Chapter 426 - Tales from the East (Patreon)

After Clarissa, Viers danced with those who wanted a turn. When his obligations were done, his social battery had truly been empty. Just as he was about to take a timeout from an unusual kind of fatigue, Sakuya and her friend approached.

“Hey. Sorry, but I’m not doing any more dancing tonight.”

“That’s okay. Once is enough for me. I must say the tune and dance are very different from what I know but I was glad to experience it,” Sakuya said. “Err, so should I call you Viers-sama?”

“That’s okay. The -sama is unnecessary though, Sakaki-san,” Viers replied.

“Call me Sakuya, please,” Sakuya corrected. The other girl, who clearly looked like a Japanese descent, elbowed Sakuya from the side. Viers watched enough anime to know that calling a person by their given name instead of their family name indicated a sign of closeness. “B-besides, it will complicate things with her around.”

Viers smiled and turned to the other girl. “We haven't been officially introduced. I’m Viers.”

“Hajimemashite. Sakaki Yayoi desu. I’m Sakuya-obasan’s niece. She’s my best aunt.” Yayoi playfully said.

“Is that so?” Viers was unperturbed. She knew aunt came in different shapes and sizes. “You have a beautiful aunt.”

Sakuya looked like she was a crab being steamed.

“How come you’re able to find us so fast?” Yayoi disregarded her mushy aunt.

“Sakuya’s white card. It allows me to track her location and let me know if she is in mortal danger.”

“Sooo you’ve been monitoring and protecting her all this time? Wow, you must really~ care about her,” the young woman seemed like a high schooler who had found out who her friend’s crush was.

“It’s nothing so grand. It’s not like I can hear what she hears or see what she sees. Besides, I lost her signal for a few years. Then you come here… It does make me curious.”

“Oh, must be because we went across the eastern ocean,” Sakuya said. “Some of my clan, including me, visited our ancestral homeland, the land of Yamato.”

Now that got Viers’ attention.

“According to what I know, across the ocean, there’s another continent by the name of Xian. Is this the land you speak of?”

“No, Viers-sama. Xian and Yamato are separate land masses. Both people have been at war since ancient times. The Kami of Yamato similarly waged war against Xian’s Immortals.”

Viers raised his eyebrows.

“The people across the sea are really strong though. Like, they are averagely stronger as a whole compared to us,” Yayoi added. “Their cultivation system is different too. Not our Path of Power method.

Viers was listening to the revelation intently.

According to what he knew, Xian was a place with Chinese cultivation background, even more so than the western continent where he was now. Then what was the land of Yamato? From the name, it was clearly Japanese. Did an isekai-ed Japanese from Earth recreate his culture in this world? Certainly possible. Viers had seen many Fables like it.

Then there was the war. Viers was no stranger to the frosty relationship between the Chinese and the Japanese governments on Earth. The scar from WWII was very deep. The many problems of the modern age have done nothing to mend that divide.

So Xian and Yamato are at war, huh? Won't find that in mainstream media. Chinese versus Japanese is a very big landmine for a topic. Even implying it is a big no-no. No way the developers or publishers will get a green light… But Japanese versus Mongolian is all okay. Commercial success, even. Ugh, people and their double standards.

Well, Viers cared not what the people of Earth would have thought since this was obviously a different world. Nothing to cancel in an alternate fantasy dimension. Cancel culture had no power here!

“Once, we saw Takemikazuchi-sama fight against a Xian Immortal called Purple Qi Emperor from very far afar. It was like the heavens itself was burning,” Sakuya shivered.

“Our Matriarch is a Level 5, if she wasn't there, we would have died. Even she had to use her all against a sliver of their power,” Yayoi said.

So Gods and Immortals are assuredly Level 6 or above. I suspected as much. But Takemikazuchi? Is he the god that the Japanese religion worships that somehow manifested in this world, or is someone taking up the name? Curious… Very curious.

“These… deities, Xian and Yamato, are there many of them on both lands?” Viers asked.

Sakuya and Yayoi looked at each other before answering.

“We don't know for sure, but I think so. There are definitely more than ten Kami in Yamato,” Sakuya said.

“Since the war isn't over, that means both sides lack the power to land a decisive blow on the other. I think it's safe to say both sides have more or less equal strength.”

Sakuya and Yayoi agreed.

“You have given me a lot to think about. While I would love to hear more of your tales from both lands-”

“We… only went to Yamato, Viers-sama,” Sakuya corrected.

“Still great, I’m sure. First, I want to ask the reason for your visit to this side of the world.”

“We seek our Matriarch who has gone missing,” Sakuya said. “The clues indicated she went to this continent.”

“I want to find the Matriarch. Sakuya, wants to find you and the Matriarch,” Yayoi snickered.

Sakuya retaliated by smothering her cheeky niece with the sleeves of her kimono.

“I see. Any idea where the Matriarch has gone?” Viers recalled his encounter with the woman once in the past. She was a powerful Level 5.

Viers had been in close proximity to quite a few of Level 5 now. The Sakaki Matriarch, the rulers of Regidana, the Governor-King of Valkut, Cardinal Judith, the Dumuzin cult Grandmaster, Countess Grace, Duke Lucan, Duke and Duchess Valentine, were some of them.

Viers wasn't at the Level where he could accurately gauge their strength. But if he had to pick who was the strongest among them he would pick Georgi, the cult grandmaster. Not only because the guy trashed him so utterly, there was also his gut feeling.

Then there were the Cardinal, the Countess, and Duke Lucan, in no particular order, just because they flexed their strength in front of Viers so Viers caught a glimpse of their abilities, he couldn't say the others were certainly weaker though.

The weakest among them would be the Level 5 who wanted to raid his Biome, who Viers forced to buy his nephew back. Viers successfully threatened him with a home-ground advantage and a Divine Weapon.

Viers’ mind wandered but Sakuya’s answer brought him back to reality. “No, unfortunately, we didn't know where she had gone. Our only lead is the previous religious organization she was in.”

“If I remember correctly from what you told me, your Matriarch is a former saintess of the Church. We have a member of the Church right here,” Viers pointed to Ciel who was socializing with the others.

“Umm, we don't know which Church but she had this insignia,” Yayoi produced a parchment.

“Put that back!” Viers immediately said.

“Whoa! Strong reaction…” Yayoi stored the parchment back.

“Viers-sama?” Sakuya probed.

“That,” Viers slowly whispered. “Is a sigil of one of the seven devil cults. The cults are hunted down in this land, especially by the Church. They are mostly bad guys who bring a lot of destruction and suffering so it's justified.”

Viers thought the ‘saintess of some religious organization’ that Sakuya used to depict her Matriarch in the past meant the Estellian Church, not the Devil Cult of Teorph.

“The Matriarch is not that sort of person. She has always been kind to us,” Sakuya said.

“Be that as it may… Well, things just got a bit more complicated,” Viers added. Ciel didn't see so he managed to prevent some drama. He had enough drama, especially for this night.

“I see…” Sakuya looked down.

“While I cannot give you a guarantee to find her, I can facilitate your efforts to find her. Beats having to search for her one city at a time for sure.”

“That’s enough of a start,” Yayoi was satisfied.

“Indeed. Also, Tan-. Err, Viers-sama, I have a gift for you.”

“Oh?” Viers loved gifts. Who didn't like gifts?

From her inventory item, she pulled out a sword.

More accurately, a katana. Blue sheath and white handle.

“Made in Yamato. The swordsmith that made this request I seek a swordsman worthy to use the blade. I instantly thought of you. I also remember your fondness for katana blades in the Book World so…”

The instant Viers touched the sword, he knew this was an enchanted blade. A powerful one at that. The first glimmer of the steel confirmed it. The hamon, the edge pattern, looked like white waves.

“You can pull it out!” Sakuya looked happy. “I never doubted.”

“Heeeh… He really did it,” Yayoi, lacking Sakuya’s confidence, sounded amazed.

Viers once had a katana that he came by chance. That katana was broken when he used an impromptu Bankai with it. Since then Viers had used many kinds of swords, sometimes magic items, sometimes ordinary steel, sometimes water swords created by his Victa. He had no attachment since there was no sword that really clicked with him no matter the quality. The single exception was the Divine Weapon heirloom of Lucan Duchy that he got from killing the harem prince. Since it was Lucan Duchy’s heirloom no more, Viers renamed the big sword Dark Moon for its resemblance to a certain sword in a certain GOAT game. But it was too powerful, unsuited for a main weapon for frequent use. At least for Viers’ current Level.

Viers’ eyes as he looked at the katana Sakuya presented, were like a guy who had found his waifu.

“The creator believes, at the hands of a true swordsman, this sword will show its true power and cut through the sea, thus the namesake: Umikirimaru. May it serve you well,” Sakuya said. ”

“...My gratitude.”

Viers sheathed the blade with a satisfying click.

***

Turning back time a little tonight, just as Viers and Croix were about to arrive at the Emerith Grand Ball, far to the east, a strong storm had been stirring the sea for days. The same storm that made Sakuya and Yayoi’s sail difficult.

Those who understood knew the storm was unnatural.

Three streaks of light pierced the storm from the east. The three lights traveled with great speed to the west until they reached land.

“...We made it out.”

“Just us three, it seems?”

“The important thing is we arrived.”

The lights’ true form was humans. All three males had long hair. They spoke in foreign tongues.

“...None of the seniors made it out. Only us in the Spirit Venerable Realm.”

“The stronger your cultivation is, the stronger the resistance. We know this.”

“Humph. For a land of weaklings, they sure put up a strong barrier.”

“...The world qi is so sparse here. How appalling.”

“Let’s not stay here longer than we have to. How do you propose we smoke the target out?”

“We-”

“Wait. Someone’s here. Come out, whoever you are!”

A woman in a white robe descended from the sky.

“Greetings. Fellow Daoist from the east. This humble self is Sallustia Amaris, a servant of the Goddess,” she said in the language of the foreigners fluently. “To what do we owe the visit of your esteemed selves?”

“The leader of the Church… We were informed about you.”

“Our business is no concern of yours. If you stand in our way, you will be dealt with accordingly.”

“They say you are the strongest person on this side of the world. What a letdown. You ain’t our opponent.”

“Come now, you two. We are not savages. Surely there’s no need for such hostility.”

“...Very well.”

“...Apologies. The crossing took a heavy toll.”

“Introductions first, as is proper.” The man put his palm and fist together in front of his chest. “Wen Shenhu, Spirit Venerable Realm.”

The other two mirrored his greeting.

“Bai Songbing, Spirit Venerable Realm.”

“Tao Wang, Spirit Venerable Realm.”

“We are here, under the auspices of eight Emperors. To find the Guardian Beast, Sea Rumbling Bull. This mission is of the utmost importance. The future of our home is at stake. Therefore, please forgive our trespass, Fellow Daoist Sallustia,” Wen Shenhu said.