To limit the expenses, I've given her many lessons on the use of strategies in battle to come up with counter-tactics…but judging by her character, I've a feeling that it will not work. Hence, what we can do currently is to replace the Gift when she destroys one."
"Hey, that's too wasteful."
"Hahaha! But for us, it is quite a profit!" Carol laughed cheerfully.
However, the financial situation of [No Name] wasn't that all that bright. A strong Gift that can withstand Asuka's power must be found as soon as possible---Izayoi vowed silently.
"Though it might not seem right for me to say it, but Ojou-sama does have quite an interesting talent."
"Not as exaggerating as yours right? To be able to destroy the strongest species with just one punch. If you want to talk about strange, I would say that you are much more strange, Izayoi."
Gry managed to join in at last and Izayoi replied with a loud laugh.
Even so, Garol just rubbed his chin while saying in a serious tone:
"I'm not clear about your situation…but I can at least see a clue about the source of Asuka's Gift."
"Ooh? Really?"
"Nn. I fear that the child is a kind of -----Atavistic phenomenon."
Izayoi's hand that held the cup froze in mid-air, having made it halfway to his mouth.
"……You mean it is a kind of trait that skips a generation or two?"
"What I mean is much different, but yet similar. What you meant was Intergenerational trait that occurs between generations. But this child is much different. If my deduction is right, her spiritual power---Could be due to a Divine being possessing her when she was born."
" ……?"
" Nn… Let's take for example, a couple that's unable to conceive a child travels to pray for a child from a god that governs child-birth, the child's relations would consist of the father, mother and the God. At this point, do you follow me?"
"Oh, that is much simpler to understand. I got it already."
"Good. Then, in this kind of situation, the child will become a being of higher standing in the mortal world. And I fear that Asuka is the result of a repetition of this same process for more than ten generations."
Izayoi's eyes grew wide at those words.
"More than ten generations…of reproduction with the aid of God's gift?"
"The one who endows the gift of reproduction might not be a god. It can be a demon, a spirit…. But considering her abilities, it would seem that it is an 80-90% possibility that she has the protection of god---which can also be phrased as the human who is closest to being a God. Because the power of that child is undoubtedly at the end that [Gifts]."
" OOoh?" Izayoi let out a breath in admiration.
Though he had heard of Asuka's power, this was out of his expectations that she would have such a talent.
"……Even so, her Atavistic condition may have another reason."
"And what is it?"
"Unless one is born a god, just by bloodline alone isn't sufficient to become a deity. For humans to become a deity, the accomplishment is [Meeting the quota of Believers]. Though my previous theory brought up the eligibility, it lacked the accomplishment."
Just when Izayoi's a step away from being fully convinced, Garol began to drink his wine solemnly.
Izayoi also raised his cup to his lips while wordlessly urging Garol to continue.
"Lad, have you heard of the theory of intersecting World Planes---called more simply as [Paradigm shift]?"
"…Yes to the former, but it is the first time hearing the latter."
"Really? Then you have to listen up. This will be very important for Asuka-oujo."
Placing down his cup, Garol leaned forward with a serious expression on his face.
Izayoi and the others had also sat up straighter, showing their focused attention.
"---[Paradigm shift] is not limited to humans or about humans, but a milestone that helps to demarcate an observation regarding a type of life form. Take for example, a large scale war, or a huge change in the biological evolution due to a natural disaster. That time period will be called a [Paradigm shift]. These events will be big enough to change the later generations and bringing an end to the previous generation. And to progress, bearers of various [Gifts] will appear. Hence when tracing the background of a Community, one can often find the corresponding legend or history of the actual person."
"…I get it now… But how does it relate to Ojou-sama?" Izayoi asked in puzzlement.
In reply, Garol's gaze was sharpened. "Lad, the time period of that lass should be not long after the defeat of Japan isn't it?"
" ….So it's that!"
Izayoi finally understood and nodded his head vigorously.
Garol seemed to feel comforted as he continued: "My fear is that she's a candidate for [Patriot who saves his war-torn lands] or a similar idol. Born to a rich organization with a bloodline that is close to a Divine being. Though she might not be well known as of yet, she already possess the qualities to be the vessel that rebuilds the country's soul."
Hence, [Patriot who saves his war-torn lands], that sort of generic faith chose Asuka to be its host and gave her an intangible Gift and spiritual power. Allowing her to be born with a spiritual power that's supposed to be obtained through a lifetime of accumulated accomplishments.
"Awakening as a God due to the troubled times……No, in this case it should be a demigod that is more suitable. Since the life of a higher life form is a different species and Asuka's power is that of an undeveloped god…Even so, this theory still has an unsolved mystery. To summon Asuka over to Little Garden, there must be a convergence of possibilities--- In other words, we should be able to observe the same phenomenon from different timelines. If it were by other methods of summoning, it would be unusual as well as unique…Lad, have you got any clue on it?"
"……"
Izayoi propped his chin up with his hand, seemingly deep in thought. But in actual fact, he wasn't even considering the question.
Japan in Sakamaki Izayoi's knowledge of it, had never recorded "Kudou Asuka" in its history. Garol's hypothesis of [Convergence of possibilities] would hence exclude her.
(However, there was still a mystery. According to recorded history, in the period of Zaibatsu(financial conglomerate) dissolution, there were only four major zaibatsu of Imperial Japan. Whereas, Asuka seemed to have told him---'I'm from the fifth biggest financial conglomerate in Japan'.)
Of course, that could easily be a misunderstanding on his part and the conversation may not have occurred.
Though it might be just an exaggeration from Asuka, at the very least, Izayoi had not heard of the existence of [Kudou Zaibatsu].
Hence, this made it a very insignificant but extremely irritating discordant note in the piecing together of information.
If the discordant sensation was due to the mysterious [Kudou Zaibatsu]---then, there might be a forking in their world pathways even before Asuka and Izayoi's time and spreading them far apart.
"……I understand your words, Uncle. Thanks a lot, it really is quite a good reference material."
"Really?"
"Nn, to thank you, my elder, let's drink some more! Here!"
Izayoi laughed out loud as he carried up the wine barrel to pour into Garol's cup. He poured so much that rum started to overflow from the brim.
"Wa... Hey! This year's rum has been seasoned well. Don't go wasting it!"
"Then, just drink up from the place that it spills from, isn't that right?"
"That's just too unreasonable a request!" Though Garol said that, he still placed his mouth to the cup's edge and downed it in a mouthful.
Seeing how Garol was sporting enough to drink it in a way befitting a [Six Scars]' previous leader, Gry broke into a laugh after having sat silently listening to their conversation all this while.
"Dad's going to retire after this Harvest Festival. So let's drink our fill as part of our early celebration for him!"
"Nn. When the time comes for you to hold the retirement and official handing over ceremony, please invite me along. I will be there to return the favor for you visiting me when I'm recuperating."
Hearing Carol and Gry's words, Garol rubbed the back of his head bashfully.
On the other side of this conversation, Izayoi remembered something that almost slipped his mind until the matter of Garol's handing over was mentioned.
(I wonder if that chibi-sama …Has he succeeded in forming an Alliance?)