Chapter Seventy: The Advancement of "Jacob's Ladder" / Chapter Seventy-One: I Prefer Goddesses ...

After giving his orders, Roy quickly set up several warning spells. These spells offered little defensive protection; they merely told others, No trespassing.

Once everything was finished, Roy began issuing commands as a "king," ordering the Seven Sisters Alliance of Italy to send over the materials and tools needed for various magical rituals. In less than a day, Roy had completed all the arrangements.

Before a simple experimental table, Roy was carefully manipulating the Type-Moon magic he had learned from Solomon, carving runes and spells into the eyeball on the table with scalpel-like precision.

This eyeball was Roy's left eye. His left eye socket was now an empty, bloody hole, and Roy was controlling his Magic Power to keep the Campione's powerful Magic Power from regenerating the eye on its own.

For a Campione, injuries such as severed limbs or the loss of an organ could still be healed through self-regeneration.

Roy had never imagined that one day he would viciously pluck out his own eyeball. Such a horrifying act was something he would never have dared imagine in the past.

He had to admit that after learning so much magical knowledge, he was now able to hold himself to a magician's standards.

The magic of the Campione World leaned toward offense, making it unsuitable for such delicate experiments. Most magic in the Type-Moon World, however, was used for research, making it perfectly suited to creating a magic eye.

"Finished!"

When Roy completed the nanometer-level operation with hands steady as stone, even he admired himself. A Campione's control over the details of the body was truly terrifying.

Roy placed the eye, now fully inscribed with magic-eye markings, into the liquid beside him. After soaking it for a while, he removed it and surgically implanted it back into the socket. Once he reconnected the ocular nerves, the magic eye immediately linked to his brain. Then, an organ in his brain connected to his soul, allowing Roy to completely master the magic eye.070

In the Type-Moon World, this would absolutely be a top-tier "rainbow"-class magic eye. Empowered by Roy's Authority, it possessed the formidable Sodom's Eye, which was as powerful as Medusa's Petrification Magic Eye, while also possessing clairvoyance capable of seeing through the past. Its versatility was beyond imagination.

As the magic eye finished implanting, Roy felt for the first time the strange sensation of using clairvoyance to see through the past.

"'Plutarch's Hall'?! So the Yomi actually has a place like this—a mysterious annex that records all the information of the past, just like the Akashic Records. The place the witches gaze at when using Spiritual Vision is actually 'Plutarch's Hall'!"

"...I see. I see. So this is the truth of the world—the origins of the Disobedient Gods and the Campiones, the identity and abilities of the Last King, his hiding place, the source of the fate shared by Campiones and Disobedient Gods, and the true mastermind behind it all!"

Roy suddenly understood everything at that moment. It was as if he had read the text of this world. Nothing in this world remained a secret before him; everything had been exposed to the light.

In the past, Roy had only watched the Campione anime and had never read the original novels. At Aiwass's suggestion, he had also resisted the urge to read them, because doing so would create a powerful butterfly effect.

But now, he had obtained all the information through clairvoyance. Since this was a magical method, it completely avoided creating a butterfly effect, allowing him to make every necessary preparation..

Chapter Seventy: The Advancement of "Jacob's Ladder"

One year later, at Duke Godding's residence in London, England—

Warm sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the princess's dreamlike bedroom. The gauzy curtains around the princess's bed rippled in the breeze from outside. Roy opened his eyes, brushed the platinum-blond hair from his lips, and gently pushed the soft, smooth body in his arms aside before rising from the bed and leaning against the headboard.

"Mm... You're awake, Roy."

Princess Alice rubbed her sleepy, bleary eyes and murmured.

A year had passed, and Princess Alice no longer called him "King." Instead, she addressed him by name with intimacy. Her slightly hoarse voice carried a lazy suggestiveness.

"What time is it?"

The princess turned over, wrapped a snow-white arm around Roy, and asked without opening her eyes.

"A little after seven in the morning..."

Roy glanced at the clock by the wall and replied.

"It's only seven? Then I'll sleep a little longer."

Princess Alice muttered. She had only slept for three hours. Compared to a Campione's stamina, her body was excessively delicate as a witch.

If Roy had not injected her body every few days over the past year with essence filled with Authority, gradually healing the chronic illness left behind by her excessive spiritual power, Princess Alice would probably have died long ago.

"Mm. Then go back to sleep."

Before Roy had finished speaking, he heard Alice's even breathing. She had already fallen asleep.

Shaking his head with a laugh, Roy put on his pajamas and left the bedroom. The middle-aged housekeeper of Duke Godding's family, a woman in her forties whom Roy had nearly killed in the past, was already waiting outside.

"'King,' a maid is waiting in the washroom. Please proceed there to freshen up!"

The housekeeper bowed respectfully as she spoke.

She held no resentment toward Roy and dared not harbor any. In fact, she was grateful that Roy had cured Princess Alice's chronic illness and saved her future lifespan. Although it was somewhat regrettable that even with Princess Alice's status, she could only become the "King's" lover, the housekeeper knew that this was not something she should concern herself with.

"I understand. Alice was very tired last night. Don't disturb her; let her sleep. Call her at lunchtime々"."

"Yes!"

The housekeeper answered, then remained outside Princess Alice's bedroom, quietly waiting. This was the work she had always done in the past.

A year earlier, Roy had "killed" King Solomon in Jerusalem and obtained his Authority. Aiwass had also improved Pandora's Dark Offering and tested it on Roy.

Aiwass's modified Dark Offering had some flaws. After fusing King Solomon's Spiritual Foundation with Roy's, the aspects where Roy and Solomon shared compatibility had indeed been strengthened. This was most evident in the Authority "Jacob's Ladder."

Although Roy had previously claimed that his "Jacob's Ladder" had seven forms, he had actually created only five. In his deductions, the final two forms had already exceeded the limits of this Authority, so he had not created them.

This time, with Solomon's Spiritual Foundation completing the missing parts, Roy finally created all seven forms of "Jacob's Ladder." More importantly, during this completion, he upgraded the Authority once again, granting the seven forms special powers.

For example, his first form, "Saint Martha Subdues the Dragon," gave Roy the strength of a dragon when he threw that punch, but had no other special properties. Now, as Roy's "Jacob's Ladder" fused with the "Jacob's Ladder" inherited from King Solomon and completed its advancement, "Saint Martha Subdues the Dragon" possessed the special property of "dragon-slaying." When used against dragons, it would inflict far greater damage.

In that respect, Aiwass's modified Pandora's Dark Festival had succeeded. The reason it was said to contain flaws was mainly that the fusion of Spiritual Foundations had not greatly increased Roy's Magic Power.

Although Roy's Magic Power was somewhat stronger than before, the increase was too small and did not match Aiwass's theoretical expectations when improving the ritual. Thus, to both Roy and Aiwass, the ritual was still unqualified and had areas that urgently needed further improvement.

Over the past year, Aiwass had continued improving Pandora's Dark Festival. As the most fundamental and complex "Campione reincarnation ritual" in the Campione World, improving it was exceedingly difficult. Even Aiwass, the "Holy Guardian Angel" said to possess "knowledge inheritance," could not complete it so easily.

During that year, Roy mainly traveled between England and Italy. Every day, besides continuing to read the books offered by different magical organizations, he lived amid rouge and powder, while also using this method to avoid Salvatore Tony's pestering.

Whenever the King of Swords was in Italy, Roy went to England. Whenever he left Italy, Roy returned. It was not that Roy feared the King of Swords; that thickheaded man was simply too annoying. All he knew was how to fight, and there was nothing in his head but muscles, which greatly interfered with Roy's studies. As someone who loved learning, Roy decided to avoid contact with such a poor student whenever possible.

During that year, he also quietly waited for the arrival of a Disobedient God.

There were not as many Disobedient Gods as one might imagine. Otherwise, seven Campiones would not have been born in three hundred years. This was already the era with the greatest number of Campiones in human history. In an entire year, Roy had heard almost nothing about a Disobedient God descending.

Roy's magic eye, born from clairvoyance, allowed him to know every secret that had ever occurred in this world. He even knew where the Last King was currently sleeping. However, Roy's current strength was nowhere near enough to defeat the Last King. If he woke him, it would become a disaster for the Campiones.

For now, Roy quietly waited for more Disobedient Gods to descend, then planned to kill them and seize their Spiritual Foundations. With Aiwass's further improved Pandora's Dark Festival, he would make himself stronger, just like the protagonist of an RPG: first raising his skills and level to a certain point, then facing the final boss.

"Ding-a-ling—"

Roy had just finished washing when he heard his phone ring. He did not check the caller ID. Only a few people in this world knew his number, and anyone calling him must have something important.

"Lord Roy, the archaeological excavation of ancient ruins that you ordered the Seven Sisters Alliance to intensify has yielded results. We discovered the Divine Artifact of an ancient Mediterranean queen!"

At that moment, Roy knew that the thing he had been waiting for had finally arrived!

Chapter Seventy-One: I Prefer Goddesses

Rome, Italy—the headquarters of the She-wolf—

"On behalf of Roy 'King,' I thank you all for your efforts. 'King' has seen all the hard work you have put in over the past year!"

Erica Blandelli, with golden hair like a golden crown, stood proudly at the head of the conference table. She surveyed the entire venue and addressed all the representatives of the Seven Sisters Alliance in a clear, beautiful, and ringing voice.

At fifteen, being able to face the Seven Sisters Alliance's decision-makers as almost a "master" was an unprecedented feat in Italy's magical world.

However, none of the representatives of the Seven Sisters Alliance present found it inappropriate. That was because Erica represented not her magical organization, the "Bronze Black Cross," but the leader of the alliance representing all of Italy and the Vatican—the "King" Roy, who had defeated Marquis Voban, slain multiple gods, and vaguely occupied the highest position among the six remaining Campiones.

Liliana was standing beside Erica. As Erica's close friend and highly respected companion in both daily life and bed, she watched Erica with admiration.

Although Liliana's strength was no weaker than Erica's, Erica was indeed more at ease in such situations and better able to represent the "King's" dignity. Therefore, Liliana never competed with Erica in public.

"Erica, we have excavated the ruins of an ancient goddess. As long as what 'King' seeks is in those ruins, we will present the Divine Artifact to 'King' within a few days!"

A representative of the She-wolf stood and spoke to Erica.

The representatives of the Seven Sisters Alliance present were all senior members of their respective organizations, not their supreme commanders. If Roy himself were presiding over the meeting, the seven supreme commanders would certainly have waited on him. But Erica alone was not qualified to make the seven commanders lower themselves; they represented the dignity of Italy's entire magical world.

Erica understood this clearly. She also knew that her authority came from Roy, so she did not dare act too arrogantly. She had to maintain the proper balance. Besides, one of the Seven Sisters Alliance's supreme commanders was an uncle she greatly respected, and she certainly would not put on airs before him.

"'King' possesses a magic eye that can see through the past. He has already confirmed that the Divine Artifact is in the newly excavated ruins. I hope you will not question 'King's' words."

Erica glared at him and spoke in a cold, commanding voice.

The She-wolf's senior member hurriedly lowered his head and fearfully admitted that he had overstepped.

After killing Solomon in Jerusalem, everyone believed that the Authority Roy had obtained was part of Solomon's Wisdom—specifically, a magic eye capable of seeing through the past.

More than a year was enough for Roy to completely control his subordinates and display the bearing of a true king. The magical worlds of Italy and the Vatican were now strictly hierarchical, and no one dared show disrespect to Roy, their "leader."

"Excavate the Gorgon Stone and present it to 'King.' Remember, this is an object belonging to the oldest goddess, a symbol of the ancient Earth Mother. It is the guidepost that leads many goddesses onto the path of disobedience. If you do not want to attract the attention of a Disobedient God and thereby bring down a natural disaster, do not keep this object in your possession for too long. Hand it over to 'King' as soon as possible!"

Erica warned everyone present. Italy was her homeland, and she did not want it to attract the attention of a powerful Disobedient God.

After more than a year together, she had long understood Roy's character and way of doing things. He was not a tyrant who completely disregarded ordinary people. As long as he was given time to prepare, he was willing to go to an uninhabited place to fight a Disobedient God. As for what had happened in Tokyo, that had been unavoidable. When necessary, "King" would also strike without hesitation amid innocent civilians. He was truly a man in whom brutality and mercy coexisted.

Therefore, "King" had to be given more time. Only then would he bestow mercy.

"We understand, 'Crimson Devil.' But there is one more matter—the 'King of Swords,' Lord Salvatore Tony..."

A senior member of the "Bronze Black Cross" addressed Erica by the title she was proud of, but his expression became hesitant when he mentioned the "King of Swords."

"Lord Salvatore's matter will be handled personally by 'King.' You need not worry! Unlike Lord Salvatore, Roy 'King' is more mature. We must trust that 'King' will resolve this matter perfectly."

Erica had absolute confidence in Roy. Even though he treated her only as a lover and bedmate, Erica had already regarded him as her beloved.

She could feel that Roy had feelings for her in bed. He knew how to respect her instead of treating her as a dispensable outlet. That alone was enough for Erica to give him her entire body and soul.

"Ah ha! My friend! Although we have never met, I have missed you terribly!"

On the road to the Vatican, a Maybach was stopped by the roadside. A handsome, carefree Italian youth was blocking the way in front of it.

Beside the young man stood a knight of around thirty, waiting like a butler. His head was slightly lowered, and he did not dare look directly at the back seat of the car.

Roy, wearing a red Cardinal's robe and sitting with his eyes closed in the back seat, opened his eyes. He lowered the partition in front of him and sighed helplessly.

This time, he had come to Italy for the Gorgon Stone, and Salvatore Tony had finally caught him.

Since he had been caught, Roy had no intention of avoiding him. He ordered the nervous driver and attendants to open the door, then said calmly, "...Lord Salvatore, since you're here, get in the car. Don't block the road and stop pedestrians from passing."

Roy was not a battle maniac, nor did he seek out Disobedient Gods to vent his desire for combat. He wanted to become stronger so he could face the crises of the future. Therefore, he did not particularly like people such as Salvatore Tony, who picked fights at the slightest provocation.

Compared to relying on instinct to fight, Roy trusted his own wisdom and knowledge more. In his view, human wisdom and knowledge were the keys to human evolution and the prosperity of human reason. In a sense, he was not especially compatible with Campiones.

"My friend! You're finally willing to see me! I thought I must have done something wrong and made you dislike me!"

The cheerful blond youth swaggered over and climbed into the car without a care, while the knight following him sighed helplessly and sat beside Salvatore as his attendant.

"Say what you want quickly. Compared to you, I prefer chasing after goddesses."

Roy got straight to the point. Although he had already guessed why Salvatore was looking for him..

Chapter Seventy-Two: The King of Swords Gets Led Around by the Nose

Roy gestured for the driver to continue driving.

"My friend, come! Let's have a good fight! You must have been waiting here for me because you couldn't wait to battle me, right?"

The King of Swords shouted excitedly.

"Lord Salvatore, this is an urban district of Rome. Please withdraw your previous statement. That was an extremely dangerous thing to say."

It was not Roy who said this, but the Great Knight accompanying Salvatore. The knight in his thirties had a stern expression and practically berated the King of Swords in an interrogating tone.

Salvatore was not angry. Instead, he replied with familiar resignation, "...Yeah, yeah, I know. Andre, you're such a bother."

Salvatore Tony was the sixth Campione, accomplishing his feat two years before Roy slew a god. He had already been famous throughout Italy before becoming a Campione—not because he was powerful, but because he was weak.

He was a pure sword fanatic, seemingly born for the sword. Yet while possessing swordsmanship talent that nearly drove others to despair, he had no talent for magic whatsoever.

Although the strong in the Campione World were called Great Knights, they mainly relied on magic, with swordsmanship as a supplement. What truly made humans powerful was magic, not swordsmanship. It was easy to imagine how weak Salvatore Tony was without any magical talent, and how much he was mocked.

With unimaginable perseverance, this man had once found Italy's only Sole Holy Knight, "Saint Raphael," and become her disciple. Yet despite having no magical talent, he still made no progress.

After leaving Saint Raphael's tutelage, Salvatore continued wandering. Later, through a twist of fate, he was possessed by a god and used its power to slay another god, thereby becoming a Campione.

It could be said that among the seven Campiones of the present era, aside from Roy, who slew a god through his own wisdom, Aiwass's power, and a little luck, the other six had all succeeded through "fortune."

"I wasn't waiting here for you. You came looking for me yourself."

Roy teased Salvatore.

"My friend, don't be so distant! I merely felt a sudden impulse to come out, and then I ran into you. See? This is fate!"

The man seemed completely incapable of reading the atmosphere. He sat down beside Roy and directly put an arm around his shoulders, making Roy shift unobtrusively toward the left side of the seat.

"Why do you want to fight me? Is it because I took your position as Italy's leader?"

"Ahaha, I don't care about that at all. If you want it, I'll give it to you, my friend! Andre once told me that it would make me lose the dignity of a 'king,' but so what? I've been losing face for many years already, so I don't care. I only came to challenge you because I heard you defeated that old man in Eastern Europe. That old man looked incredibly strong. Even after fighting him, I couldn't determine a victor."