Multiverse's Holy Right

"The Sect Master's culinary skills are truly unparalleled. No wonder Lady Aisha looked envious when she mentioned your craftsmanship."

Roy held a white porcelain bowl in his hand, using a jade spoon to scoop out a dumpling before taking a delicate bite.

The simple little dumpling contained only a small amount of meat, mostly diced vegetables, yet the burst of flavor on his taste buds left Roy effusive with praise.

To elevate such a humble dish to this level—Luo Hao's culinary prowess was something Roy had never encountered before in his life.

"This is only natural. When I, Luo Hao, set my mind to something, I strive for perfection. Cooking is like martial arts—it demands talent, relentless study, and effort."

Luo Hao's delicate nose wrinkled slightly, her sharp chin lifting unconsciously as she accepted Roy's praise without a hint of modesty. Yet, the slight relaxation of her brows and the faint smile at the corners of her eyes revealed her pleasure at receiving admiration from someone of Roy's stature.

However, the usually unshakable Sect Master soon showed rare signs of tension, her lips parting slightly as she asked, "...You mentioned Aisha? From your letters, I learned she's serving as your maid. Has she also come to this land?"

Her expression made it clear that Aisha was a source of considerable vexation for her—so much so that she'd rather not see her at all.

"Lady Aisha is still in Rome, Italy. I didn't bring her along."

Roy shook his head in amusement, gaining a new appreciation for Aisha's notorious reputation. To unsettle even the proud Sect Master—Aisha was truly one of a kind in this world.

"Good that she didn't come. That woman only brings chaos. I fear I might not resist the urge to kill her."

Luo Hao exhaled in relief, then raised her cup high, her mood lifting as she declared, "...Let us not speak of that woman any further. On such a fine evening, we should drink and recite poetry... 'How laughable are mortal affairs, how tedious is infatuation!' Hahahaha!!"

Like a carefree scholar of the Wei-Jin era, the Sect Master reveled in unrestrained abandon. One hand brushed against her flowing sleeves while the other raised her cup to Roy in a toast, boldly pouring the wine down her crimson lips.

A few drops of wine trickled down, tracing a path from the corner of her lips across her fair neck before disappearing into the breathtaking snowy curves.

Ancient palace attire was notoriously revealing, and the sect leader clad in such robes was truly like a proud white lotus—her furrowed brows and shifting gaze illuminating the entire room.

A faint flush colored the sect leader's flawless jade-like complexion. Her eyes were hazy, as if veiled in mist, as she giggled drunkenly, "...Come, drink with me! In the past two hundred years, fewer than five have had this honor. And in the last century, not a single soul has shared a drink with me. Though the world is vast, those who can catch Luo Hao's eye are few and far between."

"Then I shall graciously accept your invitation."

Roy made a show of cupping his hands in salute before downing the wine in his porcelain cup in one gulp. The rich flavor slid down his throat, warming his body. The wine's potency was immense—without using his magical power, Roy found himself slightly intoxicated.

But seeing that Luo Hao hadn't used her own magical power to dispel the alcohol, Roy followed his host's lead. Goblets clinked as they drank, while a few incense sticks burned atop Kyoto Tower. Amid the faint haze of smoke, they conversed by candlelight, their discussion lively and pleasant.

...

Not far from Kyoto Tower, atop a hotel rooftop, stood the petite figure of Athena, clad in a snow-white dress. Her silver hair, cropped at her ears, fluttered slightly in the night breeze. Like a stone statue of a waiting wife, she stood at the edge of the rooftop, her nightingale-like eyes fixed intently on Kyoto Tower in the distance. It was as if she was poised at any moment to receive Roy's signal—ready to restore her divine trinity and stand beside that man in battle, slaying the arrogant Campione who thought so highly of herself.

"Lady Athena, why are you helping that Campione?"

Behind Athena, Asherah—a girl with a similarly childlike stature—couldn't hold back her question.

"Why help him? It is simply because this goddess wishes to do so..."

Athena answered without turning her head, as if afraid that even the slightest movement might cause her to miss Roy's command.

"He is an unusual Demon King—a Campione who, after defeating a Heretic God, chose not to kill but to cooperate with the divine. This goddess has never seen such a man before... You have not witnessed his valor in battle, the incredible power hidden within his body—a force capable of shattering even the Last Steel..."

"...This goddess will aid him. Aid him in severing the Steel, avenging the grievances we Earth Mothers have borne for so many years."

Athena's voice rose with fervor, her night-dark pupils shimmering with starlight, radiant and resplendent—especially when speaking of Roy, her brilliance outshone even the night sky.

Even Athena herself did not notice the joy in her tone.

But Asherah did. She sensed the unusual emotion in the goddess's words. She knew what this feeling was. As the famed virgin goddess of Greek mythology, Athena should not have harbored such emotions—yet here she was, unmistakably feeling them.

Asherah did not remind Athena, because some things are clearer to outsiders while the involved remain oblivious. No amount of external prompting would help. Though Asherah was now a Divine Ancestor, she had once been a goddess reigning supreme over heaven and earth. Precisely because of her vast experience, she knew certain realizations couldn't be triggered by mere words from others.

'Though the Sword of Wisdom can sever all things, there is one thing most difficult to cut—the arrow of Cupid...'

Asherah sighed inwardly. She no longer possessed the status or power to intervene in matters between Campiones and Heretic Gods. But if her meager strength could aid her ancient kin, she wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice everything.

"If that is your will, Lady Athena, then I shall await the outcome. Until then, I shall fulfill my role faithfully as his ally and pet."

The Divine Ancestor Asherah bowed her head respectfully.

"Good. Simply attend to your duties, Anxela. The rest is more than sufficient in my hands."

Athena gave a slight nod before her gaze drifted toward the Kyoto Tower summit. An inexplicable irritation rose within her, her lips pursing in displeasure as she muttered, "...What a detestable, foul-smelling woman. How I long to sever your head and mount it upon my shield."

Athena attributed her hatred for Luo Hao to the instinctive enmity between Heretic Gods and Campiones. Yet she faintly sensed there might be other, more ambiguous undertones to it.

...

Beyond Kyoto's outskirts stood a magnificent shrine absent from maps and closed to visitors—the Seitengou Palace. Its name derived from the "Journey to the West," built specifically to house (and seal) that world-renowned Monkey King.

"Perhaps I should summon Annie Charlton from America too. Having her collaborate with you, would be killing two birds with one stone..."

Luo Hao shot Roy a puzzled glance, utterly lost as to what nonsense he was spouting now.

***

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