It had been several days since I issued the command for my 'invitation.'
I remained in my office in Tokyo, staring blankly at the scenery outside the window. Alessandro Gaspare stood behind me like a silent shadow, and Shinomiya Kaoru stepped forward to hand me a newly arrived report.
"My King, I have an additional report regarding the eighth King, Kusanagi Godo."
"Read it."
"Yes. Kusanagi Godo has received word of our intent to invite him, but he has yet to provide a definitive answer. He is currently traveling with Erica Brandelli, a knight of the Italian magical society, the 'Bronze-Black Cross,' and the current Diabolosso. Furthermore... just yesterday, on a small island in the Mediterranean, he reportedly fought a duel with the Phoenician King of Gods, Melqart, resulting in a stalemate."
"A draw against Melqart, is it?"
I clicked my tongue softly. I had pegged him for a complete novice, but he seemed to have a natural constitution for getting dragged into the most irritating situations. He had barely finished slaying his first god before immediately tangling with another and surviving. I couldn't tell if he was incredibly lucky or genuinely talented.
"Alessandro."
"Yes, my Lord."
"What are your thoughts?"
"If I may be so bold, my Lord, he is dangerous. It is speculated that Verethragna possessed ten incarnations, and that god was a symbol of change."
The Knight's voice grew grave. "His Authorities are unpredictable, and a fledgling King who has just grasped such power is nothing more than a ticking time bomb. Moreover, he is Japanese. Another King born within your territory will inevitably become a seed of rebellion one day. We should prune the branch now, before it can grow."
His answer was, as always, cold and direct. However, I simply shook my head.
"No, not yet. Whether we prune him or not is a decision I'll make after seeing what kind of man he is."
I buried myself back into my throne-like chair. It was all so tedious. Yet, I couldn't just leave such a volatile variable unattended.
"I simply wish to confirm it for myself. Whether he'll be a nuisance who threatens my peace, or... just some trivial brat I can afford to ignore."
At my word, Alessandro and Kaoru fell silent. They recognized this as my final decree.
At that same hour, in Italy.
Kusanagi Godo was groaning in agony inside a luxurious hotel suite provided by Erica. While the wounds from his life-and-death struggle with Melqart had mostly closed thanks to a Campione’s unnatural regenerative abilities, his mental exhaustion remained absolute.
"I’m seriously over this... Why do I have to keep doing things like this...?"
While he grumbled facedown on the bed, Erica stood in the living room, her brow furrowed as she received reports via magical transmission. Finishing the call, she entered the bedroom with a grim expression.
"Godo, we have a problem."
"What? Did another god show up? Because I'm officially clocking out!"
"It might be someone more troublesome than a god."
Erica chose her words carefully before speaking with resolve. "The History Compilation Committee of Japan has sent you an official 'invitation.'"
"An invitation? From Japan? That means I can go home! That's great news!"
Godo's face brightened with hope, but Erica shook her head.
"It's not that simple. That invitation... was sent in the name of the Seventh King."
"The Seventh King...?"
"Yes. It means he is summoning you to Japan for a personal audience. He’s using a very plausible pretext—'welcoming a fellow King's visitation.'"
Godo looked dazed, failing to grasp the gravity of the situation. Erica’s expression, however, was more serious than ever.
"This is a test, Godo. He wants to see if you will bare your fangs at him or not. Regardless of which path you choose, the road back to being a normal high school student no longer exists."
"That’s... look, I don't want to fight, and I don't want to serve under anyone! Can't they just leave me alone?"
Hearing Godo's plea, Erica looked at him with sympathetic eyes.
"The world of the Campione is not so forgiving. Especially the Seventh King... rumors say he is incredibly cynical and shows no mercy even to gods if they disturb his peace. There is no way you can live quietly when you were born right in the heart of such a King’s territory."
"Then what am I supposed to do!"
"For now, we have no choice but to accept the invitation and discern his intentions. We'll have to find a way to stay on his good side and negotiate a peaceful coexistence. In the worst-case scenario, we might have to seek asylum with another King..."
Just as Erica was about to mention other possibilities, her face drained of color. Outside the hotel, she felt a familiar, cataclysmic fluctuation of magical power.
"...No way. Something worse than the 'worst-case' just arrived first."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Godo, get down!"
The moment Erica screamed—KRA-BOOOOOM!
The entire hotel shook as if letting out a terminal shriek. Outside the window, a massive silver flash detonated alongside a roar that seemed to tear the very sky apart. When the two rushed to the window, an unbelievable sight awaited them.
In the middle of the plaza in front of the hotel, a gargantuan claymore was thrust deep into the earth. And standing atop the hilt of that blade was a man laughing with boisterous delight.
"Found you, New King! Come, let us perform a Sword Dance together!"
Salvatore Doni. That battle-crazed monster had crashed the party like a sudden, violent storm.
At the same time, in my office in Tokyo.
A panicked report from a local agent in Italy spilled out of the magical communication crystal in Alessandro’s hand.
[Emergency! The Sixth King, Salvatore Doni, has attacked the hotel where the Eighth King is staying!]
The air in the room froze at the report. I closed my eyes for a moment, then pressed a hand to my forehead with a deep, weary sigh.
"......Good grief, seriously."
Salvatore Doni. Of course it was that battle-maniac who had to ruin everything. Into my plan of quietly summoning and evaluating the newcomer, the loudest and most troublesome variable had forcibly inserted itself.
"So it ends up like this after all," I murmured. My face didn't hold interest, but rather the sheer irritation of a man forced to deal with an unavoidable, localized disaster.
I stood from my seat and issued orders to Alessandro and Kaoru.
"Change of plans. Alessandro, prepare my private jet immediately. I'm going there myself."
"My Lord!"
"If that battle-crazed fool starts running wild, that novice won't last half a day. Italy might not be my territory, but if the man I invited is crushed before he even sees me, it's a slight against my prestige. More than anything... it's just plain annoying."
I pulled out a communication crystal and connected to Alice Louise of Navarre in Korea.
"Alice. Urgent business has surfaced. Come to Italy at once. I'll send the coordinates as soon as I arrive."
Having finished my instructions, I looked out the window. Somewhere far across the ocean, in Italy, a commotion was erupting. And behind it, I could sense the shifting of hidden agendas.
"Kaoru, you stay in Japan and keep a sharp eye on the 'shadows.' Those old fossils won't let this opportunity pass them by. If even a single rat makes a move, crush them instantly."
"Yes, my King."
Ultimately, my boring daily routine was coming to an end, swept up once again in a loud and chaotic incident. Truly, it was an exhausting existence.
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