name was Glen; the woman was Rukia.
"You know the Holy See is split into two departments: the Diocese Administration Bureau and the Holy Knight Bureau."
"Ah, yes."
The Holy Knight Bureau has the paladins.
"Glen and Rukia work in the Diocese Administration Bureau. Both are among the Holy See's highest-ranking clergy."
To a priest, faith is like spiritual power is to a mage; Shirone understood how weighty that rank was.
"Of course, the Holy See wouldn't send just anyone to investigate an ancient civilization."
Ares then introduced Greatsword Eupra, and it came to Shirone's group's turn. Glen and Rukia listened calmly, but their expressions changed when the Twelve Apostles were mentioned.
"Dragons."
A few days ago the breaths of the ice dragon and the machine dragon had filled the oasis. They'd since polymorphed, but the chill of that moment still lingered.
Ares cleared his throat. "Now that we've exchanged names, shall we talk while we wait for the food? How did you get the king's approval? I hear he's eccentric and reckless."
"With Mr. Zulu's help." Shirone explained what had happened, and Ares's party nodded in understanding.
"Hmm, you stayed quite some time. Still, lucky you got a permit. So—"
Ares pointed at himself with his thumb. "Let us join you."
"No." The refusal was immediate. Ares looked stunned; Glen and Rukia narrowed their brows.
"I'm sorry. I want to help, but this is truly dangerous."
"How do you know that?" Glen demanded.
"The Holy See has eyes and ears everywhere. Ancient civilizations are tied to the outside world, but no one knows what kind of place it is." Shirone already knew.
"Shall I say it plainly? Yahweh, you don't want the Rami Church investigating the Pyramid of Truth. If a deity's existence were proven there, Yahweh would be exposed as a false god."
"That doesn't matter."
"Then why not! Do you think the Holy See's top priests will simply give up because it's dangerous? Ares and Eupra here are stronger than your friends sitting next to you, aren't they?"
Canis bristled. "What are you talking about?"
"Canis, calm down."
Arin tried to restrain him, but Canis's shadow had already stretched behind him.
From either side of that shadow, long arms slipped out, and even Eupra showed a killing intent.
Ares raised both hands. "Hey? What's with the mood? He's Amy's boyfriend. Everyone, calm down."
Shirone didn't want to fight either.
"This is pointless. The pass was issued to me. Assembling the team is my authority."
Glen didn't back down.
"Investigating the existence of God falls under our jurisdiction. If we cannot enter, then neither can you."
Canis sneered, "Shirone, just hand it over. Glen—does the god you worship tell you to snatch other people's passes?"
Glen flushed. "Don't drag God's name into this! This is my personal fight!"
"Haha, personal now? Well, you lot—"
"Enough!"
Rukia sprang to her feet. "Stop desecrating the name of God! Glen acts like this because of me. Glen, let's give it up."
"No. I won't. I'll go to the Pyramid of Truth by any means."
"Then go and get the pass," Canis shot back.
Glen ignored the taunt and glared at Shirone. "Decide here. You and I—who is fit to search for God?"
"To be clear, I refuse. I don't want to fight anyone. Ares, I'm sorry."
Glen had ruined the mood, so Ares had nothing to say this time.
"Let's get out of here."
As Shirone stood to leave, Glen's eyes flashed and he lunged.
"Wait!"
"Glen! Please... ugh!"
Rukia, who had risen to stop her lover, suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed to the floor.
"Rukia!"
"Ah! Ah!"
Her whole body convulsed in unbearable pain; veins bulged along her throat and crawled up her cheek.
"Rukia! Pull yourself together! Hold on a little longer! Rukia!"
Shirone recognized it at once.
Emotion Sickness.
The demon-made disease had ridden the winds across the continent and reached the Holy See.