I Shall Grant You Death / The Goddess of Greece ...

The Seventy-Eighth Chapter: I Shall Grant You Death

Now that Roy and Goddess Athena had reached an agreement, the atmosphere in the room had eased. However, Roy did not hand the Gorgon Stone directly to Athena—not because he intended to break his promise, but because the title of Goddess of Wisdom was among Athena's divine epithets.

Although Roy was willing to trust Athena's promise, "wisdom" could also be called cunning. If Athena recovered her strength and suddenly launched a surprise attack in the room, Roy was confident he could protect himself, but he absolutely could not guarantee Erica and Liliana's safety.

Perhaps sensing Roy's thoughts, Athena sat in her chair, lightly kicking her slender jade legs in blue stockings. She was not angry as she said, "...Remaining wary of me is the correct choice. I have also been wondering whether I should imitate the events of Troy and lure you with deception."

Hearing Athena say this, Roy finally believed that the goddess would not do anything so excessive.

Although the atmosphere in the room had eased, that was only true for Roy and Athena. For Erica and Liliana, the pressure had grown even greater. Sharing a room with a Disobedient God—if other magicians learned of it, they would probably be left utterly dumbfounded.

"Lily, it's time for dinner. You didn't prepare my meal ahead of time today, which is neglect of duty. And Erica, you haven't finished today's work yet, have you? You should go finish it."

Roy's words reminded Erica and Liliana. The blond- and silver-haired knights hurriedly bowed and, while keeping Athena under watch, headed toward the study and kitchen.

"Roy Crowley, you certainly care about your attendants."

Athena cast a slight glance at Erica and Liliana. As a goddess, she did not care about the hostility of two mortals.

Compared to those two mortals, she was far more curious about Roy. "...For a Disobedient God and a Campione to coexist so peacefully under one roof—even my knowledge and wisdom cannot find a similar occurrence. You truly are an incredible man. To erase the instinctive impulses between Campiones and Disobedient Gods and dare to possess such boldness, you must be a Hegemon-King."

"You flatter me, Goddess Athena. I simply refuse to let fate dictate my actions. I hate the word 'mission,' because it means that one's life is beyond one's control. The inevitable slaughter between Campiones and Disobedient Gods is precisely the mission I hate most."

"...I hope my killing intent comes from myself, rather than from my identity as a Campione. Thus, I hope to kill a Disobedient God by my own will—or become friends with one."

Roy shrugged and said with a light laugh.

To Roy, fate and missions were things that bound him. He had always wanted to act as he pleased and live without restraint. A Campione was supposed to kill Disobedient Gods, the embodiments of disaster, and Roy would act according to that identity. But he wanted that desire to come from his own thoughts and decisions, not from being forced by the identity itself.

He absolutely did not want to lose his reason and become feverish the moment he saw a Disobedient God.

"If someone else said such things to me, I would admire his ideas while mocking his foolishness. But coming from you, they seem only natural."

"...The threads spun by Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos are things I dislike as well. In that regard, our thoughts are the same."

"Before coming here, I also learned about your past. You once spoke with Solomon the Wise and made him willingly allow you to kill him. Even I have heard that legendary king's name as clearly as thunder. Since you earned his recognition, I shall view your 'wisdom' in a new light."

Goddess Athena gazed at Roy with interest. Her long eyelashes trembled, and her amber eyes were filled with curiosity—and with the desire to kill him.

Because she acknowledged his strength, she regarded him as her archenemy. And because he was her archenemy, she had to kill him. That was Athena's thinking.

"Lord Roy, here is your dinner."

During Roy and Athena's conversation, Liliana finished preparing the food and brought it to the table.

Today, Liliana had prepared Chinese food rather than Italian cuisine. Roy skillfully picked up his chopsticks and tasted the delicious-looking dish before praising it. "...Lily, your cooking keeps getting better. I once heard that Sect Master Luo Hao of the East is an excellent cook. I imagine your skill is no worse than hers."

"How could I compare myself to the Sect Master of the East?"

Liliana answered modestly, but her face was filled with joy at Roy's praise and a faint pride.

"It's just a shame that no one has had the honor of tasting food prepared by that Sect Master for the past two hundred years. I wonder when I'll be able to have that incomparable Hegemon-King cook for me personally."

Roy sighed as he tasted the wine in his glass.

Athena, seated opposite Roy, said nothing this time. She merely sat there quietly, like a doll.

At night, the wind and snow outside had eased slightly, but the stars and moon remained hidden. The villa in the Alps was brightly lit. In Roy's bedroom, he leaned against the headboard and played on his phone. Deep in these mountains, there was a dedicated base station prepared for the former marquis, so the network signal was excellent.

Roy did not spend every hour reading. Even as a Campione, he enjoyed the conveniences of modern technology.

On the sofa beside him, Athena was engrossed in a book. Her slender legs were drawn up, and she rested the book on her knees. At some point, she had tossed away her cute knitted hat, revealing beautiful silver hair that shimmered with a faint radiance.

"Is something wrong?"

Sensing Roy's gaze, Athena temporarily put down her book and asked.

"It's time to sleep."

Roy glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Then go to sleep. Don't mind me. Rest assured, I won't launch a surprise attack at night."

Athena had not understood the implication of Roy's words. Or perhaps she had understood but simply did not want to acknowledge it.

Roy took a deep breath. Then, in a sudden burst of audacity, he climbed out of bed, went behind the sofa, grabbed Athena beneath the arms, and lifted her up.

"What are you doing?"

Athena's sharp brows drew together as she shouted angrily.

"Obviously, I'm going to sleep while holding you! Don't attack me. We made a promise—we won't attack each other today."

Sensing divine power surging from Athena, Roy spoke quickly. "...Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. I know you're a virgin goddess. Besides, if I truly wanted to do something, you could still resist even in your weakened state, couldn't you?"

"You reckless Child of the Fool. How dare you covet a goddess?"

Athena regarded Roy coldly as she let him place her beside the bed. He bent down on one knee and, as though handling a priceless treasure, slowly peeled the blue stocking from her leg, revealing the crystalline, jade-like limb beneath.

Athena's feet were tiny in her childlike form, not even as large as Roy's palm. As he gently held one in his hands, feeling the goddess's smooth, delicate skin, an impulse stirred within him.

But he did nothing more. He knew this was the limit of what Athena could accept. If he tried to push further, their promise would be void.

Watching Roy, Athena suddenly revealed a dazzling smile. "...Male gods and men are always the same, just like my father, who commands the thunder! Roy Crowley, I have decided. I shall certainly kill you, grant you death, and make you walk alone through the frozen wastelands of the underworld."

Killing intent surged in Athena's eyes. Roy's expression gradually turned cold as he laughed softly. "...I'm looking forward to that day as well, Goddess Athena."

The Seventy-Ninth Chapter: The Goddess of Greek Mythology

In the villa deep in the Alps, two people with different thoughts and overflowing killing intent slept while embracing one another.

The weather was fine today. Last night's wind and snow had stopped, and faint sunlight streamed through the window, bringing a trace of warmth to the frigid mountain.

The bedding on the bed was somewhat disordered. Roy lay on his side in pajamas beneath a thin quilt, breathing softly. The quilt and sheets had been newly delivered by Switzerland's magical organization at Roy's request. He could tolerate using furniture that others had used, but he absolutely could not accept sleeping under blankets and sheets that someone else had slept in—especially since this had once been that old man Voban's residence.

In Roy's arms, Athena, in her childish form, wore the oddly colored cashmere sweater. He held her tightly, causing the goddess's brows to crease slightly from the pressure.

Athena simply lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. Her amber eyes were calm. Sharing a bed with a man, even a Campione, did not seem strange to her. Although she was the famous virgin goddess of Greek Mythology, Athena could not possibly lack knowledge of matters between men and women in that extremely chaotic mythology.

It's only a little groping. Nothing else has happened. For someone who is about to die, I should show him sufficient tolerance.

That was what Athena thought.

"Smack—"

Athena swung her small hand and slapped Roy's fingers away from her smooth, bare leg, though she had no idea when his hand had touched it.

The crisp sound finally woke Roy. He opened his eyes and met Athena's calm, indifferent gaze. He withdrew his hand and gave an awkward laugh. "...Sorry. It was unavoidable. Your body is so soft and comfortable to hold."

From Roy's expression, it was clear he had treated Athena entirely like a pillow for warming his bed at night.

Athena sat up and glanced outside. Her voice was proud and cold. "...It's all right. I can forgive your rudeness. Roy Crowley, it is already the second day. According to our promise and agreement, you must give me the Gorgon Stone. Then I shall kill you here and send you into the underworld~."

"No rush, Goddess Athena! We can wait until after breakfast to start the killing."

Roy climbed out of bed and, without minding Athena beside him, removed his pajamas and changed into his ordinary clothes.

Yesterday had merely been a sudden whim. Athena's appearance now looked only a little over ten years old. In Roy's original world, anyone who dared to seduce a girl that young would be sentenced to prison. But things were different here. He was a devil king who strode across the earth, and the law was entirely useless against him. Athena was also a goddess who had lived for more than a thousand years—an absolutely legal loli, so to speak.

Since he had the opportunity, he would do what his past self had wanted to do but never dared. Holding a little loli while sleeping was genuinely comfortable, and at the very least it had given Roy excellent sleep. Besides, this loli was a true goddess.

That was all there was to it. Roy was merely indulging the ambition and desire of his identity as a devil king.

He looked at Athena. There was no trace of drowsiness in her beautiful eyes, only puzzlement. "...You didn't sleep last night?"

"I am a Disobedient God, the Queen who governs darkness. Night is when I am most active. Have you ever seen an owl sleeping at night?"

Athena did not mind revealing her multiple identities to Roy. She knew that the secrets could not be hidden from the eyes he had usurped from Solomon's wisdom, so she might as well speak openly.

"I should be the one asking you that. How dare you fall into deep sleep beside Goddess Athena? Aren't you afraid that I might suddenly send you into the underworld?"

Athena sat on the sofa with her smooth legs bent, slowly pulling on her blue stockings. Her legs were tender and slender, crystalline and translucent.

Roy admired the alluring sight of the loli goddess putting on her stockings and laughed softly. "...Of course I'm afraid. That's why I prepared in advance before going to sleep. Even if you used the cunning of wisdom to assassinate me by surprise, I would still react in time."

"I admire your honesty."

Seeing that Roy was not lying, Athena curled her lips into an elegant smile. She finished putting on her stockings, jumped down from the sofa, and urged Roy, "...Then hurry up. I can hardly wait to kill you and see the despair in your eyes before you die."

"Likewise. I want to see the pain and despair on your face when I defeat you. In mythology, the Olympian gods fled in terror when Typhon appeared. Only Zeus and Athena dared to fight him without fear. Just imagining the bearing of that War Goddess is enough to make my blood boil!"

Roy and Athena exchanged words brimming with killing intent, yet walked together to the door and opened it.

Erica and Liliana had already been waiting outside for quite some time. The girl's sharp gaze pierced toward Athena behind Roy before she anxiously looked at Roy. "...Lord Roy, are you all right?"

"What could possibly be wrong? Being able to share a bed with the most famous goddess in Greek Mythology is an honor no god in mythology has ever enjoyed. Lily, is breakfast ready?"

Roy spoke casually, slipping his right hand into his pocket as he walked past the two knightly girls toward the dining room.

"It has been prepared according to your usual requirements."

Liliana followed closely behind Roy as she answered.

"Having such a powerful knight do the work of a maid must be difficult for you, Lily."

"Serving Lord Roy is my honor. Please don't say such things again."

The shy silver-haired girl lowered her head, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"After we finish eating, you and Erica will wait here. If I defeat Athena, I'll return in triumph. If I lose, you and Erica must leave immediately and return to Italy."

Roy's words startled Erica and Liliana. They hurriedly said, "...Lord Roy, as your knights, we should fight alongside you and ride into battle together. Before a knight dies, how can the 'King' suffer harm? That would be a knight's dereliction of duty!"

"I'm deeply moved by your loyalty, but you cannot interfere in a battle with a Disobedient God. I may be willful like a tyrant at times, but I would never send my loyal subordinates to die for nothing. Obey my order, Erica Blandelli and Liliana Kranichar. Stay here and go nowhere until I return victorious!"

Roy stopped and turned around, speaking to the two girls in a tone that was both gentle and stern.

Liliana's face flushed red, and she was about to argue, but Erica stopped her.

Roy's words were harsh, but they were true. In a battle between a Campione and a Disobedient God, magicians and knights could not contribute much. If a Campione needed the assistance of magicians and knights to win, it could only prove that the Campione was incompetent.

A truly powerful Campione was capable of facing the gods alone and remaining undefeated!

"Do not worry, Roy Crowley. I shall grant you the honor you deserve. Even if I kill you, I will not attack your attendants—unless they dare to make themselves my enemies."

Athena's lips curved into the smile of the Victory Goddess.

As the goddess who commanded war and wisdom, she could never lose. That was what Athena believed.

The Eightieth Chapter: The Goddess's Gentle Killing Intent

Standing atop a mountain in the Alps, Roy looked out over endless pure white. A cold wind swept across the snow, and from time to time, animals with white fur could be seen hunting prey across the nearly uninhabitable snowfield.

Amid that expanse of white, a red figure suddenly appeared. Roy wore a magnificent scarlet Cardinal's robe as he walked with Athena across the snowy landscape, leaving dense footprints behind them.

With their arrival, the wild animals instinctively sensed danger. Predators and prey fled together toward the distant mountains. At that moment, even nature's law of survival of the fittest was broken, because the two people who had appeared here represented disaster in this world.

"Frost and sunshine, what a wondrous day! You charming friend, yet you sleep away. The time has come, beauty—wake up! Open your eyes, closed by comfort!"

Standing atop a snowy mountain, Roy loudly recited Pushkin's poem across the boundless world.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

He laughed like a child. His laughter shook the mountain and sent the animals fleeing even more frantically.

"That is enough, Roy Crowley! We are far enough away now. We will neither disturb ignorant mortals nor endanger your attendants."

After breakfast, Roy and Athena had walked through the Alps. The two did not resemble enemies about to fight to the death in the slightest. Instead, they chatted like friends as they headed deeper into the mountains.

It was now noon. They stopped together on this mountain peak. Beautiful moments had to end eventually, and the cold winter was about to arrive in earnest.

"I thought that someone as reckless and willful as you, someone who dared to make improper advances toward a goddess, would not care about human deaths. I did not expect you to possess such compassion."

Athena stood several steps away from Roy. She was not wearing her cute rabbit-eared knitted hat, and her silver hair shimmered faintly beneath the sunlight. Against the pure white snow, it added even more nobility to her appearance, almost making Roy feel that he was facing not Goddess Athena, but Goddess Artemis.

"They are my subjects. They have devoted everything to me, so as their 'King,' I naturally must grant them sufficient mercy. If I had no choice, that would be another matter. But when I do have a choice, I will not allow my subjects to face danger."

"...I am a devil king, a willful and tyrannical ruler, but being a tyrant does not mean being bloodthirsty. I am not a murderer who seeks joy through killing. As long as they do not defy or oppose me, I have no interest in killing."

Roy spoke casually as he faced Athena. He tossed the Gorgon Stone in his hand, letting it land in the goddess's grasp. "...I'm giving you the Gorgon Stone, Athena! You've waited a thousand years for this moment, haven't you?"

Athena caressed the Gorgon Stone in her hand. Her beautiful face bloomed like a flower, and she revealed a moving expression of delight.

"You will regret this, Roy Crowley! You will regret giving the Gorgon Stone to me."

"I'll say the same to you: you will regret it, Goddess Athena! You will regret becoming my enemy. Enough talk. The Gorgon Stone is in your hands. If you want to make me regret it, prove it with your actions!"

Roy cut Athena off. His expression gradually turned cold. Though he might joke around in ordinary circumstances, he would never underestimate anyone in battle, nor would he allow himself to be defeated through carelessness.

"Ke ke ke ke ke~~~ Feel honored, Roy Crowley! Behold my true form!"