Campione 04 Read online

  In these few months, he had come to know that this expression was a sign of danger. She was a girl that could be as gentle as Buddha, but also as fearsome as Yasha.

  At the same time, he looked at the witch under the eaves, who was swaying on the rocking chair.

  "Hoho, once, some Japanese female university students on vacation drew graffiti on the San Pietro Cathedral. Unintentionally, I flew into a rage. Now, I'm regretting it... What sad, deplorable behavior they showed me.."

  Said Lucretia Zola, who was randomly spouting off various stories.

  The beautiful witch with flaxen-colored hair and a body that mere words could not do justice to, did not even glance over at Godou and Yuri even once. Suspicious.

  Based on that, should anything disastrous occur, most likely it would have something to do with her.

  "Godou-san, where exactly have you been to? Please face me, and listen to me properly. That is only basic courtesy."

  "Ah, sorry... Erm Mariya, is it ok if I ask what you are angry about?"

  "I am not angry. Merely shocked. I came to understand that Godou-san, although always speaking seriously, is in actual fact an impure person who knows no shame, and thus I feel disappointed."

  Although I had asked in such a nice and polite manner, such was the reply I had received.

  The degree of scariness in Yuri's eyes was increasingly steadily.

  "It, it seems that you are misunderstanding something, what happened?"

  "I am not misunderstanding anything at all. Earlier, I heard from Lucretia-san, that early this morning, Godou-san and Erica-san, had snuck out together alone... To, to accept that kind of tempting invitation from Erica-san who is always up to no good and not even resist, you were obediently brought outside..."

  "No, it is because I was fully handcuffed, blinded and gagged that I could not resist, there is no way I would have gone along willingly with that girl. Don't misunderstand this!"

  After listening to Godou's explanation, Yuri could only give a pained smile.

  What does she mean by that expression? It was as though she was mourning someone who had done something so utterly hopeless, like a complete idiot, as though she was doubting how he would turn out in the future, while revealing a Buddha-like expression.

  "It is no surprise to me that you refuse to tell the truth. It is just as Lucretia-san had said, it is times like this that men will continue to lie and dig their own graves... I was mistaken in judging your character, how filthy."

  Mariya Yuri is a very smart, deep-thinking girl.

  As she was raised as a ojou-sama, she had a very gullible side to her. Not knowing the lies and trickeries of the world, she is very pure-hearted.

  "Ma, Mariya. Although I don't know what she told you, don't just believe in anything. Please believe me!"

  "A man caught with his pants down will always say things like "Please believe me", really, it is in no way convincing - exactly like what Lucretia-san had said."

  That damn witch, what nonsense exactly did she feed her?

  Godou, stared menacingly at Lucretia, whose face was currently covered by a newspaper.

  "Hoho, the Italian Prime Minister has been denying rumors about his having of a hair transplantation surgery. He claims that it is a change in lifestyle that resulted in the unnatural sudden spurt of hair growth. Hoho, what a load of crap."

  "Please don't badmouth people behind their backs, when you are also guilty of the same thing. Why have you been telling Mariya a load of nonsense?"

  "Telling her a load of nonsense, that's surprising, I don't remember doing that. Boy, it's not good to get lost in wild delusions."

  Lucretia replied, finally putting down the newspaper that covered her face.

  "I merely taught her a brief lesson on biology and social psychology. First, about the stamen and pistil and their roles in fertilization. After that, about how in recent times, young males and females would fall into the depths of their youth, resulting in a certain ending which would greatly affect their daily lives. And then, due to their own muddiness and dishonesty, what kind of excuses men will employ to cover up their mistakes. This morning, I only imparted these few basic understandings of humans to her, that's all!"

  As she was saying that, she puffed out her chest as though it perfectly explained her actions.

  Lucretia Zola, the witch, was their host at this island of Sardinia.

  According to his personal experience, and proof from various situations, she was at least about six to seven decades old.

  However, from what the eyes could see, she was a flawlessly beautiful lady in her late twenties.

  Underneath that, she was an advocate of 'fun above everything'. To her, having fun was the single most important factor in any decision.

  In the end, Godou had to spend an hour to explain to Yuri that he was innocent. After all that, she still regarded him with a slightly suspicious look. Not just that, she also mentioned something like, 'Since you have gone to such great lengths to explain yourself, I will trust you just this once. Please do not betray my expectations of you'. Godou totally had no idea what she was so hurt about.

  It was as though she were a young wife who knew her husband was cheating on her, yet still endured with pure willpower.

  Mariya Yuri is a miko who possessed something like clairvoyance, known as "Reishi" (Spirit Vision).

  Although she could see what cannot be seen, know what cannot be known, she could not use this power as she willed. At times, it was a really reproachful ability.

  At any rate, to Godou who had barely managed to make it back safely, he had already met another crisis.

  "Ara, Godou-san. Where have you been? Please hold on a moment, lunch is almost ready."

  Came a voice from the kitchen, from a girl who was busy working in the kitchen while humming a tune.

  Arianna Hayama Arialdi.

  She had a Japanese grandfather, and is currently working under Erica as a maid.

  Lively, kind, serious and with a refreshing appearance. A gentle person who wouldn't harm a fly; that was how good the impression Godou had of her.

  But this time, Godou felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

  Anna, as she was more commonly called, was adding some zucchini, and unknown shellfish-like things, among others, into the boiling soup. Her stew was extremely dangerous. A few days earlier, Arianna had created this soup known as 'The refreshing taste of summer', which had a taste and appearance that words cannot possibly describe.

  Erica and Lucretia did not even try to taste a single bit.

  Yuri tried her very best, but could only manage to finish half of it.

  In the end, it was left to Godou to dispose of it. The leftovers were fed to the stray cats, well, to be exact, the cats had run away the moment they smelled the concoction.

  Thus, Godou, ignoring his current fatigue from long-distance swimming, made a request.

  "Anna-san, you are always the one who makes all our meals. As I kind of feel bad over it, please leave lunch's preparations to me."

  "I can't do that, please, you don't have to be so kind to me. After all, I do love cooking."

  "No, please let me do it by all means! Leave it to me!"

  Just like that, Godou had forcibly taken on the responsibility of making lunch.

  Afterwards, Godou, Yuri, Arianna, Lucretia and Erica who had just returned, started to enjoy the lunch that was prepared together.

  "Such a bland, sketchy taste. Also, the ingredients are not beautifully cut."

  Said the gourmet Erica, who was sitting in the opposite direction, facing Godou.

  Surprisingly, to the Erica who would eat anything, she would pick the portions of better quality whenever she had the chance.

  Because of that, Godou did not prepare any frozen foodstuffs (Even in countries that favored the slow food culture, would also sometimes make use of frozen foodstuffs as ingredients). Really, people as extravagant as Erica do exist.

  "This must be because the c
hef did not have enough love. Clearly, even though we love each other mutually, he only ever runs away... The moment I let down my guard, he runs straight to another woman."

  "It can't be helped, that is just how men are."

  Of course, the one who replied with such profound, unfathomable truths, was no other than Lucretia.

  Directly opposite her, the person silently listening with a serious expression, Yuri.

  No, what this old witch said was definitely wrong, hopefully Yuri won't take her seriously.

  "A hooked fish is too valuable to be used as bait. Isn't it a very thoughtless way of doing things? Even as a joke, it is a behavior ill-suited for the man who possesses the title of 'King'. Oops, sorry. This is just the general opinion, by no means am I referring to nor criticizing any particular individual." [8]

  As she said that, Lucretia nudged the shoulders of Godou, who was sitting at her side.

  She is doing this on purpose to infuriate me, isn't she?!

  "Yes, however, even though that is the general opinion, it is not always true. Overly enthusiastic pursuits result in a lot of problems, but, if you can properly manage the relationships with your women, yourself and others, that could also be considered as a form of forbearance... If possible, please let me go in depth as to how Caesar was able to maintain his relationships with many women."

  "That's right, this would be useful for Godou to know. All for the sake of his future."

  "What kind of 'future' are you talking about?!"

  Godou shouted, at Lucretia and Erica, who were saying whatever they pleased.

  Pressured to this extent, Godou's voice was loud enough to surprise even himself.

  "No need for your lessons, also, don't say it like I'm someone from the Genji Era!"

  "Ah, an exiled, shameful noble who spends every day wallowing in sorrow? Living such a life, not forgetting the lovers you had once brought back to the capital, such a lustful person... Ah, though to be honest, your life is pretty similar to him, boy." [9]

  "Ara, Lucretia, although I am allowing Godou to increase the size of his harem, he probably already has six to seven wives and mistresses? As expected, it is a bit too much."

  "Please don't use such an expression from such a famous Japanese literature to describe it! Godou-san, this is your fault! Because you are always doing things that invite such misunderstandings..."

  Aaah, what a mess.

  Just listening to them made Godou extremely exhausted. What went in from the right ear, goes straight out the left ear.

  Kusanagi Godou had to endure events like this for four days straight. He felt like he had almost reached his limits.

  Aaah, I want to escape from this.

  Part 2

  Indeed, living together with just girls is, simply put, torturous.

  Finally, he made it to the fourth evening of the vacation. In his room in the villa, he had come to that conclusion. He should have become used to this lifestyle by now, yet things had not quite gone the way he wanted. Godou could not think of any other reasons why this was the case.

  Godou, who played baseball from his childhood, had often participated in group activities like camps and such.

  While in the junior league and when he was a senior, the team would often go overseas together to practice. In groups of large numbers, usually over ten boys, they would always take care of their own respective laundry and meals.

  Godou had even experienced the hardball baseball Tokyo trials, or, even better, the national trials to represent the nation at international events.

  Participating in such events meant Godou had quite a fair bit of experience lodging together with many others. Because of this he was quite used to living together with his fellow competitors, in an atmosphere filled with tension. However, compared to those times, this was much, much worse.

  With just guys, he didn't really need to care much about anything. There was also no need to be mindful about anything in particular, either. Furthermore, he wouldn't be in this much trouble.

  Which is why, it is all because of the fact that they were all females that the current situation was so dire. Definitely not because of their personalities, nor conduct, nor glaring problems with their common sense or anything like that.

  - A case of sour grapes.

  Godou couldn't help but think of this saying. Perhaps there were lucky men out there living their lives surrounded by only kind, gentle girls... Although from his point of view, it seemed like an impossible scenario.

  Thinking that, he looked around the room again.

  A room in the rented villa.

  On the girl's side, Erica and Arianna shared a room, Yuri and Lucretia shared another.

  He stayed in this room alone. He insisted on it, after all, while they were allocating the rooms. Such a snug and cozy place.

  "... Well, getting past this lock won't even be enough to make Erica break a sweat."

  Very confident in his prediction, his shoulders fell again.

  Someone that could stop the [Diavolo Rosso] from running wild, did not exist here.

  Yuri, whom, theoretically could do so, turned out to be unexpectedly easy to counter. Previously, she could control her emotions so well, yet nowadays she seemed to regard Erica with an air of malice.

  Arianna would not be able to oppose her master in any way. As for Lucretia, she would only make things worse.

  However, Kusanagi Godou would not give up because of this. After all, being persistent was part of his nature.

  "As expected, it is necessary to carry out that plan, huh..."

  Taking care not to make a single sound, he snuck out the room.

  Maintaining the level of stealth, he continued on his way out of the villa.

  The sun had set some time ago, and it was pitch black.

  European nights were surprisingly darker than those in Japan. Although, with Godou's sharp night vision, this was not a big problem.

  In the night, after walking on the road for roughly ten minutes, he reached the entrance of a small grocery store.

  In Italy, convenience stores were a rarity. This was a shop that stocked only groceries and basic necessities, but now the doors were tightly shut. However, as Godou's aim was not to buy something, it didn't matter.

  His goal was the public payphone in front of the store.

  Inserting a coin, he called the number that he had obtained from Erica earlier.

  (What is it, Godou? Do you need something from that vulgar man?)

  (I remembered that he requested that I do something for him. I'm counting on you.)

  After nagging Erica who refused to give in for three hours, he finally managed to get an answer out of her.

  Now, the person who is about to be contacted, was one of the rumored few in the world that Erica Blandelli outwardly disliked. Still, he was someone that Godou got along well with. Someone to make use of, in this situation.

  "... ... Oi, who are you? I'll say this first, I'm currently very busy. Get straight to the point."

  "It's me, Kusanagi Godou!"

  Through the phone, came a rough voice that he had not heard for a while.

  Instinctively, a picture of the owner of the voice came to mind. The appearance of Genaro Gantz.

  He was not particularly tall, yet he was very powerfully built.

  Also, he had a very manly beard.[10] He had a sharp look in his eyes, and he wore a serious expression.

  On his head he wore a bandanna, anyone who saw him would have thought he looked just like a pirate.

  However, in the [Copper Black Cross], he was Erica's equal.

  Among the Knight Templars, he bore one of the titles that held the greatest honor, that of the [Great Knight]. It is certainly an impressive feat to accomplish at the age of twenty-three, but even more impressive than that was the fact that he already had a one-year-old kid with his wife.

  "Ooh, it's you, 'King', eh? It's been a while."

  "Yes, it's me. By the way, Gantz-san, I came to Italy a f
ew days ago..."

  "You should have told me that you were coming beforehand, I would have been there to welcome you."

  He said something that made Godou a little happy.

  Though he appeared to be coarse and rough on the outside, he was quite a good-natured person on the inside.

  Although his actions were far from graceful due to his hot-bloodedness and he was greatly disliked by Erica, he could be described as someone who had good intentions.

  ... ... Well, it's not that he doesn't have any faults.

  "By the way 'King'-sama, have you properly finished the 'assignment'?" he rudely asked Godou out of the blue.

  People involved with the affairs of the magical or occult usually treat Godou with a lot of respect, due to his Campione status.

  Gantz is one of the few that did not do so.

  His relationships with others was more, casual, so to speak. Godou was rather pleased with this aspect of his personality, but however, during these specific times he couldn't let it slide.

  "N-no. I've been busy with various things, I haven't done it yet."

  "What!? Idiot, haven't I told you many times before? If you're a true Japanese, you have to hurry up and finish all four seasons, two hundred episodes of 'Magical Sorami'!!" [11]

  "... ... Sorry."

  Godou had seen that coming.

  Because of how troublesome it would be, Godou did not bother to get Gantz's contact information before his attempted get-away vacation.

  Godou sighed to himself, at a volume low enough that the other party would not be able to hear.

  "Sheesh. I've even said this before, although they transform into witches through magical cosmetics, and are still in training, the girls from 'Magical Sorami' still managed to win the hearts and smiles of people around them. Understand this, real magic comes from 'courage' and 'kindness'! That is what I've learned from that show!"

  Even though he is a bona fide magician, he still said that with such gusto.

  Godou did not dare to say out his true feelings.

  Although 'Magical Sorami' was a show that had already ended ages ago, Godou had no idea why it was still so popular in foreign countries (It seems like it has been repeatedly broadcast in Italy several times).

  The first time that he tried watching the DVD that he borrowed, he got rapped pretty hard by his sister Shizuka, and had gotten a condescending look from her.