Capítulo 135: Driving
Among the original six Campione, Salvatore Doni, an Italian who became the sixth Godslayer after defeating the Celtic God-King Nuada Airgetlám years ago, was known as the 'Europe's strongest swordsman' and revered by local magicians as their leader. However, beyond his passion for battle, Doni showed little interest in other matters.
This disinterest was one of the reasons why Italy's two major magical societies, Copper-Black Cross and Bronze-Black Cross, had never fully pledged allegiance to him. Now, with Erica becoming a new Campione, two 'Godslayers' emerging in the same country, and Doni's love for fighting, it was inevitable that conflict would arise between them.
"Don't worry, Uncle. I already have a plan," Erica replied with a meaningful smile.
Paolo, her uncle, nodded after some thought, fully trusting his niece's abilities. "I won't pry then. I believe you'll handle it well."
After a brief pause, he seemed to make up his mind about something. "It's time to deal with that matter. Erica, wait here for a moment." With that, Paolo left the council hall.
Erica knew exactly what he was referring to. Not long ago, Copper-Black Cross had acquired an ancient relic during one of their operations—a mysterious stone emitting immense magical power, later identified as the Gorgoneion. This stone was an ancient symbol of the Earth Mother, capable of leading numerous goddesses to defy their natural order and could potentially restore the Trinity form of the goddess Athena.
The Gorgoneion could attract Heretic Gods, making it a highly coveted relic for any Godslayer. Though it also posed a potential threat to their city, its value was too great to pass up. Paolo and the other leaders had been debating what to do with the stone, even considering giving it to Salvatore Doni to gain his favor, though their reluctance to fully serve him had stalled that decision. They kept it as a bargaining chip to curry favor with any Godslayer.
Erica, having gleaned information about the future from the chat group's memory projections, knew that the Heretic Athena had already set her sights on the Gorgoneion. She also knew that she herself would soon face Athena in Rome. Confident in her abilities as a newly ascended Godslayer, Erica was certain she could defeat Athena, who would not be at full strength.
About ten minutes later, Paolo returned to the hall, carrying a brown box. He approached Erica and solemnly handed it to her. "Erica, you probably already know what's inside. I'm entrusting you with the task of dealing with the Gorgoneion."
The members of Copper-Black Cross looked on in silence, none daring to question Paolo's decision, as they recognized that only a Campione could handle such a matter of great importance.
Erica nodded and accepted the box containing the Gorgoneion. The box was inscribed with magical runes that concealed its aura, though only temporarily. Soon, these protections would fade, and Athena would inevitably sense the stone's presence and come for it.
…
After finishing her conversation with her uncle and the leaders of Copper-Black Cross, Erica returned to her private quarters, where her personal maid, Arianna, awaited her. Ever since hearing of her master's victory over the Heretic God on Sardinia, Arianna had been in a constant state of excitement. At the moment, she was chatting with a cute young maid with long green hair—Karen Jankulovski, the personal maid of Liliana Kranjcar, and a member of Bronze-Black Cross.
"Welcome back, Lady Erica!" Arianna immediately stopped her conversation with Karen and rushed to greet Erica with a look of pure joy. "Has Lady Eriri returned as well?"
"Yes, I'm back," Erica responded, smiling at her maid's enthusiasm. "Eriri-sama is still on Sardinia, enjoying some leisure time with her friends. She'll be coming here later with the others, so please prepare lunch for everyone. Make sure to prepare enough for about twenty people."
Since the group had spent over an hour battling and waiting, it was already past 1 PM, and none of the chat group members had had lunch yet. Erica figured that this would be a perfect opportunity to host their first group meal together.
"Understood, Lady Erica," Arianna said before hurrying off to begin preparations for the meal.
Karen approached Erica next and gave her a formal curtsy. "Lady Erica, it's been a while. Congratulations on your victory over the Heretic God and becoming the new Campione."
Though curious about the mysterious "Lady Eriri" mentioned in the conversation, Karen refrained from asking, intending to find out more from Arianna later.
"Ah, Karen, it's been a while. Didn't Liliana come with you?" Erica asked, showing familiarity with Karen, who often delivered Liliana's romance novels for Erica to read. The two shared a mutual hobby—teasing Liliana.
"No, Lady Liliana will be arriving a bit later," Karen responded dutifully, maintaining her professional demeanor. However, her tone shifted as she leaned closer to Erica. "Would you like to read Lady Liliana's latest work?"
"Oh? You don't even need to ask! Of course, I'd love to read it. Did you bring one of her fantasies with you?" Erica and Karen shared a mischievous smile, knowing full well that these novels were Erica's ammunition for teasing Liliana.
"Of course!" Karen pulled a small book from her coat pocket, the cover of which was emblazoned with the Bronze-Black Cross symbol, and handed it to Erica.
Sitting down, Erica eagerly began flipping through the pages, her smile growing wider with each passing minute. About ten minutes later, she closed the book with a satisfied grin. She had all the material she needed for her next round of teasing Liliana.
"Ah, Liliana is as imaginative as ever with her romantic fantasies. Thank you, Karen," Erica said with a soft chuckle, handing the notebook back.
"It's my pleasure, Lady Erica. As Liliana's maid, it's my duty to ensure that her work is appreciated," Karen said with a knowing smile, already imagining her master's future reactions.
"Liliana should be arriving soon, so I'll go ahead and greet her," Karen added before bowing politely and leaving Erica's residence.
With some free time on her hands, Erica turned her attention to the chat group. Since everyone was currently enjoying their time together, the chat was relatively quiet.
[Red Devil: Eriri-sama, I've already arranged for lunch. You can bring the others over anytime. @AllMembers]
As soon as Erica sent the message and tagged everyone, responses started pouring in almost immediately.
[Chika Fujiwara: Now that you mention lunch, I suddenly feel hungry. Drooling.jpg]
[Ashen Witch: Same here. I've only had a croissant for breakfast. Shaking head.jpg]
[Fallen Angel Black Cat: What are we waiting for? Let's go!]
[Kashiwagi Eri: Yeah, it's time for lunch. Erica, how long until the food is ready?]
[Red Devil: We've just started preparing. Since we need to make a lot, it might take a little while.]
[Red Devil: If you're really hungry, Chika, Elaina, feel free to grab some snacks from Sardinia while you wait. We'll have a big meal ready soon!]
[Chika Fujiwara: Nah, it's fine. I'm not that hungry. I just started thinking about food because lunch was mentioned.]
[Kashiwagi Eri: Food isn't a necessity for me anymore; it's just for enjoyment at this point.]
[Flower Hashira: True. Although we can't compare to Eriri, our current bodies don't really need food, even if we go days without eating.]
[Chika Fujiwara: Even so, skipping meals isn't good.]
[Kashiwagi Eri: Since we have some time before lunch is ready, why don't we go for a little road trip to Erica's place?]
[Arche Eeb Rile Furt: A road trip? What's that? Curious.jpg]
[Flower Hashira: I haven't heard of that either.]
[Chika Fujiwara: A road trip is when you drive somewhere by cars on your own for fun. I've never done it before either.]
[Fallen Angel Black Cat: I've read online that road trips are really fun. Excited.jpg]
[Ashen Witch: Cars? What are those?]
[Arche Eeb Rile Furt: Confused +1]
[Arifureta (Group Leader): Cars are those things we saw on the road earlier.]
[Iron-Blooded Hot-Blooded Cold-Blooded Vampire: Oh, those moving metal boxes? I think I saw them in the memory projections.]
[Arifureta (Group Leader): Yep. But we don't have any cars with us right now. Are we going to buy some?]
[Kashiwagi Eri: No need for that. I've already stored all the cars from our mansion in my storage space. I can take them out whenever we need them.]
After saying this, Eriri led the group to a secluded spot and brought out a dozen high-end luxury cars, each worth over 100 million yen.
Eriri then transferred all the necessary knowledge about driving directly into everyone's minds, instantly turning them from beginners into experts at driving. They now knew how to drive in the most enjoyable way possible, understood various techniques, and even began experimenting with different driving styles. Some were so talented that they quickly discovered new ways to drive, eager to test out their newfound skills.
After calming everyone's excitement, Eriri let them choose their favorite vehicles. Of course, Sakura, being only four years old, was excluded from driving, despite having the knowledge. Her small body just wasn't suited for it.
Eriri chose a pink two-seater sports car, with its flashy color and sleek design catching her eye.
Once everyone had picked their cars, they paired up to make the experience more fun, with plans to take turns driving later. Since it was their first time, they were all eager to try it out. Over time, some might lose interest in driving, while others might become passionate and eventually master the art.
With only six cars left, Eriri stored the rest in her inventory. She planned to gift these modified cars to Kanao and the others after the day ended. These weren't ordinary cars—they were personally upgraded by Eriri, imbued with a constant flow of cosmic energy that made them highly durable and ensured a long lifespan. Even if dropped from thousands of meters in the air, the cars wouldn't sustain a single scratch.
The cosmic energy within also kept the interior temperature stable, regardless of whether they were in extreme cold or the blazing heat of the sun. Additionally, Eriri had installed an alternative power system that allowed the cars to run on supernatural energy transmitted through the gas pedal. The cars could even be used as weapons, capable of delivering powerful blows to enemies, or as shields in times of danger.
These all-purpose vehicles were perfect as gifts for her friends, offering both transportation and protection.
------
A convoy of six luxury cars cruised at a steady pace along the roads of Sardinia. Leading the pack was Eriri's pink sports car, with Arifureta sitting in the passenger seat, beaming with joy.
As a wealthy child in her previous life, Arifureta was no stranger to sports cars. However, what thrilled her more was the rare opportunity to be alone with Eriri. Back in the world of Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, whether it was going to school or hanging out, Eriri was always surrounded by a group. Though Arifureta enjoyed being with everyone, she cherished these moments alone with Eriri even more.
Thanks to the cosmic energy, the roar of the engine was completely muted outside the car, and inside, soft, soothing music played. Arifureta leaned back in her seat, quietly watching Eriri's profile, a contented smile unconsciously forming on her lips.
As they drove, the scenery outside the window constantly shifted, matching the movement of the car. Before long, the convoy reached the end of the road, and an endless ocean came into view. At the shore, there was a large dock, where a massive ferry was docked, with dozens of cars of various makes and models already loaded, ready to leave Sardinia.
The six luxury cars didn't stand out much among the vehicles waiting at the dock. The staff assumed that they were just another group preparing to board the ferry.
However, what happened next defied all logic. Instead of heading toward the dock, Eriri steered her car toward the beach, and the five cars behind her followed closely, unwaveringly heading toward the sea.
If it were ordinary cars, they would have been stopped by the sandy beach long before reaching the water. But the six cars, defying the laws of gravity, glided smoothly over the sand, their speed unimpeded.
In no time, Eriri's car reached the sea, and soon, the other five vehicles followed, making contact with the water. As the dockworkers prepared for the cars to sink, ready to spring into action for a rescue, they were shocked to see the cars driving steadily across the surface of the water.
As the six cars gradually distanced themselves from Sardinia and eventually disappeared from view, the workers rubbed their eyes, struggling to believe what they had just witnessed, thinking it must have been a hallucination. Yet, with so many witnesses, they knew it wasn't just their imagination.
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