Pendragon's Infinity Gauntlet

Page 201

(...So, what exactly is the source of that conflict, meow?)

-

Soon after, Jing Shen and the others gathered, and Fang Cun heard the news from Tsuchimikado, who had returned. Perhaps her "physical regeneration" was gradually taking effect, as her tone slowly regained its vitality. However, seeing her pale face and cold sweat, she still should go to the hospital.

Tsuchimikado told them two things.

Oriana and his team planned to use the "Apostolic Cross" based on the autumn constellations. Each "observatory" was centered around that constellation, but Tsuchimikado had some doubts about his results.

“Orian’s travels around are indeed related to constellations, and may be the key to the activation of the ‘Apostolic Cross’—but it’s highly doubtful whether this can really activate Peter’s cross. After all, the activation of the ‘Apostolic Cross’ in history has been dominated by summer constellations. No matter how you look at it, late September is autumn constellations now, it’s hard to imagine that it can be used as a substitute… What other factors are there? There must be some mechanism that we don’t know about.”

Tsuchimikado's face was pale, and her skin was covered in cold sweat. Her newly changed gym uniform looked brand new, but conversely, there was congealed blood under her fingernails.

It looks quite heartbreaking, but she probably doesn't want to be asked about it.

"But right now, isn't Orianna risking being discovered by pursuers to search for locations related to constellations, Tsuchimikado? Do you know any places Orianna hasn't been to yet? Where are they?"

“Hmm… but I’m concerned about that ‘unsolved problem.’ Based on the outcome of the problem, it’s possible that the location I found could also be mistaken for an ‘observatory,’ meow. To be honest, there’s not enough time. What if we rush to the ‘observatory’ we predicted, only to find that Oriana and the others are casting a spell in the opposite direction on the street? We’re already out of control, meow.”

Tsuchimikado wiped the cold sweat from his jaw and said.

The mind is purified to confirm the current time.

Around 5pm.

Indeed, even using trams and buses, moving back and forth from one end of the street to the other at this time is quite dangerous. Not knowing when the correct time limit will be made even more difficult; if things aren't handled properly, it could very well be over in an hour.

Jing Shen looked at the clock on his phone screen.

"Now that I think about it, there's no time to think about it anymore! Just doing nothing like this will keep passing the time! I don't want to come to my senses and find that I've already missed the destination."

"I know that too, meow... Damn it, what is Tyr doing at this time?"

Tsuchimikado must know that time is of the essence. Her voice was quite bitter.

To act without concrete evidence?

Or should we wait until we have concrete evidence before taking action?

Whichever option they chose, they lacked the element to give them a final push. Thought breeds silence, silence breeds pressure, and Jing Shen felt the surrounding air growing increasingly heavy.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

That wasn't Jōjin's phone. Tsuchimikado took her phone out of her pocket in surprise, and her expression changed after seeing the screen.

"The Puritan Church, that's what they're calling from the English Puritans."

So, it seems Tyr mentioned before that he asked members in the British Library to help gather intelligence.

Perhaps they've learned some new information.

In short, for Shirogane and the others who wanted to get as many clues as possible, the content didn't matter. Tsuchimikado, who was originally very calm, frantically operated his phone. Although the speakerphone button was on, Shirogane still brought her face close to Tsuchimikado's phone from the other side.

As a result, the sound heard on the other end of the phone was:

"Oh, are you Ms. Tyr Magnus?"

"It was a wrong number!!"

The two called out at the same time. The man on the other end of the phone looked quite dejected and said, "I'm really sorry." ... Anyway, it doesn't matter. He was clearly speaking to the foreigner Tyr, so why was he speaking in Japanese? Shirogane couldn't help but wonder.

Tsuchimikado sighed in exasperation.

"Ah—ah—this is Tsuchimikado. Since I'm working with Tyr, I'm receiving the report...So, what did you find?"

“That’s right. I checked the records of the British Library and got new information about the Apostles’ Cross, so I’m reporting it.”

A leisurely voice drifted back.

Listening carefully to the voice, Jing Shen began to have doubts. It sounded like she'd heard it somewhere before.

"Ah, could you be Osora?"

"That voice is... Oh dear, it's you! I'm so grateful to you the other day. Thanks to your care, my health is now completely—"

"Meow, we've gone off-topic. Can we continue now, meow?"

Tsuchimikado interrupted in a voice tinged with exhaustion and anxiety.

"I get along very well with the British Puritans. The other day, Kanzaki-san even recommended a really delicious Japanese restaurant to me... Oh, right, I heard that Amakusa-style people are now managing the Japanese quarter in London."

"You actually ignored Tsuchimikado's words with a smile!? Ah— tell me what information you've gathered right now!!"

Chapter 361 Timely Intelligence

Chapter 361

Jōjin started shouting, while Tsuchimikado shook his head as if he were anemic. Finally, Osora on the other end of the phone said "Oh dear" and cut off the conversation.

"I see. Well then, I'd better tell you the information the British Library obtained as soon as possible. Hehehe, this is good news!"

"...Although that's what I'm saying, don't tell me any information about good Japanese restaurants."

After Jing Shen spoke in a low voice, the other party responded with a vibrant voice, "Of course I know."

"Actually, there's a sushi restaurant that's really delicious just a five-minute walk from Waterloo Station."

"Didn't I just tell you not to talk about this?! Don't try to change the subject, tell me the information about the 'Apostolic Cross' right now!!"

"That's a real shame... Now, back to the main topic, please listen carefully."

Osora's soft voice had a certain strength.

Jōjin and Tsuchimikado focused their attention on their phones with serious expressions.

"What we learned from the scattered records in the British Library was the conditions for the use of the Apostolic Cross."

Jing Shen's shoulders trembled slightly.

The detailed conditions for using the "Apostolic Cross" are exactly the information they want to know right now.

Orsola said to the two men who had stopped breathing and were waiting for him:

"I've heard that the 'Apostle Cross' is a large-scale spiritual artifact that borrows the power of constellations. Erecting the cross on the earth is also an action to properly collect the light from the night sky. It's a device that collects the light from the sky at the correct angle and organizes it to activate the magical effect within a spell."

"That is, what I told Jing Shen was that the 'Apostolic Cross' is some kind of parabolic antenna. But this..."

"...Well, to be honest, it's not a new topic..."

Jingshen couldn't help but sigh, while Tsuchimikado slumped his shoulders to the side.

"Oh dear, why are you all so depressed?"

"I'm sorry, Orsola. Thank you so much for your hard work in finding this information for us; we've found some ourselves. Now we're unsure how to take the next step..."

"That's it-"

Orsola's voice was quite dejected, but the Cleansing God couldn't pay much attention to it.

While the extent of the British Library's knowledge is unknown, it is likely less than what Jōjin and Tsuchimikado received here. Failing to achieve better results here is tantamount to declaring that there are no suitable clues to resolving the current closure.

The expressions on the faces of both Jing Shen and the expert Tsuchimikado were gloomy.

At this moment, Osora Aquinas on the other end of the phone said:

"—So, you should also have information about the corresponding constellations for the use of the 'Apostolic Cross,' which Xue Li and I found together. The 'Apostolic Cross' is unrelated to summer or autumn constellations; it can be freely activated across the world using all eighty-eight constellations..."

"Huh?" Both Jōjin and Tsuchimikado exclaimed at the same time.

“Wait a minute, Orsola. What did you just say? I know the usage area is limited, but this is the first time I've heard that it can be used by all constellations in summer and autumn. Tsuchimikado was just worried that he wouldn't be able to use the ‘Apostle Cross’ in the current season. If you can understand this, your confusion will be resolved. So I would be very grateful if you could explain it clearly.”

"...Ah, things have turned out much better than expected, which is really something to be happy about, but I'm still a little sad when I find out that not all of my efforts were useful."

"Don't just stand there despairing, explain yourself, Mr. Orsola. Also, is the Xue Li you're talking about that Xue Li?!"

After the cleansing spirit called out two or three times, Osora finally managed to get the topic back on track.

“That… Saint Peter… is called Saint Peter in England, but his public name is still Saint Peter. He was martyred on June 29th. Of course, the Vatican used the ‘Apostolic Cross’ later.”

The number of crosses is generally accepted to be from the fourth century. In fact, the Roman Catholic Church was offered as "territory" around the eighth century. However, the use of the "Apostolic Cross" after Peter's death was around the mid-first century, a point that Tsuchimikado has already explained.

Orsola further speculates that the fact that Constantine the Great recognized the existence of Christianity in the early fourth century, and that the Frankish king who later conquered Italy donated the land to the Pope—these historical events that were quite favorable to the Christian faith in the Vatican—all stemmed from the power of the Apostolic Cross.

"???...I'm sorry, Orsola. I know absolutely nothing about history."

Fang Cun glanced at the cult leader with appreciation. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also genuine, which suited her taste. Because she herself knew absolutely nothing about her.

"In other words, as long as you remember the time you used in the Vatican, it was between the end of June and the beginning of July."

Osora's voice was quite relaxed, but Tsuchimikado reacted quickly.

"...You mean, in the Vatican?"

"Yes, the Apostolic Cross has only been used once in history, and as is well known, that cross can also be used outside the Vatican. Now, the question is—"

He paused slightly, then continued:

"—Only the Vatican City can use it on June 29th. If it is to be used elsewhere, then there must be a corresponding date for each."

“In other words,” Osora’s voice continued:

"In order to use the 'Apostolic Cross,' the sorcerer must have a detailed understanding of the characteristics, features, and properties of the region where it will be used. Furthermore, the sorcerer must select the constellation that is most effective for the region from the eighty-eight constellations. Only then are the conditions for activation complete. The specificity of the region and the selection of the constellation require complex knowledge. Although this creates a restriction that it can only be used once a year in a given place, if this method is used, in fact, even the whole world may be subject to the dominion of the Roman Catholic Church."

According to Orsola, Lidovia Lorenjeti traveled the world to preach to "sinners." During this time, he likely acquired detailed knowledge of the conditions for using the Apostolic Cross—that is, the constellations corresponding to different regions, as well as the actual timing and location of the observatory. When Orsola was still a Roman Orthodox Christian, he saw Lidovia several times carrying an old telescope, heading to the next missionary location.

"So, Lidovia previously invaded Academy City in order to find the location where the 'Apostle Cross' would be used?"

"This problem can be solved using practical methods... For example, when creating a map by measuring latitude and longitude using the angle of Polaris as seen from the ground, it's not necessary to use all the coordinates on Earth. As long as we know the main points, we can solve it through tabletop calculations. So it's fine even if we don't go inside Academy City."

Chapter 362 Location

Chapter 362

"I see." Jing Shen carefully pondered Osora's words.

Then, she raised a question.

"Wait a minute, wasn't that a cross made because of Peter's death? If so, why can it be used outside of the time and place of Peter's death?"

“That’s it…” Osora said after a moment’s thought, “That spirit dress seems to have been prepared before Peter’s death…”

"...What's going on?"

“In fact, Peter had carefully considered where he should be martyred. As you know, the place where Peter is buried today is the center of the Roman Catholic Church as a whole. He knew that his place of martyrdom was closely related to subsequent history, which is why he did so… Therefore, apart from the Vatican… if there was a place that was quite suitable for the Roman Catholic Church, he would very likely have chosen such a place, thus increasing the conditions for the use of the ‘Apostolic Cross’.”

Upon hearing this, Jing Shen swallowed hard.

Then--

"But even if you can freely choose the location, the date can't be changed, right? For example, it can't be used when the lifespan is almost over; you have to decide on a specific date to use it..."

“Yes. Peter was actually executed on June 29th. That day happened to be the date on which the Vatican could use the Apostolic Cross.”

"...So, he deliberately chose to be arrested that day with the intention of being killed?"

"That's not... impossible, meow."

Tsuchimikado sighed as he answered, as if trying to shake off his weariness.

"Peter was quite at odds with the Roman Empire at the time, because he was an enemy of Simon Magus, a high-ranking sorcerer of the empire. And he eventually killed Simon (Note: Legend has it that the sorcerer Simon wanted to prove that his power was greater than that of the apostles, so he made himself float in the air. When Simon was floating in the air, Peter knelt down and asked God to show a miracle, and Simon immediately fell to his death). Doing such a thing in an era when Christianity was persecuted, you can imagine what kind of end he would have had."

"Moreover, there are many legends surrounding his execution. Besides those already mentioned, the legend of 'QuoVadis' (Where are you going?) is also very famous (Note: Peter, persuaded by his followers, fled to the gates of Rome and saw Jesus. Peter asked Jesus, 'Where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'I am going to Rome to be crucified again.' Peter then understood and immediately returned to give his life for his faith.) When Peter was arrested by the imperial soldiers, his disciples rescued him and asked him to escape into the streets. He had already reached the exit of Rome, but he turned back, allowing himself to be arrested by the imperial soldiers. Moreover, at the exit of the streets, he saw the vision of the 'Son of God,' and realized that it was the moment of his martyrdom."

Osora continued:

"When Peter was dressed on the cross on the day of his execution, he made this request: 'I am unworthy to be treated the same way as the Lord; please turn the cross upside down.' Of course, such words and actions came from a devout cross-counting, but perhaps there was more to it than that—"

"—Could there be some special meaning behind this...?"

Jing Shen couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Peter, one of the twelve apostles, may have known that no matter what he did, he would one day be executed. Therefore, he may have intended to make the most of his death, and even considered what would happen hundreds of years after his death.

Later, the Roman Catholic Church was established.

For the people he should silently protect on this land.

This is different from a simple passive situation. He had carefully considered the place and time of his death, its effects, consequences, and outcomes, and then set his own end. This is a combination of ultimate coldness and compassion, a magic that can only be expressed through the ultimate. This is a rare use of the "Apostolic Cross" in the Roman Catholic Church.

“It’s not uncommon in history for great people to tamper with their own graves. Even Prince Shotoku ‘completely destroyed’ the feng shui of the grave where he was supposed to rest, intending to eradicate his descendants.”

Tsuchimikado's face turned green, and he said with a mixture of admiration and disapproval.

After hearing these words, Jing Shen raised the most important question.