Lately, figuring out how to win more of Melusine's favor had become Erica's most perplexing problem.
She knew very well that to truly understand someone and grow closer to them, you had to pay close attention to the little details of their daily life and their shifts in mood.
In this regard, Erica considered herself quite talented.
But... the biggest issue now wasn't how to observe her, but how to actually spend time with her.
Facing Lady Lancelot, who spent over sixteen hours a day lazing about in her room, Erica felt like she'd lost all her strength and means.
The precious little time she could spend with her was almost entirely concentrated around mealtimes.
Even though, after three consecutive days together, their relationship had become much more relaxed than at the start, mealtimes only added up to about an hour or so total.
The rest of the day, she couldn't find the woman anywhere.
It wasn't that Melusine was deliberately avoiding Erica; it was more that she was just too idle.
She wanted to sleep, but couldn't exactly doze off for a decade or two, so she had to find something to keep herself occupied.
Limited by the constraints of her era, her options for entertainment were pretty sparse.
Eventually, she'd just head back to Amber's world to catch up on new anime or novels, play some games, or even get into some real-life sparring for exercise.
Going back to her original body just because she was bored?
This behavior earned her no end of silent ridicule, especially from Jingliu, who'd endured ancient times for years without a word of complaint.
Finally, on the third day, Erica couldn't contain herself any longer and brought it up at the dinner table.
"Lord Lancelot! Don't you think you've been a bit too inactive these past few days?"
"...?"
Melusine blinked, surprised to be called out.
"While I understand you might not be used to the rhythm of human life due to your unique circumstances," Erica pressed on, "if you never engage in any vigorous activity, you'll never truly integrate into this society!"
"Integrate into human society?"
Though she did actually want to fit in, Melusine put on a puzzled expression, as if to say, 'What on earth are you talking about?'
"Exactly. Isn't it precisely because you have nothing to do that you end up cooped up in your room all day?"
Erica asked.
Her suggestion of 'integrating into society' wasn't just pulled out of thin air; she had two reasons in mind.
One reason, naturally, was the Bronze-Black Cross.
She'd made the decision to latch onto a powerful patron, but if that patron turned out to be just as detached and unconcerned with everything as the Sword King, then wouldn't her job-hopping have been for nothing?
The other reason stemmed from her genuine concern for Melusine as her sworn knight-attendant.
After all... Melusine seemed so terribly lonely in her eyes.
Erica knew perfectly well how ridiculous that thought must be, applied to a Heretic God.
But after encountering the two Heretic Gods Verethragna and Melqart, she couldn't bring herself to view the deity she now served as an ordinary one.
There was absolutely no sign of frenzy; her temperament was remarkably calm, and yet she still faintly radiated an aura of not quite belonging to this world.
But given what had happened on the rooftop of the association, Erica had reason to believe this alienation wasn't something Melusine herself desired.
If that was the case, then as her knight-attendant, it was her duty to ease the worries of the one she served.
This motive was undoubtedly mixed with self-interest, but it wasn't entirely without genuine feeling.
"Instead of staying cooped up in your room, why not go out and look for something that interests you, my lady?" Erica suggested.
She didn't seriously think she could successfully get Melusine to integrate into society; that was unrealistic.
But by seizing this momentum, if she could just get her to do something, anything, it should create some common ground for them to talk about, right?
"Go out..."
Melusine wasn't particularly thrilled by the idea, but seeing how much more casually Erica was interacting with her now, she nodded anyway.
"Alright, what did you have in mind?"
Erica knew the principle of starting small.
Trying to introduce something too modern right away might overwhelm Melusine. Instead, she thought it better to find something relaxing and leisurely that suited her lazy disposition.
"How about... fishing?"
--+--
On an island just a few hundred nautical miles from Sardinia, a girl of about twelve or thirteen stood atop a tall building.
She had long, slightly curled golden hair and wore a simple, old-fashioned dress.
Her coppery-brown eyes were fixed on the distant island of Sardinia, her expression grave.
"The Devil King has already arrived there..."
The girl, named Guinevere, looked somewhat grim, a faint twist marring her delicate features.
"Uncle, do you think that Fool can defeat that 'Lancelot'?"
As her voice faded, a figure standing silently behind her—swathed head-to-toe, resembling a suit of armor—spoke.
"God-slayers possess unimaginable luck and the most tenacious will. Even the youngest among them holds an overwhelming advantage over ordinary Heretic Gods."
But that 'Lancelot' was clearly not ordinary.
"She should be a fake... but her true nature... just what..." Guinevere clearly had her own judgment, but a sliver of hope led her to ask anyway.
In truth, both of them understood that even a God-slayer's luck and tenacity had limits.
After Verethragna and Melqart were cut down one after another, Guinevere, the creator of the 'Witches' Network,' had received the news instantly.
Two of the top-tier deities, defeated within five minutes?
This earth-shattering, overwhelming power immediately made her think of the 'Last King' she had been pursuing all this time.
Yet, she knew full well that even her painstakingly resurrected 'King Arthur' wasn't the Last King, so 'Lancelot' certainly couldn't be either.
She had come here to witness this 'Lancelot's' true strength with her own eyes and adjust her next move based on what she saw.
She had no choice; she couldn't ignore such a feat, nor could she remain unaffected by it.
But there was someone else even more focused on this situation than she was.
"'Lancelot,' huh... If I've calculated correctly, the Sword King should have arrived there by now."
In the Witenagemot's council chamber, one of the God-slayers, the man known as the Black Prince, Alexander Gascoigne, was confirming the information magically transmitted in his hand.
"I didn't realize your intelligence network extended even to Italy."
Seated opposite him was a woman who radiated a girl's youthful energy yet possessed the noble bearing of a lady, like a princess.
In fact, her public moniker was 'Princess Alice.'
"I have a complicated history with a witch over there."
Thinking of that senior and friend—a woman with power and influence who just wanted to live in seclusion, whom he could only manage to see once every two or three years—Alexander rubbed his temples.
"You're here about the fallout from last time, I take it?"
"Exactly."
Alexander lowered the hand holding the letter, his gaze turning dark.
"First King Arthur... and now Lancelot. Guinevere must have done something we can hardly imagine. This Lancelot is far beyond the Arthur we saw before."
"For this, I need your spiritual vision."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.