Looking at Karen, whose face showed no trace of guilt though the corners of her lips kept twitching upward, Erica merely shrugged and changed the subject.
"Now that Marquis Voban has disappeared, has Lily decided what path to take next? For the sake of our past relationship, I can overlook what she did while in the Bronze-Black Cross. After all, that was her duty. But... Karen, you're a smart woman. Now that I am a Campione, I can no longer be as lenient as I once was."
"Miss is still considering that question. However, for Miss Erica—now a Campione—to say something like that, could it be that you have some valuable advice to offer?"
Karen sidestepped the sudden sharpness in Erica's tone, retreating in order to advance.
"Salvatore Doni would naturally be your first choice. He's the closest, and the only Campione nearby whose strength is reliable. That man doesn't like to think and has no interest in anything outside of battle."
"He sounds like a good candidate. But I've heard that this Campione's talent for causing trouble is equally famous. When he first arrived in Japan, wasn't his original intention to 'spar' with Miss Erica, who was rumored to have become a Godslayer? The King of Swords may rely on his own strength to ignore the aftermath of such 'sparring,' but if Lady Liliana were to follow a King like that, I doubt it would be very safe."
Erica smiled, took an elegant sip of her coffee, and continued.
"The Black Prince Alec is also an option. He's another young Campione—intellectual, skilled in strategy, dislikes direct confrontation, and prefers to design counterattacks against his enemies. Compared to Marquis Voban, he is practically his complete opposite..."
Halfway through, a trace of amusement appeared on Erica's face.
"And I hear he's quite poor at handling women. If Liliana were to learn a few techniques in wielding a woman's charms, she might even win him over without shedding a drop of blood."
"In that regard, my lady is far inferior to Miss Erica."
Faced with that "praise," Erica responded with a leisurely smile.
"By the way, according to some rumors, that shrine maiden who once crossed paths with my lady has now become your subordinate, Miss Erica?"
Karen abruptly shifted the topic. "Does that mean you are not lacking in personnel? Otherwise, why would you even recruit that shrine maiden who possesses nothing particularly important besides Spirit Vision?"
"Yuri Mariya... If I recall correctly, she had contact with Liliana during that incident four years ago, didn't she? As one of the few who survived that brush with death and later met Marquis Voban again, the two of them truly share an indescribable fate. Is Liliana worried about her future?"
"After all, she will be living under someone bearing the title of 'Crimson Demon.' How could anyone not be worried?—That is what Lady Liliana said."
While smoothly "selling out" her mistress, Karen continued, "And that shrine maiden—hm, I believe she is referred to by the magical title of Hime-Miko? These so-called Hime-Miko—what exactly are they? They seem to be some kind of committee or organization. Japan's magical society is truly difficult to understand."
As a European mage, such a sentiment was understandable.
After arriving in Japan, Erica herself had struggled to comprehend the structure of its magical society. The first organization she encountered was the History Compilation Committee, yet the agent they dispatched had been a ninja. Though her instincts told her the man's strength rivaled her own back when she was still a knight, she had yet to formally meet a magician who fit the European image of one.
Yuri Mariya had decent potential, but she had clearly never undergone systematic combat training. At best, she was an auxiliary support member. If someone truly intended to harm her, even an ordinary human assassin could likely succeed.
"If we're talking about forces comparable to the Copper-Black Cross or the Bronze-Black Cross, there are probably only those four families," Erica said casually, recalling the intelligence reports she had reviewed that morning.
European magical societies were typically formed from ancient noble houses. That was why they still used archaic titles such as Knight, Devil, Berserker, Grand Knight, Commander, and Campione.
In most major cities, there would be at least one magical society. In secret, they formed a world distinct from ordinary society. In Europe, this was perfectly commonplace.
Japan, however, had no such magical societies. Instead, everything was managed by the History Compilation Committee, a state-affiliated organization.
Externally, due to the Committee's strict information control, very little was known about the Hime-Miko. Who exactly were they? What mysterious powers did they possess?
If Erica had not recently become the nominal supreme leader of Japan's magical society, she likely would never have gained access to deeper intelligence.
And now, given her position, she certainly would not disclose such critical information lightly. Still, she was quite curious about what choice Liliana would ultimately make.
"My lady does not appear to be in a hurry. Aside from drafting new story plots, she has been consistently honing her swordsmanship. She responds normally to recruitment letters from various organizations, but it does not seem she has any intention of leaving Japan."
With a respectful expression, Karen delivered her words carefully.
"She has no intention of leaving Japan?"
Erica pondered for a moment, then stood up and gathered the A4 papers in front of her.
"The funds have already been transferred to the designated account through Arianna. You should receive them soon."
"Thank you very much. Having such a straightforward trading partner like you is truly wonderful."
"Paying an appropriate price for quality goods is only natural. However, if you were to provide me with important intelligence regarding your Bronze-Black Cross's upcoming actions, I might be even more generous."
"I appreciate your kindness, but I have no desire to be purged by my organization as a traitor."
In other words, Karen would only provide the least risky information—the kind she could pass off with a smile.
Erica responded with a knowing smile to her tactful answer.
After watching Karen leave, Erica stretched contentedly. She had planned to spend the afternoon visiting the heads of those four prominent families and learning more about the temperaments of her future subordinates. After all, she might need their cooperation in handling certain matters later. Making preliminary contact was customary in this society.
However, that idea was soon interrupted by a phone call.
Taking out her mobile phone, Erica saw the caller ID—her personal maid, Arianna. Without much thought, she answered.
Then she heard an interesting piece of news.
"It seems a woman carrying a divine artifact has gone to the Seven Heroes Shrine to visit Miss Yuri."
...
The Seven Heroes Shrine near Shiba Park was built on elevated ground.
Like all shrines, it possessed a defining feature—a long flight of towering stone steps leading straight up to the main hall.
For an ordinary person, climbing such steps was already no easy task. For Yuri Mariya, whose stamina was her weak point, it was nothing short of harsh training.
Every ascent left her drenched in sweat. As a result, before handling any shrine affairs, she would first bathe and purify herself at the shrine office.
After changing into her white robes and crimson hakama, Yuri prepared, as usual, to sweep the fallen leaves around the shrine.
This remote shrine rarely received visitors to begin with. Because of her sensitive identity, the only person stationed here year-round besides herself was Mr. Touma, who served as her liaison.
"But lately, Mr. Touma has been overwhelmed by the Marquis Voban incident. I haven't seen his car parked below the shrine for several days now..."
Stepping out from the shrine office and heading toward the main hall, the only sounds along the path were birdsong and the wind.
Information regarding the Hime-Miko was classified. For the sake of information control, the fewer people who interacted with them, the better. Otherwise, opportunities for exploitation would arise.
The Hime-Miko held a special status. In theory, even the shrine command system could not easily issue orders to these high-born maidens.
—However, that did not mean they were no longer pieces on the board. When necessary, they could still be pushed forward as expendable sacrifices.
For example, four years ago, when Marquis Voban conducted the ritual to summon a Heretic God, it would be naive to believe Japan had known nothing.
A god-summoning ritual was not something one or two people could secretly carry out in a secluded corner. It required advance investigation of ley line flows, celestial signs, and preparation of corresponding divine instruments.
With the slightest vigilance, discovering clues would not have been difficult.
And yet Japan had taken no action, allowing nearly thirty shrine maidens with spiritual talent within its borders to become sacrifices.
What sordid deals and compromises lay beneath the surface was obvious to anyone with a bit of worldly experience.
Unfortunately, most Hime-Miko did not possess such awareness.
They continued to follow the orders of the History Compilation Committee and were dispatched across various regions as special operatives. Each Hime-Miko was assigned a fixed area of guardianship. Under normal circumstances, they were not permitted to leave their designated territory.
If Satsuki were the one observing this arrangement, she would likely conclude that it served two purposes—extracting labor from the Hime-Miko while preventing them from uniting and forming a force capable of resisting those above them.
So when Yuri saw the girl ascending the stone steps, she froze.
"...Ena? Why are you here today?"
"Yoo~ Yuri, long time no see. I came to say hello."
Ena Seishuuin flashed her a bright smile.
She was a girl with long, beautiful black hair and well-defined features. She wore a white shirt with a khaki vest and short skirt—an outfit resembling a high school uniform. Slung over her shoulder was a long, narrow cloth bag.
The moment Yuri saw that bag, her heart began pounding violently.
Even without consciously activating it, her Spirit Vision informed her that the object inside contained terrifying divine power.
It was the presence of a Divine Blade.
The girl carrying it glanced around the shrine grounds.
"Yuri, I heard you've recently been in contact with the new Campione. Is that true?"
"There has been... some contact..."
Uncertain of Ena's intentions, Yuri's answer came out vague.
The Campione referred to a Godslayer. The new Campione, of course, meant Erica.
"Then you must know that someone from the History Compilation Committee is negotiating with her about appointing an Agent to govern Japan on her behalf?"
Ena asked bluntly.
"Huh...? There's such a thing?"
This was the first Yuri had heard of it.
"Of course there is. The higher-ups have long yearned to have a Godslayer of their own—especially after the recent string of incidents."
"Actually, I only used my Spirit Vision to assist during their battles with the gods. I don't know anything about the rest..."
"Only that? I thought they'd choose you as the nominal Agent governing Japan."
Ena's careless remark made Yuri's heart tremble, and she hurried to explain.
"...Please be careful with your words. I am hardly worthy of Miss Erica's favor. Even considering public opinion, compared to me, Miss Satsuki possesses far greater talent and ability."
"Is that so? Then it seems the challenge letter I sent earlier was indeed the right move. So the real target is that one?"
"Excuse me...? Ena, what are you talking about?"
"Actually, I came here this time to compete for the position of Agent. It was proposed by the head of the Seishuuin family. Grandfather believes this is an opportunity, so he recommended me. You know what that means, right? The Committee wouldn't dare object."
"You mean... that old gentleman?"
Even the History Compilation Committee had to heed his opinion—one of its grand elders.
Among the Hime-Miko, only Ena had been entrusted with the secret transmission of the Divine Blade. Yuri herself had never met him in person. Ena might be the only Hime-Miko who had.
"That's right. I took on this task because I didn't want to lose to you—or anyone else. At first, I thought we'd become rivals. But it seems the situation is even better than I expected."
"Ena! Are you truly determined to compete for this position? You haven't even seen Miss Satsuki's strength!"
Unable to restrain herself, Yuri cried out.
That woman with golden eyes, whose actions were always unfathomable—even when Yuri employed the full extent of her Spirit Vision, all she saw was an abyss of darkness, like a black hole. There was nothing she could discern.
She had once suspected her ability was malfunctioning. But the incidents involving Athena and Marquis Voban had proven the opposite—her Spirit Vision had grown sharper than ever.
Which made the fact that she could not perceive through Satsuki all the more terrifying.
Conservatively speaking, Satsuki might possess an artifact capable of evading such perception.
But if not...
Yuri could not even imagine how powerful Satsuki must be.
Seeing Yuri's sudden agitation, the girl known as the "Hime-Miko of the Tachi" widened her eyes.
"Of course I know her strength. Swordsmanship comparable to the King of Swords—isn't that exactly the kind of opponent I crave? Why not? Don't tell me you've already taken the enemy's side?"
"I..."
Yuri found herself unable to refute her. She had never personally witnessed Satsuki in battle—her judgment was based purely on instinct.
Seeing Yuri speechless, Ena smiled triumphantly.
"Besides, I even brought 'it' out specially for this occasion. Without a satisfying battle as an offering, the Divine Blade's lament would become quite troublesome."
She picked up the cloth bag from the floor, loosened the tie, and withdrew the object within.
It was a tachi measuring three shaku, three sun, and five bu, sheathed in black lacquer.
A powerful curse aura radiated from the divine instrument. The force of its outward surge made Yuri stagger slightly.
It was Japan's supreme weapon.
—"So this is the so-called Kusanagi no Tsurugi? It does look like a fine piece indeed."
Japanese spoken with a faintly unusual accent echoed from outside the shrine.
Accompanied by that voice, Erica stepped gracefully into view. Throughout her approach, her gaze remained fixed on the black-haired girl holding the Divine Blade.
"I see. So you're the candidate recommended by that grand elder?"