Chapter 4: At the Ancient Capital

Chapter 4: At the Ancient Capital

At the Ancient Capital

“We will be arriving at Garm shortly. All passengers, please prepare for arrival.”

“…Mmn.”

The voice roused Menou from her slumber.

She felt as if she’d been dreaming of the past, but whatever memories she’d been reliving left her as she woke.

They were in the economy car. The train would be arriving at its final stop shortly; conductors were going around to check on each car.

Akari had already been exhausted, and even Menou wound up falling into a deep slumber after everything that happened. As she blinked dazedly at her surroundings, she saw the other passengers beginning to gather their belongings.

After the terrorist incident, the passengers transferred to a different train.

Once everyone had calmed down, Menou and Akari spent the night in seats in the economy car of the new train. They were offered better seats as thanks for their helpful deeds, but Menou firmly declined out of an overabundance of caution, just in case they somehow ended up in the same car as Ashuna against all odds.

After that, things proceeded smoothly, and they arrived in Garm. Momo would likely be on a later train.

Akari was leaning against Menou as she slept. Her somewhat long black hair tickled Menou’s neck, while her long lashes fluttered in her sleep.

She was utterly defenseless.

Clearly, she trusted Menou completely. It would be crazy to doubt that after they were able to connect so smoothly via Guiding Force.

As she felt the sleeping Akari’s weight and warmth against her, Menou couldn’t help but wonder why.

They had only just met three days ago.

But it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Menou gazed at Akari’s sweet, sleeping face for a moment before gently shaking her shoulder.

“Wake up, Akari. We’re almost there.”

“Wha—? …Oh. Mm’kay. Mornin’?”

“Yes, it is. Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Awww, man. Why does night hafta end? I wanna sleep s’more… So yeah, g’night, Menou. Zzzz… ”

“Don’t be silly. Wake up.”

“Phweee?!”

As Akari started to doze back off, Menou lightly pinched her cheek. Akari shrieked, but Menou ignored her and started gathering their things.

Finally waking up, Akari yawned and stretched.

“Ahhh… So we’re about to reach what’s-it-called, huh?”

“Indeed. Just take a look.” Menou pointed at the city, which was visible through the window.

The train was rapidly approaching a city made largely of stone. At the city’s heart was the former royal castle and a grand cathedral. Both were magnificent structures with storied histories, but the most famous feature of the ancient capital Garm was the Guiding Light rising from the other side of the city.

“Whoa! What the heck is that?! It’s so bright! It’s like the sun!”

“Heh. Impressive, isn’t it?”

Akari forgot her sleepiness as she exclaimed delightedly, and Menou smiled proudly.

The light seemed to reach up into the heavens. It was the glow of the barrier to the astral vein. One of the church’s greatest achievements in technology using Guiding Force, it drew power from the earthen vein and connected it to the heavenly vein, thereby protecting inhabited human settlements from the Wild Frontier.

Shielded by the glowing light, the starting point of the border pilgrimage route was also the former capital of Grisarika Kingdom.

“That’s the ancient capital Garm.”

They had arrived at the destination where Akari was to be killed.

The ancient capital Garm.

It was the former royal capital of Grisarika Kingdom and still a major city on the border with the Wild Frontier. Garm was a very safe city, known for its beautiful sights. As a result, it saw a great deal of tourism. Once they stepped onto the platform, Menou confidently led the way down the main road and past a fountain plaza, heading toward the cathedral in the central district. Archbishop Orwell should be there to greet her.

Following Menou, Akari looked around at the stone architecture, her eyes sparkling.

“Menou! Hey, Menou! I really wanna go sightseeing!”

“Fair enough. If we have time. But we have things to do now, so it’ll have to wait until later. We can hardly go sightseeing without securing a hotel.”

“Later, then! It’s a promise. A date! So you can’t break it, okay?!”

“Yes, yes.”

Akari seemed very hyperactive at the moment, Menou thought as she absently responded to the girl. Was it because the city was so scenic or because she was expecting to be back in Japan soon? Either way, the Otherworlder was so restless, they wound up holding hands.

Otherwise, Menou was afraid Akari would get lost if she took her eyes off her for a second. Any chance she got, Akari pulled Menou along by the hand toward one sight or another. Menou felt like she was taking a particularly large dog for a walk.

“Wow, Menou! That building’s so pretty! It’s a castle! Can we go inside there?!”

“Ah, that’s the former royal castle.”

Akari was excitedly pointing at a castle surrounded by a moat. At present, part of it was open to the public for sightseeing, while other parts were used as a station for the Order of Knights to carry out their law enforcement duties.

That was the last place Menou wanted to go near in this city.

“Our business is over here. That place isn’t on the way.”

“Awww, c’mooon…”

Menou dragged away the reluctant girl. Before long, they arrived at an angular cathedral made of white stones.

It had a bell tower with a clock and a sharp steeple, from which the transepts spread in all directions. This was a church of great historical value, the pinnacle of an architectural style that had prospered here about a hundred years ago.

“Ooh, this place is pretty, too.”

“We’re here on business, not for pleasure. But the interior is even more impressive than the exterior, so perhaps we can take a nice long look around afterward.”

“’Kay!”

When Menou stated her business, they were escorted into the cathedral, so Orwell must have sent word about the situation in advance.

Indeed, the ornamentation inside was even more detailed than the outside. Overhead was an arched ceiling, with decorative stained glass images all around. It had a formidable presence, yet it was so finely made that the details were very pronounced.

“Whoooa… Cool…”

“Close your mouth, Akari. You look like an idiot.”

Akari’s mouth was hanging open as she stared around, but she shut it at once when Menou scolded her.

“An idiot, huh…? Y’know, you can be pretty mean sometimes, Menou. Even though I like you so, sooo much! I think you could stand to show me a little more love!”

“I don’t know how much ‘sooo much’ is exactly, but I’m only mean when you act like a ditz.”

“Waaah. How can you be so mean to me when I’m going home soon?!”

“I’m being normal. I’m always perfectly normal.”

The pair teased each other as they walked through the church.

“But you’re not wrong. This place really is remarkable. This is actually my first time going inside—it’s quite overwhelming.”

Though it seemed like Menou was agreeing with Akari, she was actually observing something quite different.

Since Menou had intimate knowledge of conjuring studies like crestology, materialogy, and conjuration studies, she could understand from a practical perspective just how incredible this cathedral was. The detailed construction certainly had aesthetic appeal and a historical style of architecture.

However, it was more than just pretty to look at.

These details had a very practical use.

The cathedral also served as an emergency evacuation shelter. If the conjuring crests that appeared to be decorations were activated, it would likely become an impregnable fortress. In addition to creating a barrier around the outside wall, it created interior boundaries as well. Inspecting the construction of the crests out of pure curiosity, Menou continued walking as they were led into a room that was closed off to the general public.

Waiting inside was an elderly woman escorted by a young priestess.

The old woman wore priestess robes made from thick white cloth, embroidered with gold thread. Knowing that only the archbishop was permitted to wear such clothes, Menou bowed her head in reverence.

“Archbishop Orwell. It’s an honor for you to greet us.”

They had communicated through the altar before, but this was the first time Menou was officially meeting her in person. Following suit after Menou, Akari hastily ducked her head.

“The pleasure is mine. I understand the situation, so please leave it to me. We’ll have things taken care of in no time… Ms. Akari, I understand you’ve been through some misfortune, but please rest easy now.”

“Th-thanks!”

Evidently sensing the archbishop’s gravitas, Akari responded in a shrill, nervous voice.

Orwell smiled warmly in response, then turned her attention to Menou.

“Ms. Menou, once the ceremony to send Ms. Akari home is complete, what do you plan to do? If you wish to embark on a pilgrimage across the border, we can take care of your travel expenses.”

“Really? Thank you so much…!”

“Oh, don’t mention it. Now, the ceremony will be ready the day after tomorrow. I would love to sit and have a chat with you before then.”

“Yes, of course.”

Since Akari was present, the official story was that they were preparing a ceremony to send her back to her world, but in truth, it was intended to kill her.

Menou had already been informed that it would take time to prepare the ceremony. As she bowed her head deeply, Orwell smiled.

“And one more thing, Ms. Menou. Including today, you’ll be staying here in the city for three days, yes? I have a request I’d like to ask of you, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“…O-of course.”

As the priestess attending the archbishop produced some documents, Menou inwardly heaved a sigh.

No wonder she had become the supposedly benevolent archbishop. Clearly, she wasn’t the sort of person to give things out for free. However, Orwell was kind enough to set them up with a hotel while they were staying in Garm.

The hotel lent out and managed old monasteries and churches that had been remodeled for such purposes. Normally, staying in such culturally important buildings was considerably costly. But Menou and Akari would be staying there for free.

“She really didn’t have to do this…”

Menou had never been put up so luxuriously in all her missions as an Executioner.

Executioners from the holy land were seen as parasites to other parishes. Though they were ranked in the Faust all the same, the job was undeniably a dirty one. Since they showed up and acted outside the local chain of command, and even claimed expenses for their missions, the Executioners were often openly despised by the Faust of their respective parishes.

Normally, simply being ignored would be preferable treatment, yet now Menou was being housed in a fancy hotel, served with a smile, and given full cooperation on her mission. It was unheard-of. Menou expressed her gratitude to Orwell.

A certain idiot was shaking Menou’s shoulders, oblivious to her state of mind.

“Hey, can we go sightseeing now? Menooou? C’mon, let’s gooo! It’s still early eveniiing. We’re young, so our night’s just getting started, right? Riiight?”

“Stop shaking me already! Not today. I have to write up an expense list for my pilgrimage.”

“Awww, c’mon! Let’s have fuuun. I wanna hang out with you, Menou! …You don’t wanna hang out with me?”

“I want to calculate my expenses. Truly. Desperately.”

“Mrr…”

Akari’s expression shifted from pleading to pouting, but Menou paid no attention to her, looking instead at the map. They were going to provide expenses for her. It was only courteous to submit a comprehensive projection.

Thoroughly ignored, Akari rolled onto the bed.

“Menou, you’re so meeean… What did that old lady ask you to do, anyway?”

“Nothing too important.”

“Really? But if you do it, they’re gonna give you money for, uh…the border pilgrimage route thingy, right?”

“Yeah. Crossing the border means passing through the Wild Frontier, so it’s pretty hard.”

Menou half-heartedly explained to Akari as she calculated the funds needed for a pilgrimage across the border.

“You mentioned that Wild Frontier place on the train, right? What is it, exactly?”

“Basically, it’s a general term for areas where humans were unable to settle. It’s a dangerous environment, but there’s a relatively safe route through it known as the pilgrimage route. On the other hand, places where humanity has been able to settle and create a community are known as ‘nations’… But you’re going back to your own world soon, so you don’t need to worry about all that.”

“Riiight…”

The subject must have gotten too difficult, because Akari didn’t ask any more questions. She probably just wanted Menou’s attention and didn’t care much about the actual facts.

“But if we’re not going sightseeing, I guess I’ll take a bath.”

“Enjoy. Nice that each room here has its own bathtub and shower.”

“Yeah. Oh, I know. Why don’t you take a bath with me? We can wash each other!”

“Wash each other? Listen…”

Akari looked as if she’d come up with a genius plan. Menou let out a sigh.

“You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed, but…you really ought to be more careful about getting close to people so quickly. You know that, right?”

“Huh? Nah, not really.”

They had only known each other for less than three full days, yet Akari was inviting her to bathe together. Menou turned back to her work, but Akari’s face was suddenly very close to hers.

“I told you when we first met, remember? That it felt like fate.”

Menou looked up at her doubtfully, caught off guard by Akari’s expression.

The girl looked surprisingly serious.

“If you think I’d act like this toward just anyone, you’re dead wrong! I’m only trying to cozy up close to you because I like you so much, Menou. Besides, you seem like the kinda person who wouldn’t notice someone’s feelings unless they really get in your face about it.”

“That’s…not true?”

“Oh yeah?”

Akari narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

“Then do you know how I’m feeling right now? I wanna spend what little time I have left here being close to you! Do you get it, Menou?”

“Right. Just go take a bath, please. By yourself.”

“Hmph! You don’t get it.”

Why was this girl so sad that she insisted on bathing with someone she’d just met? Menou shooed her away with one hand.

Really, Akari’s fondness of her was a mystery.

She could understand Momo’s attachment, since they’d known each other for so long, but she and Akari barely knew each other. Since the moment they met, Akari’s completely unguarded affection for her was downright bizarre.

“Fate, she says…”

Where in the world did she get that idea? Menou always tried to be sociable toward her targets on a mission, but she had never encountered someone so aggressively friendly. Akari seemed to really believe in things like fate, but Menou couldn’t understand the reasoning behind her confident conclusion, no matter how hard she tried.

“Surely there must be some reason…”

But since she couldn’t figure it out, she couldn’t help being curious.

Still, perhaps there was no need to worry about it any longer. Menou picked up the documents from Orwell and looked them over again.

In addition to the archbishop’s request, it contained details on the ceremony for destroying Otherworlders. They hadn’t been able to discuss this information in person, since Akari was there.

“…Looks like it should all end as planned.”

That was a good thing, so why did she feel a little sad about it?

Once she heard the water running from the shower, Menou stepped out onto the balcony.

However, it wasn’t for a breath of fresh air.

“Darliiing!”

As Menou suspected, Momo appeared out of nowhere and latched on to her.

This was a third-floor balcony, but Menou wasn’t surprised when her assistant embraced her tightly.

“Your Momo was sooo worried about leaving you on that train that she nearly died of lonelineeess!”

“Good work back there. And I’m surprised you knew where to find me.”

“Of cooourse! I’ll always track you down, whether it’s through fire, flood, or even the Wild Frontier, darliiing!”

It had only been a day since they last saw each other, but Momo rubbed her face against Menou as if it was a long-awaited reunion.

“Ahhh. I can’t believe there were terrorists on our traaain. Oh, listen to this, darliiing. Some damned princess knight called Ashuna showed up, and she was even worse than the terrorists, you knooow. Momo worked sooo hard to keep her away from you, darliiing. That stuck-up princess has instincts as sharp as Master’s. She was such a pain that I wanted to crush her to death, but I held back. Instead, I wrapped up our little fight and ran away, then shook her off my trail. Aren’t you proud of meee?”

“Yes, yes. Very good.”

“Hee-hee.”

Menou patted Momo’s fluffy hair, and Momo’s cheeks flushed with glee.

“I’m so happyyy. I basically live for your praise, you knooow.”

“All right, all right. So, Momo, do you mind if I ask you a favor?”

Once Momo calmed down a little, Menou pulled out the documents she received at the church, as well as a report of the events on the train from her perspective.

“…We finally reunite, and you want to talk about work alreadyyyy? You’re so cruel.”

“Well, we’re in the middle of a job right now. I can’t help it.”

Momo pouted a little, but this was a request straight from the archbishop herself. Orwell was providing funds for Menou to cross the border, and even going so far as to forge documents for her. Since she owed a debt to someone who ranked high above her, Menou couldn’t exactly refuse her request.

Momo’s frown deepened as she accepted the documents and looked them over.

“A series of disappearances, is iiit? Hmm… And the victims are all young women? Is there a human trafficking problem in this city, maybeee?”

“That doesn’t seem to be the case. They’ve already investigated around the brothels, and they didn’t find anything unusual.”

Orwell’s request was an investigation of the rash of disappearances occurring in this city, which she’d previously mentioned in their call while Menou was in the royal capital.

“There’s a considerable number of people missing, and none of them have been found. It’s no wonder the archbishop is so concerned.”

“Hmm. Maybe some heathens are collecting sacrifices to summon demons?”

“It does seem like it could be related to a Concept of Original Sin, but we don’t have enough information to say for sure just yet.”

“Truuue. Doesn’t this still fall within the knights’ duties, then? Why would the archbishop ask us? And how does she expect us to do it in three days, anywaaay…?”

“We’re not expected to solve it—she just wants a fresh perspective, she says. And if we don’t find anything, that’s all right, according to her.”

Momo’s complaints were correct, but Orwell seemed to be fully aware of all that.

An Executioner had a different perspective from ordinary knights and priestesses. No doubt the archbishop had asked her in the hopes that she might uncover some new clue.

This incident was occurring right in her own backyard, after all. It was no wonder she was willing to try any and all means.

“Just blow it off, theeen.”

“I can’t do that. I owe her.”

“Waaah. Sometimes you’re diligent to a fault. Since this place borders the Wild Frontier, a little crime is inevitable, if you ask meee. Ah, so what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Er, tomorrow…”

Menou had plans in place, but she looked away guiltily.

“I’m, er…sightseeing…with Akari.”

“………………”

The look in Momo’s eyes was indescribable.

The documents in her hand crumpled as she clenched her fist. Even without meeting her eyes, Menou broke out in a cold sweat under the pressure from Momo’s steely gaze. She carefully looked anywhere else.

Truthfully, Menou did feel bad for essentially goofing off while pushing the work on her assistant.

“Right, of cooourse. She does need to be guarded, after all. I get it. If young women are being kidnapped in this city right now, we can’t have that boob-lady wandering around alone. And you can’t investigate these incidents with such an utterly useless girl on your hands, of cooourse.”

“E-exactly. I’m so glad you understand, Momo! I’d expect no less of my dear assistant!”

“Riiight.”

As Menou talked a little too quickly, Momo graced her with a lovely smile.

“Momo loves you sooo much, darling, so I’ll do whatever you saaay… And I’ll wrap up this investigation in no time, just you waaait!”

For better or worse, Momo seemed to be revving to go. Menou felt worse about the situation, but she hastily changed the subject.

“And the archbishop is going to prepare the ceremonial hall to take care of the Akari problem. She says it’ll be ready by the day after tomorrow.”

“Ohhh? The archbishop of this nation really is very cooperative. A ceremony to kill Otherworlders… I’d never heard of such a thing befooore.”

“Neither had I. But I suppose it’s because Master’s general policy was for us to figure it out on our own.”

“Ahhh…yes, Master is quite particular. She really hates ceremonial conjuring, since it requires a large group, toooo.”

“Uh-huh.”

No matter the mission, their old Master never suggested cooperating with anyone. Other people were just tools to be used, and even those closest to you should always be treated with suspicion of being a forbidden entity, according to her needlessly thorough paranoia. Her emphasis on this lone-wolf approach was evident in their education in the monastery, too.

As Menou nodded in agreement with Momo’s assessment, she remembered something else she had to mention.

“Oh, right. Momo.”

“Yeees?”

“Be careful of the Order of Knights in this city.”

Something one of the terrorists had said still rang in her mind.

“If we don’t make it to Garm, we’re gonna get hanged anyway.”

In other words, if they did manage to make it to Garm, they had a plan in place for their getaway.

That meant the terrorists on the train were almost certainly working with someone in this city. Menou suspected the coconspirators in question were the ancient capital’s Order of Knights.

There was the fact that the terrorists had known the whereabouts of Ashuna, who was a royal but also a knight. The fact that they somehow had obtained prohibited weapons like Guiding guns and the Primary Red Stone. And the fact that they were confident they could get away if they reached Garm, despite their flagrant crimes. Put it all together, and it made sense that they might be connected to the Order of Knights, who were in charge of the law enforcement in Garm, a city that bordered the Wild Frontier.

This was just an educated guess, of course. Menou had no proof.

However, the probability was very high. It might not be the entire Order of Knights, but there must be some number of them who were corrupted.

“All riiight. I understaaand.”

Menou’s advice had been brief, but it seemed to get through to Momo.

Watching as Momo made her way down from the balcony in darkness, swiftly and carefully to avoid being seen, Menou touched the black scarf ribbon that Momo had given her when they were children.

She had worn that ribbon ever since.

“…Maybe I should buy something for Momo.”

She murmured the thought aloud. Momo wasn’t just her assistant. She was her junior, but one that she could always depend on more than anyone else.

Menou felt nothing but gratitude toward her.

I’ll find something she might like when we go out tomorrow and buy it for her to show my appreciation , she decided.

The next day, their sightseeing went smoothly.

As the former royal capital of Grisarika Kingdom, the ancient capital Garm had a storied history.

The capital had been relocated out of necessity when a change in the astral vein resulted in Garm bordering the Wild Frontier, an area where human settlement was impossible. At the same time, it was virtually untouched by modern civilization. Many adventurers aimed to make a killing by finding and selling rare items that couldn’t be made by human hands, so now that Garm bordered the place, there were more people of that ilk in the city.

While the shift in occupational demands resulted in a slight decrease in overall public safety, the ancient capital was as lively as it had been in its prime. Amid the thriving crowds, Menou and Akari went on a tour of the biggest sightseeing areas.

Soon, it was their third day in the city.

Menou led Akari toward the cathedral.

“All that sightseeing was sooo fun!”

Everything in this city must have looked remarkably new to the eyes of a Japanese person like Akari. She looked absolutely delighted as she walked beside Menou.

If only you knew , Menou thought.

The Executioner was all too familiar with the fact that the beauty of this town was hiding all of its darkness under the surface.

“This world is pretty rad!”

“I’m glad you think so.”

But there was no need to reveal all that to Akari. Instead, Menou simply agreed.

Come tomorrow morning, Akari’s life in this otherworld would be over. As far as she knew, she would be going back to Japan. Menou had fooled her into believing as much.

In truth, her life would be over altogether.

Menou’s journey with Akari was ending far sooner than she had expected when she first discovered Akari’s immortality. She would die in this town, and Menou would travel alone on her pilgrimage out of this nation. That would mark the end of this mission.

Akari skipped along next to Menou, oblivious to her plans.

She was holding Menou’s hand, swinging it back and forth happily when they came upon a certain stall.

It was marketed primarily to sightseers. In addition to premade items, customers could create simple handmade accessories. Essentially, it was a tourist attraction that allowed people to make their own souvenirs.

Akari noticed Menou’s lingering gaze immediately.

“Are you interested in that stall, Menou?”

“…I suppose. Do you mind if we take a look?”

“Of course!”

Since they had left the hotel early, there was still some time before their scheduled meeting with Orwell. Menou called out to the woman running the stall.

“I’d like to make one of these, please.”

Most of the accessories displayed were metal, but the one that caught Menou’s eye was a cloth scrunchie.

The woman handed her the materials, and she set about making two of them. Metal decorations that clinked together could make stealth more difficult, so she limited herself to one small accent on each. The smiling shopkeeper cooed in approval at her delicate touch, so Menou murmured vague thanks as she worked, fending off Akari as she slid closer. Before long, Menou had finished the two scrunchies.

“There. All done.”

Menou wasn’t one to sing her own praises, but she thought they had come out simple yet cute.

Akari looked at the finished product with her eyes sparkling.

“Hey, Menou. Since you made two, that must mean…you want to match with me!”

“Um, no?”

“No?!”

Where did she get that idea? Menou carefully put the purchased scrunchies into a bag.

“This is for a junior of mine. She’s always looking out for me.”

She was acting on the idea she’d thought of the day before: a symbol of gratitude to thank Momo for all her hard work.

Akari puffed up her cheeks unhappily.

“Why?! We’re saying our good-byes soon, but you’re not gonna give me anything?!”

“Er…”

She can be so difficult , Menou thought, but coldly pushing her away would only make it worse. And from Akari’s point of view, it was true that they were about to go their separate ways.

Akari stared at Menou intently. Smelling a business opportunity, the shopkeeper put on her best smile.

Oh, all right. Menou sighed.

“Let me see that for a second.”

She reached over and plucked off Akari’s headband to make something different from the scrunchies.

Menou’s fingers moved swiftly, forming a flower shape out of the cloth. She tied this to the headband as a flower decoration, put it back on Akari’s head, and smiled.

“There. Very cute.”

“…Hee-hee.” Akari broke into a smile, peering into the mirror at the stall and blushing happily. “You’ve got good taste, Menou. I like that about you, too.”

“Thanks. It’s the perfect accessory for someone who’s all hearts and flowers, if I do say so myself.”

“Hey, did you just say something super mean?!”

Menou ignored Akari’s cry as she paid the shopkeeper. The real reason she had chosen a flower decoration was simple.

It was an offering, a tribute to Akari’s imminent death.

Once they finished at the accessory stall, Menou and Akari headed for the cathedral, where a great deal of worshippers and tourists were leaving the chapel area. They weaved their way against the flow of the crowd into the room where they were brought before and found Orwell waiting for them.

“Welcome. Over here, Ms. Menou. You too, Ms. Akari.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okaaay!”

Orwell led the way, her cane in hand. Menou and Akari followed her through the chapel room and deep into the inner sanctum.