Editing Chronicle Legion:Volume 1 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 2===

"Urgh...!"

The young private first-class serving as the guide suddenly clutched his stomach and groaned in pain.

Hatsune looked him in the face and feigned concern.

"Oh my? What's the matter with you?"

"M-My stomach suddenly&mdash;Ow... Urghhhhhhh!"

"Oh no! I'll help you get medicine! Uh, should I go to a shop or the infirmary in a situation like this?"

"P-Please excuse me for a moment."

The unfortunate soldier got up from his pipe chair and fled the scene. The Tachibana youngster combo, Masatsugu and Hatsune, watched the soldier leave.

The location was the tearoom at the tutelary fort. There was plenty of natural lighting and a wide open space.

Inside there were vending machines selling drinks and cigarettes as well as several round tables for visitors to take a break. It was currently the next day after the British Legions had attacked.

Princess Shiori was visiting the tutelary fort again, this time for a meeting with Chevalier Akigase Rikka.

As her followers, Masatsugu and Hatsune came as well, but had no choice but to wait on standby during the meeting. A certain considerate military officer had sent a guide to show them around the tutelary fort.

...Naturally, now that it was the following day after the attack of the Crusades, martial law had already been imposed on the city.

In this chaotic situation, a visit from two outsiders would be tantamount to creating trouble, so the officer had sent someone to monitor them under the euphemism of "a guide."

However, Masatsugu and Hatsune had been tasked with ''secret orders'' requiring them to evade surveillance.

When Hatsune first arrived at the tearoom, she bought two paper cups of coffee from a vending machine, cheerfully offering one to the soldier as thanks for showing them around. She had secretly slipped a black pill into the cup of coffee. Accepting it gratefully, the soldier drank the tampered coffee with a smile. Presumably, Hatsune's adorable appearance combined with the rare sight of Japanese clothing in a military base had sealed the deal.

"How was that, Onii-sama? My ninja technique of the honey trap worked!"

"So that's your idea of a honey trap..."

The curves of Hatsune's bust were very obvious even under her kimono top. She puffed out her chest proudly.

Masatsugu was not having coffee. Taking a swig of drinking water, he asked Hatsune, "You gave him a laxative, right?"

"Something like that, a secret drug passed down the Tachibana family. One pill is enough to turn someone into a toilet guardian god for two hours, completely incapable of leaving."

"It does feel ninja-like when you call it a secret passed down the family."

"That goes without saying. The Tachibana clan used to be a family of master ninjas who commanded lower ninjas."

"They were like Hattori Hanzou? Our clan keeps way too many secrets."

Hatsune brought up the Tachibana family history, prompting Masatsugu to remark poignantly.

Hattori Hanzou Masanari, who had served Tokugawa Ieyasu, was not only known as the fierce general with the nickname "Hanzou the Spear" but also a master ninja. This was a very well-known legend.

"Actually, there was once a Tachibana Chevalier two generations before us."

"But our Tachibana clan leads a very low-key life nowadays."

"Can't be helped. The honored title of Chevalier is non-hereditary. However, the Appellation is still under our clan's safekeeping, so anyone who inherits it can become a Chevalier."

Hatsune pouted, somewhat annoyed.

"I heard it is quite a high-level Appellation. Anyone who fails in the succession ritual ends up dead. That's why the ritual is forbidden unless there is an emergency."

"Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by appellation or succession."

"Oh, sorry about that. A so-called Appellation refers to a universally recognized title of someone known for martial valor. Someone who inherits this title can become a Chevalier to summon Legions."

Masatsugu leaned forward, listening attentively to Hatsune's explanation, because the one who had ordered a Japanese Legion, the Kamuy, to fight yesterday was precisely Masatsugu himself.

"Most of them are named after medals. Take Japan's Imperial Army for example. The most common one is the medal named Zuihou, the Order of the Sacred Treasure. But occasionally, there are Appellations that are different. A Chevalier worthy of inheriting that kind of high-level title will be able to use amazing killer moves!"

"I see."

"However, these special inheritances are very difficult. If someone ineligible takes on the succession ritual, failure results in instant death."

"What's this so-called eligibility?"

"It's a bit ambiguous, but pretty much 'someone who is equivalent to a ton of military strength will be fine' or something along those lines."

"Military strength huh... So superior combat ability isn't enough?"

"Hmm, apart from martial prowess, you also need to be versed in military strategy, know how to raise your troops' morale, be undefeated on the battlefield, etc. These are all aspects of 'military strength.'"

Hatsune interrupted the explanation and stared straight at Masatsugu.

"Yesterday, Onii-sama, when you demonstrated supernatural strength, I thought you had inherited the Appellation at some point, the one specially kept by the Tachibana clan."

"Sorry, I have no memory of that at all," Masatsugu gave a negative answer and said, "Are there many people who fight Legions like me... using a body of flesh?"

"I've never seen it and no one in our clan has managed it before. Generally speaking, you'd definitely be flattened. Oh, however..."

Hatsune clapped her hands together and said with her eyes glimmering, "I mentioned just now that 'those with high-level Appellations' can use amazing killer moves, right? This is a rumor I heard in the imperial palace, so it's very rare."

"At least there are known cases..."

"We'll delve deeper in these matters later. Either way, Onii-sama, you're definitely no ordinary person... So, it's time for me to get going and finish the princess' command sooner."

Hatsune stood up from her seat, shaking the pipe chair.

Masatsugu's distant cousin left swiftly, still cheerful and outgoing in personality. Masatsugu also got up to take a leisurely stroll. He had to kill time while waiting for his master and Hatsune to take care of their respective business.

While walking, Masatsugu pondered what had transpired the day before.

Drawing out unusual power from within himself, he had kept himself and the princess safe.

Back then, hot blood had coursed through his body and mind. Very naturally, he figured out the origin of Legions and how to use them and was able to apply this knowledge on the spot.

When the Crusades were destroyed, the princess had asked him, 'Masatsugu-sama... Have you finally awakened?' 

'A ''legatus legionis'' at last—A true Chevalier.'

Masatsugu was unable to answer, simply confused.

After the brief battle, the feeling of blood boiling had vanished. At the same time, he also forgot how to control Legions.

In the end, Masatsugu had no way of answering Shiori's question.

However, the term "legatus legionis" had left a deep impression in his mind.

When Masatsugu asked Shiori what it meant, she responded with a smile. He presumed that smile was to hide her disappointment.

'One who keeps a legion&mdash;It is an ancient Roman term meaning legion commander.'

Legatus Legionis. Masatsugu ruminated over the term.


"Princess! I've fulfilled your instructions!"

They were on the way back from the Suruga tutelary fort.

The tutelary fort was located at the top of a mountainous region east of the city, so going back and forth required transport by car. Naturally, they were taking a car back.

The princess was riding a black domestic luxury car with Hatsune as the driver.

Sixteen was the legal age for a driving license. Masatsugu had obtained his last year. However, his distant cousin was clearly more skilled than him as a driver.

While demonstrating fancy cornering techniques on the mountain road, Hatsune said to the lady she served, "It was so much trouble you know~? Like putting on a masquerade, using a hidden key, seeking help from the old mister Tachibana who had infiltrated the place. It'd take a long time if I had to report the details of all these tasks&mdash;"

"Good work, I shall rely on you again when the next opportunity arises." 

"Sob. Princess, you're too insensitive, I was trying to say what an ordeal it was for me... This sadistic disposition does feel very princess-like. At least let me brag a bit."

"Fufufufu, didn't you know that bragging about one's glorious exploits is a pleasure that belongs to the elderly♪"

Shiori was sitting leisurely in the spacious back seat all alone.

Masatsugu was in the front passenger seat, holding the hard-won fruit of Hatsune's efforts. It was a thin slab of wood the size of an A3 sheet with kanji and Sanskrit characters written in cursive with a brush. Masatsugu could only recognize the four words of "summon the great god" and the picture of a dog-like animal drawn beneath them.

Not only was this a retainer beast talisman used by noetic techniques but also a valuable military-grade item.

Today, Hatsune had "borrowed" something like this from the tutelary fort's underground storage.

"Hatsune, go for a spin inside the city before returning to the dormitory."

"Understood."

Hatsune followed the princess' instruction and turned the steering wheel.

The car drove through the neighborhoods and streets of Suruga that Masatsugu knew so well. However, there was very little traffic in every street. Most shops were also closed temporarily. All this was due to the imposition of martial law. Most of the vehicles on the road belonged to either the Tōkaidō provincial army or the police.

Along the way, this car was stopped by soldiers and police many times too.

Fortunately, the princess had already become a celebrity known in every Suruga household. The influence and respect accorded to her as well as the calling card of ''Chevalier Akigase Rikka'' received at the tutelary fort proved to be handy in these situations. Rikka had written "please provide assistance to the princess" on the back of the card, which had a profound effect.

After that, Hatsune drove north of Suruga City.

Continuing forward along this direction would take one near the Southern Alps and Mount Ryuusou. In other words, they had gone from the countryside around a bus station to what was truly deep in the mountains.

Masatsugu looked out the window into the sky and noticed something.

Flying in the air were three wyverns, a type of retainer beast used by many countries. Their common characteristics were "a lizard-like appearance except with wings growing out of their shoulders" and "being roughly two to three times the size of a horse."

However, every country's wyvern variant had its own unique color.

Imperial Japan's wyverns were blue. The wyverns currently in the air were white.

White was the color of the British Empire's wyverns.

"So British retainer beasts have trespassed all the way here..." lamented the princess gloomily.

They were not the only car traveling on the road. Every now and then, they would see local cars driving to the urban zone adjacent to Suruga Station to seek refuge.

There were many flyers scattered on the ground.

Distributed by wyverns all over the place, the flyers were signed jointly by the British Imperial Forces and the Kinai Fiefdom.

Masatsugu's party had picked them up to read earlier. 'Residents are strongly encouraged to seek refuge in areas deemed appropriate by the <i>Charter of Chivalry</i>' was written on them. People living in the area had acted according to the flyer's instructions.

Masatsugu asked the princess in the back seat, "Does the Kinai Fiefdom intend to oppose the Roman army with British assistance?"

"Indeed. For the past fifty years, Japan's Chevaliers had seen very little action in the field... In contrast, Chevaliers of both the Eastern Roman Empire and the British Empire have been fighting on battlefields across the globe. Whether Chevalier Strength or experience, Japan is no match on either front."

"What is Chevalier Strength?"

"The number of Legions a Chevalier can summon at a time constitutes 'Chevalier Strength.' Chevaliers with a higher Chevalier Strength can summon a greater quantity of Legions&mdash;One could think of it as a power indicator. Take yesterday's battle for instance... Despite holding home field advantage, the Suruga side lost to the invading Crusades due to numerical inferiority."

The princess shrugged and sighed.

"The power disparity between the two armies was too obvious."

"From what I have heard, a Chevalier can use more Legions when fighting at a friendly tutelary fort."

The mystic beings, Legions, were summoned out of thin air at a Chevalier's command.

However, effects were different depending on the summoning location.

The quantity of summoned Legions would decrease drastically unless the summoning took place in a land holding powerful mystic energies known as divine precincts or sanctuaries. As nature would have it, these sanctuaries were very rare and the few that existed were located deep in the mountains or in the middle of nature, places of scant military value...

Masatsugu recalled knowledge he had heard before.

Shiori said to him, "Tutelary forts have water shrines underground&mdash;In other words, reservoirs of artificial ectoplasmic fluid. Thanks to large quantities of this mysterious liquid that 'nourishes beings not of this world,' the region surrounding a water shrine will naturally become spiritually purified&mdash;"

"Meaning that it becomes a sacred domain, right?"

After comprehending the explanation, Masatsugu was struck by another question. From his position in the front passenger seat, he somehow felt as though Shiori was staring at him continuously from the back.