Weiss woke up from feeling a thud on the boat. He sits up and puts on his helmet, to see that he and Satsuki had finally reached land. He stepped down and the first thing he saw from the beach was a giant structure in front of him, supplemented by smaller houses and buildings. He stared in awe as he entered. They had finally reached the area where the local goddess resided. He saw an ornate archway, constructed with red wood, with two pillars and two crosspieces. There were indecipherable symbols carved onto the archway. The pathway was decorated with pink trees and blooming flowers and there were so many statues carved from what clearly wasn't marble or any normal stone. He then asked Satsuki.
"This is the palace of the local goddess?"
"No, this is a mere village outside a monastery, where the local peasantry offer their sacrifices to the local goddess for good luck." Satsuki said while pointing to the many peasants carrying food and items in and out of the temple.
Weiss saw a couple of children run by as he saw a child then point to him.
"Mite! Sore wa kinzoku hitodesu!"
Children began to flock to Weiss as he struggled to shoo them away. Out of habit from speaking to children in his hometown, he began to speak German.
"Kinder bitte! Ich könnte dich verletzen, wenn du zu nahe kommst!"
The children then reacted to Weiss's change of language, their eyes were wide, they all stood back while screaming.
"Kare wa tōtondesu! Kare wa tōtondesu!" The children screamed in fear before running away,
Weiss was confused by the children's fear of him, as he turned to see Satsuki, her eyes wide with surprise at him.
"What did I do?" Weiss asked in confusion.
"You can speak Teutonic?" Satsuki asked in shock. "You're a Teuton?"
"Teutonic? You mean Deutsche ?" Weiss asked. "And how did you know that I was a member of the Teutonic Order?"
"Order? Don't you mean tribes?" Satsuki asked, equally confused.
"Okay, okay. Let's slow down." Weiss said calmly while slowly putting down his hands to ease the situation. "Before you ask questions, let me ask. Who are the Teutons to you and your people?"
"A collection of barbarian tribes who regularly raid our villages. This village near the temple has a particularly bad history with them as they have always been bled dry by regular raids."
"Well, I can safely say that I am not a barbarian raider." Weiss said.
"That's good, because that would put you in great tension with the locals. But what about this Teutonic Order you mentioned?"
"Well… It's really complicated to explain. We actually also have Teutons back home…"
"Really now? How often do you have to fight them?"
"Well, we didn't. The Teutons existed long before my nation came to being, so I never fought them."
"That's very fortunate of your people! To not have to deal with those barbarians." Satsuki remarked.
"In reality, the barbarians are my ancestors. My people are descended from the barbarian tribes."
"What?" Satsuki asked, not fully receiving what Weiss was saying.
"I am a full-blooded Teuton. My ancestors are those barbarians you speak of. Under a new religion, the Teutons banded together and formed a Holy Order by the same name."
"WHAT!? That can't be! The Teutons are savage and bloodthirsty, you're so… regal and formal! How could barbarians become so civilized!?"
"Hey, I'm not a barbarian, how should I know?" Weiss shrugged. "Come on, we have little time to waste."
Weiss walked ahead, with Satsuki trying to catch up to him. They walked into the temple, where there were multiple bald men in robes bowing to Satsuki as they entered. The monk began to speak the same language the children spoke.
"Yōkoso, Kochiya-sama, megami o mi ni kimashita ka?" the bald man on the front asked. (Welcome, Lady Kochiya, have you come to meet the goddess?)
"Hai, watashi wa azuma e no tsūka o hitsuyō to suru dansei o tsuretekimasu." Satsuki replied formally. (Yes, and I bring a man who requires passage to the East.)
Weiss stood idly and listened to the language. It was regal, clean, graceful, pleasing to the ears. It was quite a beautiful sounding dialect and it was a shame that Weiss couldn't understand it all. But that did make him wonder how Satsuki could speak both English and German.
"Kare wa tatakai de anata o nagutta no wa kanari no senshidenakereba narimasen!" The priest commented while sizing up Weiss. (He must be quite the warrior to have beaten you in battle!)
"Megami wa mottomo tashika ni odorokudeshou!" Satsuki commented while gesturing Weiss to follow her as they moved past the monks. (The goddess will most certainly be surprised!)
While they walked through the gigantic hallway, Weiss asked Satsuki.
"How are you able to speak English and that language you were previously speaking?"
"Nihongo is my native tongue, and I learned the Western language. Much like how you can speak Eostian and Teutonic."
Weiss assumed that Eostian was this world's version of English.
"Fair enough, so what is this goddess like?"
"Sleek, cunning, graceful. She is the connection between the humans and the spirit world, acting as a medium for us. She will test your mettle to see if you are worthy to see the lands of Shenkitaiyo."
Weiss then entered a smaller room, and there laid a young girl in a pure white robe. She seemed deep in meditation as her whole body was floating and she was covered in a light aura. Satsuki and Weiss quietly approached her, when Satsuki went on her knees and said,
"Yūdaina megami, watashi wa anata ni Shenkitaiyo no tochi e no tsūro o motomeru otoko o tsurete kimashita."
(Oh majestic goddess, I have brought you a man who requests passage to the land of Shenkitaiyo.)
"Speak in Eostian, we do not want to leave out our guest to the conversation." The girl replied while opening her eyes
The young girl stirred and opened her eyes, revealing her features. She was short, almost the height of a young squire. She had adolescent features, as her chest only had a small bump, and her face carried the pale, purity of that of a growing maiden. She had distinctly orange hair, long and flowing, but smooth and not messy. She had distinct ears sticking out of her, as Weiss realized those were real, as he saw them twitch and move involuntarily. Weiss could see that this god was some sort of anthropomorphic fox, or something like that. Though he wasn't expecting a childlike goddess, he maintains his composure. She walked in front of Weiss and looked up and down.
"Tell me, why do you seek the lands of Shenkitaiyo?"
"To find the Emperor and ask for his aid against the growing threat of the Black Dogs."
Weiss saw that the goddess frowned at the mention of that.
"You mean that Alliance between the Corrupted Men and the Legion? Yes, that is a very serious problem indeed. But to know your worthiness, I must know you first, so who are you?"
"My name is Weiss Von Holland, a noble born in the Holy Roman Empire. I am a Brother Knight of the Teutonic Order."
"What is this Teutonic Order?"
"It is an Order my people built for preserving our religion, Christianity. All members who join become priests and therefore are not allowed to have partners."
"Interesting, so you are a warrior priest then?" The goddess asked. "Similar to the warrior monks we have?"
"Yes, I am a priest, I dedicated my sword and spilled blood to the God in heaven."
"Your skill is distinguished as you have beaten the Wild Warrior, who was chosen by the Emperor himself, but…" The goddess said while closing her eyes. "The heavens have yet to send me their answer, so I must ask that you please wait for my response."
"Thank you milady." Weiss bowed before turning to the exit.
Weiss walked back to the exterior of the temple, and to the town plaza and sat down. He had made it very far and his progress towards finding the Far East was getting good. Once he reaches his Emperor, he will have to be quick in asking for aid. But it never occurred to him of what he would do if the Emperor refuses his request. But then, he sees a group of men in cages, and takes a closer look. They were Caucasian, and from their facial features, they looked very Germanic. Weiss wagered that these were the Teutonic barbarians that Satsuki was talking about. He chuckled at the thought that these pagans were at one point his ancestors back in Europe. He walked to the cage and crouched down to the imprisoned men and said.
"Bist du wach?" Weiss asked in German. (Are you awake?)
The men frantically woke up and looked at Weiss, who was observing them from the cage.
"S-Sie können Germane sprechen?" One of the men asked. (You can speak Teuton?)
"Was ist geschehen?" (What happened?)
"Wir wurden von Samurai-Patrouillen gefangen! Du musst uns befreien, oder sie werden uns ausführen!" The man frantically replied.
(We were caught by samurai patrols! You have to free us, or they will execute us!)
"Wer ist bei dir?" (Who is with you?)
Right on cue, there were two girls and a woman emerging from the hay, as Weiss realized that the man and his family were in danger. But he knew breaking them out would anger the locals, so he settled for a compromise.
"Ich werde dich unter einer Bedingung befreien." Weiss sternly said. (I will free you under one condition.)
"Etwas! Rette einfach meine Familie!" The man pleaded. (Anything! Just save my family!)
"Du wirst zum Christentum umkehren." Weiss replied. (You will convert to Christianity.)
Though the man was confused by what Weiss had said, but began to cry out as he looked behind Weiss, who drew his longsword and stood up. He saw warriors wearing helmets with strange horns implanted on the forehead. The helmet had raised ridges or ribs showing where the helmet plates come together; the rivets were showing, which was a strange design. The soldiers were wearing a strangely designed lamellar armor, reminiscent of the Saracen armor. The leader was obviously female, since Weiss observed her to be smaller than her companions.
"Watashitachi wa yaban'na hanashi o anata ni kiita! Sā, anata no buki o yoi yaban hito ni shite kudasai!" The leader growled. (We overheard you talking barbarian! Now be a good savage and surrender your weapons.)
Weiss couldn't understand what they were saying, but they were obviously hostile. Weiss maintained his stance, ready to brawl. The leader had finally lost her patience as she sent her subordinates to attack.
"Kare o taiho suru!" The leader commanded while pointing at Weiss. (Apprehend him!)
The soldiers were wearing conical hats and mail armor with small plates sewed onto them, with a large symbol in the middle. Weiss then backed up, not wanting to face so many on his own. He dodges a thrust from one man, before slashing down and breaking the spear shaft. He then barely dodges another thrust to the neck and then kicks the man. Another man tries to poke him from behind, but the spear slides off Weiss's armor. Weiss then pulled on the spear and kneed the man in the stomach. In a few moves, Weiss had beaten the soldiers. The captain growled as she drew her curved sword.
"Soreha tada tōtondesu no yaban hitodesu! Anata wa dōshite son'nani kantan ni ushinau koto ga dekimasu ka?" The captain cursed while stomping towards Weiss.
But the booming sound of the gong cut the battle short, as the soldiers hesitantly left the scene. Leaving Weiss confused. Weiss returns freeing the Teutons as he used a mordhau stroke to break open the lock. He then tells the man.
"Geh frei die anderen, ich komme zurück." Weiss instructed while pointing to the cages. (Go free the others. I'll be back.)
"Warte, wie heißt du?" The man asked. (Wait, what's your name?)
"Weiss." Weiss replied.
"Sigmund." The man replied.
Weiss goes outside to the gate to see multiple soldiers gathering. He saw more soldiers in conical hats rushing with their spears. He looked over the horizon and paled. It was a horde of monsters, arriving by ship. And he saw them, their hungry faces craving rape, pillage, and murder. Looking at the Teutons, the disparity of barbarism was already great. He saw Satsuki run up to him.
"Weiss! What's happening!?"
"The Black Dogs are invading the village! Your soldiers are outnumbered!"
Satsuki then made an audible growl to whoever was behind Weiss. He turned to see all the freed Teutons, with all the men, women and children free. Satsuki drew her naginata while Sigmund, the leader of the group, drew his axe and shield. Weiss gets in between them and turns his head to Satsuki.
"I freed them. They're non-hostile."
"Why!?" Satsuki growled.
"Because these people need their redemption. And this is their chance."
Sigmund then lowered his weapons and bowed.
"I volunteer to help you fend off the invasion." Sigmund said in English. "And these men promise to do the same for their families."
Satsuki hesitantly put down her naginata, her emotionless face chilling the onlookers, before putting on her mask and making a heel-turn.
"Just don't get in the way." Satsuki said while looking at the boats come closer to shore.
Sigmund then walked up next to Weiss, his face showing horror at what he saw.
"Abscheuliche!" Sigmund screamed.
" Abscheuliche?" Satsuki questioned while turning back to Sigmund.
"That's the Teutonic word for 'abominations', that is the name we give those monsters. They have terrorized the Teutonic tribes for quite some time, forcing us to relocate eastwards. What do your people call them?"
"This is our first time seeing them, but traveling merchants have called them ekirei , meaning 'pestilence'."
"Still a fitting name nonetheless." Weiss chimed in. "I'll lead the Teutons to battle, you help your people hold the line against the attackers."
"Got it." Satsuki said while running off.
Weiss then turned to Sigmund.
"It might be best if we spoke this language. It seems to be the best middle language for now."
"Understood." Sigmund said with a nod.
"Go tell your men to gather here, there is something that we must do before battle."
"Yes sir."