That very night, the name Melusine—or rather, 'Lancelot'—echoed across the entire world.
Killing a God-Slayer in under a minute was the kind of feat that would make anyone's blood run cold.
As for Erica, she couldn't tell if she felt more relieved or uneasy.
Andrea Rivera, who had been tirelessly tracking Doni, hoping to prevent his reckless friend from causing chaos, soon received news of his comrade's death.
It was a scenario he had never anticipated, leaving him silent for a long while.
Naturally, grief and sorrow welled up within him for his fallen friend, but he understood all too well that the Sword King's demise carried consequences far beyond a single death.
The fall of any who stood at the apex would trigger a chain reaction, a tidal wave of upheaval.
First to feel the tremors were the Southern European magic societies, once unified under the Sword King's presence.
While his rule had indeed placed a mountain upon their heads, it had also shielded them from persecution by other factions backed by their own God-Slayers.
Don't be mistaken—a God-Slayer's authority over the lower factions wasn't merely about issuing decrees without offering support.
It was a matter of sheltering beneath a great tree for shade.
Even if a God-Slayer looked down upon a particular magic society, as long as that society had a God-Slayer behind them, you had to show them respect on the surface.
To do otherwise would be an affront to a Devil King's dignity.
More terrifying still was the fact that the world's most vicious, most ancient Devil King also resided in Europe, commanding the magic societies of the East and North.
With the Sword King's territory now vacant, the Wolf King, lurking so close by, could not possibly remain idle.
Just thinking about the Wolf King's methods of controlling Eastern and Northern Europe sent chills down not only Andrea's spine but also through the ranks of the Southern European societies.
They desperately needed new patronage. But every other God-Slayer already had their own domains.
The only one who could possibly contend with the Wolf King was the Black Prince, ruling over Western Europe from England.
If given the choice, they would naturally prefer to pledge allegiance to the Black Prince over the Wolf King.
After all, even by common standards, the Black Prince could be considered a normal person—a terrifyingly normal trait among God-Slayers.
His nickname, 'The Noble Prince,' was no joke.
Yet, Alexander refused Andrea's overtures without a moment's hesitation.
He had no time to spare for magic society affairs.
Though everyone considered Western Europe his territory, and he tacitly accepted this, his ambitions lay elsewhere. More land would only bring more trouble.
Compared to these matters, he was far more interested in what Guinevere was up to.
Andrea felt a cold dread creep over his scalp. He knew God-Slayers well.
The only reason the Wolf King remained silent now was that he was likewise engrossed in preparing to confront this 'Lancelot.'
Once the Wolf King was thoroughly ready, he would inevitably turn his gaze southward.
But looking around, Southern Europe seemed stranded on an isolated island, with no support in sight.
Erica remained oblivious to all this.
Ever since learning of the Sword King Doni's death, she found it hard to disentangle herself from a whirlwind of complex emotions.
Melusine understood that such rapid-fire events were a massive shock to Erica's worldview, so she wasn't surprised by her state.
Simply saying they should head back to rest, she flew off towards Lucretia's villa.
By now, Lucretia had used the excuse of traveling abroad to transfer the villa's ownership to Melusine. However, Melusine felt keeping it served little purpose, so she let Erica hold onto it on her behalf.
Erica understood—this was Melusine's way of giving her space to process the information.
Realizing this, she quickly pulled herself together.
Thinking it over carefully, no matter what schemes the God-Slayers concocted, she had no real means to counter them.
Compared to God-Slayers, any strategies ordinary people might devise, however painstakingly, were just armchair tactics—theories on paper.
If even Lady Lancelot wasn't panicked, what reason did she have not to trust her?
That settled it in her mind, yet she still decided to investigate the abilities of the other Kings.
To do this, she needed to leverage the Copper Black Cross's resources to find a Hime-Miko with sufficient innate talent.
Beyond that, her greatest effort should be dedicated to ending Melusine's lazy, tedious existence—finding activities or amusements that could truly capture her interest!
The pressure from the Sword King's fall descended faster than imagined.
It wasn't just the magic societies' fear of the Wolf King.
Heretical cults and unaffiliated magic societies, long suppressed by Andrea's oversight and starved for opportunities, erupted like a dam bursting after prolonged restraint.
A surge of criminal activity plunged the already strained magic societies into deeper chaos.
Andrea understood clearly: this was because he lacked the power to consolidate their voices.
Adding insult to injury, a divine artifact was unexpectedly unearthed in Rome by the Copper Black Cross.
"You're saying… the artifact that Princess Alice prophesied about, the one the Wolf King is so keen on, is now in Italy…?"
Upon hearing Paolo Blandelli's affirmative response, Andrea felt like he was suffocating.
"Who all knows about this right now…?"
"Currently, we've just acquired it. With any luck… not many people should know…"
Luck was indeed their only hope, because spiritual visions were utterly unreasonable.
If a Hime-Miko with sufficient talent were commanded by the Wolf King to use her gift at this very moment, the artifact's location would be impossible to conceal.
And if the Wolf King came demanding it now, there was simply no way to protect the artifact. Doni was gone.
If the Wolf King got his hands on it… that prophecy would undoubtedly come to pass.
"When that deity reclaims their true form, a starless night shall shroud all skies, and the world shall be lured into the underworld."
Princess Alice's spiritual vision was exceptionally potent.
Even though some had doubted it back then—'Wouldn't a God-Slayer just step in and handle it?'—after witnessing a God-Slayer killed in under a minute, no one dared maintain that stance.
"This artifact… must never fall into the Wolf King's hands…" Andrea's voice was grim.
"We have no choice," Paolo stated.
Forget about whether God-Slayers in other regions would accept it; even offering it as a gift was unthinkable.
The whole world knew the Wolf King was searching for it. If you didn't hand it over to him, were you looking to make an enemy of him?
Without a God-Slayer's protection, they were doomed to have no leverage whatsoever.
Gift it to the nearby Black Prince and seek his shelter?
The thought crossed Andrea's mind, and he once again had someone contact Alexander. But the answer was still a refusal.
Unlike others, Alexander understood that the essence of spiritual visions wasn't prophecy but deduction—a process tinged with subjectivity.
Compared to some nebulous, starless night, the true enemy he considered worthy of prevention at all costs was only the Last King.
His refusal pushed Andrea, and the Copper Black Cross, to the brink of a cliff.
It was then that Paolo seemingly remarked offhandedly, "If only we could avert that prophecy… even if it meant handing it over to another god or something…"
Another god?
A complex glint flickered in Andrea's eyes.
--+--
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.