Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Chapter 19 - Port City Erenpe #4
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Holy Knight Ash.
A woman of few words, always stoic, yet beautiful and noble.
Unlike the impulsive and emotional Anne Rose, she was always rational.
No matter the crisis, she stayed calm and found the best move—Anne Rose and countless players alike couldn't help but admire her.
The woman of the moon, contrasting the Sun Maiden Anne Rose.
The ever-composed, iron-blooded saint.
'But.'
Luther recalled Ash from Dragon Hunter Origin for a moment, his face turning complicated and subtle as he looked straight ahead.
"C-Could you... take back just two moves? No! Just one move, please?"
Ash wore an utterly pitiful expression, fidgeting with her fingers as she spoke.
No, begging to take back a single move was cute, sure.
Really cute, even.
But that's not your original character.
You're supposed to be the cool beauty big sis, always calm and composed.
[She said she's serious about Go, so maybe this is her real self?]
[Or maybe her mentality cracked during the match with me.]
It was a fairly reasonable opinion, but Luther still couldn't accept it.
After all, what Ash went through in Dragon Hunter Origin was no ordinary ordeal.
The south swept by tsunamis, the east reduced to rubble by earthquakes—yet she kept her composure. And now her mentality cracks after a few losses at Go?
[On the flip side, maybe it only cracks because it's Go.]
[Since it's purely her hobby, limited to herself.]
Luther involuntarily let out a gasp of admiration at Integra's interpretation.
It made sense upon reflection.
She maintained calm and cold logic in matters involving others, but in purely personal affairs that harmed no one else—ones confined to herself—she let her true self show without restraint.
'It's like a gap moe personality scripted by someone.'
[Anyway, Master, you should probably respond to her.]
[She looks like she's about to cry.]
"Ah."
It was true.
With no response from Luther, Ash seemed to realize she'd embarrassed herself for nothing—her face flushed bright red as she writhed in agony.
"Uh... fine, I'll take back one move. That's the fourth time this game already."
"S-Sorry."
Ash blushed again and apologized, but even then, she timidly manipulated the board, rewinding it one move without pause.
She really seemed dead serious about Go.
[Master, that's the fifth game today already.]
[Finish this one, and let's call it quits for the day.]
'Yeah, good idea.'
It had been three days since meeting Ash.
Luther and Ash had boarded a southbound ship together right after safely arriving at the port city of Erenpe from Naruter.
They'd even booked adjacent cabins.
The spot where they now played Go was Ash's room—a cramped space, as these sorts of cabins tended to be.
[You've definitely gotten close to Ash.]
[She acts like she can't live without you now.]
'The phrasing sounds a bit off-color, but yeah, hard to deny.'
Luther gave a wry smile, recalling how Ash had shown up at his door at dawn, clutching a Go board to her chest.
Just how much did she love Go?
Or was Integra's Go something special?
'Integra, did you spike the Go with drugs? Hypnosis or something?'
[Don't say silly things. Just play your next move. Over there.]
One point on the Go board glowed brightly.
Luther placed his stone and sneakily checked Ash's expression.
Her eyes widened at his move; she cupped her cheeks with both hands, her face one of utter ecstasy.
"Hauu..."
Good lord.
She didn't even seem aware of the sound she'd just made—it was enough to daze Luther's mind.
[The world's cool beauties are all dead.]
[Oh, except me, of course.]
Luther shook his head vigorously at Integra's nonsense, resolving to limit Go to no more than three games a day starting tomorrow.
If they kept going, Ash might get even stranger.
[She's already plenty strange.]
'No, she's fine outside of Go.'
[So she is strange when playing Go?]
When Integra prodded with a chuckle, Luther had no choice but to nod.
But strange or not, it was only during Go—so it shouldn't interfere much with resolving southern region incidents.
[Time to wrap it up. Final move.]
Ash flinched the moment Luther placed his stone where Integra indicated, then began trembling.
Her face said she was frustrated to lose, but that last move was so exquisite it left her dizzy—something like that.
[Master, maybe you should learn Go yourself?]
'Nah, pass. I can see right through your black heart.'
[Heh heh heh.]
Truth be told, even if he learned, he wouldn't end up like Ash—but there was always the what-if.
"Anyway..."
Luther murmured softly to Ash, who was still staring at the board.
"Let's call it here for today."
"Huh?"
Startled by Luther's declaration, Ash fidgeted anxiously and glanced toward her luggage.
But Luther, already knowing what she'd say, cut her off firmly.
"No dice, even if you pay me. No potions, no holy relics either. That's it for today. End of discussion."
"Uu... O-Okay..."
Ash clenched her fists, biting her lip, her face the picture of sorrow.
To onlookers, she looked like a woman scorned in love.
"Haa... I showed my ugly side. Thank you for the game."
"No, it's fine. I enjoyed it too."
Ash seemed somewhat back to normal now that the game was over. Luther gave her an awkward smile and greeting before hurrying out.
[Master, from what I've observed, Ash doesn't match the 'iron-blooded woman' or 'Moon Holy Knight' you described at all.]
[Will she really be helpful?]
Luther pondered Integra's slightly serious question for a moment before nodding.
"She will. No matter what, she's an executor of the Holy Knight Order."
[You said she became one because of her stigmata? The special superpower it grants?]
"Yeah."
Stigmata.
That was why Ash had joined the Holy Knight Order at the young age of twenty.
[I'm curious about it.]
[The founding emperor Clausewitz used 'Heavenly Armaments' received from an 'angel.']
[And angels are generally messengers of the gods.]
[There might be some connection between the heavens... and the Galactic Federation and the Church of the Seven Gods.]
The Church of the Seven Gods, worshiping the likes of the God of Oaths, Minastein, and the God of Purification, Lete, among the seven.
It was the Church that had first recognized and proclaimed the founding emperor's armaments as 'Heavenly Armaments'—so maybe, just maybe, there was an unexpected link as Integra suggested.
'But that's a pretty low-probability stretch.'
This world had a real concept of 'divine power.'
Meaning the Seven Gods likely existed for real too.
[Maybe the Seven Gods are just highly advanced AIs.]
[A classic sci-fi cliché.]
"No, that's a bit much."
[Why? I'm a holy spirit, aren't I?]
[I could even be a goddess if I wanted.]
Integra popped up before him with a playful quip, prompting Luther to chuckle dryly before heading to the deck.
Winter was near; the salty wind bit cold, but after being cooped up playing Go, it felt refreshing instead.
"Hoo, nice."
Stretching, Luther stood on deck and surveyed the surroundings.
A large galleon fit for over a hundred passengers, its massive, majestic sails especially impressive.
[Master, shall we talk a bit about the southern arc?]
[In the original, things escalated when Princess Peliaru's body was found, right?]
'Yeah, right after Anne Rose and Ash arrive in the south, her body turns up... The whole region's mood turns grim. Rumors swirl of war with Malkuth Kingdom.'
But now that Princess Peliaru was alive, it was irrelevant.
[So the real story kicks off once we enter Malkuth Kingdom?]
'Probably this time.'
They'd departed earlier than in the original, and the incident that delayed the start had been erased.
Meaning they had some extra time now.
[It'd be great if we could find the emperor's sword in that time.]
[Coordinates-wise, we're not far off anyway.]
The site where the ship carrying Emperor Clausewitz's sword had sunk.
But they couldn't just dive into the deep sea on a whim, so Luther planned to resolve the south first, then ask Princess Peliaru for help searching.
[True, if you wrap up the south arc smoothly, you'll be a hero of Malkuth Kingdom.]
[You kinda already are, for saving the princess.]
"Ahem."
Luther cleared his throat awkwardly at the praise, and Integra chuckled again before turning seaward.
'What? See something?'
[No, just a sudden thought.]
'What kind?'
To Luther's question, Integra crossed her arms lightly, narrowing her eyes as she spoke.
[One of fantasy's classic clichés: sail the sea, and a kraken appears.]
'Oh yeah, I know that one.'
From web novels to games to movies.
Luther nodded along, and as if inspired, Integra wiggled her fingers like kraken tentacles.
[A ship entering the vast, endless ocean, nothing but sea in sight.]
[Suddenly the camera zooms out—looking down from the sky, a black, massive shadow looms beneath the ship...]
With that, Integra playfully launched a drone skyward, as if to tease.
Luther grinned and closed his eyes.
"Vision share."
Sharing vision with the drone.
Integra chuckled again at Luther's action.
[And then, from the calm sea surface, the kraken's tentacles suddenly—]
"Integra."
[Yes?]
Instead of answering her query, Luther shared the vision.
The blue sea.
Their galleon.
And the enormous black shadow beneath it.
[Eh?]
The moment Integra voiced her daze—
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
With deafening roars, massive tentacles burst through the surface.