novelWomen's Dorm of the Anglican Church. Russian_Roulette
| ← Ch.03 | Ch.05 → |
Part 1
Morning came 9 hours later in London than in Academy City.
With soft sunbeams and the chirping of the birds coming in the window, Kanzaki Kaori stood dumbfounded in the changing room of the women's dorm.
In front of her was a state-of-the-art Academy City fully automated washing machine.
"I told you... Just because the box said it could wash an entire futon doesn't mean it's true."
Because it had been getting colder lately, Kanzaki was wearing a jacket that came down to her navel in addition to her usual T-shirt and one-legged jeans. The jacket had its right arm completely cut off, so her shoulder was visible.
"The way this washing machine works is always giving us trouble..."
There was a sound of an object falling to the ground. It came from Shichiten Shichitou sliding down from where it was leaning against the wall. However, Kanzaki didn't even notice.
October 3rd was her day to do the wash, but this had all been caused by Agnese Sanctis saying she might as well stick the futon in there too, wrapping the thick futon up tightly, and throwing it in the washing machine.
The fully AI-run appliance seemed like it was about to start spewing black smoke because it was emitting a worrying low rumbling moan as it rattled back and forth.
"..."
Speaking of Agnese, she looked like she was half-in-tears and had her back pressed to the changing room wall as she tried to keep as far from the washing machine as she could. She looked like someone who had been driven into a corner and she was trembling enough to give the washing machine a run for its money. Because Agnese's shaking looked like it could whip cream, Kanzaki wasn't sure if she should berate her or not.
That was when Orsola Aquinas came in.
The large-breasted nun's smiling face was all that could be seen because she was covered from head to toe by her black nun's habit.
"It's time for breakfast."
"It's too soon!! Can't you give a little thought to the flow of things so far!?"
"Oh. But I would think that having breakfast at the same time as usual would be the natural flow of things. In fact, isn't the washing machine the only irregular aspect?"
Kanzaki fell silent.
When she thought about it, Orsola was right.
While her attention was pointed elsewhere, Agnese sang out "B-b-b-breakfast. Breakfast!" and ran out of the changing room.
Kanzaki sighed, scratched her black-ponytailed head, picked her katana up from the ground, and headed for the dining hall. Orsola must have been tired, because her body swayed left and right as she smiled and walked down the hallway.
"Oh, right. Kanzaki-san."
"What is it?"
"What was that package that came addressed to you the other day? I'm pretty sure it was from Tsuchimikado-san in Japan."
Kanzaki's shoulders jumped in surprise.
She messed with her bangs using her thumb and forefinger as she spoke.
"O-oh, it wasn't really anything. I didn't feel it was anything worth mentioning."
"I see. The label had 'Fallen Angel Maid Set' written on it in large letters, so everyone found it to be rather disturbing. But it wasn't anything to worry about?"
"N-no!! Not at all!!"
Kanzaki shook her head back and forth as she trembled at a high speed.
Orsola either didn't notice how Kanzaki was acting or her thought pattern had gone forward or backwards to somewhere else.
"By the way, doesn't that long katana get in the way?"
"F-for me, one with a little weight to it is easier to wield."
"My, my. And I thought its length had some religious meaning."
"Oh, it does have a meaning from Japanese legend."
Kanzaki was relieved that the subject had finally changed and she continued speaking while walking down the corridor with Orsola.
"The only reason there are a lot of religious katana is that the ruling classes of Japan held katana and other types of swords in high esteem. If they had held axes to that same esteem, there would be a lot more axes. It's the same as how in some areas the people are proud of their fish and vegetables and in others it's their kitchen knives and pots. It all depends on what people in that area find most important."
She ran her fingertips along Shichiten Shichitou's hilt.
"In Shinto, everything is based on the theory of the 8 million. In other words, it is thought that gods reside in everything and therefore anything can become a magical tool. The Amakusa church often uses this idea by creating spells out of the objects at hand. But because a different god resided in each object, a single object cannot be used for various different kinds of spells."
"Yawn... I am quite sleepy."
"!! You asked the question and you aren't even paying attention!?"
Kanzaki yelled in amazement, but Orsola merely rubbed her eyes and quickly headed into the dining hall.
Left behind, Kanzaki's shoulders drooped as she entered the dining hall as well.
It was a large room.
Originally, only about 70 people used it, but the recent arrival of the former Agnese forces had added another 250 to that. The fact that there had been room for them was a good indicator of how much space there was.
There was no set time for Necessarius activities, so the nuns ate their meals at different times. Because of this, the dining hall almost never filled up.
But...
"I can't believe that whenever Orsola is in charge of the meal, every seat is full. Talk about only caring about yourself."
Kanzaki reached her table while still in amazement.
Agnese, Orsola, Lucia, and Angelene were sitting nearby. Seeing Lucia with her pointed eyes pulling on Angelene's cheek, Kanzaki guessed that the small girl with a bent back must have snuck some food before the meal.
"Bh-bhut I only want to ask Sister Orsola for her secret."
"Her secret? Don't be ridiculous."
"But I want to know how to get big breasts."
(... What are they talking about?) Kanzaki thought as she covered her face with her hands in exasperation.
Meanwhile, Lucia and Angelene continued their argument.
"Sister Angelene. A nun does not need breasts. A nun is supposed to cut herself off from every kind of desire and breasts only bring the danger of tempting men. It is Sister Orsola and I who have the fault here."
"Wah! You say all that, but still declare yourself as having large breasts!? I won't let you draw the line as cruelly as that! And someone like you who complains about her breasts getting bigger even though you'd thought they'd stopped growing and saying they hurt wouldn't understand how I feeghaah!?"
As Angelene was speaking, Lucia's face had turned red and she pushed down on Angelene's braided blonde head as hard as she could. As they struggled, the knives and forks on the table rattled.
Kanzaki gave them a warning as she watched on in utter amazement.
"Angelene. And you too, Lucia. It's time for the pre-meal prayer. Quit making such a racket."
But Angelene wasn't listening.
She looked at an area a little bit below Kanzaki's face.
"And the point goes to Japanese food!!"
"Enough with this sacrilegious conversation, Sister Angelene! And you, Kanzaki Kaori. If you're a nun, put those filthy things away!!"
"They aren't like this to draw attention to them!!"
Kanzaki shouted in return without thinking, but the humble (in both mind and body) nuns averted their gaze and clicked their tongues lightly.
And in that strained atmosphere, they prayed and started breakfast.
Nothing particular was made for breakfast in the women's dorm. The day before, cards indicating what people wanted for breakfast the next day were counted and then a single type of meal was made all at once in a giant pot.
But Orsola was skilled enough to make a number of meals all at once. She couldn't make hundreds of meals on her own, so a few dozen other nuns would help her. However, Orsola knew the recipes to a large number of foods and she was good at accurately instructing others.
So in front of Kanzaki was white rice and miso soup, in front of Agnese and Lucia was pasta, and in front of Angelene was French food.
Kanzaki muttered "itadakimasu", picked up her chopsticks, and spoke.
"Really, what's with that washing machine? First it took all the color out of the obi to my yukata and today it broke so easily. Academy City didn't send us a washing machine that would eliminate the spiritual effects equipped on our clothes, did they?"
"Ah. Ah ha ha. Let's focus on our food. Okay?" Agnese tried to change the subject with an overly dry smile.
Meanwhile, the tall Lucia and the bent-backed Angelene were speaking.
"Uheh? Sister Lucia, that much will hold you until lunch? The pasta only covers half your plate."
"Sister Angelene, you are taking too much food. What kind of menu is that? A nun does not need chocolate drink or ice cream with her breakfast. If you maintain a spirit of moderation and are thankful for the food with discipline and faith, a single plate of noodles will fill you up. You could even say that I am being blessed with too much."
"Hehh... Well, if you don't need all that, I'll eat it for you."
"!? Stop entwining my pasta around your fork, Sister Angelene!!"
As the large and small nun combo struggled, Kanzaki removed the bones from her grilled fish and sighed. From the way they had just been talking about breasts, it was hard to believe that those two had been pointing weapons and asking for their deaths while calling them heretics just a few weeks before.
(It seems one's assessment of people can change given a chance... )
Kanzaki finished removing the bones from her grilled fish in an oddly solemn mood, popped open a small container and pulled out an umeboshi. No artificial dyes must have been used in it because it was more of a beige than a red.
And...
When Kanzaki looked up, Lucia and Angelene were looking wide-eyed in her direction.
"Wh-what?"
Kanzaki was taken aback and the two nuns whispered to each other.
"(... Sister Angelene. The Asian is about to eat something I've never seen before. Is that the 'umeboshi' from the country of the samurai I've heard about?)"
"(... I bet it's necessary for an Amakusa spell. I've heard they have something called a 'hinomaru bento' there. It has something to do with imitating their flag. )"
"(... Does eating their flag have some kind of religious meaning? This could be our chance to learn about what peculiar direction Amakusa spells have taken. )"
Kanzaki couldn't decide whether to correct their misunderstanding or not, and Agnese nudged her shoulder.
Looking over, Kanzaki saw that Agnese's eyes were fixed on her umeboshi.
"What does that taste like? Can I try one?"
"S-sure. I don't mind... Wait, on your pasta!?"
Kanzaki was shocked to see Agnese put the umeboshi on top of her pasta that was cream-colored as she had already put white sauce on it. As Agnese mixed it around, the pasta turned to a light pink color.
Kanzaki's face paled as she saw that, but surprisingly enough Agnese smiled in enjoyment when she took a bite.
"Hm, this is quite fresh. It has a refreshing flavor."
"Really, really!?" said Lucia and Angelene in excitement. But Kanzaki was the most surprised. Japanese-style pasta with soy sauce or mentaiko was one thing, but she doubted cream sauce with an umeboshi in it was actually good.
Orsola hadn't been getting into the conversation very much and she had had her head tilted to the side for a while by that point. With a completely happy-looking expression she muttered something about wondering how many meters long her pasta was as she continued to spin her fork around in thin air. She was probably asleep. Kanzaki tilted her head to the side in puzzlement at the fact that Orsola had been able to make food this good while in a state like that.
And then...
"K-Kanzaki-san! Me, too! Me, too!! I want to try an umeboshi, too!!"
Angelene was yelling while leaning forward on the table. Looking down, Kanzaki saw that her main dish was a soft croissant. Kanzaki was about to ask her what exactly she was going to put the umeboshi on, but she suddenly stopped.
(No, I can't give her the preconception that an umeboshi is eaten on top of something. She's open to new things like Agnese. Once she has tasted an umeboshi, she should make her way to true Japanese food with no problem. )
"S-sure. I have plenty, so if you want to try one, go ahead."
She consented humbly, but Kanzaki had actually dried them in the sun herself on the roof of the women's dorm because she wasn't satisfied with the commercial ones. Because she had been worried about not getting enough sunlight with London's frequently changing weather, she had made a plastic greenhouse for them and had gone back and forth on whether she should just use magical light or if they had to be completely sun dried. The fact that people were praising them made her extremely happy on the inside, but she made sure she was a true Yamato Nadeshiko by hiding that feeling behind a calm façade.
Kanzaki took an umeboshi out of the container with her chopsticks and put it on a small plate. Angelene took it with a cheer.
Kanzaki examined Angelene's face to see how she would react to it.
"You put an umeboshi on something to eat it, right? I can actually be a bit weak to fruit pastes like jam and marmalade, though."
"Hah?" Kanzaki said as her eyes turned to dots.
She had a feeling there was a grand misunderstanding going in here, but she didn't do anything in regards to those fears.
"This isn't the same thing as an Eastern sweet, right? I think those are called 'wagashi'. I've been interested in them for a while."
Angelene popped the umeboshi into her mouth without any caution at all.
And directly afterwards...
Her eyes turned to X's, her lips puckered up, and she fell backwards in her chair.
She abandoned her meal and ran from the dining hall screaming something.
An umeboshi full of the history and techniques of the Amakusa church was nothing like commercial ones.
Part 2
Once breakfast was over, it was back to battling the washing machine.
"Owner's manual – check. A screwdriver and other tools – check. The warranty card just in case... Eh? The support center is in Japan? That means it'll be at the international rate!"
Kanzaki was right at the line between being determined to finish and deciding to give up as she trudged along a hallway in the women's dorm.
That was when one of the doors along the hallway suddenly opened.
Sherry Cromwell came out looking sleep deprived and scratching her disheveled hair. Her blonde hair looked like a lion's mane and her light brown skin made her look wild. The sun had already risen high into the sky, but she was still wearing a black negligee.
She was holding a chisel and hammer for sculpting in her hands.
"... Oh, Kanzaki. Is there any breakfast left?"
"I see you got so absorbed in sculpting that you forgot what time it was again. There's no breakfast left, but Orsola's in charge of the food, so if you clasp your hands and beg I'm sure she'll make you something."
As she spoke, Kanzaki looked over Sherry's shoulders and into her room.
Sherry had rented out two rooms in the dorm. One to sleep in and one to work in. There were plenty of people that rented out multiple rooms to help manage their spiritual items, but renting a room for something that was no more than a hobby was quite rare.
Sherry's room was labeled as the "Sculpture Room", but there were no sculptures in it. There were only piles of the shattered pieces of former sculptures in the four corners of the room.
Except for a statue of a small boy in the center of the room.
It was a life-size marble statue with "Ellis" carved into its pedestal.
"That one was a failure, too." Sherry muttered when she saw where Kanzaki was looking."Even though it's a failure I can't bear looking at, I just can't bring myself to destroy it."
Sherry was almost speaking to herself and Kanzaki only knew that Ellis was the name of the golem Sherry used. Because of this, Kanzaki asked a simple question.
"So that isn't the name of the spell you use?"
"... When I was naming it, that was all that came to mind." Sherry responded sulkily."I was creating a puppet to protect me and when I got to the stage where I had to give it a name, his was the one that came to mind first. I'm aware it makes it look like I'm clinging on to regret."
Sherry chucked the sculpting tools she was holding into the room, locked the door, and headed for the dining hall without saying another word. Kanzaki didn't know the details, but Sherry's back looked somehow smaller than usual.
(Well, asking further wouldn't accomplish anything. Sticking my head into other people's business doesn't necessarily lead to the path of salvation. ) Kanzaki was the bearer of the magic name meaning "reach out the hand of salvation to those with none" so she was itching to do something, but she forced herself to remain silent.
"O-oh, there you are, Kanzaki-san..."
Now Angelene was half-running toward her. She had gotten up and left halfway through breakfast, but now she was holding what almost looked like a tube of toothpaste in her hand for some reason. It most likely contained ganache.
"What is it, Angelene? Where have you been? Oh, I think your breakfast was already cleared from the table."
"Kh... N-no, that doesn't matter. I don't mind. That just means lunch will taste even better."
"Then, how about you try another umeboshi at lunch. This time you can actually put it on rice and..."
"No thank you!! I'm not going to have any more of that devil's food you call an umeboshi! It messed up my mouth and not even drinking hot milk made it go away! That's why I'm eating chocolate now!! All my admiration for Japan was destroyed in an instant!"
Hearing that disheartened Kanzaki Kaori, but she gracefully controlled her emotions like a true Yamato Nadeshiko so there was no outward change. Or so she thought. In reality, her shoulders drooped.
"Well, I won't force you to try... So, what did you want me for?"
"O-oh, that's right. Um, well, I'm not actually the one that wants you..."
"Oh, were you asked to pass a message along to me? Is it from Agnese?"
"N-no. It isn't a message. You're needed as a representative of the dorm... Um, um, and it isn't from Sister Agnese."
"Lucia then?"
"Um, well, it isn't from Sisters Lucia or Orsola. Nor is it from Sisters Catarina or Agata. In fact, it isn't from anyone in the dorm."
"???"
(This is the Anglican Church's women's dorm, but there's someone else here?)
Kanzaki tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"Umm, I think she said she was..." Angelene tilted her head to the side a bit, too."Oh, right. Sasha. It was Sasha Kreutzev."
Part 3
Sasha Kreutzev.
She was an official member of the unit of the Russian Orthodox Church that specialized in magical combat, "Annihilatus". They specialized in the annihilation of non-human things that "shouldn't be". To do so, they would not hesitate to use magic that had been completely banned ever since Rasputin's corruption of the government. It wasn't rare for them to destroy everything in the area their target appeared in leaving no remains behind and making major changes to the terrain. Because of this, there were currently limitations in place on entry to the country by people from certain nations that wished to protect the cultural properties there.
One of their magicians would not be quite as strong as a magician from the Anglican Church's Necessarius in a one-on-one battle, but by equipping herself with saws and hammers and other British-made spiritual tools of torture, Sasha compensated for that. She looked like a short blonde girl, but with the 7 tools around her waist, she was an almighty magician who could deal with any kind of situation by changing her tactics accordingly. She had great value as an agent of her organization due to her ideal level of skill.
Kanzaki had seen a different side of her on the coast of Japan, but it was best to think of that as a different "her".
Sasha Kreutzev was an agent of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Why was she in London and why was she at the women's dorm of the Anglican Church?
It was unlikely she was sightseeing or had gotten lost.
The Roman Catholic Church and Academy City were in an explosive situation, so Kanzaki could naturally sense a political scent to Sasha's visit.
She could have been there for a negotiation, to discuss something, to try to work out a deal, or even to give a warning.
As Angelene brought her to the dorm entrance, Kanzaki braced herself.
"My first answer: I am lost."
"Ehhh!?" Kanzaki yelled out without thinking.
Seeing Kanzaki's astonished face, Sasha nodded slightly.
"My second answer: Thank you for the excellent reaction."
"You were kidding!?"
Kanzaki didn't remember Sasha Kreutzev being the kind of person who made jokes, but then she remembered that that was a different "her".
"My third answer: As I am sure you have guessed, I have come here as an envoy of the Russian Orthodox Church. But I would like to add that this is not a formal meeting on the part of my church. As I will be expressing my personal feelings, this is no more than an unofficial conversation."
It seemed this wasn't a clear display of hostility from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Kanzaki let her guard down slightly.
"I see... Well, I doubt you want to stand the whole time we talk, so come on in."
"My fourth answer: Thank you for-..."
Sasha's words cut off suddenly.
When Kanzaki turned around to look at her, Sasha was moving her right hand behind her.
It looked like her fingertips were shaking unnaturally.
"My first question: There are magical defense on this facility, are there not?"
"No... There is some bait here meant to lure in anyone within England who wishes to bring unrest, so those kinds of defenses are purposefully left off."
"My second question: Then are there other magical operations occurring within this facility?"
"Well..." Kanzaki thought for a second."Now that you mention it, some of the people in the dorm cast storage spells to protect their spiritual items. But I wouldn't think very much magical power would seep out to here from that."
Kanzaki wondered if this had anything to do with Sasha's trembling fingers.
Meanwhile, Sasha nodded slightly as if to show she understood.
"... My fifth answer: It is nothing. Let us go to somewhere where we can talk."
She brought her small hand to her chest and breathed deeply before looking forward again. Kanzaki may have been mistaken before, because her fingertips looked the same as ever.
Kanzaki moved to the side as if to show Sasha the way and wondered where she should take her. This was the women's dorm so there weren't any areas for taking visitors. But since Sasha was a special envoy of the Russian Orthodox Church, she couldn't exactly take her to a private area like her own room.
It seemed the dining hall was the only option.
"But why are you here? There are representatives of the Anglican Church at St. George's Cathedral."
"My sixth answer: Vasilisa... That is, a superior of mine whose personality I would rather not discuss, is headed there. She has entered England for a conference there and I have entered as her aide."
Kanzaki, Angelene, and Sasha walked down the hallway to the dining hall.
"Then your being here makes even less sense. If you're the aide, you should be by the Russian representative's side during the conference."
"My seventh answer: There are various circumstances on the Russian side. It may sound rude to you on the British side, but I personally feel my being here is more important."
"..."
Given the unstable state of the world, a Russian magician wouldn't have been able to get into England easily, so Sasha had used the conference as a means to get in.
This seemed suspicious, so Kanzaki brought her guard back up.
"(... U-um, Kanzaki-san. )"
Angelene was tugging on Kanzaki's pants.
"What is it, Angelene?"
"(... Do you know her? And... she has a fairly unique way of dressing. )"
Sasha Kreutzev's shoulders gave a large twitch.
She was wearing only a revealing straitjacket-like collection of black belts as innerwear with a red cloak over it.
"Shh!" Kanzaki said as she held her index finger to her mouth.
"(... There are different cultures out there. That outfit must have an important meaning in the Russian Orthodox Church. )"
"(... E-ehh? Really? It just looks like something a weird middle-aged man you run into on a deserted street at night would be wearing... )"
"(... Angelene! Don't say that. You'd get mad if someone mocked the way you expressed your faith, wouldn't you!?)"
Sasha was trembling slightly, but she never reached the explosion point. There were only fragments of sentences occasionally escaping her lips such as "I'm not dressed like this because I want to be...", "The Russian Orthodox Church isn't a collection of perverts...", and "I will kill Vasilisa....".
As this was going on, they reached the dining hall.
Breakfast was over, but a number of people – mostly former Roman Catholic nuns – were sitting at the tables chatting. They had no set time they had to get to work, so when they were on standby they did nothing else.
"Hm?"
Sherry turned to look at the three who had entered while stuffing her mouth full of a ham and lettuce sandwich Orsola had made with whatever food she could find (Orsola really must have been tired because the contents of the sandwich were sticking out from the bread).
"Someone's wearing a swimsuit and it isn't even summer."
A vein showed up on Sasha's temple. She must have been overly shocked by having someone wearing an extremely revealing negligee say that. She muttered "I will kill Vasilisa. I will kill Vasilisa. I will kill Vasilisa." under her breath in a frightening way.
Kanzaki put her index finger to her mouth to keep Sherry from saying anything else and spoke.
"U-umm. This is Sasha Kreutzev. She is an agent of the Russian Orthodox Church and she's come here to have an unofficial discussion."
Everyone in the dining hall was listening to Kanzaki with the possible exception of Orsola. She was so tired she was walking to and fro between the tables while holding a fancy tea set on a tray and wobbling back and forth.
In her place, Agnese who was holding some playing cards responded. Across the table from her was Lucia's poker face, Catarina was next to her with tears in her eyes, and Agata was diagonally across staring at her own cards. Agnese turned from them and looked at Kanzaki.
"Is the unofficial discussion this Sasha wants to have about her wanting to flee her country and take refuge here?"
"I see. It looks like this is a literal case of escaping 'with only the clothes on one's back'. Well, you'll be fine here. Don't worry."
In response to Agnese and Lucia's words, the sides of Sasha's mouth fell. In response to this, Kanzaki Kaori gestured frantically telling them not to bring up her clothes.
After pulling herself together, Kanzaki offered Sasha a nearby seat.
It seemed Orsola's sleepiness had finally faded and she brought over a cup of black tea.
Sasha sipped the tea to moisten her tongue and spoke.
"I have a third question for you all today."
Her words seemed to spread throughout the entire dining hall.
And as they did, the atmosphere turned solemn.
"Which side do you intend to take in the war occurring between the Roman Catholic Church and Academy City?"
Part 4
War.
That was a word that none of them could ignore anymore.
Up to that point, wars had occurred in areas marked by national boundaries, but this one was different. There were no national boundaries in a conflict between ideologies. It was possible that every part of the world could suddenly become a battlefield. There were no countries that could be considered safe and no areas that could be considered to have impenetrable defenses. There was even a danger of conflicts breaking out within a single unit.
"My eighth answer: This is a nice city."
Sasha was looking out of a large window.
"To explain further: There are not very many demonstrations being carried out by the Roman Catholic Church or the science side in London. Incidentally, Russia is in a very tense state at the moment. There is a fear of sudden riots even during the day, so more and more stores are closing their shutters."
The Anglican Church and the Russian Orthodox Church were both state religions, but the people of the country were not required to follow that religion. Because of this, there were plenty of Roman Catholic believers in Russia. And as for science, there were very few people who did not rely on it by that point.
Kanzaki was reminded of these facts before she began speaking.
"But why did you come to us? We are only one part of the Anglican Church and a single organization is forbidden to act completely on its own judgement. If you want to know what actions we will take in this forthcoming war, you need to go to St. George's Cathedral and talk with the Archbishop..."
"My fourth question: Is that really true?"
"What?"
Kanzaki, Agnese, Lucia, Angelene, Sherry, and the others displayed suspicious expressions at Sasha's words. Except, that is, for Orsola who looked like she was nodding off.
"My fifth question: Do you really intend to continue obeying the Anglican Church during this war?"
"..."
The words of the Russian Orthodox Church rang throughout the large dining hall.
"To explain further: Kanzaki Kaori and Agnese Sanctis are in a symbolic position as members of the former Amakusa Church and the former Agnese Forces respectively. And most of the other members of Necessarius are in the Anglican Church in order to accomplish their goals instead of being in Necessarius because they are a part of the Anglican Church."
Her words were blunt. She had clearly done at lot to prepare for this meeting beyond simply gaining entrance to England.
Sasha continued.
"To explain even further: In the Russian Orthodox Church's opinion, the Roman Catholic Church and Academy City are currently about equal when it comes to strength in a war. Therefore, third parties like the Russian Orthodox Church and the Anglican Church can have a great effect on the outcome. The Russian Orthodox Church has no real interest in this war. We do not mind who wins, but we would like to ally ourselves with the victor so as to have the upper hand when the war is over. We need to know what the British side will do in order to have a more accurate opinion."
The Anglican Church was a major influence in the magic side.
It did not get along with the Russians because of the differences between the denominations. At the same time, it had a special pipeline with Academy City.
It was difficult to predict which side this major magic organization would choose.
Not to mention that the Anglican Church also had a number of people like Kanzaki and Agnese who belonged to smaller organizations that were affiliated with the church. Individuals could be the same. Stiyl would go anywhere and do anything for this one small girl and it was unclear what side Tsuchimikado was really on. Sherry was a genuine member of the Anglican Church, but due to problems between factions, she had tried to kill Index, a member of the same organization.
The key movements in this great war that would shake the world were completely unreadable.
It was certainly worth looking into.
(... Or maybe she's trying to throw a stone to guide our movements in an easier to understand direction. )
Kanzaki Kaori thought about the meaning of the war after hearing Sasha's words that could be interpreted as telling them to split onto different sides.
She had already removed herself from the Amakusa Church, but that didn't change the fact that she still needed to protect them.
And the Amakusas had fought against the Roman Catholic Church when rescuing Orsola Aquinas. Since there were only 50 battle-ready Amakusa members, it was next to impossible for them to survive without the protection of the Anglican Church.
At the same time, the former Agnese Forces had truly become an enemy of the Roman Catholic Church ever since the Queen of the Adriatic incident. They would gain nothing by leaving the Anglican Church during this war.
And then there was the fact that, in the past, Kanzaki Kaori had had a number of people important to her saved by Academy City... no, technically it was by a single boy who lived there.
(My heart tells me to side with Academy City... )
If the Roman Catholic Church won this war and their influence spread throughout the world, the Anglican Church would lose some of its weight and the Amakusas and the former Agnese Forces could be destroyed. Thinking of that, she wanted to side with Academy City.
(But that's the science side... )
If Academy City won, it would still be a very dangerous situation. It was possible the science side would ride the wave of victory and annihilate the magic side all at once. Then it wouldn't matter how much influence the Anglicans had. All magical powers throughout the world would be destroyed and that would include the Amakusas and the former Agnese Forces.
This war had a great meaning behind it.
If the war ended in a standard winner/loser fashion, it seemed like the Anglican Church would lose quite a bit no matter who the winner was and who the loser was. That meant the Archbishop wouldn't let it end it like that. She must have some kind of plan prepared.
Sasha and the other Russians were worried about which direction England would take.
To get through this, they had to do a lot of planning.
And how England would act played heavily into that planning.
(Kh... It looks like we have no choice but to fight in this war. )
All this thinking with only the benefit of one's own side in mind was hard for Kanzaki Kaori.
(I have the magic name I do because I hate thinking like this, but I can't see any way of avoiding it right now... )
Depending on the situation, she may have to turn her sword on the "enemy".
She would have to have a set "enemy" and she would be fighting with the intent of killing instead of saving.
It was possible she would destroy the peaceful life that boy and girl had grasped with their own hands.
Sasha Kreutzev was here for the answer to one main question.
Which side would they choose in this war?
(I... )
Kanzaki instinctually gritted her teeth.
(I... !!)
"You don't have to worry about that, " Orsola Aquinas suddenly said even though she had been dozing off up until then.
Everyone in the dining hall turned toward her.
It was unclear how much of the conversation she had heard, but her words were quite definite for someone who hadn't been listening.
"My sixth question: What do you mean by that?"
"I mean exactly what I said, " she responded immediately.
She hadn't thought too deeply about it. Or perhaps she didn't feel it was something she needed to worry about.
"Whatever happens, what we need to do remains the same. If there are people asking for help, we will reach our hand out to them. If there are people in pain, we will heal and comfort them. If there are people who do not wish for conflict, we will arbitrate for them. Isn't that right?"
"My seventh question: This would not be a problem if we could do that. To explain further: The war that is starting is not so simple a-..."
"Even so, " Orsola cut off Sasha's words."What we need to do remains the same. Just because a war has started is no reason to deny those who are asking for help. Nor is it a reason to whip those in pain or to force a sword into the hands of those who do not wish to fight."
"..."
Sasha Kreutzev remained silent after hearing those decisive words.
Orsola Aquinas was an expert in spreading the Christian Churches in pagan lands.
She had been subject to hostility from all sides and ideological violence countless times and yet she did not carry a weapon. She was a person who accomplished what she felt she needed to do with her words alone.
"Do you understand the meaning of the small power we have?"
It was for that very reason that her words here held weight.
At least more weight than the words of someone like Kanzaki who picked up a weapon whenever a conflict broke out.
"That small power allows us to continue forward without giving in when faced with a dispute that seems inescapable or it seems inevitable a life will be taken. That power gives us the opportunity to save the future of our allies, to not have to deprive our enemy of their future, and to all gather here in a single building afterwards.... 'He' had no power and 'he' did not have the proper background, but he was able to do it. So why are we not able to? If 'he' can save so many people on his own, just think how many more we can save if we work together. There is no meaning in giving up. If you want to find meaning, it is crucial that you never give up."
Everyone listened to her speak.
Agnese looked the other way and Angelene grabbed onto Lucia's clothes. Lucia placed her hand on her small colleague's shoulder and Sherry narrowed her eyes. The other nuns did pretty much the same thing. They all were reminded of a certain boy while listening to Orsola's words and their thoughts moved on from there. They began thinking about what path they should continue on from there.
Kanzaki was naturally reminded of the first time she had run into "him".
That boy's fist had been sliced by her wire-attack, Nanasen, he had received blows all over from Shichiten Shichitou's scabbard, and yet he still stood his ground before a Saint. She remembered what he had said at that time.
"Then what are you doing here!?"
She tried to...
"If you have that much power, if you have that nigh-almighty power... then why are you so powerless... ?"
Kanzaki Kaori tried to remember what her expression had been.
"Then..." The one person there who did not know that boy cautiously asked a question."My eighth question: How will you all act?"
"Do not place the decision on me alone. Everyone has their own things that they must do. But, " Orsola Aquinas smiled as she spoke, "I personally do not at all see this in black and white terms of winning and losing. There is a third option. If we do not prepare the kind of happy ending where no one is defeated, we will not be living up to what 'he' would want."
A war was about to break out and yet she was able to say such a shining and pure thing and mean it.
Part 5
Sasha Kreutzev left saying that she had been unable to get a solid grasp of the situation.
Afterwards, Kanzaki Kaori leaned against the back of the dining hall chair she was sitting in and stared at the ceiling.
(What I should do... )
The circumstances were different for her than for Orsola. She was one of the fewer than 20 Saints in the world. Her battle potential was similar to that of the nuclear weapons the science side had. Once it came to war, she wouldn't be able to stick with only words; she had the ability to truly accomplish something and thus she would be made to act directly.
(How can I carry out the meaning carried in my magic name... ?)
She didn't have enough power to decide the overall winner of a large war, but she could completely alter the progress of a local part of the conflict.
And it was possible that that small victory could start a chain reaction that could affect the war as a whole.
There was a mountain of options spread before her eyes.
Kanzaki was troubled by this war not because she couldn't do anything but because she could do something.
(The power that only I possess, huh? That certainly is an arrogant way of thinking. I'd rather be getting a headache from that washing machine than this. )
She sighed.
Her benevolent spirit made the burden of her power as a Saint seem even greater. Essentially, she felt that she was better off than those around her due to her powers so she had to save even more people in exchange. Depending on one's viewpoint, this could be taken as her looking down on others. It was quite an ugly character trait.
To Kanzaki, people like Orsola or "that boy" who were powerless (Kanzaki felt that that way of viewing of them needed work) and yet reached a hand out to others were almost too bright to look at.
"Kanzaki-san. What is it?"
As Kanzaki had been slowly thinking, Orsola had reentered the dining hall.
Kanzaki found it hard to meet her gaze, so she continued to stare at the ceiling.
"... I'm embarrassed by my own lack of discipline. It scares me to think that someone this immature was the leader of the Amakusas even for a brief time."
"The road to maturity is not an easy one. It's simple enough to want to understand the teachings of the Lord, but truly understanding that path is extremely difficult. In fact, I feel that I said something rather immature before."
"You did? I mostly agreed with what you said. Just because there's a war doesn't mean you should stick to a path of killing. I completely agree."
"Hee hee hee." Orsola giggled for some reason.
Kanzaki looked over at Orsola while still leaning back in her chair.
"Mostly, you say?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, nothing. That just means that you feel there is a different reason to fight. It seems Tatemiya-san and the others were right on target when they said that there is someone you love in Academy City."
Kanzaki fell backwards in her chair.
She yelled while still lying on the floor.
"Wh-why would they be saying something so inaccurate!? What's going on in the Amakusa Church!?"
"My, my. It was when the Knight Leader nervously showing up in Japantown with a single flower in one hand and the substitute pope, Tatemiya-san, was speaking with him. The Knight Leader wanted to invite the Amakusa Priestess to a dance, but Tatemiya-san told him it wasn't going to happen and they got into a heated argument. In the middle of all this, Tatemiya-san shooed the Knight Leader away with his hands telling him that the Priestess prefers to lead younger guys than to be led by older guys and then mentioned what I said earlier. It has become something of a legend."
"B-but that's completely untrue! And why has that been passed around as a legend!! Dammit, Tatemiya Saiji! There are better excuses you could have come up with!!"
"Also, during this incident, another Amakusa member, Itsuwa-san, was heard to comment 'I-I have to do my best!!'."
"Why are you saying that like you're a news anchor reading from a teleprompter!?"
Kanzaki was making quite a fuss over this, but Orsola was being true to her habit of not listening to others. She smiled faintly, mentioned something about the stock of black tea, and headed into the kitchen.
Now that Kanzaki had much too late become aware of how the situation had spiraled out of control, she could do nothing but be dumbfounded and blush.
But then...
"Gyaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!"
Now she heard Agnese's scream coming from outside the dining hall.
"Agh! If it's not one thing, it's another!!"
Kanzaki stood up and ran out of the dining hall.
She didn't know exactly where the scream had come from, but she knew the general direction, so she intently ran down the hallway.
She spotted Agnese Sanctis sitting on the floor outside the changing room.
As Kanzaki approached, Agnese pointed towards the changing room while still sitting down.
"Th-the washing machine... The washing machine..."
An unpleasant noise came from Kanzaki's temple when she heard Agnese's broken up words.
It was that washing machine again.
It had caused a problem before breakfast and now it was causing another one before the previous one could be dealt with.
Her head was full of thoughts on the war and people saying she had fallen in love and now it was the washing machine again.
(Is that thing really some detestable high-tech AI spy sent by Academy City!? I can't imagine it would cause this many problems otherwise!!)
Kanzaki entered the changing room with enough intensity that she felt she would simply chop the thing in two with Shichiten Shichitou if it caused any more problems.
The bath was a large type that was rarely seen in the West and the changing room was large as well. She knew the washing machine should be in a corner of the changing room along with a scale.
She turned her gaze in that direction.
Academy City's useless piece of trash of a washing machine that had taken the color out of her yukata's obi and malfunctioned while washing a futon was...
Making a loud washing noise.
It was properly washing the futon that had been stuffed inside it.
"Wha-... ?"
Kanzaki had trouble breathing.
The washing machine was sold as being quiet, so it was irregular for it to be making this much noise. That meant that it was forcing itself to move. It was over its designed maximum load and had been ordered to go through an operation far from its normal operating environment. Even so, it had endured and endured and endured and was finally carrying out its task of washing an entire futon.
(Amazing... )
All strength left Kanzaki's body and she fell to her knees on the changing room floor.
Her feelings of anger had turned to ones of raging embarrassment.
(I was just reflecting on my own immaturity, and now this... )
That washing machine had had a giant futon there was no way it could wash stuffed inside of it, had nevertheless had its switch turned on, and had Kanzaki give up on it and leave. And yet it had been working on its own the entire time since. It had endured the pain and suffering continuing to do what it should and it had finally accomplished its supposedly impossible task. And yet she had been about ready to cut it in two...
The washing machine said nothing.
Its AI had no conversation functionality, so that was obvious.
But Kanzaki Kaori heard it nonetheless.
She heard the voice of the washing machine.
"Kanzaki-san. I did it."
"~ ~ ~ ~!!"
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
No words came to her. She merely threw Shichiten Shichitou aside and embraced the square body of the washing machine like it was a long-lost family member.
| ← Ch. 03 | Ch. 05 → |