Chapter 14

“Now then, these two are in the way, so let us move them at once. You there, lend a hand.”

After seeing the lord and the others off, Princess Kana ordered the soldiers to place Clutchfield’s elder sister and niece, both wrapped tightly in cords, onto Kaō’s back.

In truth, the soldiers had been ordered by the lord to throw the two into the dungeon, but they had been hesitant to lay hands on the glaring Duchess Dowager and her daughter. Seeing their difficulty, Kana had decided to help.

The moment they were handled that way, the two began writhing like caterpillars in protest, apparently dissatisfied with the treatment, but—

“I could always have you carried there dangling instead, you know?”

At Kana’s words, they immediately went still as though frozen. Judging from the muffled sounds they continued making, however, they had not stopped complaining. Yet that was not the real problem. The more pressing issue was the white fox, who was clearly wearing a disgusted expression at what had been placed on his back.

“Now, Kaō. Do not make such an unpleasant face. You need endure it only a short while.”

Kana soothed Kaō, whose fur was standing on end and whose tail had puffed up to nearly twice its usual size as he made no attempt to hide his irritation, then asked one of the soldiers to guide them to the dungeon.

The dungeon lay beyond an iron door at the bottom of a staircase behind the estate. The roughly six-tatami-sized stone-floored cell, divided off by iron bars, was chilly, but bedding had at least been provided, and behind a screen there appeared to be a chamber-pot box fitted with a seat.

Deciding that even pampered women should be able to endure a single night there without issue, Kana said,

“Kaō, you have done well. You may now—”

Before she could finish saying that he could put them down, Kaō gave a powerful swish of his tail and swept the burdens off his back.

There came two heavy thuds, followed by groans. But when the white fox immediately came over looking so visibly relieved, Kana could not bring herself to scold him. Instead, she stroked his back in appreciation.

“They smelled so terribly foul that I fear my nose may have become permanently bent.”

Perhaps trying to expel the lingering odor from his nostrils, Kaō repeatedly snorted as he complained, causing the accompanying soldiers to burst out laughing despite themselves.

Kana had noticed the smell as well—a mixture of perfume, face powder, and body odor. The perfume in particular had been overpowering, apparently to an unbearable degree for the sensitive and delicate nose of a fox.

“That was… inconsiderate of me. Forgive me.”

While stroking Kaō’s back, Kana recited a purification mantra for him. Meanwhile, the two women who had been so bluntly called smelly went red in the face, glaring at them and once again making muffled complaints. Seeing that, Kana said,

“It would be troublesome if they became noisy again, so leave their mouths bound and free only their hands. Lady Clutchfield or Clutchfield himself can deal with the rest later. Until then, leave them be.”

After giving that order to the soldiers, who were still covering their mouths as they struggled not to laugh, Kana left the dungeon. She did, however, ask one of the soldiers who had accompanied them to inform Belinda, the mistress of the estate, and made absolutely sure to emphasize that Lady Clutchfield did not need to come down to the dungeon herself.

(Now then, I should decide how to purify the next one before Burley and the others return. Ame no Habaya would surely be far too powerful. Perhaps a mantra with purifying power, or else a purification prayer…)

While she was considering various possibilities, Burley and the others returned with the lord in high spirits, apparently having successfully recovered what they were after. Henry alone had gone to the supply warehouse to unload the retrieved goods, so they were told he would need a little longer before returning.

They agreed to depart as soon as Henry came back, but the lord once again thanked Kana so profusely he nearly prostrated himself, while his son and wife saw them off tearfully and begged her to visit again. As a result, a fair amount of time passed before they finally left.

“Kyūkyū Nyoritsuryō, advance and guide us.”

Standing before the gates of the lord’s estate, Princess Kana breathed onto the bird-shaped Shiki and gave her command. It floated into the air, made a single turn, then shot off in a straight line toward their destination. Because it occasionally flashed red, there was no danger of losing sight of it.

Kaō, carrying Kana, and Suō, carrying the extermination force, took off after it.

Cheers rose from the people of the territory who noticed them, but their figures quickly dwindled into the distance.

Even so, the lord and the people of Clutchfield continued watching until the Saintess’s party had become tiny specks and finally disappeared completely from view.

Atop the white foxes bounding lightly through the sky after the small Shiki leading the way, the extermination force members—who seemed to have grown somewhat accustomed to flying—were chatting pleasantly. None were desperately clinging on as they had the day before, and some had even had enough composure earlier to wave back at the cheering townspeople.

Amid that relaxed atmosphere, they soon arrived at the first mana pool. Above it, the guiding Shiki continued circling in tight loops as though avoiding several bird-type magical beasts.

At once, a whirlwind filled with ice tore through the magical beasts, freezing and shredding everything flying nearby. With nothing left to obstruct its flight, the Shiki glided neatly into Kana’s outstretched hand. After thanking it for its work and slipping it back into her robes, she turned her attention to the mana pool below.

What she saw was certainly smaller than the one from the previous day, perhaps only one-tenth its size. However, many magical beasts were prowling around it, and still more were in the process of being born.

“For now, we should begin by eliminating the magical beasts around it.”

“Saintess, for enemies of this level, please leave them to us.”

Kana had wanted to see what they were capable of, so at Burley’s words, she agreed to leave the matter in their hands.

She remained in the air on Kaō’s back and watched. Suō, naturally assuming the appearance of a young warrior with Kogitsunemaru at his waist, joined them as well, bringing the elite force to twenty-one. Their fighting was magnificent.

Burley in particular swung a longsword nearly as tall as he was with effortless ease, mowing down magical beasts one after another.

“So the owner of that great sword I saw yesterday was Burley!”

Henry, the magician, sent a sphere crackling with something like lightning spinning freely in every direction. Its movements appeared to attack enemies while simultaneously shielding his allies.

(A sphere that serves both offense and defense. How interesting.)

On rare occasions, a bird-type magical beast flew toward Kana, but Kaō froze every one of them and sent them plummeting, so there was no issue.

In the end, the area was mostly cleared in about half an hour.

Kana looked over the mana pool once more. Deciding again that there was no need to use Ame no Habaya, and also wanting to test various methods, she chose to attempt purification this time using the Mantra of Light.

“Kaō, may I rely upon you again?”

“Naturally!”

“Then I shall recite the mantra, and I want you to carry it upon your mist and envelop the mana pool. I shall chant it seven times in all, and during that time I would like you to gradually freeze the mist. Can you do that?”

“Leave it to me!”

After telling him she was counting on him, Kana clapped once and formed a ritual hand seal without separating her hands, then began chanting. In time with her voice, Kaō moved his forepaws as though swaying in a dance.

“On abokya beiroshanō makabodara manihandoma jinbara harabaritaya un, on abokya beiroshanō…”

Mist infused with the mantra surrounded the mana pool and folded over it until the whole thing was covered. As the repetitions continued, the mist transformed into tiny grains of ice, and with each further chant, those grains gradually grew larger. By the time Kana finished the seventh recitation, the mana pool had been completely encased in a massive block of ice.

Then, as though responding to Kana’s final words, “Harabaritaya un!” the frozen mass gave off a dazzling light. When the glow finally subsided, a large pool of water remained in its place. At the sound of Kana’s sharp clap, a refreshing breeze swept across the surface, announcing that the purification had succeeded.

“It seems to have worked well.”

Before long, the water gradually soaked into the ground, and at last a jar appeared at the center, half exposed above the earth.

(Just as I thought.)

Kana signaled for the extermination force to follow and moved toward the jar. It was far smaller than the one from the previous day, small enough that even a child could probably carry it, but when they looked inside, they once again found the severed head of a magical beast. Its face resembled a dog’s, but it had a horn on its forehead and sinister fangs.

“Saintess, isn’t this the head of a Horn Wolf…? But why would something like this…”

Burley frowned deeply as he examined the contents, and Kana answered his question.

“It is a curse. My country has techniques similar to this one. They are forbidden arts, however. There was one beneath the mana pool I purified yesterday as well, though it was far larger than this. I believe these may be the cause of the entire crisis.”

“”…““

“I suspect that if this is left here without being purified, it will eventually become another mana pool.”

Those words drew an immediate reaction from Henry, who had taken part in purification efforts many times over the past two years.

“Then the reason the mana pools kept reappearing soon after we purified them was because things like this had been buried beneath them? But who in the world would do such a thing…?”

“We do not yet know. But at the very least, whoever created these and whoever buried them undoubtedly bears ill will toward this kingdom.”

As Kana spoke, everyone in the extermination force silently glared at the jar. Some clenched their teeth and trembled with anger, while others tightened their fists until their knuckles whitened.

They were probably thinking of the battles they had fought over the past two years, and of the many people who had been wounded or sacrificed.

“It is dangerous to leave it as it is, so I shall seal it.”

Kana produced several talismans bearing the character for “seal,” clapped once, and slowly began walking around the jar while chanting the mantra of Bishamonten.

“On beishira mandaya sowaka, on beishira mandaya sowaka…”

As she chanted, she placed the talismans on the jar two at a time, crossing each pair diagonally. With every full recitation, another two were attached. When she began the sixth repetition, Suō and Kaō lifted the jar so she could place the talismans on its bottom. On the seventh, she placed the final pair across the top like a lid.

When Kana clapped again, a brief scream seemed to come from the jar, followed by something like black mist seeping out and wavering in the air. It swirled above the jar for a short while before dispersing and vanishing. Only then did everyone understand that the sealing was complete.

“Ordinarily, it would be better to purify something like this entirely, but we should bring at least one back to show Shaila and Aldridge. As for where to store it…”

“Naturally, I can transport it in my Magic Box—”

“No. Henry’s box contains a large amount of food, and I am reluctant to put something whose effects are unknown in the same place. Therefore, if it can be used for this purpose, I thought perhaps the ‘Mysterious Box’ listed in my 《Status》…”

As she spoke, Kana took the box out. In truth, she had secretly hoped that it would be something similar to a Magic Box. Yet what appeared was merely a beautiful, mother-of-pearl-inlaid box about the size of a document case. Even when she opened the lid, there were no compartments or anything unusual inside.

“It is merely a small box…”

Seeing how openly disappointed Kana looked, Henry perhaps tried to spare her feelings.

“Perhaps something might happen if you ordered the jar to enter it.”

Kana decided it was worth trying and commanded, “Enter.” There came a soft pop, and the jar vanished. At the same moment, something resembling a painted karuta card appeared inside the box with a light clatter. Written on it were the words: “Evil Jar (Sealed) — One.”

“Oh! It worked! Henry, my thanks!”

Declaring that this truly was a mysterious box, Kana happily closed the lid and shook it. Everyone watched her with warm smiles, but when she noticed their gazes, she hurriedly put the box away.

“This took longer than I expected. We have two more to visit, so let us hurry. I want to rendezvous with William and the others before the day is over.”

She climbed onto Kaō’s back as she spoke, but Burley and the others did not miss the faint redness coloring the tips of her ears.

For the past two days, William had continued thinking even while traveling on horseback about what kind of king he ought to become—or whether he was even capable of becoming one.

He had been relatively gifted since childhood, and his grandfather, the previous king, had placed great expectations on him. The old king had personally selected William’s tutors and had also chosen four candidates to serve as his future close retainers, much like Beaton and Aldridge had served his father.

William wanted nothing more than to speak with them immediately, but for over a year each had been occupied dealing with magical beasts in their own territories, making it impossible even to meet face-to-face.

At one point, he had even wondered whether he should simply devote himself completely to the Saintess as her “pawn,” and had tried behaving accordingly. The pathetic result had been that the Saintess herself looked at him with obvious suspicion.

Remembering Kana’s expression at the time, William sighed. Then—

“Your Highness, are you tired? Perhaps we should rest soon.”

Beaton, riding beside him, called out. He had apparently mistaken the sigh for one of exhaustion. William thought he was still fine, but reconsidered, deciding that proper rest was necessary for both rider and horse, and agreed to stop for about half an hour.

As he quenched his thirst with water from his flask, he asked Beaton,

“How much farther is it to the territorial capital of Dawkins?”

“Approximately two hours, I believe.”

“Then we should arrive before sunset. If possible, I would rather avoid arriving after the Saintess and her party.”

“I doubt that will happen.”

Even as he said it, Beaton remembered the astonishing speed of the Sacred Beasts when they had watched them depart the day before. At that pace, they had surely reached Clutchfield before the previous day ended. Still, William’s group had been riding hard while reducing even their nighttime rest. Moreover, perhaps by good fortune, they had encountered no mana pools along the road. Beaton did not think they would fall behind.

Later, just as the sun began to sink as planned, they reached the territorial capital. In this kingdom, every major city, beginning with the royal capital, had been constructed behind defensive walls and moats for emergencies, and Dawkins was no exception, being enclosed by sturdy fortifications. When they passed through the gate beneath its portcullis, the local lord, Hylo Dawkins, was already waiting with his subordinates, apparently having received advance notice from the watchmen.

“Welcome, members of the extermination force, and Your Highness Prince William. For coming to the aid of my territory in its hour of need, I, Hylo, cannot possibly express enough gratitude no matter how many words I offer.”

His elaborately courteous greeting aside, his richly adorned appearance hardly looked like that of a lord supposedly running himself ragged for a territory currently suffering devastating magical beast attacks.

“Count Dawkins. Despite the severity described in your message, I have seen nothing along the road or here that appears remotely that serious. What is the meaning of this? We interpreted your communication as an emergency and rode here day and night without pause. And what is with that outfit? Are you planning to hold a soirée this evening?”

Beaton questioned him in a reproachful tone, and Dawkins replied,

“Things have finally begun to settle somewhat now, but until the other day, the situation was truly dreadful. Fortunately, the soldiers of my territory are all excellent men, so we somehow managed to bring matters under control.”

As he spoke, he peered past the prince and Beaton as though searching for something. Apparently failing to find what he wanted, he tilted his head slightly.

“Also, I had wondered whether the newly summoned Saintess might be accompanying you this time. If so, I could hardly allow her to see me in an unsightly state, so I changed before coming here. By the way, are the Saintess and her companions not coming?”

Dawkins remarked that the Saintess Summoning ritual had surely been completed several days earlier, and Beaton answered with visible exasperation.

“The Saintess apparently had some matters she needed to resolve first. Once those are finished, she intends to come here.”

At those words, Dawkins made no effort whatsoever to hide his disappointment.

“Matters that take priority while the damage to my territory worsens by the hour? I cannot imagine what could possibly be more important, but if that is the Saintess’s decision, then I suppose it cannot be helped. …Still, Your Highness, I am surprised you would permit such selfish behavior. Even if she is from another world and unfamiliar with our ways, indulging her too much is surely… No, forgive me. I have spoken out of turn.”

Those words made William understand that Dawkins was yet another of those people who could worship a Saintess summoned from another world as “Saintess” while simultaneously looking down on her for being an outsider.

Many such people regarded the Saintess as nothing more than a convenient, disposable tool. And they liked to believe not only that they possessed the right to use that tool, but that they were uniquely qualified to use it better than anyone else.

(That sort of thinking will not work in the slightest against this Saintess…)

William was beginning to pity the elaborately dressed man standing before him in complete ignorance. Even with only the most casual imagination, it was obvious that whatever happened after Princess Kana arrived would be utterly unbearable for him.