"Exactly. Erica, Liliana, don't feel too much pity for the unfortunate. Though pity is an emotion humans must possess, 'pity' is also 'humanity's evil,' an indelible stain humanity cannot overcome, and one of the causes of its destruction."
Roy reminded the two girls, then looked toward Princess Alice's beautiful face, filled with smiles yet steeped in sorrow. In a gentle voice, he said, "...No wonder you encountered a Disobedient God when you were just over ten. It was because your Magic Power had fully awakened. No wonder you resigned as head of the Council of Sages three years after taking office. I thought your so-called physical problems were merely an excuse, but now it seems they were real."
"...It also explains why Marquis Voban didn't seek you out when he wanted to perform the Disobedient God summoning ritual two years ago. He knew your body simply couldn't do it."
Princess Alice nodded lightly. Her smile was like a withered flower—beautiful and sorrowful. "...When you, King Roy, came to my residence to find me, I already knew your purpose. The only reason you would need a Witch like me would be related to a Disobedient God. I presume you, like the Marquis, wish to summon one yourself."
"...But what a pity. I've made you come all this way for nothing. In my current condition, I can't leave this place. I would probably die before I could perform the ritual for you. Magic cannot heal the bodily damage caused by my overwhelming Magic Power. Even Lady Aisha's Authority can heal only external and internal injuries; it can do nothing about the chronic illness afflicting my body like a curse."
"You'll have to seek someone else."
Princess Alice's smile was exceptionally bright, as though she were delighted to have an absolutely irrefutable excuse that had left the Campione Roy at a loss.
"Ha. Others might indeed be helpless before your condition, Princess Alice, but one of my Authorities happens to possess an ability capable of resolving this predicament."
Roy suddenly stood. As Princess Alice panicked, feeling that the situation was slipping beyond her control, he approached her bed, reached out with his left hand, seized her pointed chin, gazed at her pale lips, and bent down.
This was the fifth of the seven abilities of Divine Right!
Your Life Has Been Requisitioned by Me
(I'll wait until the wind dies down, then unleash a flood of updates.)
The Bible contains a story in which God decided to test Abraham. He said to him, "...Take your beloved son Isaac to Moriah. On the mountain I designate, offer him to Me as a burnt offering."
When Abraham heard God's command, he was completely stunned. Yet he dared not disobey God's will, and ultimately decided to follow the instruction.
Just as Abraham had finished preparing everything and steeled himself to kill his own son with a knife, an Angel called from Heaven, "...Abraham, do not harm the child. Now I know that you fear God, for you did not withhold your only son from Me."
And in the Book of Zerubbabel, Michael once answered, "...I am the one who saved Isaac and mourned for him."
Roy's Divine Right ability came from this myth. It was the only one of his seven Great Authorities related to healing.
Because this ability was merely one Authority rather than a complete Authority, it had many restrictions.
Unlike Lady Aisha's Authority, which could be released freely as long as one possessed Magic Power, Roy could use this Authority only once a day.
Yet precisely because of that restriction, its effects were extraordinarily powerful. Lady Aisha's Authority could revive someone as long as they still had a breath left, but it was helpless against a 'curse' or a 'negative status' like Princess Alice's condition.
When used on others, Roy's Authority could turn decay into wonder and heal any injury. It could also remove every negative status and create protection. When used on himself, it could make him recover rapidly from any injury, even when on the verge of death, temporarily suppressing all wounds and returning him to his peak until the Authority's effect ended and the injuries erupted once more.
It was an ability for escaping death in a desperate situation.
Roy named this Authority—Isaac's Redemption!
To use this Authority on others, physical contact was enough. Roy chose to exchange bodily fluids simply because he wanted to.
"Mmph..."
Princess Alice whimpered. Her pale hand pressed against Roy, trying to push him away, but the girl who had lain motionless on the bed like a vegetable had no such strength. After struggling twice and realizing she could not move him, she could only helplessly give in to Roy's demands.
Erica and Liliana stood beside them, utterly astonished. Neither had expected Roy to do such a thing. They could only stand there flushed and flustered, while Liliana's mind suddenly ran wild, producing the plot of an overbearing-president romance novel.
The scent of a man flooded her senses, making Princess Alice's heart race. Her mind grew hazy from lack of oxygen. Yet besides Roy's scent, what she felt most strongly was the extraordinary Magic Power being transferred into her body.
This Magic Power was completely different from ordinary magical power. Apart from the difference in quality and quantity, it was also producing a mysterious effect in a manner Princess Alice could not understand. She knew this was a Campione's Authority, a great achievement stolen from the gods by a mortal, an existence beyond ordinary human analysis. Now, that Authority formed from Magic Power was rapidly improving her body.
Her body, weakened by her overwhelming Magic Power, began to regain its flexibility. It was like rusted gears being filled with Machine Oil and starting up smoothly once more.
Never had Princess Alice felt her heart beating so powerfully. Never had her mind felt so clear. Even her slender wrists finally possessed enough strength. Before she nearly suffocated, she pushed Roy away.
"Huff... huff..."
"King Roy, don't you think that was shameless?"
Princess Alice scolded him in embarrassment. Breathing heavily, she pressed a hand to her chest and slowly steadied her breathing.
Then Princess Alice realized in astonishment that her angry shout had been full of vigor, utterly unlike her former weakness as a critically ill patient.
Her limbs had become powerful, and she could even feel blood racing through her body. Even her pale hands had regained their color.
Although she was still much weaker than an ordinary person, like someone suffering from anemia, she had changed tremendously compared with when she had been gravely ill. At the very least, she could now eat and drink like a normal person and get out of bed to walk.
This was the vitality Princess Alice had not felt since she had collapsed onto her bed six years ago.
Roy did not answer her. He narrowed his eyes as though savoring the experience, smacked his lips, and said, "...Very inexperienced. So this was Princess Alice's first time. Given your relationship with Alexander Gascoyne, I thought you two would have been intimate long ago."
Roy's teasing made Princess Alice even more annoyed. "...Please don't compare me with that troublesome man, King Roy."
"Oh? Alice, you're known as the White Princess, while Gascoyne is known as the Black Prince. I thought you were a match made in Heaven."
Roy looked surprised, but the surprise was obviously fake. He was merely teasing her.
"I find that matter troublesome as well, but since everyone calls us that, I can't exactly refute it... Besides, if I truly had an intimate relationship with Alexander, what you did earlier would amount to declaring war on him."
Now that she had regained her strength, Princess Alice had become even sharper-tongued.
"I don't care about declaring war on him. Besides, if you really were intimate with him, I might be even more excited. Isn't a Demon King supposed to steal away the princess who loves someone else and make both her and her beloved despair?"
"...Gascoyne is far too cautious. Among the Campiones, his caution is practically unique. Do you think he's hiding somewhere nearby right now, agonizing over whether my actions were meant to lure him out, while painfully envying me for taking Princess Alice's first time?"
As he spoke, Roy looked around with exaggerated seriousness, as though Alexander Gascoyne were hiding in some corner, too afraid to emerge.
"You really are..."
Princess Alice was caught between laughter and tears. Faced with someone so shameless, what could she say?
Erica and Liliana's gazes toward Roy also changed noticeably.
What a pervert!
Princess Alice muttered inwardly, then did her best to remain calm. "...King Roy, forcing a girl to do something against her will will make her hate you. Some girls like being treated forcefully, but I am not one of them."
"I don't care whether you hate or like me, whether you want it or not. I am a Demon King—a Demon King who runs rampant across the earth and does whatever he pleases. Even if I announce here and now that you are my woman and that I intend to establish a harem of beautiful girls in this modern age, no one will be surprised. Because that is my authority!"
After a pause, Roy shrugged. "...Well, now that you can move, Princess Alice, you no longer have any reason to refuse me. The rest of your life has been requisitioned by me!"
Storms Gather
"Y-Your life has been requisitioned?!"
Erica Blandelli unconsciously cried out in a rising voice, her face becoming tense.
Such a confession-like statement threw Erica into confusion. She felt an anger and jealousy like someone had stolen something that belonged to her, and as a result, her gaze toward Princess Alice became distinctly unfriendly.
Liliana, standing beside Erica, did not have so many thoughts. She had known Roy for too short a time. She was merely dizzy from his bold declaration, while the romance-novel-loving girl's mind filled with countless Mary Sue scenarios.
Princess Alice was also stunned by Roy's words, but she was, after all, a former head of the Council of Sages who had seen much of the world. Though her heart beat faster at his bold statement, she did not cry out in surprise.
She composed herself, pursed her pink lips, and smiled. "...King Roy, are you confessing your love to me? Even I would have to treat a King's bold confession carefully. I wouldn't dare reject it outright."
Her tone sounded playful.
Roy, however, looked serious. "...This isn't a confession. It's an order! If I hadn't met a beautiful woman like Princess Alice, so be it. But now that I have met you and felt my heart stir, don't I, as a King, have the authority to fill my harem with beauties?"
His brazen declaration left Princess Alice speechless. Embarrassment flashed across her face. Such an unreasonable yet serious 'confession,' completely outside convention, was something she had never encountered before.
"King, please think carefully about a lifelong matter like this! You are still young. It is understandable that you would be attracted to an older woman at your age, but you should use a ruler's willpower to resist the Witch's temptation!"
Erica was the first to oppose the 'marriage.' She spoke with absolute conviction and an upright expression, like a minister remonstrating with an emperor to lead him onto the Correct Path.
At the same time, she muttered inwardly that although the King had beautiful girls like her and Liliana beside him, he acted as properly toward them as he would toward ordinary retainers. Yet the moment he met Princess Alice, he became so bold. Could it be that the King preferred older women?
Judging by age alone, Princess Alice seemed five or six years older than Roy was now.
Erica's malice darkened Princess Alice's face. Girls never liked being called old. She threw back the covers and jumped straight out of bed in her pajamas. Her body was weak and unaccustomed to movement after so long without activity, but she still refused Roy's support and steadied herself through her own efforts.
"King Roy, since you healed my body, it is only right that I serve you. Otherwise, people will say I am ungrateful. But I do have one request..."
Princess Alice leaned against the bed. Her tone was reserved, and her elegant, refined bearing was like that of a noblewoman, naturally carrying the dignity of someone in a high position.
"I know what you want. You want me to remove the Authority from your maidservant."
Roy raised his left hand and snapped his fingers. "...There. The Authority of Sodom's Eye has been removed. Clever as you are, Your Highness Princess, you should have known from the beginning that I didn't come here to kill anyone. I only meant to force you to perform the ritual. Of course, if you refuse, tomorrow's Times really will carry a report about a massacre in London's Wealthy District."
Roy expressed those frightening words in an extremely gentle tone.
Princess Alice gave a bitter smile. "...As expected of a Demon King. Your willful attitude is no different from that of any Campione. The Eastern Patriarch is said to be even more brutal: anyone who hears her divine voice has their ears cut off, and anyone who sees her divine countenance has their eyes gouged out. You have not used such cruel methods, but the fear you inspire pierces the heart even more deeply."
"...Then, King Roy, when are we leaving?"
At first, Princess Alice's face was bitter and troubled, but by the end, she had become eager. She happily controlled her body, walking back and forth as though becoming accustomed to moving in her real form. Her elegant, noble eyes were filled with anticipation for what was to come.
"Indeed, Princess Alice, you love getting involved in excitement. Someone like you has no distinction between good and evil. Even if the world were going to end tomorrow, you'd eagerly go watch how magnificent the apocalypse was."
Roy saw through Princess Alice's nature at a glance. She was a woman who feared the world falling into chaos. The more chaotic and dangerous the situation, the more it interested her.
"Please don't slander a lady. I'm merely curious about the unknown. I don't participate for my own amusement."
Princess Alice smiled charmingly, but a trace of darkness showed through that breathtaking, faint smile.
Then the princess acted decisively. She picked up the telephone beside her and began arranging their next steps, complaining as she did so: "...Moving around in my true body has its inconveniences. I can no longer reach any corner of the world in an instant. Going to the Far East means sitting on a plane for a long time."
Before long, Princess Alice had arranged everything on the English side and prepared a private plane at the airport.
She set down the antique-looking landline telephone, turned toward Roy, and smiled seductively with her red lips slightly parted. "...King Roy, I need to change into something more suitable for movement. I hope you'll be a gentleman and avert your eyes for a moment."
"There's no need. Just change here, Princess Alice. With Erica and Liliana here, I won't do anything to you. Besides, changing in front of me will help you get used to it first."
"Get used to what?"
Princess Alice's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
"Your chronic illness can't be healed by a single use of my Authority. You'll need follow-up treatment, like the mouth-to-mouth treatment we used earlier. Of course, to recover completely, we may need a little closer physical contact."
Roy laughed brightly. With a woman like this, he could not yield to her. He had to seize the initiative and remain forceful, or she would likely lead him around by the nose. No wonder Alexander Gascoyne had been rendered helpless by her.
Naturally, this so-called treatment was a lie. His Authority could be activated through slight physical contact. But Roy wanted to play Demon King for once, completely cast aside his former values, and learn the skill his father had once possessed of moving freely among countless women.
Aleister, however, accepted anyone who came to him, as long as she was female. Roy, on the other hand, only ate the finest delicacies, even if that required more effort.
Erica and Liliana were left flustered by Roy's words. Princess Alice gritted her silver teeth, but in the end, she still placed her hand at the collar of her pajamas and undid the buttons one by one, revealing her lovely body.
The man's selfishness left her no choice.
Deep in the Alps stood a villa seemingly built in a fairyland. An old man with white hair sat before a fire, savoring a steaming cup of tea.
"My new kinsman really is a reckless and unpredictable young man. He reminds me of that foolish boy who used a sword. Two years ago, that fool stole my prey. Now another young man wants to steal my toy. It seems that unless I loosen my bones a little, they won't understand what it means to respect their elders."
The old man slowly set down his teacup and stood. He was healthy and vigorous, dressed like a kindly old gentleman. Yet his emerald eyes were filled with the cruel mercilessness of a wolf.
"...Still, I should thank the young man's efforts. That little girl living in England can actually move now. If she is added to the equation, I won't have to wait several more years for my new ritual. I can hold it now, can't I?"
The old man revealed a cruel smile and ordered, "...Prepare a plane for me."
Meanwhile, in an art museum somewhere in the English countryside, a man who looked like a young nobleman stared at the information in his hand. Without changing expression, he crushed it, inexplicably feeling a wave of discomfort.
The Marquis's 'Heroic Rescue of a Beauty'
The Historical Records Compilation Committee was Japan's largest organization, jointly established by the government and the great families of the mysterious world. It professionally managed the order of Japan's entire magical world. Its Tokyo Branch in Kanto and Kyoto Branch in Kansai were also the most powerful departments within the Historical Records Compilation Committee.
In the Tokyo Branch's office, a woman who looked only seventeen or eighteen sat at the head of the room. With her short hair, she resembled a beautiful young man. Beneath her sat the leaders of the Tokyo Branch's major departments.
The woman's name was Saya no Miya Kaoru. She was the heir of Japan's great mysterious family, the Saya Family. The girl, who had only just entered her first year of high school, had recently been promoted to director of the Tokyo Branch of the Historical Records Compilation Committee. She was now presiding over an emergency meeting.
"Director Saya no Miya, this is the intelligence we just received. The new King from the Vatican in Italy, Lord Roy Crowley, has arrived at Haneda Airport with his two knights and Princess Alice of Europe. They are currently traveling by car to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Tokyo."
Kasukabe Touma, a man in his thirties approaching forty, was giving the report. He was Saya no Miya Kaoru's capable subordinate and worked as the Tokyo Branch's external liaison.
"Kasukabe, didn't the Historical Records Compilation Committee send anyone to welcome the King's arrival?"
"The new King did not notify the authorities before coming to Japan. We didn't dare overstep ourselves by welcoming him. It would be troublesome if the King thought we were monitoring him constantly."
The slovenly middle-aged man answered in a flippant tone.
"Mm. You handled that well. Since the King's knight did not inform us, it means the King doesn't want to be disturbed... I have another piece of intelligence. The oldest Demon King, the Marquis, also arrived in Japan not long ago."
Saya no Miya Kaoru took a deep breath, her tone gradually becoming serious.
"W-What?! Why would two Kings suddenly visit this tiny country of ours?"
The previously carefree Kasukabe Touma's expression changed dramatically. The entire meeting room descended into chaos as people discussed the matter in alarm. Japan had no Campione of its own, and the arrival of two Campiones was undoubtedly a natural disaster on the scale of a massive earthquake—especially since neither had a particularly good reputation.
"The Council of Sages of Greenwich sent word that the new King abducted Princess Alice from Duke Godding's residence in London. Afterward, the new King came to Japan, and the Marquis came here at the same time. Kasukabe, I believe you already know what the two Kings intend to do."
Saya no Miya Kaoru's body trembled slightly as she spoke through clenched teeth.
"For Yuri Wanitangi!"
Kasukabe Touma held a high position within the Historical Records Compilation Committee and knew all about the incident two years earlier, when Marquis Voban had attempted to summon a Disobedient God in Europe. After combining the intelligence regarding the new King and the Marquis, he immediately guessed the purpose of the two Campiones.
Before you continue