Melusine's refusal wasn't unexpected for Paolo, yet it still drew a silent sigh from him.
He didn't dare let Erica speak on his behalf.
Doing so might drag the girl, who was currently in the deity's good graces, into unnecessary trouble and risk incurring divine annoyance.
Better, he thought, to let Erica maintain their current dynamic.
That way, perhaps one day, the deity might extend her favor to them out of affection for her follower.
Paolo was clear-headed enough to understand that much.
"Lady Lancelot..."
After two rounds of validation, Erica was no longer truly worried about Melusine's combat prowess. Her concern now lay solely with the consequences of a potential battle.
Though Paolo's explanation had convinced her that Campione rarely formed alliances, circumstances were changing rapidly.
To kill one god-slayer, then another in less than half a month—this practically cemented Melusine's reputation as a 'Campione Killer.'
Under these circumstances, would the other god-slayers really remain as passive as the first time?
Melusine naturally understood Erica's anxiety.
She had already assured her that 'even if all the Campione came at once, there's nothing to fear,' but Erica had clearly taken it as mere encouragement or morale-boosting rhetoric.
After all, both Campione and Heretic Gods possessed unshakeable confidence, their pride making them stubborn until their very last breath.
It was understandable. Erica had been raised on the dogma that 'Campione are invincible.'
She knew that two Authorities, when combined, could produce an effect greater than the sum of their parts. So her fear of a coordinated assault made perfect sense.
Yet, what Melusine said wasn't comfort—it was almost an understatement.
Nothing to fear if they all came at once? Be bolder: if they all came at once, they'd all die together.
Send as many as you like, they'd all be wiped out.
The Last King, Rama, by harnessing the power of the planet's leylines, could elevate his raw parameters to a terrifying degree.
His magical energy was ten times that of a normal Heretic God, his attack power a thousand times stronger than a Campione, his defense five hundred times greater.
He could unleash attacks capable of killing a Campione in a single blow, with no restrictions whatsoever.
A mere flicker of his movement could easily destroy a city or two.
His mere existence would cause surface winds to howl, oceans and lands to evaporate, volcanoes worldwide to enter constant activity, and global warming to proceed without end—even new landmasses forming in the center of the Pacific Ocean.
While this power relied on the Covenant's mechanism, requiring seven Campione to amplify him, its ultimate source was still the planet's leylines.
The other catastrophic phenomena were merely the apocalypse caused by draining those leylines.
As mentioned before, dragons and serpents were incarnations of the leylines. Killing them was akin to killing the leylines themselves, leading to the 'death' of a region.
And Melusine, as the incarnation of the planet's leylines themselves, held a higher priority and greater efficiency in commanding those leylines than even the Last King.
Dragons and serpents were born from the leylines, depended on them, and also protected them.
An inevitable battle loomed between her, the Last King, and the Goddess of Destiny who created him.
Until now, she hadn't even truly tapped into the power of the leylines, merely maintaining a minimal combat stance.
But these were not things Erica knew, nor could she easily comprehend.
"Don't worry about any of that," Melusine said, not to be cryptic, but because understanding these things held no necessity or benefit for Erica.
"I am the Strongest. So no matter what happens, there's no need for concern."
With that, she smoothly disengaged her 'Knight Mode,' the aura of solemn dignity fading from her as she strolled leisurely back toward her lounge chair.
"Arianna's gathered quite a haul again. Handling them is up to you and your skills, alright?"
This relaxed attitude soothed Erica's lingering anxieties.
Since her goddess put it that way, Erica readily snapped out of her work mode, a smile returning to her face. "Leave it to me!"
Both Erica and Melusine found the camping decision satisfactory, though they knew overdoing such activities would sap their enjoyment.
So, using it as a starting point, Erica racked her brains for other ways to keep Melusine entertained.
It was then that she recalled Melusine's earlier comment upon seeing the airplane.
That's right. Why not get Lady Lancelot some model airplanes? If Lady Lancelot showed interest, she could even procure some real ones.
Erica was known for her efficient, 'just do it' attitude. But just as she was about to enthusiastically set off, she received news that the 'Gorgoneion' had arrived in Sardinia.
Only two days had passed—slow by normal standards, but remarkably swift considering the need for secrecy within both the mundane and mystical worlds.
With a real task at hand, Erica abandoned her original plan and immediately reported the news to Melusine.
Finding herself with nothing much to do and having grown a bit bored lurking in the group chat, Melusine decided to accompany Erica on the errand.
The man delivering the Gorgoneion was an ordinary person, completely unaware of the item's nature. After landing, he went to the pre-arranged restaurant and, after a short wait, met with Erica.
Of course, Melusine was right there beside her.
Erica had briefly considered not using the suggestion spell to lower Melusine's presence.
If her goddess could get used to ordinary people's gazes, she might integrate into society more, perhaps even socialize.
In Erica's view, the main reason for Melusine's daily languor and boredom was a lack of activities and friends—a situation that naturally left her with nothing to do.
But after a moment's thought, Erica abandoned the bold idea.
What if some tactless fool did something offensive? Though a knight sworn to protect humanity, she was under no illusion about the depths of human stupidity.
The deliveryman was instantly struck by Erica's appearance and bearing, but he knew his place.
Just an ordinary guy traveling and delivering a package on the side, he understood that encounters with stunningly beautiful women belonged only in stories.
After handing over the item and receiving a handsome reward, he left with a grin.
"And so, the Gorgoneion is ours," Erica said, handing the case containing the Divine Artifact to Melusine within the private room. "Now we just need to know which deity this artifact corresponds to."
Though the name 'Gorgoneion' and the prophecy pointed strongly in one direction, misidentifications weren't uncommon in the mystic world.
Erica was acutely aware that the very deity beside her was the prime example.
To this day, despite everyone knowing she wasn't Lancelot, using spiritual vision on her still only revealed Lancelot's image.
Yet, to discover the deity connected to this artifact—the one from the prophecy—the most effective method was still to use spiritual vision upon it. But... Erica felt she lacked talent in that area.
"Should I find a Hime-Miko with strong Spirit Vision for you?"
Though wary of Voban, Erica hadn't forgotten that this artifact itself would attract Heretic Gods.
"No need," Melusine stated. "The main party is already heading this way."
"...Huh?"
So soon? The Wolf King hasn't even arrived, and they're about to start another fight?
--+--
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.