Chapter 32: The Hunt
It has been a month since the elimination of the Divine Ancestor and her guardian deity. As June began, Tokyo entered the plum rain season.
As a Campione who wields power over wind, rain, and lightning—and who essentially rules this city—Hikigaya Hachiman had no intention of interfering with the weather. Instead, he spent the entire month as a shut-in at home. During this time, he discovered that the business at the Yorozuya was growing at a snail's pace. It was clear that having a proactive boss "on the clock" had no direct correlation with whether business was good or bad.
Hikigaya finally realized that he possessed absolutely no business talent whatsoever. This self-awareness prompted him to decide to return to his old trade.
Because of a certain golden-haired youth who was simultaneously a sword genius and a world-class moron, Hikigaya was invited to Italy—specifically, to the city of Florence.
The word "invited" is used loosely; the process was actually quite simple: Hikigaya flew there himself. Curious as to why his fellow God-slayer—whose brain contained nothing but steel—would send an invitation for a "hunt," Hikigaya, equipped with his built-in "Horus Brand Navigation," didn't bother with modern transportation.
The level of Italian mages was commendable. When Hikigaya landed in the city, an acquaintance was already waiting for him: Erica Blandelli, standing in front of a black, long-wheelbase limousine that screamed "high-class."
Even though Hikigaya had no romantic interest in this girl (who was originally the world's primary female lead), he acknowledged her professional capabilities—provided she wasn't trying to fight a god. Judging from their initial encounters, she simply wasn't destined for that; it was better for her to stick to the promising career of a Great Knight.
Erica proved with facts that as long as gods weren't involved, she was highly reliable. She politely invited Hikigaya into the car and sat down with him. The luxury sedan slowly started and began its journey.
The rear of the limousine was designed for face-to-face seating, featuring a small icebox for wine in the center. It was flashy yet exquisite, with a tasteful color scheme and large windows that prevented any feeling of claustrophobia.
Hikigaya spent the ride observing the scenery. During this process, Erica showcased her "people-reading" skills, providing perfectly timed introductions to the landscapes or architecture Hikigaya seemed interested in.
Without prejudice, listening to this girl talk was indeed pleasant; she was someone who knew how to handle social situations.
About an hour later, the view outside changed to a pastoral landscape. Shortly after, following a paved road, the car drove into a mountainous area and finally arrived at a stone castle. Even
without formal training in architecture or archaeology, Hikigaya could tell this was a genuine medieval fortress. Now, however, it had been converted into a castle hotel, standing under a brilliant blue sky, guarded by surrounding greenery.
Waiting at the entrance was the leader of the Italian magical world—a young swordsman who couldn't use magecraft at all. His racial trait was making anyone who saw him realize instantly that he was an oddball.
Seeing Hikigaya get out of the car, he waved his arms happily and shouted: "Yo! Hachiman!"
"Long time no see," Hikigaya replied politely. Since this was Doni's turf and he was the invited guest, he had to show some respect. Trading insults in private would be another matter.
After the greeting, Hikigaya saw a refined-looking man emerge from behind Doni.
"Greetings. I am the Leader's butler. Please call me Andrea."
'Ah, it's you' Hikigaya thought.
'The legendary "Menager"'
There was an open secret among mages worldwide: Doni had spent his entire life's worth of IQ points on swordsmanship. In all other aspects, he was hyper-disabled. He relied entirely on an old friend from before he became a Campione to help him out—the man known as the "Manager."
"Hello," Hikigaya reached out to shake his hand, asking with a hint of anticipation: "Regarding the 'hunt,' what's the situation with the prey?"
"It's like this: according to intelligence, it should be an extremely ferocious Divine Beast," the Manager said with a face full of certainty.
Hikigaya suddenly felt like he might have made the trip for nothing. A ferocious Divine Beast? What Divine Beast could be more ferocious than a Campione? Wasn't using such a descriptor a bit inappropriate? And what kind of "hunt" involves just one Divine Beast?
"Could the intelligence be wrong? Doni specifically used the word 'hunt' when he told me," Hikigaya asked suspiciously, putting extra emphasis on the word "hunt."
"No, the intelligence won't be wrong, but that idi—excuse me, I cannot yet confirm the Leader's thoughts, but I have people monitoring him 24 hours a day!" the Manager replied with absolute confidence.
He spoke with such momentum that Hikigaya almost thought he was the God-slayer. However, the Manager clearly didn't find anything odd about it; perhaps after years of cleaning up messes, these two old friends had grown accustomed to this dynamic.
"Food and drinks have been prepared in the lobby. Due to the time constraints, the standards are somewhat lacking; please forgive us."
With that, the Manager hurried away—glaring at Doni as he left.
"Andrea is so weird," Doni muttered, watching the departing Manager with confusion. Then he turned to Hikigaya: "My hands are itching a bit. Want to have a fight first?"
Hikigaya ignored him and walked straight toward the lobby to spectate, pausing to say "thanks for the hard work" to the Manager, who had turned back angrily to drag Doni along.
What a moron. Even Hikigaya could tell the Manager had just given Doni a look that meant: "It's your turn to go on stage, come with me now!"
Inside the lobby, various buffet-style dishes had been prepared. The layout was that of a small dinner party. The number of attendees wasn't large—about twenty people in total. Aside from the two "out-of-spec" individuals, Doni and Hikigaya, the rest were all Great Knights.
It seemed the elite of every magic association in Italy was gathered here.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting