Chapter Seventeen: The King Understands People's Hearts / Chapter Eighteen: "True Wisdom" ...

Liliana, who stood beside Erica, stared at her best friend in disbelief. Just now, she had truly been moved by Erica's stepping forward, never expecting that her best friend had already calculated everything—even calculating her into it and making good use of their Bronze Black Cross.

The other magicians and knights who had failed to see through Erica's delicate schemes also felt their hearts tremble. They were ashamed that they had thought Erica "upright" before. What kind of upright knight was this woman? Her heart was practically like that of a "demon."

Erica was genuinely frightened by now. Her delicate body trembled. She was afraid that Roy would become enraged after seeing through her thoughts and actions.

"Punishment? No, no, no. Lord Erica, there's no need to be afraid. Since ancient times, ministers have had to ponder the King's intentions. Only then can they become people beloved by the King. You weren't wrong to ponder my thoughts, but you must know when to stop. Don't use that intelligence in the wrong place."

Roy gave Erica a deep look before glancing around. "...Then, my loyal subjects, have you reached a conclusion?"

As he spoke, Roy dispelled his Divine Authority, allowing Deanna Millito, the supreme commander of the Bronze Black Cross, to return to her original appearance.

Paul Brentari, supreme commander of the Bronze Black Cross, was the first to stand. He placed one hand over his shoulder and gave a knight's salute. "...The Bronze Black Cross is willing to serve under you and acknowledge you as our alliance leader!"

"The She-Wolf is willing..."

"The City of Lilies is willing..."

"The Bronze Black Cross is willing..."

"The Blue Eagle is willing..."

"..."

In the blink of an eye, six of the Seven Sisters' magical societies present swore loyalty to Roy. As for the one that had not come, it had no other choice either.

"Very good, my loyal subjects. Then I shall announce my first task here. Exhaust all your resources in Italy and find Metatron's whereabouts!"

"...Secondly, increase the excavation and archaeological work at the ruins throughout Italy. Search for those truly ancient Divine Artifacts!"

When he finished speaking, Roy rose from his chair. He glanced at Erica, who was still kneeling on the ground. "...Lady Erica Brentari, you have truly piqued my interest. I acknowledge your intelligence and methods. Come to the Vatican tomorrow and work for me. I will also grant you—and the Bronze Black Cross—the status and favor you deserve."

The many magicians and knights stood on either side, respectfully watching Roy's red figure disappear from the meeting hall and leave the She-Wolf's headquarters for the Vatican.

Having gained the allegiance of the Seven Sisters and brought Christianity's headquarters under his command, Roy was now truly the King of Italy!

Chapter Seventeen: The King Understands People's Hearts

On the streets of Rome, a specially customized luxury car moved slowly. Paul Brentari, supreme commander of the Bronze Black Cross, looked at Erica sitting beside him. His refined and easygoing face carried a hint of complexity as he said in a low voice, "...Have you made up your mind, Erica? This New King is different from Lord Salvatore. He is more like Marquis Voban and the Eastern Patriarch. Following him will not be easy."

Erica was the only daughter of Paul's elder brother. The two of them were also the last blood relatives of the Brentari Family. As for this niece of his, whose talent and ability were both exceptional, he had always done everything in his power to protect her.

But Paul also knew that, with Erica's strong-minded personality, she would never be willing to follow the path he had laid out for her. When the time came, Erica would certainly leave his protection and walk alone down a road whose future was unknown. That time had now arrived.

"This is the New King's personally appointed order. Even if I were unwilling, what could I do?"

Erica's tone made it sound as though Roy had forced her into this, but her expression was full of fighting spirit. She even seemed eager to try, as if she were challenging some difficult problem—and Erica Brentari would surely become the victor.

"Don't worry, Uncle! With my abilities, Erica's abilities, even if the New King truly is as cruel, ruthless, and self-willed as Marquis Voban and the Eastern Cult Master, I will certainly be able to earn his trust and favor. I only need to be careful in my daily conduct."

"...This is our best opportunity, Uncle! The New King has only just ascended the throne and is precisely lacking trustworthy direct subordinates. Becoming his right hand at this time will be an opportunity for both me and the Bronze Black Cross. Our centuries-long struggle with the Bronze Black Cross can finally end. Victory will certainly belong to us!"

Erica's beautiful face radiated the captivating beauty of youth and a girl's absolute confidence. This appearance secretly comforted Paul. He even consoled his deceased brother in his heart. His daughter had grown enough to stand on her own.

Seeing that Erica had made up her own mind, Paul stopped dwelling on the matter. After thinking for a moment, he asked as if testing her, "...What do you think of the New King and Lord Salvatore?"

"Lord Salvatore is not a qualified alliance leader. His eyes contain only the sword and battle. Two years ago, I saw Lord Salvatore just after he had successfully slain a god. Although saying this is somewhat disrespectful, there really is something wrong with his head."

Erica pondered for a moment before using this extremely unkind term to describe the King of Swords.

"Precisely because Lord Salvatore has nothing but battle and swords in his head, he is actually easier to deal with. He absolutely won't care about our 'betrayal.' At most, he'll challenge the New King to a duel. And because of his personality, even if we became his subordinates, we wouldn't gain much benefit from it—not even true protection."

"...But the New King is different. Judging only from the information we have and our contact with him, the New King is a man with extremely strong 'desires.' Therefore, as long as we can win his favor, we will certainly gain his protection. We may even be able to use the New King's name to expand the influence of the Bronze Black Cross farther and wider."

"Lord Salvatore does not understand people's hearts, but the New King understands what we need!"

Erica spoke with complete confidence. Starting from a person's temperament, she analyzed everything in a clear and logical manner.

Although a Campione was unrivaled among mortals, a Campione was still ultimately human. As long as one was human, one had interests and preferences of one's own. If one found the right point of approach, one could get along with a Campione very well.

Off Italy's western coast, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, an ultra-luxurious cruise ship sailed across the surface of the sea. Fish darted beneath the waves, seabirds cried in the sky, and Roy sat in the luxurious, spacious observation room, enjoying lunch as he admired the beautiful seascape through the transparent glass surrounding him.

The observation room was equipped with highly modern facilities, resembling the living room of a five-star hotel. There was a redwood desk for work, an extremely soft circular sofa, and a large bed. Bottles of fine wine sat on the bar, while a huge LCD television on the wall played a program.

Roy sat at the dining table and used a knife and fork to savor a tender, high-grade steak seasoned with Italian Alba white truffles, indulging in the exquisite pleasure on his tongue.

He was a man who knew how to enjoy himself. When he had the opportunity, he would never mistreat himself. Now that he was a Campione, money had completely become an external possession, so Roy naturally intended to enjoy the most expensive and exquisite things in the world as much as possible.

For the first twenty-odd years of his life before transmigrating, Roy had been an ordinary man from an ordinary family. An occasional indulgence was possible, but he could not feast on delicacies every day. After transmigrating to the A Certain Magical Index World, his sixteen years of life could be described as impoverished. Being able to eat his fill each day had been enough; he had never dared hope for more.

Now that he had the opportunity, Roy naturally wanted his tongue and taste buds—after sixteen years of suffering—to experience pleasure. He was no ascetic who knew nothing of women or fine food.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

There was a knock at the observation room's door. Roy knew who it was. He set down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "...Come in!"

The door opened, and a girl dressed in a red evening gown walked in, proud and magnificent like a phoenix. She wore equally bright red high heels. White stockings covered her jade feet and calves. Though only a slender section of her beautiful legs was exposed, it was enough to make anyone want to toy with them in their palm.

Red clothing easily made a person look vulgar, but it was completely different on Erica. Only her innate bearing as a noble young lady remained.

"Sorry to disturb your meal, 'King'!"

Erica lowered her head slightly and bent at the waist. Setting aside the twenty-odd years of Roy's life before transmigrating, Roy was now only a vigorous young man, and his gaze instinctively fell toward the girl's neckline. That was human nature.

Still, Roy was not so easily robbed of his reason by a little exposure. After withdrawing his gaze, he smiled and asked, "...What is it, Lady Erica?"

"We will soon arrive at Ponza Island. According to the investigation by our Seven Sisters, Metatron is currently on this island. I came to remind you that I hope you can maintain your best condition before fighting the god."

Erica spoke solemnly, like a butler reminding her master.

"Thank you for the reminder, Erica... Eating one's fill before battle has been a necessity before every war since ancient times. Then, would you like to dine with me, Lady Erica?"

Roy nodded slightly, accepting Erica's reminder, while extending an invitation.

"I'm very grateful for the honor, but I am your personal knight. Both emotionally and logically, I should not dine at the same table as my master."

Erica maintained her elegant bearing and spoke with a dazzling smile.

"A knight? Hahaha, Lady Erica, I don't believe I've granted you the title of personal knight."

Roy laughed twice before rising and pushing back his chair. He walked step by step to Erica and met the girl's sapphire-like blue eyes in her beautiful face.

Chapter Eighteen: "True Wisdom"

Erica's eyelashes trembled slightly. It was the instinctive reaction of a girl meeting someone's gaze.

Roy watched Erica for a long while before extending his hand. To Erica's astonishment, a ripple appeared around her body, and Roy actually drew her beloved sword, Lionheart, out of hiding.

This action left Erica quite surprised. Her Lionheart had always been concealed with magic, yet Roy had drawn her sword using not Divine Authority, but merely magic.

She had not expected Roy's attainments in magic to be so high.

"Are you surprised that I know magic?"

Roy examined Lionheart, a slender sword. No matter how one looked at it, it was an extremely powerful Magecraft Artifact. "...A fine sword. Although it cannot be considered a weapon of a god, it is still a masterpiece at the pinnacle of Magecraft Artifacts."

"I truly did not expect the King to possess such profound attainments in magic. I thought that someone like the King, who possesses Divine Authority, would not care about magic."

Erica offered her praise.

"Divine Authority is essentially also a form of magic. The only difference is that whether it is a Disobedient God or a Campione, they can complete and deploy this Great Magic in an instant. A magician can achieve the same effect, but it would require dozens or hundreds of people, working for days or months."

After becoming a Campione, Roy had gained power, but naturally he had not let go of magical knowledge. Nor would he arrogantly believe that Divine Authority was truly stronger than magic. In reality, Divine Authority was an advanced application of magic, compressing a Great Magic that would require a long time to complete into a short Word Spirit.

The reason the Divine Authorities unleashed by Campiones and Disobedient Gods were so terrifying was simply that Campiones and Disobedient Gods far surpassed ordinary magicians in both the quality and quantity of their magical power.

Divine Authority was convenient and powerful, but if one asked about its principles, there was probably not a single Campione who could explain them. Campiones were merely users. This power had never truly belonged to them.

If he only lived in this world, then possessing Divine Authority as a Campione would already be enough. But Roy had more ambitious goals. Merely knowing how to use Divine Authority could not satisfy him. Therefore, he would learn every kind of knowledge he could and pursue "true wisdom."

Naturally, he did not need to tell Erica any of this. After admiring this world's masterpiece of a Magecraft Artifact, Roy laid Lionheart across Erica's snow-white neck.

At that moment, Erica felt a chill at her throat. Even the barely visible hairs on her skin stood on end. Although Lionheart was a Magecraft Artifact, Erica, its master, knew its sharpness very well. If Roy applied even the slightest force, her beautiful head would fall to the ground.

Yet even so, even with her life in Roy's hands, Erica's body did not tense up, nor did she feel afraid. Instead, she relaxed as much as possible, refusing to let her gaze waver as she made every effort to meet Roy's eyes.

It was a beautiful, flowerlike face—youthful, delicate, and noble.

Slowly, Roy moved the sword to Erica's fragrant shoulder. At this moment, Erica was kneeling on one knee, in precisely the posture of a knight being knighted.

Roy lowered his head and thought for a moment before laughing at himself. "...Forget it. I don't know anything about the knightly dubbing ceremony. But the meaning is what matters. From now on, Erica, you are my personal knight. I hope you can conduct yourself according to the principles of a knight, because you now represent 'me.'"

Roy flourished the sword, then reversed his grip on the hilt and handed Lionheart to Erica.

Erica let out a soft breath as she accepted the sword. Joy unconsciously appeared between her brows.

Just as she had expected, Roy, the New King, did not have anyone he could fully trust to handle his daily affairs. Over the past few days, Erica had already proven her decisiveness and competence, successfully entering the King's line of sight.

As one of the world's only seven kings, Roy had many ordinary matters to deal with. The most important thing to Roy was absorbing knowledge. He did not have enough free time to handle all those mundane affairs, yet he could not abandon everything like Salvatore.

The magical societies of Italy had sworn allegiance to him. As their King, he therefore had the duty to grant them greater glory.

Roy thus needed someone capable enough to handle his daily affairs. Erica had performed well over the past few days. In particular, she was also beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Compared to a male secretary, Roy still preferred a female secretary.

After all, when there was work, the secretary worked; when there was no work, he worked the secretary.

With his right hand in his pocket, Roy walked to the observation deck and gazed at the small island ahead. It was Italy's Ponza Island.

Beneath the cliffs on one side of Ponza Island stood a small city resembling Venice. Only four or five thousand people lived there permanently. It was a tourist attraction, though it did not usually receive many visitors.

"We've finally arrived. I can already smell the Disobedient God."

He murmured softly.

In a modest local restaurant on Ponza Island, Roy was tasting a cup of cheap coffee that was not particularly good.

Across from him, Erica sat upright in her red evening gown. There was also a cup of coffee on the table before her, but she had not taken a single sip, merely waiting for Roy's orders at any time.

"There seem to be very few people on this island. There aren't even any tourists."

Roy spoke while gazing at the seascape outside the restaurant.

"After learning that Metatron was on this island, the Seven Sisters Alliance had the Italian government prohibit tourism here. We also did our best to send away the more than four thousand people living here. As for the several hundred who remained and refused to leave, we stopped concerning ourselves with them."

With the Bronze Black Cross at their head, the magical societies of Italy cared deeply about the stability of their country. In fact, one could say that every magical society in the world became extremely vigilant when faced with a natural disaster like a Disobedient God.

"I see. Speaking of which, the Ponza Islands have been a place of exile since ancient times. Ever since Emperor Nero of Rome exiled his wife Octavia here, many emperors used this place as an island of exile. Even Mussolini was exiled here in the early twentieth century... Metatron chose such a place to hide and recover from his injuries. Could it be that He is also exiling Himself?"

Hearing Roy's loud laughter, Erica did not respond.

She only felt the heavy stone in her heart finally fall away, allowing her entire body to relax considerably.

Over the past few days, she had kept her mind taut while working for Roy, afraid that even the slightest negligence or mistake would enrage the King. But after interacting with the King for two days, she discovered that he was not as cruel and violent as she had imagined.

No, the King was still a self-willed and capricious Campione. However, the King before her was fair in public and private matters. In private, the King's temperament was quite gentle. As long as she did not touch his bottom line, he rarely became angry. He was truly worthy of being called a king.

When handling official business, however, he appeared extremely cold. He never hesitated to use any means necessary and could even be described as ruthless, fully displaying his bearing as the "Demon King." He was an absolute ruler.

After gaining a preliminary understanding of Roy's temperament, Erica believed she could deal with him perfectly. She would revere him while working, and in private, as long as she did not overstep her status and maintained basic etiquette, she would not anger the King.

Though he was capricious, he was absolutely not the type to impose an unfounded charge on an innocent person.

"King, Metatron is currently—"

"Don't speak, Lady Erica! My blood is already boiling, and my brain is urging me on. It's like a beast smelling blood. To a Campione, the scent of a Disobedient God is simply too intense."

Roy's gaze sharpened as he looked toward the high ground of the island.

Metatron was there!

"Wait for me, heretical angel. I shall slay you here!"

Chapter Nineteen: "Saint Martha Subdues the Dragon"

Ponza Island was not large, covering only around seven square kilometers in total. Its highest elevation was approximately three hundred meters.

Roy and Erica walked through the island's forest. The forest was not dense. Since the island was small and also a tourist attraction, its seven square kilometers had long since been fully developed by the locals. Roads opened by people could be found everywhere. Even an ordinary person could advance without difficulty after arriving here.

As they walked through the sparse forest, the roar of the tide drifted faintly from afar. The birds that usually circled the sky and cried out had departed the island at some unknown point, as if those wild animals had already sensed that a terrifying battle would take place here.

The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on Erica's heart, but Roy appeared relaxed. With one hand in his pocket, he wore his magnificent red robe as a high priest and walked along the dirt path fragrant with earth.

"Lady Erica..."

Erica, who had been lost in thought, shuddered and came back to herself at Roy's call. Only then did she realize that she had unknowingly fallen two steps behind Roy.

Erica hurried forward and composed herself. "...What are your orders, King?"

"I was only reminding you because you seemed distracted... Let me ask you again: Are you truly not leaving? Do you really want to see a battle between a Campione and a Disobedient God?"