Chapter 37: Yesterday Clairvoyance - Abel Argento Special (1)
- M, Mo, MmMm…….
It's not that I'm stuttering. I'm just clumsy at writing with ink.
So, to Monika Lohengrin.
Hello. This is Dante Marchisio.
Monika looked down at the letter.
A cold wind swept over the ink. The weather had suddenly turned cool. The streets of the capital, which had reached the midst of autumn, were a vivid maple color. Monika buttoned up her woolen coat. She read Dante's letter, crossing through the fallen leaves.
- I'm sorry, Monika.
It's really hard to write a letter formally. I'll just speak comfortably. I'm doing well. I've made a few friends too.
All the students at Krisaor Academy are huge. They're all taking care of me because my build is small. Especially the student council president is teaching me. Feeding me……, making me exercise……, and feeding me again.
About a month had passed since Dante had left CIAR.
It had been chaotic in the meantime. The Capital Defense Force, the Imperial Special Task Force, and the Inquisitors had been coming and going from CIAR. The security of the capital had become noticeably tighter, and a disruption spell that prohibited teleportation towards the sky had also been cast. Iron towers, fully engraved with magic circles, had been erected everywhere.
- Are you doing well, Monika?
I wonder. How am I?
Monika thought, holding her stirring black hair.
The 「Basics of Imperial Swordsmanship」, which Felix Christian had been conducting, had been taken over by another professor from the Department of Swordsmanship. It was none other than one of the professors who had fought to save Dante.
- I'm sure you're doing well.
Professor Ethan Butler of the Department of Swordsmanship, Professor Maria Ludovica of the Department of Spearmanship, and Professor Georg von Engels of the Department of Elemental Studies.
The three who had tried to save me are relaying the news of CIAR. I heard from Professor Butler that your swordsmanship skills are improving at a very fast pace, Monika. To the point where you could learn the intermediate course right away.
Is that so.
A question crossed Monika's eyes.
It must be thanks to her Aura. When she had tried to face Dante, who had been deluded by a cursed artifact, Monika had chosen a strategy of concentrating her Aura on one side of her body.
It was not a successful attempt. Since her leg bones had been crushed. But it was a valid trial and error. She had become able to handle her Aura more meticulously than before. In a way that temporarily strengthened a part of her body, or supported a weight that she couldn't lift with her bare body.
- Professor Argento is……, is he doing well?
If it's okay, please give him my regards. It's awkward to write a letter directly.
Mmm, and.
Pursing her lips, Monika looked back.
“Why?”
Abel, asking with a blank expression.
“Why didn't he write me a letter?”
Abel's eyes flashed beside Monika. A distance where their noses seemed about to touch. Monika stepped back, burying the letter in her chest. Abel, who was gripping Monika's great sword, was tilting his head.
“Is it because he's scared of me?”
“That could be.”
Monika retorted with a listless expression.
“I am not scary-looking.”
“Appearance isn't the only thing that stimulates fear.”
Monika chuckled and quickened her pace.
The gazes of the passersby were focused on Abel. It was not because his appearance was scary. Rather, Abel's appearance was like that of a delicate actor. Though his blackish-blue eyes shining were sharp, his features were as elegant as if carved with a chisel.
The problem was twofold.
First, Monika's great sword. Abel was holding it with one hand. Without any sign of it being heavy.
Second, the existence of witnesses. Previously, Abel had fallen conspicuously while breaking a command ship. A song about a man who fell from the sky. It was a good subject for the poets who roamed the taverns to recite.
Only Abel did not know.
The fact that he had become famous.
- Sometimes…….
No, actually, I often dream of my teacher.
I either laugh or get angry, cry or forgive. It seems I haven't been able to choose the emotion I should feel towards him yet. Isn't it funny? I don't even know that person's name.
The identity of Felix Christian had fallen into a labyrinth.
Does Teacher Abel know? Monika sometimes wondered.
Felix's identity was a forgery. From what she had heard, the real Felix had passed away a few years ago. That was according to the investigation results of the Capital Defense Force. It was considered that Dante had been taken care of, and at the same time, used by a nameless adult.
And the cursed artifact.
Nothing had been announced about Dante's sword. It was obvious that it had been designated as a secret.
‘In a way, it's like a ghost story.’
Monika thought so.
Because she had heard it countless times. A begging child being led by a piece of bread held out by some adult. And so, the rumor that the child who had followed the adult had been mobilized as an experimental subject for a forbidden spell.
- I told Professor Argento.
I just can't……, hate my teacher.
Monika glanced at Abel.
Abel, who had been walking side by side, quickened his pace.
- I know.
Professor Argento had said so.
He had said that it was his place to put an end to his teacher's life. Because I am his disciple anyway, I will come to an answer someday. All the things I learned from him won't leave my body. That is why I may be able to understand my teacher someday, or I may not be able to forgive him.
I'll become an adult like that.
With his sword in my grasp.
Monika lifted her head.
The parliament building of the Holy Numeros Empire was visible. A group of sharp-pointed spires and the pillars surrounding the outer wall. The building, designed with the empire's traditional techniques, overwhelmed Monika.
They had business there. It was to register Monika's great sword. Since those who wished to carry a weapon had to complete the registration process at a related institution.
- I hope we've both become a little more like adults when we meet next time. Though I don't know what it is to be an adult yet. But we are both war orphans, and for us who have lost our parents to become adults would be a miracle in itself.
So, Monika, please stay healthy.
May your life be full of miracles.
I'll write again.
Monika neatly folded the letter that Dante had sent.
After putting it into her coat pocket, she approached Abel, who was talking with a guard.
“Have you finished reading it.”
Abel asked in an indifferent tone.
“Yes. I will write a reply in the evening.”
“Was there nothing more about me.”
“Were you expecting something?”
“That's not it.”
Abel looked at the guard who was opening the passageway.
“The advice I gave that child was sincere. But I was concerned. If I had made a slip of the tongue. Because I'm clumsy at dealing with children.”
“There was no such content.”
Instead……, and.
Monika whispered softly.
“How about you try opening your eyes a little more gently, and making your tone less stiff. Such a sentence was written.”
“I see.”
Abel let out a sigh.
He blinked his eyes and mumbled his lips, then,
“……I will try.”
He started walking ahead, muttering so.
Monika, who was stifling a laugh. Her steps, following Abel, were light.
.
.
.
Inside the Imperial Parliament, the General Weapons Registration Reception Desk.
Amidst a crowd of people holding their respective weapons, forming a line,
“Um……”
The orc official whispered softly. He adjusted his glasses and stared at the great sword cast before him.
What on earth is this? The length from the hilt to the tip was 165cm. The width of the blade was 24cm. The weight reached 90kg. The unadorned appearance seemed to emphasize practicality, but even so, it just looked like a giant's kitchen knife.
“Where do we have to go after finishing the weapon registration?”
“We'll go grocery shopping. Don't you only have canned food at your place.”
“……I'm sorry about that.”
In front of the official, a human young man and a human girl were conversing.
“After that, we'll return to CIAR. The newspaper club has requested an interview. They said they want to write an article about you and me.”
“The newspaper club……, that's the place that prints ‘Yesterday Clairvoyance’, right? Articles about you, Teacher, have been published quite often. When did you do the photoshoot? You were somersaulting with a bright smile in every article.”
“……I have never done that.”
A man, frowning and sighing.
Is that man Monika Lohengrin? His name sounds like a girl's…….
The official thought, tilting his head. He picked up the document enclosed with the great sword and examined it. The owner's name was Monika Lohengrin. The purpose was self-defense and learning. A Cia-Harphe Academy student ID was enclosed.
Isn't he too old to be a student?
“But more than that, Monika, why don't you give the sword a name. It would be good for forming an attachment. Since you'll be using it for a long time.”
At the young man's words, the girl called Monika let out a puff of air through her nose.
“I've already decided. It's the Gudu-ryong-seom-jeon-gwang-seok-hwa-dong-seo-nam-buk-jung-ang-bul-pae-ji-ok-cham-ma-do.”
“……What is that.”
“You don't know? It's the name of a great sword from <BRAVE QUEST>. A swordsman from the east used it.”
“You don't give a sword a name like that. Think again.”
“Why?”
“I don't know the meaning and it's childish. It's even disgusting.”
“There's no need to be disgusted.”
“There is.”
Is that girl really the owner of the great sword?
The official scratched the back of his neck. It was an unbelievable thing.
And rightly so, for the length of the great sword was similar to the girl's height. The girl's legs, revealed below her woolen coat, were thin, and though she was making a harsh expression, she just had a small appearance. Her skin was a pasty ivory color, as if her nutritional state was poor. And in the midst of that, her right arm seemed to be a prosthetic.
A truly suspicious situation,
The official cleared his throat.
“──Monika Lohengrin.”
At the official's call, Monika's shoulders jolted.
“I'm asking for confirmation. Are you really the owner of this sword?”
“……So what if I am?”
Is there a problem?
Monika asked, mumbling her lips.
“You don't have to be nervous. It's just a procedure. You know about the incident that happened a while ago, right? A bunch of warships appeared in the skies of the capital. Since then, we've been on alert for the smuggling of weapons.”
Let me see…….
Even my fellow orcs would have a hard time wielding this sword……, and.
The official stood up from his seat, dragging out his words. He quickly rolled his eyes and scanned the man standing beside Monika. The man was looking at a distant place with a hazy expression. This was his chance. The official's head bent towards Monika.
“My lady, are you being threatened by that man? To smuggle a weapon in your name……”
The official whispered, flashing his canines.
“Please calm down and listen to me. I will protect you. If that man is a smuggler, a thief, a kidnapper, a drug addict, an arsonist, a monster lover, a murderer……. If he corresponds to even one of these, please blink your eyes three times.”
“I am not a smuggler, a thief, a kidnapper, a drug addict, an arsonist, a monster lover, or a murderer.”
……What on earth is a monster lover?
The man muttered, fumbling in the inner pocket of his formal coat.
Following that, a Cia-Harphe Academy professor certificate was held out. Reading the magic lingering on the seal, there was no possibility of forgery. But more than that, Abel Argento? The official mulled over the man's name in his head. Abel……, Abel……, I've heard that name somewhere.
“Ah!”
The official's index finger pointed at Abel.
“I'm sorry for not recognizing you. You're that famous museum vandal, aren't you? The museum in the 3rd district, managed by the Sharma family……, I heard you broke the ceiling there.”
“……That is correct. But I am a professor in the Department of Theology at CIAR.”
Abel's gaze shifted to the shaded side.
“How could I not? The commotion that happened a while ago……, I heard you suppressed it, sir. The rumor has already spread like wildfire. From what I hear, you're a former general from the Papacy, it's hard to believe. At least a corps commander……, no, to exaggerate a little, isn't it an achievement comparable to a Sword Saint?”
“I don't know about that……”
“I'm joking, I'm joking. There's no way a Sword Saint would walk around with his face exposed.”
“……I am a professor in the Department of Theology at CIAR.”
“Yes, yes. By the way, a fragment of a warship almost fell on my mother's house. If the lumps of iron hadn't turned into flower petals, a big accident would have occurred. That was also your skill, wasn't it?”
“No, I……”
“You don't have to say it, I know everything. How truly amazing!”
──Hahaha!
The official, laughing loudly.
The orc's characteristic voice was huge.
Abel clicked his tongue with his head bowed.
“……I am a professor in the Department of Theology at CIAR.”
“Of course you are. It's an honor to meet you. You've come with your disciple? Well, well. Your disciple's aptitude is also extraordinary. To think she can handle such a huge weapon.”
The official looked at Monika and wore a smile.
Monika was staring at Abel with one cheek puffed out. Her face, flushed red from desperately holding back her laughter. Abel, who had been ignoring such a Monika, said as if squeezing out the words.
“……I also request the transplant of a pocket dimension.”
A letter, held out to the official.
It was an order form written in the name of the House of Orléans. The content was that they would rent a pocket dimension that could store Monika's weapon. The official, who had confirmed it, nodded his head.
A pocket dimension was a technology that had lightened, and generalized, teleportation magic. There were two things needed. A place, and magic. The principle was that a personal vault and its owner were connected by magic with a specific wavelength, and by reacting to a body signal, it distorted space and summoned the stored item. In a way that if one said ‘draw’ along with a series of motions, the sword would be teleported, and if one said ‘sheathe’, the sword would be stored.
This was, of course, just a common use case.
Sages like Konstanze could apply it in various ways, but for Monika, who was not born with magic, summoning a stored item was the limit.
In the first place, a part to transplant the magic to was needed.
Anywhere on the body, for example, even a strand of hair would do.
A point like a shadow was also valid. Because magic, though invisible, could pool anywhere.
“It's a sponsorship from the Duke of Orléans.”
Abel said, receiving Monika's gaze.
“She wanted to praise you for saving Dante. You don't have to feel burdened. It's just a form of showing courtesy.”
“……I know.”
Monika gripped the hilt of her great sword.
A green flash, sparkling for a moment. A stalk of grass of Aura, extending from Monika's hand, enveloped the blade. Hoo, and. The official was impressed, adjusting his glasses. The crowd that had gathered around was no different. They just stared, fascinated by the color of the Aura.
“So……”
Monika placed the guard of the great sword on her shoulder.
There was no sign of it being heavy.
“Where do I have to go? To transplant the pocket dimension……”
“Please go to the basement. It will be over in a jiffy.”
Oh, you have to take this too.
Muttering so, the official held out a receipt. A document permitting the use of the weapon. Monika's name, the serial number mobilized for the great sword, and finally, a seal made with an anti-forgery spell were stamped on it.
“Thank you.”
Monika, who walked on after a slight nod.
Abel did not move, with his arms crossed. Monika, who had been facing forward, looked back at Abel.
“Aren't you coming, Teacher?”
“Go on. I have something to take care of.”
“……Alright.”
Monika shrugged her shoulders.
After checking Monika's retreating back as she left the reception desk, Abel turned his gaze to the official. What a fierce gaze. He looks like an elf playboy. The official thought, with a perfunctory smile. Towards such an official, Abel held out a single letter.
“I heard the investigation has been completed.”
A platinum seal stamped on a pitch-black letter envelope.
The official, who had confirmed it, held his breath.
Since it was none other than the Pope's.
“Serial number Q-3523SC. The owner is Felix Christian, a sword that was later transferred to Dante Marchisio……. The import route of that sword must have been identified.”
I request to view the relevant documents.
Abel whispered so.