Multiverse's Holy Right

On the streets of Rome, a luxury car glided past. In the back seat sat a middle-aged man and a young, beautiful girl.

The man, nearing forty, possessed the dignified features of a David sculpture, exuding an air of intellect and refinement. Leaning against the seat, his steady gaze fixed on the fleeting Roman scenery outside the window, lost in thought.

He was none other than Paolo Blandelli, the Supreme Leader of Italy's mage association, the "Copper Black Cross."

Summoned by the 'King,' Paul Blandelli had hurried from the headquarters in Milan, but he was not yet ready to proceed directly to the Vatican for an audience. Instead, he first headed to the headquarters of the magical association 'She-Wolf' in Rome to convene a crucial meeting.

By Paolo Blandelli's side sat a dazzling Italian girl, appearing no older than fourteen or fifteen, yet her figure was already well-developed. Her lustrous golden hair cascaded freely, and she wore a striking red gown, her posture upright, revealing snow-white shoulders and a glimpse of delicate skin at the neckline. Her mature allure, incongruous with her age, drew the gaze of all around her.

The girl sat poised beside Paolo Blandelli, her beautiful face stern as an unsheathed blade, yet exuding an air of noble elegance and grace.

"Uncle, aren't we going to meet the new King? This doesn't seem like the way to the Vatican—it looks like we're heading to She-Wolf's headquarters," the girl said, glancing at the scenery outside the window. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she voiced her confusion in a melodious tone.

"Erica, before we meet the 'King,' the 'Seven Sisters' of Italy must first hold a meeting. Though you've met the leaders of the other six magical associations, you've never attended a formal 'Alliance Conference.' This is your chance," Paolo Blandelli replied gently. His words were simple, yet they carried significant implications.

Erica Blandelli's furrowed brow smoothed, and a hint of excitement flickered in her expression. For her uncle, the Supreme Commander of the 'Bronze Black Cross,' to bring her to such an important meeting was a clear sign of his high regard. Perhaps the title of 'Diavolo Rosso' would finally be bestowed upon her.

But Erica quickly suppressed her restlessness. Compared to the honor of surpassing her rivals, the deeper implications of this meeting weighed more heavily on her mind.

"Uncle, is this because of the new King and Sir Salvatore Doni?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Paolo remained silent, merely nodding slightly to confirm Erica's guess. The atmosphere in the car grew tense, and neither spoke another word until the vehicle entered the headquarters of 'She-Wolf.'

Beneath the red gown, a delicate foot clad in white stockings stepped onto an equally vibrant red high heel. The rhythmic click of her heels echoed as Erica strode forward, ignoring the admiring, reverent, or lovestruck gazes of the young magicians in She-Wolf's headquarters. With her head held high, she followed her uncle into the conference hall.

Inside She-Wolf's headquarters, the finest knights and magicians of Italy had already gathered. At the center of the hall stood a round table with seven seats—one for each leader of the 'Seven Sisters.'

Five of the seven chairs were already occupied. The seventh magical association was currently in turmoil, having yet to elect a new Supreme Commander, and thus was excluded from this meeting.

Erica's eyes swept briefly across the room before landing on a familiar face.

The silver-haired Knight Princess stood solemnly behind a woman dressed remarkably youthfully. Her gaze remained fixed forward, her posture impeccable. Though equally beautiful, her demeanor lacked the girlish charm of youth, replaced instead by the solemnity befitting a knight.

Liliana Kranjcar, the eldest daughter of the prestigious Kranjcar family in the magical world, was a member of the magical organization "Bronze Black Cross."

Although the "Copper Black Cross" and the "Bronze Black Cross" were allied as the Seven Sisters, their headquarters in Milan had been rivals for centuries. Thus, while Erica and Liliana maintained a friendly relationship in private, they were also competitors.

Upon seeing her acquaintance, Erica's elegant face broke into a playful smile as she winked at Liliana.

Liliana merely glared back before resuming her composed demeanor, ignoring Erica's provocation.

Erica didn't press further and soon adopted a serious expression like Liliana, standing behind her uncle.

The conference hall was filled with prominent figures of the Italian magical world. As a junior, she had no right to act too casually here—it would disgrace the "Copper Black Cross" and make her appear ill-mannered.

"Sir Paolo Blandelli has arrived. Let us begin the meeting promptly. We must not keep the new King waiting," declared the leader of the magical society "Capital of Lilies." He was a young man under thirty who had abandoned his true name, inheriting instead the title passed down through generations of leaders—the "Purple Knight."

Torino, the leader of the magical society "Olden Dame," interjected, "...I believe everyone here is well aware of the purpose of this meeting. Let us not waste time reiterating the details. I have only one question: does anyone possess detailed information about the new King? This concerns the Seven Sisters Alliance, and I hope no one will withhold anything."

Diana Milito, the leader of the "Bronze Black Cross" and the youthful-looking woman standing before Liliana, immediately responded, "...To think the 'Olden Dame' would emerge from headquarters—it seems the new King has placed immense pressure on you as well. According to intelligence we obtained from the Vatican's Holy Church, the new King is said to be a sixteen-year-old boy, only two years older than our Liliana."

"...As for his authorities, we can only speculate they are related to 'Michael.' Even the 'idlers' of Greenwich have failed to uncover more specific details. This 'King' has no recorded battles, and the process of his godslaying remains unknown. Since the Holy Church has confirmed him as a Campione, we must treat him as such. The Church's credibility in this matter is beyond doubt."

"Those who slay gods are never merely powerful magicians..."

Paolo spoke with scholarly grace, "...I have had multiple encounters with England's Campione, the 'Black Prince,' and have witnessed firsthand the terror of a Heretic God. Even with my strength, I am as powerless as a child before such beings. Never judge a godslayer by age—Campiones are inherently 'unreasonable,' existing on a plane entirely separate from us knights and magicians."

The meeting hall fell silent, with everyone's breathing noticeably heavier. Paolo was undoubtedly the pinnacle of Italian knights and magicians, arguably the strongest among them. Yet even he spoke this way, deepening people's despair and sorrow toward the Campiones and the Heretic Gods.

Not everyone had witnessed a Heretic God. Though these beings were natural disasters, years might pass without one appearing. Even when they did emerge, it wasn't the place for ordinary magicians to confront them—the 'Kings' would personally intervene.

Not even the young commander of the 'Capital of Lilies' had seen a Heretic God with his own eyes, let alone the other young magicians present.

But precisely because they had never directly faced a Heretic God, an imperceptible sense of 'unwillingness' took root in their hearts.

"Enough about your past glories, Paolo Blandelli! This is not the place to recount your illustrious history!"

As a rival magic association member, Diana Milito interrupted Paolo with a sharp tone. "...We have too little information about the new King. But from the limited data available, the new King's personality seems remarkably 'capricious.' We could attribute it to youthful willfulness. Therefore, we're gathered here to vote—whether we continue supporting our Southern European alliance leader, Sir Salvatore Doni, or betray him to pledge allegiance to the new King..."

"Apologies for interrupting, Lady Milito, but please allow me to speak. I, along with Liliana, have had dealings with Sir Salvatore before. His temperament makes him unsuitable for loyalty, especially if the new King's nature is too unrestrained. Defying his orders could invite severe retaliation! Moreover, Sir Salvatore is only our nominal alliance leader—we of the 'Seven Sisters' are not truly his subordinates. This wouldn't count as betrayal, so I suggest..."

Erica faced the gazes of numerous Italian magic society leaders without fear, her confident demeanor earning silent nods of approval from the veteran magicians present. They couldn't help but envy the 'Bronze Black Cross' for having such an outstanding junior.

However, before Erica could finish, the young leader of 'Capital of Lilies' cut in sharply: "...Lady Erica Blandelli, know your place. Though you are an excellent junior of the 'Bronze Black Cross,' you have no right to speak here..."

The 'Purple Knight's' tone was filled with displeasure.

Erica's face flushed red as her words were stifled. After a moment of restraint, she finally sighed and bowed in apology. "...My apologies for speaking out of turn. I hope the esteemed assembly will forgive me."

Just as Paolo Blandelli was about to console his niece, the conference room doors suddenly swung open.

Everyone frowned—no one else should have been arriving at this point. They wondered which magic association would be so discourteous as to barge into such an important meeting.

Countless eyes turned toward the entrance, where a young man in the robes of a cardinal stood, his right hand casually tucked in his pocket as he surveyed them with keen interest.

"My dear subjects, gathered here in one place—how considerate of you to save me the trouble of seeking you out individually. I'm quite pleased by your thoughtfulness... Though I did summon you to meet me. So why, instead, do I find you holding a conference here?"

As the words fell, the expressions of all the magicians and knights present changed drastically.

***

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