When Giuseppe and Tatsumi left the church, there was a carriage waiting for them.
There was the sacred symbol of the Sun G.o.d engraved on the carriage: it was obviously from the Church of Golaiva.
And then, the door of the carriage opened and a man came out as if he is going to confirm the people who came out of the temple.
“Oh, Leirook, is it?”
“Leirook…?
“Yup, I’ve been waiting for you guys.”
The thirty-years-old man who wore armor came out from the carriage, with a cheerful smile, he greeted Tatsumi and co. while raising a hand.
This man is Leirook Chrysophrase. The third son of Giuseppe and also a templar of the Church of Golaiva.
“You’ve came to welcome us?”
“Something like that. My boss said that I’m the best person to go and get you.”
Said Leirook while showing an amiable smile.
Tatsumi was certainly more at ease when knowing the person who’s welcoming him. In fact, he was a little nervous to go to the Church of the Sun G.o.d for the first time.
“Our Patriarch has been waiting for you. Shall we head to the Church of the Sun G.o.d?”
Leirook, a little pompously, gestured for the two of them to enter the carriage.
After Giuseppe boarded the vehicle with obvious experience, Tatsumi smiled at Leirook and followed after his grandfather-in-law.
On the clattering and shaking carriage, Tatsumi gazed at the streets outside.
As expected, there were many soldiers posted around the city, but the sight of a beast-hunter was much fewer than normal.
A normal soldier or hunter would be no opponent when matched with a dragon. The people with the responsibility of intercepting and killing the dragon were all the senior beast-hunters.
All those soldiers tasked to guard the city looked very tense.
There were also many civilians coming and going, pulling their belongings in a cart and moving along.
“It’s because the news got out that a dragon was coming here. The soldiers are guiding the people to evacuate.”
There were always those stubborn people that would not leave. They’d board up their house and wait for the commotion to end.
Many of those people have spent their whole lives in this city, and would die along with the capital if it came to that.
“Don’t forget, both of you. We hold the fate of the nation in our hands. If we fail, the dragon’s fangs will be turned to the people.”
Tatsumi silently nodded at Giuseppe’s serious words.
Leirook, seated opposite to Tatsumi, still wore his ever-present smile, but a serious light shone in his eyes.
Yes. In their hands lied the fates and fortunes of every citizen in this city. In the event that the dragon overpowered them, the city of Levantes would undoubtedly suffer huge damage.
The importance of his role weighed even more heavily on Tatsumi’s shoulders.
And then, the sight of the main Church to the Sun G.o.d Golaiva could be seen before the carriage.
They stopped in front of the entrance to the Church.
When the grandfather and his in-law disembarked from the carriage, a man was waiting for them in front of the door.
He looked to be older than Leirook and Tatsumi: about in the mid-thirties.
The man had a large build, and was wearing vestments that weren’t any worse than Giuseppe’s. Based on the sight, Tatsumi could already guess who he was.
Tatsumi started, “Could that person be…”
Leirook confirmed Tatsumi’s a.s.sumption. “Yeah. He’s my boss… The Patriarch of the Church of Golaiva, Bugarank Ishukan.”
That man, Bugarank Ishukan, quickly walked to them.
He, seemingly recognizing Tatsumi, asked, “…Are you the Heaven-system mage…Tatsumi Yamagata?”
“Y-Yes…M-My name is Tatsumi…”
As Bugarank was taller than Tatsumi, Bugarank bent down to match Tatsumi’s eye level. Now face to face, he broke into a huge smile from the solemn expression he was showing earlier.
“We’ve finally met! So you’re Tatsumi. Hahaha, you’re smaller than I thought!”
He slapped Tatsumi’s shoulder without holding back his strength. Every time Bugarank sent his hand down onto Tatsumi, waves of pain coursed through Tatsumi’s body. Tatsumi couldn’t help but knit his brows as a subconscious reaction.
“Boss, I think this is enough. If you keep tormenting Tatsumi, my sister will probably come and attack, you know?”
“Yeah, that’d be a pain. Our church’s reputation will probably plummet if the famous Holy Maiden did that!”
Bugaranked laughed again. After his laughs died down, he led the two visitors in.
“Hey, Tatsumi. Do you already know…the reason why you’re here?”
While they were being led by Bugarank through the church, he asked Tatsumi a question without turning around to face the person he was asking.
“Yes, a little part of it… I’m here for the weapon left behind the previous Heaven-system mage… I think?”
“That’s correct. As you know, this city is facing a crisis. We believe that we have to use everything we have, or else.”
It was said that after Thiet Zamui died, n.o.body else could use the weapon he left behind.
The Grand Mage had no family, so it was given to one of his disciples.
Even the disciple who inherited the weapon couldn’t use it.
──After my death, you guys may as well do whatever you want with my possessions. But, if there’s something one of you can’t use, give it to someone who can. If there is n.o.body who can use it, give it to a Church so they can give it to someone who can.──
Those words were the will of the Grand Mage.
The Church chosen to hold the weapon was the Church of Golaiva. Golaiva was also the G.o.d of war, so it’d only make sense to give a weapon to them.
“…After that, there has been n.o.body to be able to wield the weapon, and it’s been protected by our church since then.”
“But… even if I also can use the Heaven system, I don’t know if I can use the weapon?”
“That’s what we’re here to see.”
Bugarank looked back and smiled. In front of him was a door.
“It’s here. Inside this room is the weapon Thiet Zamui left behind.”
Bugarank pulled a fancy key from his pocket and inserted the key into its proper hole.
Click.
That quiet whisper was a furious roar in Tatsumi’s ears.
It was a small room.
If he had to compare it to something, it was a bit more confined than the living room of Tatsumi’s house.
The room was barren, saving for the small pedestal standing in the middle. And on that pedestal was the weapon of Thiet Zamui.
Taking a deep breath, Tatsumi took a step into the room.
There were now four people inside this sacred area, including Tatsumi. The patriarchs of both the Sun G.o.d and the Harvest G.o.d, a templar of the Sun G.o.d, and Tatsumi.1
Under the watchful gazes of the other three, Tatsumi slowly approached the pedestal. When he was right next to the pedestal and the weapon sitting on it, the gaping on his face was unmistakable.
“Uh, ummm…This is the legendary weapon…right?”
Tatsumi turned around, looking quite troubled.
“Indeed. You are in the presence of the very weapon the Grand Mage left behind.”
Bugarank gave another short laugh.
“How about it, son-in-law. Does it look like you can use it?”
Giuseppe’s eyes visibly brightened while he was saying that. There was no mistake that this was the happiness that came from a prank successfully pulled off.
“Oh, you haven’t been told what the weapon looked like before?”
Leirook felt compa.s.sionate to Tatsumi, unlike the two patriarchs.
“W-Well, Giuseppe did say that showing will be faster than explaining…and didn’t give me an explanation…”
Tatsumi looked back to what was on the pedestal.
That weapon.
A set of thin reddish-gold chains were entwined around something. It was easy to see how it was used. But, on how it could even be used as a weapon was what confused Tatsumi.
Was what the chains were chained around the weapon?
The chains were small enough to be used as a woman’s choker. It’d be impossible to ever think of it as a weapon normally.
Then again, there was magic in this world, so things may be different than how they first seem.
However.
That which was covered by the chains was not what one typically put into the category of a “weapon.”
It’s more of a type of armor than a weapon.
“……Is this…a gauntlet…?”
“Indeed. Just like you said, it’s a gauntlet,” Bugarank answered with his ever-present smile.
A gauntlet. A piece of armor that protects the hands.
The Grand Mage’s weapon was a gauntlet that covered the hand and arm all the way to the elbow joint.2
“Could the gold chain be part of the weapon?”
“Who knows? That chain has been there even before I became a priest. I don’t know the details.”
What was known was that only dwarfs had the skills to forge such an exquisite chain, and the special scarlet gold held some kind of magic.
“What happens when the chains are separated from the gauntlet… even that we don’t know.”
From the time the gauntlet has been held in the temple, many sages and mages have inspected it.
However, only the above two points were known. In the first place, without knowing how to unwind the chain, it was impossible to put on the gauntlet.
“If you’re able to equip it, you might realize something.”
Many powerful magic weapons, when equipped, would give the user information on how to use it. This user-manual-like3 ability was just a part of the magic in it, and it was common practice to do so in newer demon sealing tools.
Although most do have such a feature, many others did not.
Tatsumi received permission from Bugarank and tried to put it on.
Gauntlets usually had two parts: the leather and the chain. However, without being able to take the tightly-wound chains off, it couldn’t be worn.
The thin chain was wrapped around the gauntlet many times, and it was obviously very long, although it couldn’t be measured.
It certainly made sense that n.o.body other than the original owner could use it. Just when Tatsumi had that thought, he realized something. Something n.o.body else did.
“Huh…? Maybe, this…”
“Oh? What’re you doing?”
Bugarank saw Tatsumi’s face. It was clear to everyone present that he had discovered something.
“Y-Yes. I think…I can put on this gauntlet.”
If Tatsumi’s thoughts were correct it was impossible to equip the gauntlet. Of course, that was different for Tatsumi.
“R-Really? Good! Then, try putting it on.”
“Don’t be scared, son-in-law. There aren’t any curses on it.”
Under the two patriarchs’ approval, Tatsumi prepared his mana.
And, he used his…no, the Heaven system’s unique magic. Instant Transition. 4
When he invoked the magic, the gauntlet disappeared from its former position and appeared on his right arm.
Tatsumi had equipped the gauntlet with teleportation.
- In this heavenly meeting we have five esteemed guests. The Lord of the Seven Realms, the High King of all h.e.l.ls, the Queen of the Great Sea, the G.o.d of the Sun, and Joe. Don’t forget Joe; he’s the scariest one.
- It should look something like this
- This has nothing to do with the story, but if you want a song to listen to, try User Manual.(J-Pop, Nishino Kana, cover by Spring Tea)
- Now that I think about it, isn’t Teleportation better? It does literally translate into Instant Transition, so I see why Cat did that.