"Wait a moment, Your two Majesties. I'll take care of it right away!"
When the Athenian magicians heard that Roy and Lady Aisha were finally leaving, they nearly jumped for joy. Those two plague gods were finally going away.
After meeting Lady Aisha, Roy suddenly lost all interest in continuing his amusement. He planned to go straight to North America to meet the American Campione, while also searching for the thing that interested him—the Holy Grail!
Ninety-Seventh Chapter: The Flowering United States
The United States' San Francisco International Airport was completely closed for the entire morning. This drew a wave of complaints from San Francisco's residents, but it also aroused everyone's curiosity. What kind of important figure was arriving in San Francisco today that the airport had to be closed for half a day? Wasn't the leader visiting France at the moment? There had not been any news reports about it, either.
A specially modified Boeing 747 landed at the airport. The two fighter jets escorting it only flew away after the plane had landed.
A boarding staircase was raised, and many local magicians lined both sides of the airport road to welcome the visitors. John Smith—or rather, North America's Campione, who should be called Annie Charlton—had already been waiting here for quite some time. The scene looked exactly like a leader welcoming a foreign head of state.
Roy, dressed in a bishop's robe, stood at the cabin door and gazed over the land of the United States. Only then did he descend the stairs and extend his hand toward Annie Charlton, who was walking briskly over.
"Mr. Smith, you've certainly made quite an impressive arrangement."
The two "kings" shook hands. Roy glanced around at the local magicians gathered to welcome him and smiled.
"This scene could already be described as an enthusiastic reception."
"It was I who asked Mr. Roy to come to North America. I should have personally gone to Europe to invite you, but the 'Fly King' has left me completely overwhelmed lately. That was why I could only invite you here. How could I possibly dare to slight you?"
The two "kings" exchanged pleasantries, not mentioning Roy's decisive refusal earlier.
Regardless of why Roy had suddenly changed his mind and come to the United States, as far as Annie Charlton was concerned, as long as he had arrived and could help, that was enough.
At the same time, Annie was secretly complaining. Did he think she wanted to make such a grand show of welcoming him? It was simply because of Roy's sufficiently flamboyant conduct over the past year. He had made her feel that Roy cared greatly about pomp and prestige, so she had put considerable effort into welcoming him.
The Eastern Sect Master Luo Hao was the same sort of person. The slightest neglect might displease her. If one wanted to welcome Sect Master Luo Hao, one had to make careful arrangements in every aspect.
If one had the sect master stay at the White House, she might even be unhappy. She did not care about the political significance. But if one had her stay atop the Empire State Building, she would be delighted even if all one prepared was a mat for her to sit on and enjoy the wind. The Empire State Building was tall enough to let the sect master look down upon all the mountains, which suited her status perfectly.
In Annie's eyes, Roy was similar, though not quite as extreme as the sect master.
"I've made some progress regarding the matter you asked about. I'll tell you the details in private later... Ms. Annie Charlton~."
Roy suddenly moved close to Annie Charlton and whispered into her masked ear.
Annie's body stiffened. Although the mask concealed her expression, even a guess was enough to know that Annie was currently wearing an astonished look.
She gave a bitter laugh and whispered, "...Your authority is truly troublesome."
Facing someone who could keep no secrets from him made Annie uncomfortable. It was very easy for him to seize the upper hand in conversation.
"Although I don't know why you're concealing your identity and gender, I won't tell anyone."
Roy smiled slyly, his eyes narrowing into slits.
Annie stared deeply at Roy and discovered that he was far more difficult to deal with than the intelligence reports had suggested. She had thought he was simply a young, high-profile, overbearing Campione. But now it seemed that he truly deserved to be called someone capable of seizing the wisdom of the gods. He himself possessed extraordinary wisdom, which was why he was so highly compatible with Wisdom.
Soon, however, Annie Charlton became enthusiastic again. She looked toward Erica and Liliana, who were following behind Roy, and said, "...You must be the twins from Milan, Italy, Erica Blandelli and Liliana Kranichar! Over the past year, the two of you have become quite famous in the magical world."
"You flatter us, Mr. Smith! We merely help the 'King' handle some insignificant matters, so that he needn't waste his valuable time on them."
Erica and Liliana spoke at the same time and performed a standard knight's salute. Although they knew Annie's true identity, both were extremely clever and naturally would not expose that secret here.
"Athena, I'm John Smith..."
After greeting Erica and Liliana, Annie looked toward Athena. Her tone was no longer as cheerful and casual as before. After carefully considering her words, she slowly spoke.
"Put away that clumsy performance, Campione! I am Athena of Wisdom. You cannot deceive me in the slightest. The scent upon you displeases me. You would do better to stay farther away from me."
The proud goddess showed an expression of disgust and moved closer to Roy. Roy carried no particular fragrance, but compared with the overwhelming stench of the other Campiones, he was like a fragrant garden to her.
"I'll do my best to restrain my impulses, Goddess Athena. I've come to ask Mr. Roy for help this time, and I would rather not have a conflict break out between you and Mr. Roy."
Annie Charlton spoke with impeccable courtesy. Her refined, easygoing tone carried a hint of bright sincerity that could easily attract the attention of young women. Unfortunately, beneath that mask, her body belonged to a woman.
That was why women understood best how to attract women, while men understood best how to attract men.
Annie Charlton was an extremely capable people-person. In only a few sentences, she had taken care of everyone present. Roy was certain that even if she had not been a Campione but an ordinary person, she would still have been the sort who could thrive in the workplace.
"Hmph. I also do not wish to put him in a difficult position. I shall restrain myself as well."
As Athena said this, she leaned against Roy, making it clear to Annie who the "him" she referred to was.
Annie Charlton secretly gave Roy a thumbs-up, admiring his ability to make even a goddess so obedient.
Roy merely shrugged. Make Athena obedient? That was impossible. Athena was simply clever enough to know what to say in what sort of situation. The Goddess of Wisdom was no joke.
Afterward, just as Annie Charlton was about to invite Roy into the car, she suddenly saw someone.
"Aisha... Lady Aisha?! Why are you here?"
Annie cried out in shock, nearly pointing rudely at the maid walking at the very back.
"Hm? As a maid, of course I have to travel together with my master."
Lady Aisha paid no attention to Annie's outburst. She waved at her with complete naturalness.
Annie Charlton hurried to Roy's side and whispered anxiously, "...Mr. Roy, why is Lady Aisha here?!"
"Didn't she say so herself? As a maid, she has to travel with her master."
Roy smiled happily.
"Ah, I really feel like I have a splitting headache now."
Annie patted her head. At present, the United States had gathered three Campiones and one powerful Disobedient God. Among them was the troublesome Lady Aisha. The slightest mistake could lead to a devastating disaster for the United States. She suddenly regretted inviting Roy to North America.
Ninety-Eighth Chapter: The Campione Who "Cherishes Women"
Manhattan was the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. The entirety of Manhattan was an island, which was why it was called Manhattan Island.
This was the economic and cultural center of the United States, the location of New York's central business district, and also the place with the greatest concentration of skyscrapers in the world. The headquarters of most Fortune 500 companies were located here. The United Nations headquarters, the famous Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, and NASDAQ were all here as well. It could be said to be the center of global finance and the true headquarters of capitalism. At the same time, it was unquestionably where the wealthy of the United States lived.
Being able to purchase a house in Manhattan was something ordinary American citizens would never dare dream of.
Yet in this place with the most expensive real estate in the world, a luxurious garden villa stood on this cramped and priceless land. Only somewhere like this could accommodate one of the seven most honored "kings" in the world.
Even the leaders of the United States could be replaced every year, but only a few "kings" who had slain gods would appear in any given era.
"Anshiela actually chose to cause destruction on Manhattan Island!"
At the dining table, Annie Charlton clenched her fist and slammed it against the table, venting the fury in her heart.
Annie Charlton was no longer wearing her armor and mask. Since Roy already knew her true identity, there was no need for her to continue disguising herself. Doing so would only make people underestimate her.
Annie Charlton was an American woman with fiery-red short hair. She wore a neat women's suit with matching straight-cut trousers, and rimless glasses rested on her nose. No matter how one looked at her, she resembled a senior executive at a major corporation. Nothing about her suggested that she was a Campione.
Annie Charlton could only be considered a plainly attractive woman. She was nowhere near an incomparable beauty capable of bringing down kingdoms. Not to mention the goddess Athena—even compared with Erica and Liliana, she was several levels below them in appearance alone.
However, her identity as a Campione and the imposing air she had developed from remaining in a position of authority for so long gave her an immense presence. She did not need to rely on her looks like ordinary women.
Roy more or less understood why Annie had chosen to conceal her identity as a Campione. She was an extremely low-key person who disliked attention and ostentation. Because she always wore a mask and armor, no one knew her true appearance. That allowed her to live her ordinary life as Annie Charlton without being disturbed by those magicians.
"Fortunately, you warned me, Mr. Roy. Otherwise, I would have suffered a tremendous loss this time! This is Manhattan, the financial center of the world and the United States. If it suffered large-scale destruction, it would be worse than the '9/11' incident and might even cause a global financial crisis."
Annie exhaled the anger in her heart. "...If such a thing really happened, it would be a dereliction of my duty as Annie Charlton. I would have failed the people of the United States."
Listening to Annie's endless speech and thanks, Roy found it amusing. The personalities of the Campiones truly differed greatly. There were cruel and cold people like the marquis and the sect master; kind, responsible people like Annie and Lady Aisha; and foolish people like Salvatore, who lived only for the sword.
Well, there was also someone like him, who was skilled at scheming—not a good person, but not exactly a bad one either.
"The leader of the 'Fly King' is the Divine Ancestor Anshiela. This Witch has been active along the west coast of the United States in order to store up enough of the earth and water's vital essence, allowing herself to recover from a Divine Ancestor into a Dragon-Serpent. The reason she kept choosing to operate on the west coast was merely to mislead you, making you believe that what she sought was there."
"...In truth, this Divine Ancestor seeks nothing at all. She merely harbors intense resentment toward Campiones and humanity. Everything she does is for destruction and ruin, with no other purpose. This time, she had stored enough of the earth and water's vital essence, so she ran from the west coast to the east coast, intending to cause a great disturbance across Manhattan Island. By the time you rushed here from the west coast, it would already have been too late."
"If that really happened, it would be like a Hollywood movie brought into reality. A giant serpent rampaging through Manhattan—that would be just like a gorilla fighting aircraft atop the Empire State Building."
Roy even cracked a joke at the end. "...By then, the magicians of the entire United States would probably have to become Men in Black and run around erasing the memories of the civilians. Hahahaha!"
He was not someone with a strong sense of justice or responsibility in such matters, so he was rather indifferent. Annie, however, was completely different. She cared deeply about the civilians in the territory under her protection, and her expression grew increasingly solemn.
"Thank you again for your help, Mr. Roy. If not for you, countless innocent people on Manhattan Island would have died or been injured this time."
Annie Charlton offered her solemn thanks once more.
Roy waved it off. In any case, he had merely obtained a medium related to the "Fly King" from Annie. Using the "Clairvoyance" to trace the past, he had easily discovered Divine Ancestor Anshiela's purpose.
The so-called Divine Ancestors were pitiful goddesses who had once been ancient Earth Mother Goddesses, transformed into Dragon-Serpents, and ultimately even lost that identity. They could no longer be called gods and had lost divine power. But because the Divine Ancestors still possessed the divinity of Earth Mother Goddesses, their descendants became Witches.
Witches such as White Princess Alice and Liliana were descendants of Divine Ancestors.
"Most Earth Mother Goddesses lost everything they possessed and therefore developed deep resentment toward the Steel Heroes and this world. Earth Mother Goddesses who still retain their divine thrones, like me, have become very rare."
Athena, seated beside Roy, sighed as she recounted the sorrow of the ancient Earth Mother Goddesses.
These Earth Mother Goddesses had once stood at the summit of mythology. During the changes of mythology and humanity, they lost their power and became possessions of the Heavenly Father male gods. Then they were transformed into Dragon-Serpents and slain by heroes. Even that was not the end. After being killed, the Earth Mother Goddesses lost their divine power and lives, yet still had to become Divine Ancestors and struggle on in pitiful survival. Such immense changes were enough to drive anyone insane.
"Since Athena and I have an agreement, I will not attack an Earth Mother Goddess unless absolutely necessary. So I will not help you this time, Annie. But surely a mere Divine Ancestor, even if she has temporarily recovered her divine power, should still be within the ability of a Campione like you to handle."
Roy said this was because of his agreement with Athena, but in truth, the attributes of the Earth Mother Goddesses—his "Victory," "Sun," and "Steel"—were fundamentally opposed to one another. Even if he killed an Earth Mother Goddess, it would bring him no possible change. Since that was the case, Roy could not be bothered to contend with those gods.
Still, he did not mind saying a few pleasant words if they could make Athena happy.
"You really do cherish women, Mr. Roy."
The capable female Campione with short hair smiled as she spoke.
Roy neither denied nor admitted it. He simply picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip.
"But I hope you won't use that tenderness toward Lady Aisha. She's given me an enormous headache these past few days."
Annie rubbed her forehead in distress.
Roy gave a bitter smile. Lady Aisha's authority, "Queen's Curse," had run wild twice over the past few days. Fortunately, Roy had resolved both incidents without danger, and no major disturbance had occurred.
He finally understood why everyone stayed far away from Lady Aisha. She was practically a machine for manufacturing trouble.
"Ding-dong—"
Just then, the villa's doorbell suddenly rang. Roy and Annie exchanged a glance, both seeing the same puzzlement in the other's eyes. Neither knew who would come calling at a time like this.
Before they could think further, the uninvited visitor passed straight through the door and entered. When Roy saw that beautiful figure smiling sweetly like a blooming lily, he said irritably, "...Alice, what are you doing here?"
The person who appeared was White Princess Alice, but it was not her true body. It was only her spirit body. This peculiar ability, possessed only by Alice, was extraordinary. Even traveling from England to the United States took merely an instant.
"Because you haven't come to England to see me in such a long time. I missed you."
Princess Alice smiled playfully, looking as pitiful as a little white rabbit abandoned by its owner.
"You don't miss me. You just think something interesting is about to happen in the United States, so you came here to join the fun."
Roy snorted. He knew this Witch's personality, every inch of her body, and even every path on her body that could be explored. He knew perfectly well that she was simply a demon who loved joining in the excitement, regardless of whether the world would end tomorrow.
"Hehe~"
The White Princess, who was renowned throughout Europe, covered her mouth and giggled. She did not refute Roy, because she knew that contradicting him was meaningless.
She had long since had no secrets before him...
Ninety-Ninth Chapter: The Disobedient Leviathan
(I suddenly really want to write Abby...)
"Master, please taste the food I prepared and tell me how it is."
Lady Aisha, who had an auspicious mark on her forehead, an Indian sari covering her head, and a star-and-moon ornament hanging from her brow, carried dish after dish to the table. She wore a maid uniform filled with Indian flair, and her face was bright with a cheerful smile. Even the way she served the food was perfectly in keeping with a maid's standards—enthusiastic and lively.
Lady Aisha did not care in the slightest about calling Roy her master. She had always been scatterbrained and did not possess the pride one would expect of a Campione. She was so naturally familiar with people that she called Marquis Voban "Big Brother" and Sect Master Luo Hao "Big Sister," leaving those two ancient Campiones utterly helpless.
Roy stared at the food on the table. Judging by its appearance alone, it was acceptable. Although his "Clairvoyance" showed that Lady Aisha's maid skills could be trusted, and although she had cooked for herself all these years, seeing something and experiencing it personally were entirely different matters.
Taking up a knife and fork, Roy closed his eyes and sampled a piece of steak with the spirit of a fearless warrior. His expression was as solemn as a soldier about to enter battle. Only after a long while did he open his eyes beneath Lady Aisha's expectant gaze and say, "...Hmm. I thought the steak would have a strong curry flavor, but there's no curry in it at all. And it isn't England's dark cuisine, either. The taste is fairly decent."
Lady Aisha was Indian and had once served as a maid for English nobility. That background alone was enough to make one distrust her cooking. Fortunately, Roy discovered that he had been overthinking things. Lady Aisha's cooking could not be called delicious, but it was certainly not inedible. As a maid, it was around average.
"Although you seem to be praising me, Master, why can't I feel happy about it? And it sounds as though you're discriminating against Indians and English people."
Lady Aisha curled her lips and complained.
"I'm not used to eating Western food. If you know how to make Eastern cuisine, Lady Aisha, then make that next time."
Roy ignored Lady Aisha's complaint and simply made the sort of request a master ought to make.
"Eastern cuisine? I did learn from Big Sister Luo Hao, but I could never learn her skills. I can't make Eastern cuisine at all. From that perspective, I really am an unqualified maid."
Lady Aisha sighed.
"Madam, you still have some self-awareness after all. I'm relieved."
Before you continue