Salvatore said cheerfully, "Three years ago, Marquis Voban summoned a Disobedient God. That Disobedient God was stolen by the King of Swords, so the two Campiones have a grudge between them."
The King of Swords' voice was utterly straightforward. His words were definitely not empty boasts, but his genuine thoughts.
Roy admired him for that. Putting himself in Salvatore's place, if he learned that a New King had taken his possession, he would certainly have flown into a rage and caused boundless destruction, making the traitor and plunderer understand the price they had to pay.
Yet Salvatore could laugh all of this off. He truly did not care about face at all, living solely for the sword.
It was not that Roy was narrow-minded or Salvatore broad-minded. Their ways of living were simply different.
Although this King of Swords from Italy annoyed Roy, he would never make Roy hate him.
"I still have things to do. I don't have time to fight you."
Roy continued refusing him. At the same time, he gestured with his eyes toward the knight Salvatore had brought, signaling him to drag his "King" away. The knight's name was Andre Rivera. He was Salvatore's absolute confidant and was known as the Butler of the King. Considering Salvatore's personality, the fact that he could live normally in human society was largely thanks to Andre.
"Something important? I heard from Italy that you seem to be looking for a Divine Artifact so you can search for a Disobedient God. So you like looking for Disobedient Gods to fight too? That's fine. I can wait until you finish fighting, and then we can have a match."
Salvatore did not listen to Roy's explanation at all, doing whatever he pleased.
Roy found him unbearably annoying. After thinking for a moment, he said, "...Lord Salvatore, do you know why Human History spans thousands of years and mythology has been passed down for thousands of years, yet even the oldest Campione alive today is less than three hundred years old? Where did all the former Campiones go?"
"Huh?"
Salvatore froze for a moment before saying, "...You're right. Where did all those former Campiones go?"
He asked blankly.
"Among the Disobedient Gods, there is one known as the Last King. He is the hero who exterminates Demon Kings. Whenever the number of Campiones reaches a certain level, he awakens and destroys all of them. The number of Campiones has now reached that level, so she will awaken soon."
Roy's tone was solemn as he described his concern about the Last King.
Before Salvatore could say anything, his knight Andre sat up straight. "...King Roy, I have never heard of anyone called the 'Last King.' Could this be an oracle granted to you by Solomon's Wisdom?"
After Solomon's death, whether it was the Council of Sages or any other organization, everyone assumed that Roy's authority was Spiritual Vision—in other words, an authority that allowed him to see through the past. No one knew about the Human Order Rectification Ritual.
Nevertheless, this authority had caused countless scholars and magicians to erupt in excitement. Being able to freely read information from the past represented an endless store of knowledge and secrets that could be browsed at will. Although it had no direct combat power, it allowed Roy to seize the initiative forever.
"Ah, that's right. It's the product of Solomon's Wisdom. According to the revelation, I roughly know that the Last King is sleeping on an island somewhere in the Pacific. Lord Salvatore, I truly don't have time to fight you right now. If you really want to find an opponent, go search for the Last King in the Pacific. As the hero who exterminates Demon Kings, his strength is the greatest in all history. He will certainly satisfy you."
Roy feared that Salvatore might possess something like instinctive intuition, so he did not lie at all, lest Salvatore realize that he was deceiving him. Everything Roy said was true—except that the Last King was indeed sleeping on an island in the Pacific. Japan was also an island in the Pacific, just slightly larger.
However, this information would easily mislead people. Salvatore would probably search the vast Pacific for uninhabited islands.
Sure enough, when he heard Roy's news, Salvatore's expression sharpened. This King of Swords was swift and decisive. He immediately opened the car door and said to Andre, "...Andre, hurry and come with me to the Pacific. We can't let someone else claim such a powerful opponent first."
At the same time, he turned back to Roy. "...Thank you so much for the information, my friend! We really are good friends. Once I deal with that 'Last King,' I'll come back and fight you!"
"Fine. Then I'll give you one last piece of information. Six years ago, Alexander Gascoyne of England searched for the Holy Grail, causing a huge stir in the mysterious world. According to what I know, the Holy Grail is related to the Last King. If you can't find the Last King's resting place in the Pacific, you can look for Alexander Gascoyne. He must have plenty of information about the Last King."
Roy directly diverted the trouble elsewhere. Salvatore could never find the Last King's resting place in the Pacific. Afterward, he would very likely go after the Black Prince. The two Campiones most likely to cause Roy trouble had been forcibly turned into "enemies."
The Eastern Patriarch had always lived in seclusion. The Campione of America belonged to the rare "good" faction that disliked causing trouble. Marquis Voban had temporarily been dealt with by Roy. It could be said that Roy had created an extremely favorable environment for himself to continue developing in peace.
"There's still the troublemaker Lady Aisha. Hopefully, that Queen of the Demon Cave will continue wandering through time and space."
Roy muttered to himself. By then, Salvatore had already taken Andre and leaped from the car, running into the distance.
"Excellent. Now no one can disturb my 'date' with the Goddess!"
Chapter 73: The Gorgon Stone
"Lord Roy, this is the item you requested, freshly excavated from the ruins."
In a quiet villa in Rome, Italy, Erica gently placed a briefcase on the table before Roy.
Erica and Liliana stood on either side of the table, heads slightly bowed.
"Thanks for your hard work, Erica and Lily."
Roy smiled at his two knights. He ran a finger across the briefcase's lock, destroying both its technological combination lock and its magical one.
His hands moved as though he were about to inspect an ancient and priceless antique. Roy gently opened the briefcase. At its very center lay a round stone disk resembling marble. It was small enough to grasp in one hand, like a medallion. Carved into its surface was a snake-haired monster—the Gorgon of Greek Mythology, namely the famous Medusa.
"The Gorgon Monster, a relic of an ancient Goddess..."
Roy gently lifted the stone medallion, which seemed as if it might shatter at a touch, and blew softly across it, sending the dust away.
Compared with modern craftsmanship, the Gorgon carved on the ancient medallion was extremely crude, formed from only a few simple strokes. Yet Roy could clearly sense immense divine power within the stone medallion. This power granted the Gorgon Stone an imperishable nature. No external force could destroy it. Only when the master of the Gorgon Stone was slain would it lose that immortality.
"The gods worshiped by the Romans and those of Greek Mythology are consistent. Aphrodite is Venus, while Ares is Mars... In the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, Medusa was originally a beautiful girl who was assaulted by the God of the Sea and transformed into a monster by Athena."
"...In truth, that story has been completely distorted. According to the genuine records of ancient Greek Mythology, Gorgon Medusa and her two sisters were born monsters. If we trace things back to their origins, the Gorgon Sisters should originally have been Goddesses, but under the butcher's blade of the Steel Hero, they fell into Dragon-Serpents."
Roy toyed with the Gorgon Stone in his hand. The pupils of his left eye began to contract and merge. Activating Spiritual Vision, he used the Gorgon Stone as a medium to trace back the ancient mythology, searching through the torrents of myth and history for its master.
"Lord Roy, the Gorgon Stone has been excavated, and its aura has already leaked out. This stone is a beacon belonging to an ancient Goddess. Once it appears in the world, it will certainly be pursued by the Earth Mother Goddess who has manifested upon the land."
Erica possessed extensive knowledge of history and mythology. She inhaled deeply and lowered her head to offer a frank warning. "...This is Rome, the capital of Italy and the center of the territory under your command. If you fight a Disobedient God here, your property will suffer unnecessary damage. Therefore, I boldly request that you move elsewhere, Lord Roy, so that you may fight the Disobedient God."
"Liliana also requests this of you, Lord Roy. We hope you will grant the people of Italy your mercy and compassion."
Liliana knelt on one knee and performed an ancient, formal knightly salute.
Roy put away the Gorgon Stone, rose to his feet, and waved a hand like an emperor issuing an edict. "...Petition approved!"
Then he laughed loudly, walked over to the table, and pinched Erica and Liliana's delicate cheeks. The places his fingers touched were smooth and supple. Fifteen-year-old girls—especially girls with Witch blood—had jade-like skin that seemed made of water.
"All right, you two may rise. I've finished playing along with your little performance."
Roy raised a hand, signaling Erica and Liliana to stand.
The two knightly girls exchanged a glance, both revealing faint smiles. A year ago, they probably would have truly trembled as they requested this of Roy. Now, however, they fully understood Roy's way of doing things. They knew he had never intended to fight a Disobedient God within Italy, so their remonstrance had merely been a formality.
As a "King," Roy did not permit anyone to treat him disrespectfully or neglect proper etiquette. But just as an ancient emperor could joke freely with trusted ministers, Roy allowed Erica and Liliana—two girls who had accompanied him for more than a year and gradually developed mutual understanding with him—to behave more casually in his presence, so long as they knew their limits and did not take advantage of his indulgence.
"Lord Roy, should we summon Yuri Wanitangi and Ena Kiyōin back from Japan?"
Erica asked the question without mentioning Princess Alice, because she knew that Princess Alice held a much higher position in Roy's heart. She ranked alongside Erica and Liliana, his two personal knights, or even somewhat higher.
If the two knights and Princess Alice were compared to an emperor's consorts, then Ena Kiyōin and Yuri Wanitangi were only at the level of secondary consorts. Everything belonging to those two Eastern girls belonged to the "King," and no one else was permitted to touch them. At the same time, because their status was lower, they did not receive much of the "King's" attention—like women who had lost the emperor's favor in a harem struggle.
"There's no need to call them back. I don't need the Spiritual Vision of a Witch or a Miko this time. Besides, ever since I obtained this eye, when it comes to Spiritual Vision, I'm the greatest in the world."
Roy pointed at his left eye. The Spiritual Vision of Witches and Mikos worked by borrowing the power of Yomi to trace the past, while the Clairvoyance he had obtained from King Solomon was far stronger.
"Then where are we going, Lord Roy? Please give us a specific address so Lily and I can prepare."
As Roy's personal knights, Liliana and Erica also took care of his daily life most of the time. Before the "King" traveled, they made every possible arrangement.
Roy thought for a moment before saying, "...The Alps in southern Switzerland!"
"Yes, Lord Roy!"
Erica and Liliana answered and immediately began making preparations. They arranged an Italian private plane and the route, coordinated reception on the Swiss side, and so on. The "King's" travels required even more serious treatment than a president's.
The Seven Sisters alliance of Italy had already established a complete set of procedures for the "King's" travels and daily affairs. Not long after Roy gave his order, Erica and Liliana used the alliance's resources to finish all preparations. A luxurious car carried the three of them to Fiumicino Airport, where they prepared to fly to Switzerland.
Not long after Roy left, the villa where he had been staying welcomed a petite figure.
"I smell it—the aura of our enemy, the Campione, as well as the aura of the Gorgon Stone. It seems that my Gorgon Stone has fallen into the hands of a Campione."
The petite figure murmured softly, her voice noble and supremely elegant.
"What I seek is the Gorgon Stone. O ancient Serpent, may you guide the Disobedient Queen's journey and once again grant me the wisdom of darkness, earth, and heaven!"
As she recited the Word Spirit, darkness descended. Then everything became calm, as if the figure had never appeared.
Chapter 74: The Goddess Descends
The Alps lay in central southern Europe, covering northern Italy, southeastern France, Switzerland, Austria, southern Germany, and Slovenia.
In the Swiss section of the Alps, a helicopter circled through the sky before slowly descending into a valley.
"King Roy, this was once the residence of Lord Marquis Voban. After his... departure, the place was abandoned. However, the Marquis had immense prestige throughout Europe. Even though he is no longer here, people still come to clean the place regularly, and no one dares touch anything inside."
The helicopter's pilot was a member of a Swiss Magic Society. After receiving the task of receiving a "King," Switzerland had treated the matter with great care. Inwardly, however, he was suffering bitterly, because wherever a Campione went, peace never followed.
Before Roy stood an exquisite little villa. Building it deep in the Alps while equipping it with every modern convenience had clearly required an enormous project. Only an existence like a Campione could make the government and Magic Society work with all their strength at a single order.
For the past three hundred years, Marquis Voban had been Europe's "leader." Only after the Black Prince and the King of Swords appeared did the Magic Societies of England and southern Europe break away from Marquis Voban and join the New King's faction.
Switzerland had also remained under Marquis Voban's command in the past, and the Alps could almost be called his private property.
Marquis Voban disliked staying in one place for long and frequently changed residences. Thus, he owned dwellings in many remote mountains and dense forests around the world.
However, ever since Roy defeated Marquis Voban in Tokyo and the Marquis "died," the Magic Societies throughout Europe had fallen into chaos. Without Voban's suppression, conflicts between the Magic Societies of various countries had surfaced. Apart from England, where the Black Prince resided, and Italy, where Roy resided, Europe was now leaderless.
In truth, over the past year, Roy had already received declarations of allegiance from Magic Societies in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and several other countries. Compared with England's Black Prince and Salvatore, who ignored affairs, Roy's prestige was undoubtedly higher. He had faintly become the supreme ruler of Europe's mysterious world.
"Excellent. Since this belongs to the Marquis, I'll gladly accept it!"
Roy looked at the exquisite villa and nodded in satisfaction.
He had defeated Marquis Voban, so he had both the reason and the qualifications to inherit the other party's estate. Although Roy knew that Marquis Voban was not truly dead and still had a breath left in him, capable of returning one day, by then Roy would be far stronger. Even relying only on his current Divine Right, he could defeat the returning Marquis with a wave of his hand.
"All right, you can leave. Erica, Lily, come inside with me and let's see the Marquis's taste."
Roy instructed the pilot, then called his knights and entered the villa.
The villa was furnished elegantly, but contrary to Roy's expectations, its interior was not very modern. Instead, it carried an old-fashioned style. At the very center was even a place for burning firewood. As someone from three hundred years ago, the Marquis must have felt considerable nostalgia for the past.
After entering the villa, Liliana quickly began tidying up. She removed every decoration Roy disliked and transformed the villa into his preferred style as quickly as possible.
When it came to household chores, Erica was far inferior to Liliana. Thus, Liliana mainly handled Roy's daily life and care. Between the two of them, Erica handled affairs outside while Liliana handled affairs inside. Their division of labor was perfectly clear.
Deep in the Alps, the villa's fireplace burned fiercely, while warm air from the air conditioner filled the room. Even in the depths of the Alps, the villa's interior felt like warm spring.
Roy sat in a wooden chair, holding a steaming cup of coffee in his right hand and a mystical book he had just obtained from Switzerland's Magic Society in his left. He read it with great interest.
Liliana bustled around the room, occasionally refilling Roy's coffee or bringing him delicate cakes to taste. Erica sat before a computer working, sometimes making calls to contact Italy.
As the leader of Italy and the Vatican, and the supreme ruler of Europe, Roy actually had many daily affairs. He had simply handed them all to Erica. This genius girl from Milan's Bronze Black Cross handled them with ease.
Roy closed his eyes and took a sip of handmade coffee, feeling the bitter flavor slide down his throat before exhaling comfortably. He tossed the Gorgon Stone up and down in his right hand, placed the book in his left on the table, and turned his head slightly toward the beautiful snowy Alps outside the window. He was utterly at ease.
Just as Roy was resting as though on vacation, the snowy landscape outside, which had been reflecting the sunlight, suddenly dimmed, as if darkness had descended.
"Lord Roy!"
Erica and Liliana, who had been busy with their respective tasks, looked startled. They immediately rose and summoned their beloved swords. Although they saw no one through either Spiritual Vision or their naked eyes, their bodies had begun trembling. An uncontrollable terror surged from their hearts, as though some terrifying existence far beyond humanity had descended.
Erica and Liliana exchanged a glance. Though the two girls possessed firm wills, their human instincts still feared the aura of that "God." They knew that the Disobedient God pursuing the Gorgon Stone had arrived. Yet they had never imagined that the Disobedient God would come so quickly. They had traveled from Rome to Switzerland and moved into the villa less than half a day ago!
"Since the Goddess has arrived, why not come in and have a cup of coffee? As an ancient and noble Goddess, I imagine you won't refuse this small, willful request of mine. Nor will you suddenly attack and destroy this villa, which I find rather pleasant, will you? That would truly be a waste of beauty."
Roy felt the blood within him begin boiling again. He deeply disliked this instinctive reaction of a Campione toward a Disobedient God. He forcibly suppressed it. Such irrational behavior beyond his control was something Roy absolutely refused to accept.
"What I seek is the Gorgon Stone, the ancient beacon that once belonged to my shield and now carries my presence."
"What I seek is the Gorgon Stone, which, in the Serpent's name, grants ancient authority to me, who no longer submits."
"What I seek is the Gorgon Stone, which will guide the journey of the Disobedient Queen and once again grant me the wisdom of darkness, earth, and heaven!"
"..."
A proud, noble, elegant, and slightly childish divine voice came from outside. The villa door then flew open, and the wind and snow swept inside, bringing waves of cold into the warm-spring-like room. A petite Goddess stood at the entrance. Though her body was young, she radiated an ancient and weighty majesty.
Chapter 75: A Cappuccino for the Goddess Athena!
She was a young girl with short silver hair, appearing to be only about ten years old. She wore a blue cotton hat resembling rabbit ears, dusted with snow from the Alps. Though her features had not yet fully matured, her exquisite childlike face and snow-white skin already spoke of beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.
"This is... a Disobedient God?"
Erica and Liliana stared blankly at the delicate and beautiful little girl by the door. It was easy to feel an urge to cherish her, making it impossible to associate her with a Disobedient God who brought natural disasters.
Yet the ominous and sublime aura radiating from the little girl told Erica and Liliana that she truly was a Disobedient God—the Goddess who had come pursuing the Gorgon Stone.
"It's freezing outside. Close the door and come in for a seat. Have a cup of coffee to warm yourself, Disobedient Athena."
Roy was not surprised by the Goddess's appearance. It was exactly what he had expected.
He set down his coffee cup and gestured toward Athena in invitation.
"This is the first time I have seen a Campione invite a Disobedient God to sit down. Since you have invited me with such sincerity, if I refuse, would that not make me appear too neglectful and cowardly?"
Before you continue