Chapter Fifty-Four: Voban's Attention, the Committee for the Compilation of Official Histories
Japan, a courtyard in the Kanto region.
Within this sprawling garden of an old, aristocratic-style secondary residence covering tens of thousands of square meters, there were many natural vistas. Verdant trees were meticulously trimmed, and water flowed along a small stream into a pond. Deep near a waterfall, there appeared to be an ancient pagoda and an altar.
However, Sasha Dejanstahl Voban seemed completely unmoved by this exotic courtyard, failing to show even a hint of interest in appreciating it. Having decided on his residence in Tokyo, the elderly man immediately went to his accommodations. Voban's bedroom was located in a separate building constructed within the hotel's courtyard—a small, traditional Japanese-style house. But compared to its ancient exterior, the interior was very modern, filled with Japanese elements like tatami mats and folding screens.
"In such a small place, is there nothing but this bland cuisine..." Until yesterday, this old man understood no Japanese at all.
However, "Campiones" and high-level mages both possess extraordinary language-learning abilities. After hearing some Japanese spoken by the subordinates belonging to this region, it didn't take long for him to master it completely. Looking at the typical but uninspired menu featuring items like tempura and sashimi, Voban murmured in perfect Japanese while picking up a cup filled with sake and draining it.
"The 'Black Dragon' Nidhogg, Hephaestus 'God of Fire and Craftsmen', Zeus the 'God-King', Poseidon the 'Sea-King', Hades the 'Underworld King', as well as the 'War God' Verethragna and Melqart... It hasn't even been two months since this brat became a 'Campione', right?" The old man's eyes were sharp, like a lone wolf in a state of hunting.
"Has that kid arrived in Japan yet?"
The moment Voban asked, a female corpse-servant wearing a large black hat with eyes sunken deep into her sockets—one of his [Servants of the Dead]—reported to him.
"He has already boarded the plane and will arrive at noon."
Hearing the answer, Voban nodded with satisfaction, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"The seventh 'Campione', Shirou Orihara... If I can kill him and transform him into one of my dead servants, that would be quite good. If a Campione with such talent and ability can be used by me..."
For Voban, if an opponent bowed their head to him immediately, it would only make him feel incredibly bored. He preferred wolves that occasionally resisted and were full of overbearing ambition over dogs that only wagged their tails at their master.
After a brief thought, Voban made up his mind. He possessed an Authority that could turn those he killed into his own servants—[Otherworldly Restraint] (also known as the Cage of
Dead Servants)! This was an Authority he usurped from Osiris, the God of Harvest and the Underworld in Egyptian mythology. It allowed him to preserve humans, divine beasts, demons, and artificial beings with souls that he personally killed as "living corpses" in this world, making them absolutely obedient and loyal servants.
The servants whose souls were imprisoned by this Authority could regenerate even if their physical bodies were destroyed after a period of time, and the Marquis could move them to his side instantaneously. Among the servants were people of various eras, nationalities, and races.
In addition to those of Great Knight level, there were many famous mages who were valued as excellent minds by the Marquis, who completely lacked formal magical knowledge. Because the souls of the dead were forced into obedience by the Authority, his dominance was not absolute.
Similarly, the servants lost the judgment they possessed in life and were incapable of tactical actions or prediction.
Additionally, the divine beasts the Marquis had slaughtered and subjugated were sleeping at his base in the Balkan Peninsula because their spirits were too massive to be moved instantaneously. In places like ancient battlefields and graveyards, the Marquis could use spiritual vision to see the lives and destinies of those who died there, and he could force the dead to answer questions.
As a God-slayer who had slaughtered numerous "Heretic Gods" and possessed a total of ten powerful Authorities, Marquis Voban was extremely confident in his own strength. He did not believe a mere newcomer could defeat the accumulation of several centuries of his life, even if this newcomer had killed seven "Heretic Gods" within two months.
"A God-slayer with such talent and talent, I will certainly make good use of him."
Marquis Voban revealed a sadistic smile, picked up a dinner knife and fork, and began to savor the dishes presented by his servants. As he spoke, Marquis Voban's voice gradually carried a killing intent. He picked up a piece of sashimi with chopsticks, dipped it in sauce, put it in his mouth, and chewed forcefully.
Although he did not like the taste, perhaps due to a change in mood or the way he ate, he actually perceived a hint of fishy sweetness.
"Not bad," Voban praised, while simultaneously raising his wine cup and drinking it down like water.
-
-
-
One hour after Shirou boarded the plane to Japan with the two Knight-Princesses and Princess Alice. At one o'clock in the morning, in Tokyo, Japan.
The History Compilation Committee is the largest organization in Japan, jointly established by the state and many prominent families in the magical world. It is the largest institution specifically used to manage the order of the Japanese magical world. At this moment, in the office of the Tokyo branch, a girl dressed in men's clothing was staring with dark circles under her eyes, her expression somewhat anxious.
As the heir to the Sayanomiya family, a prominent family in the magical world, the seventeen-year-old Kaoru Sayanomiya had already become the head of the Tokyo branch of the History Compilation Committee, the soul figure in charge of the full power of the Kanto Committee. She possessed a beautiful face and an atmosphere that seemed detached from the mortal world. With a slender build, she did not have a trace of excess fat.
However, despite being a girl with delicate features, she wore a white shirt and tie, a suit jacket, and trousers—men's suit pants rather than a narrow suit skirt. If this slender and androgynous appearance were paired with a man's name, she would likely be taken for a beautiful boy with no sense of reality, appearing only in shoujo manga.
But Kaoru Sayanomiya was undoubtedly female.
Even if she reported her true gender, girls infatuated with her would still fly toward her like snowflakes. And such a girl, who managed the Tokyo branch with professional majesty, could not help but reveal a look of loss of composure when she saw the news transmitted from the Italian magical associations.
The girl's heart raced with panic, and even her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"First the oldest God-slayer, Marquis Voban, and then the master of all Italian magical associations, the seventh 'Campione' Shirou Orihara, who defeated the 'King of Swords'... These two 'Kings' are actually coming to Japan at the same time by such a coincidence. What on earth is attracting them to this island nation..."
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting