Queen of the Demon Cave / City People Have Deep Schemes

I see. So the most troublesome Campione has appeared.

Roy gave a slight nod, confirming who had arrived.

Now that he knew Lady Aisha was here, he no longer needed to remain overly vigilant. Although Lady Aisha's authorities were a chaotic mess, she was also the gentlest and kindest Campione, as well as the weakest in combat.

"'King,' this is the Acropolis of Athens."

As Roy and the others strolled around, they arrived at the hilltop Acropolis in the center of Athens.

The supreme commander of Athens's magical society acted like an enthusiastic tour guide as he introduced the sights to Roy. "...This is the most outstanding architectural complex in all of ancient Greece. It was built to celebrate Athens's victory over the Persian invaders. That temple is the Parthenon, the largest temple dedicated to Athena. This place can be called a symbol of Western culture!"

"...According to ancient Greek legends, Athena was born from the forehead of the heavenly father Zeus. She taught humanity weaving, tailoring, sculpture, pottery, and painting. She is the Goddess of war, wisdom, civilization, and craftsmanship, and later became Athens's patron deity. This temple contains the largest statue of Athena in all Greece, carved from gold and ivory."

The magician gave Roy a rough introduction to this world-famous site, the place symbolizing Athena, then secretly glanced at Athena, who was walking beside Roy.

The magician's eyes held both worship and fear. He feared that Athena was a Disobedient God. Although she was Athens's patron deity, her very existence could bring disasters upon humanity. He worshiped her because this was Athens, where all magic was connected to Greek Mythology. The magical society he belonged to was practically a religion that worshiped Athena, and nearly all the magic he knew was related to her.

Now that he had seen Athena's true form, his longing and anticipation nearly drove him mad.

The deeds of Roy's battle against Athena in the Alps had already spread throughout the entire mysterious world. Naturally, people believed that Roy had won and usurped the authority of the oldest Earth Mother Goddess.

As for why Athena followed Roy, the magician found nothing strange about it. After all, the Black Prince, Alexander Gascoyne, possessed an authority called the Faceless Queen. That authority had been usurped from the Goddess Melusine. When activated, it allowed the Black Prince to summon the mermaid queen Melusine as a familiar and have her fight for him.

In the magician's view, the authority Roy had usurped from Athena should be similar. When he activated it, he could make Athena fight for him. As for why Roy could summon Athena even when he was not fighting, that was beyond the magician's understanding.

Whether it was Athena or Solomon, Roy had given all the magicians in this world a mistaken impression. He had made people believe that the authority he obtained from Solomon was Clairvoyance, and had even made them wrongly believe that he had killed Athena.

The authority to summon Athena as a familiar was vastly different from Athena herself. If anyone truly regarded Athena as a familiar summoned by Roy, they would suffer terribly. After all, she was the strongest War Goddess—the true form of Athena!

"Besides the Temple of Athena, the most famous sight in Athens is the Temple of Zeus. 'King,' would you like to go there?"

As he spoke, the magician cautiously glanced at Athena. Anyone could tell from the myths that Athena's relationship with Zeus was certainly not good. Moreover, the heavenly father Zeus was the culprit who had caused Athena, the ancient Earth Mother Goddess, to degenerate into a Dragon-Serpent.

Sure enough, Athena's expression darkened when she heard the name Zeus. Although she called herself Zeus's daughter, that was a fact of mythology that she could not deny. But to say that Athena respected or worshiped Zeus was absolutely impossible.

"Forget the Temple of Zeus. This is Athens. Seeing Athena's temple is enough."

As he spoke, Roy tightened his grip on Athena's hand and pulled her closer. Although the Goddess was reluctant, Roy did nothing more excessive, so she let him have his way.

The magician looked at Roy with admiration. Being intimate with a Goddess sounded enviable, but if one knew the true nature of the Disobedient Gods and understood that they were synonymous with disaster, then daring to be so intimate with one was truly reckless. Especially when the two involved were a Campione and a Disobedient God.

"I remember that in one version of the mythology, Hippomenes sought the help of Aphrodite, the Love God, to obtain Atalanta. Aphrodite used Golden Apples to help Hippomenes marry Atalanta, but Hippomenes forgot to thank Aphrodite. In her anger, the Love God lured Hippomenes and Atalanta to Zeus's temple, causing them to profane the King of the Gods. Zeus then turned them into lions and made them pull his chariot forever as punishment. Could that temple be this one?"

Roy was familiar enough with the ancient myths to ask with a relaxed smile.

The magician gave an embarrassed laugh and replied, "...Myths and history have become intertwined, making it difficult for later generations to see the truth. As for whether this temple was the one where Atalanta profaned Zeus, no one knows."

He did not dare deceive Roy, the King. Faced with a question beyond his level of knowledge, he could only tell the truth and did not dare claim that it was or was not.

"...That is indeed something Aphrodite and Zeus, my father, would do."

Athena, who stood nearby, interjected. Her words held deep disdain for Aphrodite and intense dislike for Zeus.

This time Roy did not reply. Even he could not make definitive claims about the deeds of the Goddesses in mythology. Who knew whether Aphrodite had truly lived such a wanton life? Until he met her in person, no one could say.

"Roy, that foul stench has become unbearable. I wish I could eradicate it this very moment."

Athena suddenly stopped. She tugged at Roy's hand, her beautiful and lovely face filled with an almost irrational frenzy. The Athenian magician nearly wet himself in fear. He was terrified that Athena would transform into a Disobedient God and erupt in the city. This was Athens, Athena's city, and no one could determine how powerful she would become here.

Erica and Liliana also looked solemn. They did not know what had happened, but Athena's expression was clearly wrong.

"Look at me, Athena!"

Roy shouted softly, causing Athena to instinctively raise her head and look at him.

When Athena saw Roy's face, a dazed look flashed through her amber eyes, and her reason gradually returned.

This was the effect of Roy's Face of God. He could use it to alter himself, removing the aura of a Campione that caused Disobedient Gods to lose their reason. As long as Athena did not resist, he could also use the authority to alter her and temporarily suppress her hatred of Campiones.

"Phew... I feel much better now."

Athena exhaled softly after regaining her reason, then smiled sweetly. "...Roy, you did well. I can now say with complete certainty that you and I can continue getting along like this."

Roy smiled without replying. Instead, he said to his two knights, "...Come on, Erica and Lily! Let's go meet Lady Aisha."

"Lady Aisha?!"

Erica, Liliana, and the Athenian magician cried out in unison.

Chapter 93: Queen of the Demon Cave

"Ahhhhh—my wallet! My wallet is gone!"

On a street in Athens, a girl who looked about seventeen or eighteen was being surrounded and pointed at by passersby.

The girl did not care about their gazes. She searched herself, patting and rummaging everywhere. After checking her entire body, she finally discovered in despair that her wallet was gone.

In modern society, having no money made even the simplest tasks impossible.

"Hmm... Let me think. Where did I lose my wallet during my travels? Waaaah! Even if I remember where I lost it, I can't go back there!"

The girl looked troubled and bit her finger, letting out a mournful cry.

The citizens of Athens were pointing and gathering around her not only because of her unusual behavior, but mainly because of her clothing.

She was wearing neither ordinary modern clothes nor anything with a Greek or Roman style. If one had to describe it, she looked more like someone dressed in the style of the Xiongnu from fifteen hundred years ago. Strange clothing alone would not have attracted so much attention in the modern age, when COSPLAY was everywhere. The main issue was that her clothes looked terribly ragged, with bloodstains still on them, as though she had just survived a desperate battle.

Some busybodies had already secretly called the police. In modern society, anyone seen covered in blood—whether perpetrator or victim—should be handed over to the authorities.

The stall owner in front of the girl looked extremely troubled. Although the girl's English had a strong "curry accent," he had understood one thing: she had no money!

Looking at the food that had been eaten from his stall, the owner said with an almost tearful expression, "...We run a small business. If you don't pay for all this, I will have worked for nothing today."

He was only being so cautious because he saw the blood on the girl and noticed that it did not seem completely dry. If an ordinary traveler had tried to eat without paying, he would probably have cursed her outright.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry, but I lost my wallet! Please don't worry. I will definitely pay you. Wait for me for two days—I will find work and pay you back!"

The girl clasped her hands and lowered her head.

This girl was naturally Lady Aisha. She possessed an extremely troublesome authority called the Passage of the Fairy Realm, which could open a gate to the world of the past. Through it, Lady Aisha could return to ancient times like a time traveler.

The authority had almost no combat ability, but the ability to return to the past was already astonishing enough. The only unfortunate thing was that Lady Aisha could not completely control it.

As a result, the Passage of the Fairy Realm frequently went berserk. It might activate while Lady Aisha was sleeping or walking, transporting her and nearby people to ancient times. After enduring a difficult journey in that era, they would have to find their way back to the modern world.

The reason Lady Aisha was always the most mysterious and elusive of the seven Campiones was not that she truly appeared and disappeared like a dragon. Rather, she was constantly being victimized by her own authority and sent back to some ancient era. In other words, Lady Aisha spent most of her time outside the Real World, traveling through some period of the past, which made her seem mysterious.

This time, Lady Aisha had just returned from a journey through time, arriving in Athens, Greece. After a desperate escape had left her starving, and ancient food had been truly terrible, she had found a snack stall and eaten her fill. Only when it was time to pay did she discover that she had left her wallet in the past, resulting in the scene above.

Unlike the other Campiones, Lady Aisha had almost no awareness of being a Campione. If another Campione encountered a problem with money, Salvatore would probably leave on credit, while the Eastern Patriarch might kill someone amid the shopkeeper's incessant complaints. Someone relatively conscientious, like Annie Charlton, might call the local magical society and ask them to pay.

Lady Aisha was different. She would neither run away without paying nor order a magical society to solve the problem in her capacity as a King. She would not kill anyone, either. She was an outlier even among Campiones, and it would not be an exaggeration to call her the kindest and gentlest of them all. Indeed, her kindness allowed her to restrain a Campione's instincts and prevented her from developing an uncontrollable killing intent toward Disobedient Gods.

Work to pay it back...

When the owner heard Lady Aisha say this, he was certain that the beautiful girl was simply making fun of him. He did not believe she would work to pay him back. He even suspected that the girl, who clearly looked Indian, did not have a visa.

Thinking this, the owner decisively pulled out his phone and called the police as well.

"Ahhh—don't call the police, please! I really will work and pay you back!"

As the girl clasped her hands and pleaded, the owner's previously impatient expression suddenly changed. He gradually became fanatical. At the same time, the surrounding onlookers who had heard the girl's words also developed the same crazed expression.

"Queen! Let me pay your bill!"

"Queen! How dare this man ask you for money? Let us beat him to death!"

"Queen, ah, you are so beautiful, just like a deity from Greek Mythology!"

"Queen, please look at me. Please, just look at me!"

"No, no! How could I dare ask the Queen for money? Queen, I am willing to offer you all my property. I only ask that you look at me one more time."

The owner and the surrounding onlookers shouted fanatically.

"Ahhhhh—no, no! Why has it turned into this again?"

Lady Aisha clutched her head and cried out in despair.

This authority was called Queen's Curse, an authority Lady Aisha had usurped from the Sumerian God Ishtar. When she activated it, her words carried a power that bewitched others, turning everyone who heard her into fanatical believers willing to sacrifice their lives for her.

The authority was nearly useless against Campiones and Disobedient Gods, making it an utterly worthless ability. Against ordinary people and ordinary magicians, however, it was a devastating weapon. Unfortunately, Lady Aisha could not control it, and it often activated inexplicably, bringing catastrophic disasters.

Speaking of Inanna, she had suffered terribly. Marquis Voban had killed her once and usurped her authority as Ereshkigal, the Goddess of the underworld. Then Lady Aisha had killed her once more and usurped her authority as Ishtar, the Goddess of heaven.

Just as the situation began to spiral out of control and threatened to cause a riot throughout Athens, a man's voice came from one corner of the street: "...Everyone, look this way!"

His words also carried powerful Word Spirit. Although they could not compare with Lady Aisha's authority, they were still a form of magic that seized everyone's consciousness in an instant.

The people on the street followed the voice and looked over. They saw a man in a Cardinal's robes standing in the middle of the street. His expression was peaceful and compassionate, like a priest listening to his believers' prayers in a church. The instant everyone's eyes fell on his face, Lady Aisha's authority ceased to function and was replaced by another authority.

"Lord, your faithful believers can witness your descent here. This is heaven!"

"Lord, you have given us your child. This is the Son of God, Lord Saint Child. Your lamb must worship here and offer you our devotion."

"Praise our Lord!"

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. May your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen!"

As Lady Aisha stared in astonishment, the people who had previously been shouting that she was their Queen all became devout believers of Christianity.

Chapter 94: City People Have Deep Schemes

"Ha, I arrived just in time. At least the disaster didn't spread further."

Roy was not some kindhearted citizen who would exhaust himself rushing around to save a city. He had learned of Lady Aisha's authority and the consequences it might cause from the Council of Sages and Clairvoyance. To avoid becoming involved in even greater trouble, he had no choice but to personally calm the disturbance.

He used his authority, Face of God, to take control of Lady Aisha's Queen's Curse, turning the citizens who had been driven fanatical by her authority into his own believers.

The ability to forcibly distort other people's faith was originally one of Face of God's effects. It was simply useless against Campiones and Disobedient Gods. Roy also had no need for ordinary people to worship him so fanatically, so he had never used it before.

At this moment, however, the ability proved extremely useful. Unlike Lady Aisha's uncontrollable authority, Roy could control his own authority perfectly. Thus, the crisis was resolved.

This is clearly just a shift from one crisis to another.

The local Athenian magician watched this scene with a chill, feeling utterly horrified. Campiones truly were a group of demon kings who could casually distort human will. Judging from Roy's attitude, he seemed completely unconcerned about it.

As a magician, he could tell that this authority was highly effective not only against ordinary people but also against someone like him. The thought of inexplicably losing his will as a human and becoming a pure fanatic filled the supreme commander of Athens's magical society with terror. Campiones truly were beings ordinary people could never oppose. With a single sentence, with only a glance at his face, they could make people lose everything.

"My believers, return to your homes. There, pray to the Lord we worship! God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son—gave me to you—so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!"

Roy shamelessly compared himself to the Messiah, and those affected by his authority truly regarded him as God's Son, the Christ who had descended into the world.

The people in the street knelt once more and cheered from the bottom of their hearts. Then, fanatical yet obedient, they bowed to Roy with every step as they left the street and returned to their homes.

In the blink of an eye, the entire street was empty.

"Money!"

Roy extended his left hand and said one word. While the Athenian magician was confused, Erica gave a sly smile and swiftly took a five-hundred-euro note from her wallet and placed it in Roy's hand.

Roy was very pleased. After more than a year together, he and Erica had developed an ever-greater understanding. The girl was exceptionally clever and could be called Roy's best assistant.

After receiving the high-denomination note, Roy walked slowly to the stall where Lady Aisha had eaten without paying. The owner had also been affected by his authority and had gone home. Roy placed the five hundred euros in the stall's cash box and said to Lady Aisha, "...Eating without paying is not a good habit, Madam!"

Lady Aisha blushed. Although she had not intentionally eaten without paying—it had been unavoidable—in the end, she did indeed appear to have done so.

"Thank you so much for helping me out, sir!" Lady Aisha said gratefully.

It was unclear whether she meant that Roy had freed her from the authority, paid her bill, or both.

Only then did Roy carefully examine this mysterious Queen. Although Lady Aisha was called "Madam," she had never been married. "Madam" was merely a respectful title used for her. She was a typical Indian woman with brown skin and a slender, thin figure, though the prominent fullness of her chest made Roy certain that, like Erica, she could completely envelop a certain part of him with that fallen region.

Her features were sharp and well-defined. She was not stunning at first glance, but she was extremely pleasing to look at, the type who became more beautiful the longer one looked at her. Like Indian women, she possessed a unique charm of her own.

Most strikingly, although Lady Aisha looked only seventeen or eighteen, she radiated a kind compassion that easily brought the Virgin Mary to mind. Even though she had been a godslayer for more than a hundred and fifty years and should no longer have been young, she still possessed a girl's innocent liveliness. She was a woman who seemed to live happily, forever without worries.

Lady Aisha looked rather miserable at present, and her clothes were filthy. The stall owner had been kind enough to let her eat at all. She looked almost like a beggar.

An Indian of a low caste, she had no surname and had once been little better than a slave in India. Gentle and kind by nature, she had worked as a maid for an English noble family. Because the family favored her, they took her away from the chaotic India of that era and brought her to England. The date of her godslaying could only be roughly determined, while the specific circumstances remained unknown. There were even rumors that she had once left Marquis Voban and Sect Master Luo Hao in a sorry state. She was an extremely mysterious Campione.

Roy recalled the report from the Council of Sages while using Clairvoyance to look back through Lady Aisha's past. In practically an instant, he understood most of the secrets of this mysterious woman.

"Ahhhh—the God, the God! A Disobedient God!"

Only then did Lady Aisha belatedly notice Athena. She hurriedly retreated and even hid behind the food cart. Her expression held neither the urge to kill that Campiones felt upon seeing a Disobedient God nor the fear ordinary people experienced. It held only panic—confused, helpless panic.

"Hmph. That look, as though you were treating me like a cockroach, is truly irritating."

Athena snorted coldly and spoke to Lady Aisha with displeasure.

Indeed, Lady Aisha's reaction was exactly like a woman's reaction upon suddenly seeing a cockroach.

"Goddess, I don't want to fight... Please, I beg you. I really don't like fighting, and I can't fight, either. In the past, I only killed Gods because I had no choice. They kept chasing me and trying to kill me, so I was forced to fight back."