Traveling from Lauriacum to the north, toward the city of Agripina (modern-day Cologne), was no longer a journey within safe territory. As the group progressed, the presence of Roman administration grew increasingly faint, replaced by a primitive, desolate, and blood-soaked atmosphere.
The "Agripina" the ssenger spoke of was a vital bridgehead for Ro on the Rhine frontier. However, this city had now beco the center of a storm.
When Hikigaya, Uldin, and Aisha arrived in the vicinity of Agripina, they didn't see a "liberated" city, but rather a massive, chaotic military camp. Tens of thousands of Franks had gathered here. Unlike the Huns, the Franks gave off a more "grounded" impression; they were tall, mostly blond or red-haired, and possessed a wildness that seed to have been suppressed for centuries, now erupting all at once.
In the center of the camp, atop a hastily constructed high platform, sat a young man. He had a head of ssy blond hair and a bright, carefree smile that seed entirely out of place in this blood-and-iron environnt. Beside him leaned a plain-looking longsword.
This was Salvatore Doni.
"Yo! Hachiman! And the Dragon-Rider guy! You guys finally ca to play?"
Doni leaped down from the high platform, his movents as light as a bird's, landing steadily in front of the trio. He didn't seem to care at all that he was currently acting as the "Great King" of a barbarian horde.
"Doni-san! You've gone too far this ti!" Aisha was the first to speak, her face full of earnestness. "Leading the people of this era to start a war—do you know how many families will be broken because of this?"
"Eh? But I didn't lead them," Doni scratched his head, looking innocent. "I just wanted to find a place to sharpen my sword. These guys said that if I helped them break open that big stone box (the fortress), they would provide with the best whetstones and wine. It was a fair trade!"
"A fair trade that results in the fall of a Roman city isn't fair at all!" Aisha argued.
"Aisha-dono, it's useless," Hikigaya sighed, stepping forward. "Reasoning with this guy is like trying to teach a dog math. He only has 'sword' and 'not sword' in his brain."
"Hachiman, that's harsh! I also know about 'pasta' and 'beautiful girls'!" Doni laughed, then his gaze shifted to Uldin. "So, Dragon-Rider, are you here to fight? My sword has been itching since I got here."
Uldin let out a cold snort, his hand already resting on the hilt of his saber. "I told you before, don't ss around in my territory. This place might be North, but it's still too close to my hunting grounds."
The atmosphere instantly beca tense. Three God-slayers were gathered in one spot—the concentrated cursed power was so dense it made the surrounding Frankish warriors feel as if the air had turned into lead.
"Wait, wait! Everyone, please calm down!" Aisha stood between them, her hands raised. "Mr. Doni, if you continue this, I will have to use my Authority to 'purify' the hearts of these poor warriors and make them go ho!"
"Purify? That sounds interesting! Can it cut?" Doni asked with genuine curiosity.
Hikigaya looked at Aisha, then at Doni, and finally at the "barbarian army" that was already starting to look at Aisha with fanatical, infatuated eyes. He realized that if Aisha actually used her power here, the ten thousand Franks would probably stop following Doni and start a "Holy Crusade" in Aisha's na.
'That would be a much bigger disaster' Hikigaya thought.
"Doni," Hikigaya said, his voice dropping an octave. "Stop playing King. There's sothing more important than these mortals. Don't you feel it? The 'sll' of a God is starting to perate the air in the West."
Doni's smile narrowed, and a sharp, sword-like glint flashed in his eyes. "A God? A real one? Not the 'Divine Beasts' the Dragon-Rider summons?"
"A Heretic God," Hikigaya confird. "And a very troubleso one. He's likely the reason the 'Corridor' brought us to this specific point in ti."
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