Chapter 1: Return to Italy
Magic, sorcery, gods, and countless other supernatural phenomena.
These are classified as part of the non-mainstream history in Japan.
To maintain the proper state of society, an organization was created to isolate and revise the records of these events—this organization is called the Committee for the Compilation of True History. That's where its name comes from.
Of course, even if it can't be openly stated, God Slayers are undoubtedly a part of the supernatural—and a significant part at that.
Originally human, they possess the power of gods, yet unlike gods, they can be observed by other humans.
The influence they exert far exceeds that of magicians or demons.
This was something Hikigaya learned from Amakasu Touma.
After putting aside some of his bias against the organization, he could now view it more objectively.
Frankly, this style of magic organization is rare.
In this world, most magic organizations are loosely organized, and magicians tend to have a casual attitude.
In contrast, Japanese sorcerers have established a vast array of rules within their community to ensure a strict separation between the magical world and the world of ordinary people.
Hikigaya thought this was a good thing. It even changed his opinion of the Committee.
Although, he still couldn't bring himself to care about those so-called big shots—they always seemed to look at others like they were figuring out how to tie them up with a rope, and call it "helping you."
Hikigaya just wanted to beat them to death and had no interest in trying to understand them.
In any case, he was quite satisfied with this spring trip to Kyoto.
He played, he ate, and he deepened his understanding of Japan's local magical powers.
He also found Amakasu Touma to be a decent person—at least someone he could have a proper conversation with.
And now, it was time for his final year of high school.
Last time he was in this situation, it was extremely painful. But this time, it would be different.
And indeed, his experience confirmed that.
Then, on a weekend in May, Hikigaya Hachiman once again set foot on Italian soil.
Although he didn't know exactly how these people had mentioned pulled it off, Liliana had been unable to contact him until recently.
That is, until Amakasu gave his support.
As a result, Liliana was finally able to reach him and extended an invitation.
"Hachiman, I hope you can come to Italy immediately. I need your strength. My companions and I cannot resolve this matter on our own. We sincerely wish for your help. I swear on my honor as a knight that this is no falsehood."
Liliana said this over the phone in a serious tone—though she did stumble a bit when saying his name, her following words were grave and earnest.
That was the official reason for Hachiman's return to Italy.
After all, without such a formal request from Liliana, even knowing what it was about, he might not have acted—he didn't want to be seen as someone who responds to every request.
The Italian sky was still that brilliant blue. Compared to Japan's, it had less warmth and more vastness.
After disembarking at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, the first thing he saw was a crowd of people from different countries and ethnicities.
There are many airports in the world with "international" in their names, but very few actually give the impression of being truly global with just a glance.
Fiumicino Airport was clearly one of the latter.
As Hikigaya walked into the terminal, the place bustled with people coming and going—businesspeople in suits and obvious tourists. Hikigaya gazed into the crowd, scanning face after face until he saw a familiar one.
Karen Jankulovski, Liliana's direct subordinate and personal maid—at least that's how she was introduced.
She was still full of energy, and even in this setting, her maid outfit stood out.
Hikigaya made his way through the crowd with ease and approached her.
"Lord Hachiman, I have come to greet you on Lady Liliana's orders. Please take care of me," Karen said, lifting her skirt in a curtsy. "Lady Liliana is currently unable to come herself. Please don't blame her."
"We're all familiar here, no need to be so formal," Hikigaya said with a smile.
Honestly, if a large group had come instead, he would have suspected his assumption was wrong.
But seeing Karen alone made him more confident that this was indeed the storyline from the TV show: "Athena's Search for Her Origins."
This would explain why Liliana couldn't leave the situation.
"Your hotel has already been arranged, and I've got the car ready. Please come with me," Karen said as she stepped forward to carry Hikigaya's luggage.
"No need for that. Let's go to Liliana directly—I'd like to understand the situation better."
"Eh? Is that alright? Normally, it would be proper etiquette for the others to come greet you," Karen said, blinking in surprise.
She was clearly pretending, but that kind of expression only worked when a girl did it...
If Amakasu Touma made the same face, Hikigaya would've felt the urge to punch him.
"Cut it out. You're laying it on too thick," Hikigaya said, lightly tapping Karen on the head. "Just lead the way."
"Ouch, Lord Hachiman," Karen giggled like a little chick.
But before she finished laughing, she noticed Hikigaya had already walked past her toward the exit.
"Wait for me, Lord Hachiman," Karen called out as she picked up her skirt and chased after him, her little shoes clacking against the ground. "You don't know where the car is!"
"I already saw it," Hikigaya replied without stopping, casually calling out the license plate number.
This place was bathed in sunlight, enhancing a certain perception ability of his to an unexplainable level.
It was a power similar to spiritual sight, yet distinct from it—a derivative of Osiris' power, which Hikigaya now used with relative ease.
Karen didn't understand it, nor did she need to, so she didn't ask any dumb questions like "how did you see it?"
They walked out of the terminal and all the way to the parking area.
Karen rushed ahead to open the car door for him, respectfully guiding him inside. She then placed his bag in the trunk and finally entered the driver's seat.
"Lady Liliana is currently at the hotel restaurant. The other lords are there as well," she said while fastening her seatbelt. "Allow me to make a call first."
"It's fine. Let's just go. If everyone's already there, it'll be more convenient," Hikigaya replied.
Honestly, after more than twelve hours on the plane, he really didn't want to sit for much longer, even if this car was far more comfortable than an airplane seat.
"Understood," Karen replied, then immediately tossed the phone she had taken out onto the passenger seat and started the car.