— — — — — —
"You must be joking. The Witenagemot only studies gods to prevent their dangers. The Campiones aren't within our research scope."
Alice responded with her most proper, well-mannered smile.
Whether Ryo was testing her or not, this was something she could never admit.
Campiones were willful, terrifying beings. If they found out a group of 'ants' had been treating them as research subjects, Witenagemot's fate was sealed.
This was the kind of secret that could never see the light of day. She had to bite down hard and never let go—no matter what.
Ryo tilted his head toward the side.
Alice followed his gesture and looked right.
Her gaze landed on a silver-haired young girl sprawled on the sofa, head resting against a cushion, holding a handheld console.
The girl wore a knitted cat-eared beanie, an Italian-style school uniform, and long, slim legs wrapped in white over-the-knee socks. She looked for all the world like a pure, innocent middle schooler.
But the moment Alice saw her, an icy chill climbed up her spine and into her skull.
Pallas Athena!
Alice recognized her at once. Panic rose in her chest, along with a heavy dose of suspicion toward Ryo's intentions.
And then, Ryo asked with a smile: "So, have you named my authority yet?"
Alice froze.
This man… sharper than even Alexander Gascoigne. She sighed inwardly.
She'd dealt with Campiones plenty of times, especially that so-called "clever" Black Prince.
But in truth, the Black Prince Alec was far easier to handle. At least he pretended at gentlemanly grace.
Ryo, though… he was the type who would never let go until he got what he wanted.
Circling around with him was pointless. Even a simple probe might bring down disastrous consequences.
lice weighed him carefully, then finally exhaled and said: "'Goddess of Wisdom's Blessing.' That's the name the Witenagemot has just decided on."
That was as good as admitting they had the information Ryo wanted.
Ryo blinked in mild surprise, exchanged a glance with Athena, then chuckled.
"Interesting name. I don't dislike it."
Whew… Alice's heart loosened. At least, from his attitude, he hadn't come here to annihilate the Witenagemot.
Still, one could never be careless with a Campione.
Ryo leaned back lazily and dropped all pretense: "I want a full copy of every piece of intelligence the Witenagemot has collected."
Alice's eyelid twitched violently. We're doomed.
Every piece of intelligence… meaning all the data on Campiones' authorities too.
If the other Campiones found out Witenagemot had handed that to Ryo Yagami, they were finished.
But if she refused, they'd be finished instantly.
What a wonderful dilemma. Early death or late death—what kind of choice was that?
Alice, usually the picture of grace, couldn't help grumbling inside: 'Why don't you just have the Witenagemot pledge loyalty to you already?'
"Hm? That's not a bad suggestion."
Ryo rubbed his chin with a sly grin.
Alice's smile froze.
'That was supposed to stay in my head! Why had he responded?'
Ryo laughed.
"So that's what you're really thinking, Alice? Having Witenagemot swear loyalty to me… not a bad idea at all."
'Mind reading! He's been reading me since the moment he walked in—and the miko's spirit vision didn't catch a thing!'
Alice snapped her gaze toward Athena, only to meet those deep, black eyes staring straight back at her.
In that instant, she knew.
"I'm not sure I follow your meaning…" Alice tried to bluff.
At the same time, she used her witchcraft to lock down her mental fluctuations, cutting off the possibility of further intrusion.
She realized Athena, the former goddess of wisdom, was in the room, so it must have been her reading her mind, since Ryo hadn't activated any authority.
In witchcraft, Alice was already brushing against the highest level of the divine ancestors—perhaps even nearing the rank of a weak rogue god. By that point, the current Athena shouldn't have been able to read her mind anymore.
"Hmmm..."
Ryo glanced over at Erica and asked casually: "Did Her Princess Alice just say something?"
"Yes, my king." Erica's lips curved in a polite smile. "The princess just said she'd lead the Witenagemot in swearing loyalty to you. Quite the surprise, isn't it?"
Alice's cheek twitched. She lifted her head, forcing a smile toward the girl.
"Paolo's niece… you've grown so much. And only gotten cuter, I see."
'Little brat. Always stirring trouble.'
Erica's smile was as elegant as it was cutting.
"Oh, not at all. Compared to Your Highness back then, I still fall short."
'Tsk! You were even more reckless than me! Who dares to cross the Black Prince at twelve years old?'
The two locked eyes in thinly veiled hostility, then finally looked away.
Alice gave up on playing the refined lady. Her eyes flickered as she fixed on Ryo.
"My king… if Witenagemot were to serve you, what of the Black Prince?"
A naked test.
"Not enough." Ryo shot her a sidelong glance.
Alice blinked, then smiled faintly without a word.
Just as she suspected—a single Witenagemot wasn't worth Ryo confronting the Black Prince head-on.
Not that Witenagemot ever had any intention of clashing with him.
The Royal Arsenal and Witenagemot's rivalry was domestic politics. The Black Prince, while inclined toward the Arsenal, was more of an idol than a participant. No one dared drag him into such squabbles.
It was, in a sense, like the politics of England: ruling party, opposition, and the Queen, each in their place.
So Alice's suggestion of loyalty was never serious—it was bait, a setup for Ryo to refuse.
Perfect. Now she could claim Witenagemot didn't have the resources to meet his terms right away, buy time, and find a countermeasure.
She began, "My king, as for your conditions—"
But Ryo cut in smoothly: "Add you to the deal, Alice, and I might be satisfied."
"...???"
Alice froze.
Why the sudden interruption? Why would he jump in like that?
She instinctively turned her head toward the sofa.
Athena was watching her, eyes half-lidded, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
To breach her soul defenses so effortlessly… this wasn't just Athena at divine ancestor level.
This was… a complete god.
And in that instant, Alice's scalp went numb.
.
.
.