A Certain Multiverse's Holy Right

"The White Princess… Princess Alice, is it?"

In a lavish villa estate in Rome, Roy sat in a baroque-style study exuding grandeur and elegance. The room's décor, with its rich red carpeting, exquisite Renaissance artwork, and ornamental suits of armor, epitomized luxury. A dazzling chandelier above sparkled like a starry sky, completing the opulent ambiance.

Roy held a stack of documents in his hand, lightly tapping his fingers on the desk as a smile of intrigue crept across his face.

In Rome, the grand palaces and historical sites were primarily owned by the Church, but they were more suited for official purposes or public viewing than personal living. For comfort, modern villas like this one were far more practical.

Roy wouldn't deny himself the best. While he frequently visited the Vatican for quiet study, he spent most of his time in this villa while in Rome. To the city's local magicians, having their King contentedly "stay at home" was nothing short of a blessing.

As Princess Alice in Greenwich pored over Roy's information, Roy was likewise delving into details about the famed princess.

"These are all records provided by my uncle, Paolo Blandelli," Erica reported confidently, standing in her signature red gown. "For more detailed information about Princess Alice, we would need access to the archives of the Greenwich Assembly."

Erica's radiant gold hair glimmered under the room's lights, and her confident posture gave her an air of authority well beyond her years. Her fair, flawless shoulders emerged gracefully from the elegant neckline of her dress, exuding both dignity and allure.

"I've heard your uncle used to frequently travel between England and Italy as a knight of Princess Alice, even fighting against the Black Prince occasionally. Wasn't there a tale where he defended the 'Sleeping Beauty' from a divine beast, rescuing the slumbering princess in classic knightly fashion?"

Roy tossed the documents onto the desk and leaned back in his chair, his tone laced with playful amusement.

Though her King seemed to be joking, Erica didn't dare respond flippantly. Instead, she shook her head and answered with a composed smile, "That was during my uncle's younger years of adventure. Now that the Copper Black-Cross is loyal to you, my uncle is no longer Princess Alice's knight but your subordinate. Whatever orders you give, Your Majesty, the Copper Black-Cross will carry them out without question."

Her voice was calm and self-assured, expressing unwavering loyalty.

"And he never had any sort of romantic knight-and-princess tale with her?" Roy asked, his interest in gossip evident.

Erica sighed internally but maintained her composure, smiling slightly as she replied, "My uncle is nearly twenty years older than Princess Alice. When those events occurred ten years ago, the princess was only about eleven, while my uncle was approaching thirty. I doubt such a relationship could have developed."

"No, Erica, you're mistaken. There's no shortage of oddballs in this world who are particularly fond of girls barely in their teens… Anyway, let's leave that aside."

Erica didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She wanted to assure Roy that her uncle was no such deviant, but seeing him shift topics, she wisely chose to remain silent.

"This princess has unparalleled spiritual power in Europe, is affiliated with the Greenwich Assembly, and has no Campione to protect her. She's the perfect place to start," Roy declared, tapping a photograph of Princess Alice in the documents before him. His tone left no room for negotiation.

Hearing Roy's words, Erica was reminded of the Solomon's ring he held on the yacht earlier. Coupled with his current need for a spiritually powerful miko and witches, her mind flashed back to an incident two years ago. Marquis Voban had captured numerous miko and witches worldwide to conduct a ritual summoning a Heretic God, an act that led to the deaths of many of them.

Now it seemed Roy intended to replicate Voban's ruthless methods, and his first target was none other than the world-renowned Princess Alice.

Erica dared not voice any objections. In her time with Roy, she had come to understand his personality. He welcomed advice, but only when backed by solid reasoning. Otherwise, it would merely provoke his wrath.

With no grounds to oppose him, Erica instead followed his line of thought and asked cautiously, "…Your Majesty, while Princess Alice and England's Campione, Alexander Gascoigne, appear to be adversaries on the surface, their relationship remains ambiguous. Capturing Princess Alice could risk drawing his hostility. Should we consider a softer approach to persuade her to cooperate willingly?"

"There's no need to worry, Erica," Roy said with a dismissive wave. "Alexander Gascoigne is far too cautious. When faced with situations he doesn't fully understand, he always chooses to wait. That kind of personality often results in missed opportunities. Until he's certain there's no danger to himself, he won't intervene. Even if he does, what is there to fear?"

A confident smile played on Roy's lips. "Tell me, Erica, do you know the role of a princess? It's to sit in a grand castle, awaiting an evil dragon to capture her. While I may not be a dragon, I am the Demon King. The princess has been waiting long enough in her castle. It's finally time for this Demon King to claim her."

Roy's rather poor attempt at humor left Erica momentarily speechless.

"And then there's this miko in the Far East, Mariya Yuri. She survived Marquis Voban's god-summoning ritual two years ago, didn't she? I recall Voban held her in high regard. If she's that promising, we'll trust his judgment and bring her here as another miko for the ritual. Should she resist… well, we'll treat her the same way Voban did. She has no right to refuse."

Erica nodded slightly, acknowledging Roy's commands.

There was an old saying: Better your companion suffers than you yourself. Erica had no intention of concerning herself with the fates of Princess Alice or Mariya Yuri. As long as her King was satisfied, everything else was irrelevant to her and not within her consideration.

"Still, having just a few exceptional miko isn't enough. I'll need many more witches and miko for the ritual to summon King Solomon…"

Roy toyed with the ancient ring in his hand, speaking unhurriedly.

As Roy's loyal knight, Erica naturally sought to resolve her lord's concerns. Furrowing her brows in thought, she hesitantly suggested, "…In the Far East, the Five Mountains Sacred Religion has miko who rival Princess Alice in capability. However, their Martial Leader would never allow you to take them, Your Majesty. Such actions would inevitably lead to conflict with her."

"…I'm not saying you'd fear the Eastern Campione, but for now, it may be wise to avoid unnecessary confrontations."

Erica's tone was cautious, carefully choosing her words to avoid offending Roy's pride.

"Your advice is sound, Erica. Now is indeed not the time to provoke her," Roy acknowledged with a nod. "My current actions have likely already caught the attention of the Black Prince and Marquis Voban. Adding the Eastern Campione into the mix could derail everything.

"…For now, I don't need witches of Alice's caliber. Quantity will suffice over quality. Speaking of which, that girl from the Bronze Black-Cross that I met at She-Wolf headquarters, Liliana Kranjčar, she's also a capable witch, isn't she?"

For the first time, Erica's composed expression broke. Her eyes widened in shock and horror as she asked, "King, you intend to involve Liliana?"