Chapter 5: A Train Ride, and a Reformed Illustrator
The sky over the island of Sardinia was a brilliant, sweeping blue, stretching endlessly and remaining completely clear of clouds.
At a quiet transit station, Yumesaki had been waiting for quite some time, yet there was still no sign of the train.
It seemed the notorious rumors about Italian public transport constantly running late were entirely accurate.
Erica sat right beside him, while Yumesaki's attention was fixed entirely on a young, black-haired boy standing a short distance away.
It wasn't the rogue deity Verethragna.
Instead, it was a boy who looked to be an ordinary high school student, his face still carrying the innocent, somewhat naive look typical of a regular teenager.
Erica followed the direction of Yumesaki's gaze, her eyes landing on the youth as well. More specifically, her attention drawn to the backpack the boy was wearing.
From inside that bag, a distinct, unmistakable mystical pressure was leaking out—the unique aura of a powerful Grimoire.
"Who is he?" Erica couldn't help but ask in a hushed tone.
"Godou Kusanagi. The male protagonist of this world," Yumesaki answered calmly.
"Huh?"
Erica's face blanked out in sheer confusion. 'Our world isn't some fictional Light Novel, so how can there be a literal male protagonist?'
"What exactly do you mean by that, Mr. Yumesaki?"
"My words were clear enough, weren't they? The main character. Don't tell me a seasoned mage like you doesn't understand the concept of a protagonist?" Yumesaki countered smoothly.
"No, I understand the term perfectly well."
Erica sighed. It was precisely because she understood the literary term so well that she found the statement entirely preposterous.
"Why him? What makes him the protagonist?"
"Because before long, he is going to commit Godslaying."
"What?!" Erica gasped once more, her eyes widening as she stared at the unassuming Godou Kusanagi with newfound shock.
Yumesaki continued his explanation in an even tone, "According to the established plot, it won't be long before Godou Kusanagi uses the Grimoire inside his backpack to successfully usurp one of Verethragna's divine Authorities."
"Then, while Verethragna is locked in a fierce battle against the God King Melqart, this boy will use that very Authority to strike down the Persian Warlord, ascending to become the seventh Campione of this world."
"And you will be the primary witness to that battle."
"Me?"
Erica pointed a finger at herself, thoroughly startled. She was fated to be the witness to this ordinary boy's ascension into a demonic king?
Right then, a sly thought crossed Erica's mind, and she turned a curious gaze back to Yumesaki. "Mr. Yumesaki, based on your logic, if this boy is the protagonist and I am the one who witnesses his rise to power, what does that make me in his story?"
"Naturally, you would be the protagonist's first knight, a prominent member of his future harem, and the very first main heroine to appear in his life."
"A harem member, hm?" Erica couldn't help but offer a dry, sarcastic retort. "It seems this protagonist is blessed with quite the ridiculous amount of luck regarding women."
"He is destined to be a Campione. Is there really anything wrong with a king having a harem?"
Hearing Yumesaki's pragmatic response, Erica reluctantly conceded with a nod. "I suppose that's true. If he truly becomes a Campione, a harem isn't an issue at all. Magic organizations from all over the globe would be falling over themselves to send beautiful maidens to his doorstep just to curry favor."
"However, what interests me more is your choice of words. Terms like 'protagonist' and 'heroine'... Mr. Yumesaki, you don't actually view our reality as some sort of printed Light Novel, do you?"
Yumesaki merely smiled. Reaching into his pocket dimension, he pulled out an official copy of a Campione! volume and held it out. "Care to read it?"
Erica stared blankly.
Are you serious? You actually have a literal book of our lives?
Erica stared intensely at the cover of the Light Novel, her mind entirely thrown into disarray.
Her thoughts were a tangled mess, but her right hand instinctively reached out, taking the book from his grasp. She opened it and began flipping through the pages.
The text vividly detailed Godou Kusanagi's journey to Italy, his chance encounter with Verethragna, his fateful meeting with her, and his eventual triumph as a Campione. Everything was spelled out in perfect chronological order.
By the time she finished skimming through the pages, Erica felt a profound sense of existential dread.
"So... our entire world is genuinely just a Light Novel." Erica looked down at the author's name printed clearly on the cover... Taketsuki Jou. "Is this the person who wrote our destinies?"
Faced with her heavy question, Yumesaki replied with serene indifference, "If you believe it to be true, then it is. If you choose to believe otherwise, then it isn't."
Erica found herself at a loss for words.
Suddenly, a loud, metallic clanking disrupted her spiraling thoughts.
With a sharp, screeching hiss of brakes echoing through the station, the train finally rolled to a halt along the platform.
Yumesaki rose from his seat and stepped onto the carriage, with Erica quickly following close behind.
Securing a seat right next to the window, Yumesaki quietly watched the scenery blur past through the glass pane.
For the most part, the landscape consisted of endless, rolling green pastures stretching out as far as the eye could see.
Beyond that lay vast, untamed wilderness. Throughout the journey, he spotted several large flocks of sheep grazing across the wide plains, tended to by solitary shepherds. Livestock herding was, after all, one of the primary industries of Sardinia.
Dotted across the historic landscape were ancient stone fortresses built from massive, stacked boulders—the Nuraghe. These prehistoric ruins, left behind by the island's earliest inhabitants long before the Phoenicians ever arrived, had now become vital landmarks for local tourism.
Not long after, the duo switched trains at a junction station to head toward the city of Nuoro.
They had departed from Cagliari station just after midday, arriving in Nuoro roughly three hours later. From there, they boarded a bumpy, rattling local bus for several dozen minutes before finally arriving in the town of Oliena.
By this point, Erica had managed to regain her usual composure, mentally tossing aside her existential crisis regarding whether her world was a fictional story or not.
A mere Light Novel could never truly encompass the richness of the teenage life she had lived for over a decade.
Furthermore, Yumesaki's grand existence was nowhere to be found within those pages.
She chose to trust her own lived reality over the text of a book.
However, one specific detail still left her incredibly perplexed. "Why is this labeled as Volume Three?"
She held up the copy of Campione! Yumesaki had given her, noting that the sequence where Godou Kusanagi kills a God and ascends to kingship was positioned entirely within the third volume.
What on earth was recorded in the first two volumes then? Her curiosity was thoroughly piqued.
"An in-media-res flashback structure," Yumesaki answered casually. "A fairly standard narrative technique. In the first volume, Godou Kusanagi is already introduced as an established Campione, and his primary adversary is the Heretic Athena."
"In the second volume, he engages in a fierce clash against another demonic king, the ancient Marquis Voban."
"Once the author hooks the readers' attention with the high-stakes conflicts of the first two volumes, the third volume takes a step back to explain the origin story of how he obtained his powers in the first place."
Understanding finally washed over Erica. "Ah, I see. A flashback structure is indeed a common literary tool. Still, I didn't expect this Godou Kusanagi's life to be quite so absurd. Athena and Marquis Voban are monstrously powerful figures, yet he actually manages to defeat them?"
Yumesaki took it completely in stride. "He is the protagonist, so naturally he enjoys an absurd amount of plot armor. When an ordinary mortal manages to slay a deity, they usually inherit only one or two Authorities at best. But Godou Kusanagi walks away with almost the entirety of Verethragna's ten incarnations. If that isn't special, I don't know what is."
Erica nodded slowly in agreement. "That is indeed completely unfair. If the King of Swords or Marquis Voban ever found out about that shortcut, they would likely curse him out of sheer frustration."
Those two were veteran Campiones who had ruled for ages.
Especially Marquis Voban, who stood as the oldest living Godslayer on the planet.
He had hunted down and slaughtered multiple deities over his long lifespan, yet whether his total number of usable Authorities even reached double digits remained a subject of debate.
And yet, this ordinary high school boy could simply slay a single god and instantly walk away with ten distinct powers.
A single afternoon's work allowed him to match what Marquis Voban had spent centuries accumulating.
Who could someone even complain to about such blatant favoritism?
It really just went to show that protagonists completely defied all logic and fairness.
Yumesaki gestured toward Godou Kusanagi, who had also just stepped off the bus ahead of them, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Since you already know he's the main character destined for greatness, why not go over there, strike up a conversation, and win him over early on?"
Erica let out a soft, theatrical sigh. "If this were before I met you, I would have absolutely rushed over to charm this future Campione. But since fate has already brought me to your side, I can only reluctantly pass up the opportunity."
A mischievous, playful glint sparkled in her eyes. "In my professional opinion, rather than trying to curry favor with a mere future king, it is far more lucrative to stay close to a literal God from another world."
"I wonder if Mr. Yumesaki would be willing to afford me the grand honor of staying by your side and winning your affections?"
"I already have a woman," Yumesaki stated flatly, his tone completely unbothered.
Erica waved her hand with an effortless, dismissive grace. "I don't mind in the slightest. Being a part of a God's grand harem is quite a prestigious position, after all."
In the original timeline, she had shown no issue with Godou Kusanagi expanding his romantic circle, so she naturally felt no reservations about taking a similar stance with Yumesaki.
Yumesaki couldn't help but offer a dry critique. "You really are exceptionally opportunistic, aren't you? Unfortunately for you, I've already encountered plenty of main heroines just like you."
"Oh? And who might these other ladies be?" Erica inquired, her interest instantly piqued.
"Names like Nami, Nico Robin, Tsunade, Erina Nakiri, Erza, Lucy, Asuna, and several others."
Hearing the list, Erica's eyes blinked rapidly as she processed the names. "Nami and Nico Robin I am familiar with; they are the prominent heroines from the One Piece world. Erza and Lucy... would those happen to be the leading ladies from Fairy Tail?"
"Oh? You actually know about Fairy Tail too?" Yumesaki was genuinely surprised.
Erica offered a smug little smile, raising two elegant fingers in a casual gesture. "I've skimmed through a few chapters out of curiosity."
"Yes, those are the ones," Yumesaki confirmed with a nod.
"But who exactly is this Erina Nakiri?" Erica admitted, racking her brain but finding no match.
Yumesaki explained, "She is the main heroine from Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma. I'm not entirely sure if that particular manga series exists in your world's library."
"Well, there's a simple way to find out."
Erica promptly retrieved her smartphone and initiated a quick internet search. Within seconds, she successfully pulled up the directory for Shokugeki no Soma, along with a detailed official illustration of Erina Nakiri.
"She is undeniably beautiful... though, for a mere high school student, her physical proportions are a blatant violation of natural law."
Erica couldn't help but criticize the design, instinctively looking down at her own chest.
Objectively speaking, her own physical development was exceptionally well-proportioned and pristine for her age.
However, when placed side-by-side with the fictional Erina Nakiri, she had to admit she fell slightly short.
They were both supposed to be main heroines, and she was of European descent. How on earth did she manage to lose out in physical development to a Japanese high school girl? It made absolutely no scientific sense.
However, as Erica scrolled down further and read the background information regarding the illustrator of Shokugeki no Soma, an expression of sudden clarity washed over her face.
"Ah, so the artist is a reformed adult manga illustrator. No wonder the body proportions are so entirely illicit."
Yumesaki remained silent.
Her sharp, blunt observation left him temporarily speechless, completely unsure of how to formulate a proper comeback.
Following their brief banter, the two made their way toward a local establishment to enjoy a proper dinner.
The restaurant had been handpicked by Erica, ensuring the quality was top-tier.
The meal proved to be incredibly lavish.
They began with an abundant platter of authentic prosciutto paired with a vibrant selection of seasonal local vegetables as an appetizer. The main course featured a hearty selection of meats, including a perfectly roasted young wild boar—a renowned specialty of the region—alongside a thick, sizzling horse steak that still retained a rich, rare center.
Every single dish was masterfully prepared and delicious, leaving Yumesaki thoroughly satisfied with the culinary experience.
The following morning, well after their dinner had settled, Yumesaki and Erica navigated their way through the local paths to stand before the residence of a prominent Witch.
And the Witch in question was, naturally, the most famous sorceress residing on the island of Sardinia.
Lucretia Zola.
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