A week has passed since then. I'm standing alone in the garden of my house with a difficult expression on my face.
"......Rowo......Rifa......Drua......Ha!"
He thrusts out his hands as hard as he can. The space in front of your hands is distorted, and the view is cut off. After a while, the distortion slowly subsides and the scenery returns to its original state.
"I guess I can't shorten the ...... distance."
I look at my hand and mutter to myself without saying anything to anyone. I've been experimenting with spatial magic in my spare time since I came back from the princess's mansion, but this magic is not so easy to use. I have been chanting and carefully constructing the magic, but it still doesn't work as I want it to.
The most effective way to use it so far is as a so-called "item box". This function allows you to store items in a part of space that is yours. My infinite storage is a bag with this function. I still don't know how this bag was given the effect of spatial magic, but there must have been someone skilled in spatial magic in the time of the first Bertham family. For now, I don't dare to use spatial magic because of this infinite storage, but I think it may be possible to create a space for emergency evacuation, depending on how it is done. I have never experimented with a live person, but I was able to move without any problem in the space that Satsuki and Shiron created. I may try to experiment with them soon.
"...... I envy you."
I hear a voice behind me. It's Matkal. She looks at me and sighs loudly.
"What's wrong, Mat?"
"I can't do magic. I envy you, Master Linos, because you can use magic at will."
"But Mato has swordsmanship. And you have command over Lafayence by far.
"No,...... none of them are even close to Master Linos. No, I know it myself. I know the limits of my abilities.
"No, Mato is good enough for me now."
She gave me a sad smile and swept her gaze into the distance. Then she slowly turns her gaze back to me and quietly opens her mouth.
"Could you teach me some ...... spatial magic?"
"Well, I'm using it now and then, but it's pretty useless. It seems to work as an item box, but it uses a lot of magic power. With Mato's magic power, he would be out of his mind soon. I'm not against learning spatial magic, but I think we should start by increasing the total amount of magic."
"At my age,...... it's going to be hard to do that."
"Mato ......"
"...... Oh, I'm wasting my time. I'm sorry. Rico wants to see you."
Okay. It's almost nightfall.
I returned to the house with Matkal on my shoulder, muttering to myself.
"...... what's that? What's going on?"
Rico was sitting at the dining room table with Idea in his arms. Ferris and Ruara were standing in front of them with blank expressions on their faces. What is this strange atmosphere?
"...... What should we do, Sister Rico?"
"Yes, that's right. ......"
Rico opens his mouth without changing his expression at Ferris's question. Then she slowly takes the wooden spoon that was on the table.
"I'll leave it to you ......."
At that moment, Rico snapped the spoon with both hands. Ferris and Ruara saw this, bowed, and walked out of the room.
"What's ...... wrong, Rico?"
"Yes, I was worried when Gon came home late. But it looks like we got over it."
"Oops!"
I looked up at the heavens. I had forgotten that Sandille had told me to pick Gong up if he didn't come home for a week. And Rico, who had remembered that, had sent Ferris and the others to pick Gon up, and it seemed that he was getting a pretty rocking reception at Tachibana-ya. He couldn't let that go, so he sent them on an errand again just now.
...... Gon did not return to the house for another week.
At the same time, in Aphrodite, the capital city of the Church of Crimiana, a banquet was about to be held. Amidst the sumptuous food on the table, the Pope, Jouvencel Sein, slowly rises from the podium, his huge body swaying with great gravity.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as many of you already know, today we have a small welcome banquet for the King of the Kingdom of Thana, His Highness Thana Kasi Viru. I thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to gather here today. Thank you very much.
As soon as the Pope finished speaking, the people gathered in the hall bowed in a single, unruffled movement. The Pope, watching with satisfaction, picked up a glass of wine from the table and raised it high. Everyone in the hall quickly followed his lead, holding up their glasses and waiting for the Pope's words.
May the blessings of the Lord Crimiana be upon the Kingdom of Tana. And to the further prosperity of our Crimiana religion. ...... Cheers!"
""""" Cheers """""
There is the sound of glasses clinking. To my surprise, even the sound of the glasses clinking sounded unmistakable. People clinked their glasses and took their seats with smooth and refined movements as if they had rehearsed many times for several days.
"Your Holiness, I have good news!
A man raised his voice from the corner of the platform. He was a small man among the executives, and despite his boyish voice, his face was wrinkled like an old man's. He looked like an old man, but he was not. If you look closely, you will see that they are not wrinkles but countless scars. The believers gathered here knew this fact, but no one talked about this man.
The Pope's hawkish voice rang out. He bowed and opened his mouth in a clear voice to the people in the hall.
"His Holiness the King of Thana, who is here today, offers his tribute to His Holiness the Pope.
As if on cue, the king of Tana stood up and opened his mouth.
We, the Kingdom of Tana, offer this gift to His Holiness the Pope to assist in the further development of the Order of Crimiana. ...... Please take a look at it first."
The king quickly looked behind him. Then a man appeared out of nowhere.
"I am Okta Nita Mahshi, Your Majesty's servant in the Kingdom of Thana. His Majesty the King is pleased to present you with this.
He bowed and took a large treasure chest from under his feet and placed it on the king's table. The king opened it himself and presented it to the Pope.
"Where is this ......?"
With a dubious look on his face, the Pope gazed at the contents of the box.
They are the Prill Stone and the Demon Sucking Stone. Your Holiness the Pope.
The words were spoken by Cassel. The Pope looked surprised at the sound of his voice and turned his eyes to Cassel as if in a panic.
"The king of the Kingdom of Tana has brought us four magic sucking stones and one prill stone. A prill stone of this size is unprecedented. All of them will be presented to the Kingdom of Klimiana.
"Wow, how ...... pious ......."
"We will be more than happy to contribute to the development of the Crimean Nation, even if only a little."
With a grin, the king bows reverently.
"Oh ......, you have brought us such a precious object. I am deeply and profoundly touched by the faith of King Tana, this Jouvancel Seine. We will be more than happy to assist you in the future.
"Thank you very much, sir. I am very happy."
"Tonight is a happy night. Let's have a lot of fun. Let's have fun.
There was the Pope, in an unusually good mood.
"...... thank you very much for bringing this to us. Thank you very much.
"No. For the sake of Master Cassel, we are willing to cooperate.
As soon as the feast was over, some of the men moved into another room. Needless to say, they were Kassel, King Tana, and Octa. They were sitting across the table from each other, looking at each other with a wry smile on their faces.
With this, our army will be invincible.
"That's very good, sir."
No, Your Majesty, you have done well. Thank you, Your Majesty.
"What of what? This is nothing. All this was accomplished by this octa. Praise him.
Thank you, Mr. Octa.
"What a waste."
Cassel looks at the stones on the table with a satisfied expression on his face and mutters to himself.
It will be three years at the earliest before these stones are ready for use in the field. Until then, ...... seems to be the way to go. Shall we have him train for actual battle? I will give you instructions later.
In that case, I have a favor to ask you.
Anything.
The neighboring country of Miedai, may we leave its treatment to us?
"Yes, thank you. It is a country that is not in accord with the Way of Heaven. You may attack us and swallow up our lands, or you may exterminate us. Do as you please.
King Tana and Okta looked at each other and grinned, then slowly bowed their heads.
"Well, we'll be going now."
"Oh, please wait, Your Majesty."
King Tana and the others, who were about to leave the room, slowly turned to Cassel.
"From this day forward, I confer upon you the title of God of War. And to the Empress, who continues to support the God of War, I bestow upon you the title of saint. I will arrange for His Holiness the Pope to issue a proclamation in the near future. I look forward to seeing you continue to serve as the strongest army of the Church of Crimiana.
"Oh, to receive the title of God of War, which has been my long-cherished wish. ....... Starting with Tana Kasi Viru, our nation swears allegiance to Master Cassel from our children to our grandchildren.
The king bowed reverently and left the room. Cassel, who was left alone, looked slowly out the window with a grin on his face. Far beyond his gaze was the country of Agartha, where Linos lived. .......