The next day, sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, illuminating the vast land. The warm light brought life back to the city that the previous night had been filled with silence and worry due to a mysterious phenomenon in the sky. The morning news on television was filled with reports of the light flashes that had lit up the night, sparking fear, anxiety, worry, panic, and speculation from the public.
At Silver Dusk Palace, London, the perpetrator who caused the commotion, Rokuhara Ren, woke up from his sleep.
The morning sun shone into the luxurious room where he rested, bringing a refreshing sense of calm. His body felt refreshed, full of energy, and his magical energy had fully recovered after the long night.
However, a small and soft voice broke his tranquility.
"Mmm... Ren-sama, please... please don't give me that 'milk' again..."
He turned to the side. Under the blanket, Hayasaka Ai, with a blank face mixed with fatigue, was mumbling in her sleep. Her face was flushed, and her partially naked body was visible from the gap in the slipped blanket. The blonde-haired girl had worked hard almost all night, only falling asleep a few hours ago.
Ren smirked slightly, then gently stroked her head.
"Ai, if you want more milk, I can give you some anytime."
Those words immediately woke Hayasaka. Her usually calm face flushed instantly, and she hurriedly pulled the blanket up to cover her face.
"Ren-sama is so lewd."
Clearly, this 'milk' wasn't that kind of milk. It was the kind that wasn't sweet but sticky.
Ren chuckled at her reaction. After a moment, Hayasaka peeked out from under the blanket, her eyes bright but slightly tired.
"Good morning, Ren-sama." She greeted softly.
After the intense night, there was a noticeable change in her. Her face looked more radiant, and a gentle yet mature aura surrounded her.
"Good morning, Ai. How are you feeling now?"
Hayasaka sighed softly before answering, "It still feels a little sore... but it's not a problem anymore."
"In that case, how about we start this morning with a little exercise?" Ren smiled mischievously.
Hayasaka blinked, realizing the meaning of his words. This time, she challenged back with a flirtatious smile.
"This time, let me be on top, Ren-sama."
Without waiting for an answer, she sat on Ren's body, her blonde hair falling loose and touching his smooth skin. Her supple body moved confidently, while her blue eyes stared intensely at him.
"I leave everything to you." Ren didn't refuse the service of his maid and concubine.
That morning in their large room, the 'exercise' began again.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Two hours later, Hayasaka fell asleep again at his side. Her flushed cheeks, soft breathing, and satisfied smile made Ren smile. He looked at the girl affectionately, then got out of bed.
After taking a shower, his mind and body felt refreshed. He put on casual clothes—a long-sleeved white shirt rolled up to his elbows, paired with simple black trousers.
Not wanting to disturb the girl, Ren left the room with quiet steps. Outside the door, a maid was already waiting for him with a polite demeanor.
"Good morning, King. Your breakfast is ready." She reported, bowing respectfully.
"Yeah."
Ren nodded slightly without saying anything, then followed the maid to the dining room.
In the spacious dining room with classic English decor, Alice was already sitting in one of the chairs, waiting with a cup of tea in her hand. She turned when she saw Ren enter, giving a thin smile.
"Good morning, King. I hope you slept well in my residence." Alice greeted formally, though in her heart there was still a bit of annoyance mixed with embarrassment from what had happened last night.
"Morning, Alice. Very good, I slept soundly." Ren replied casually, sitting in the chair opposite her.
A western-style breakfast was laid out on the table. He picked up a fork and knife, starting to eat the toast with eggs and sausage.
"..."
On the other hand, Alice could only restrain her complaints. As the host, she couldn't possibly not know what had happened in Ren's room last night. With her magic, she could sense and even monitor the nightly activities from that room.
'How can he be so calm while doing such lewd things in someone else's space? Doesn't he realize I might be secretly watching? Or does he not care if others watch? Geez, what an indecent spectacle.' Alice thought, her face almost flushed.
However, Alice didn't let her embarrassment show. Calmly, she sipped her tea to distract herself, then asked, "King, what are your plans for today?"
Ren chewed his food slowly before answering, "To fight a Heretic God again. But for that, I need your help, Alice. I want you to perform the ritual like you did last night."
"Of course. I'll be happy to help, King."
After answering, Alice paused, thinking about something. Then, with a gentle smile, she said, "By the way, if you're interested, King can check out the historical collection in the Witenagemot treasury. We have many relics that might be useful for the ritual or even for summoning a Heretic God."
From her observation, even though Ren has a temperamental nature like other Campiones, he's not ungrateful. Therefore, Alice wanted to establish a good relationship with him.
"..."
Hearing that, Ren immediately showed interest.
"The Witenagemot treasury, huh? That sounds interesting. The last time I borrowed the Excalibur replica, I didn't get to see the other items."
Alice nodded slightly. "Our collection is very diverse. I can accompany you there after breakfast, if the King wishes."
Ren smiled thinly, then finished his breakfast quickly. "That would be very helpful, Alice. In that case, let's see what I can find there."
Even if Alice didn't know the details of their own treasures, it didn't matter to Ren. With Insight Gaze, nothing remained unknown.
"Understood, King."
Alice bowed politely. Although she felt a little nervous with Ren's presence, as the spokesperson for the Witenagemot, she didn't want to disappoint a guest and a world-recognized Campione.
However, before she could go any further, Ren suddenly spoke in a light tone, "Aren't you curious what kind of Divine Authority I obtained after defeating Kinich Ahau?"
"...?!"
The question surprised Alice. Of course, she was very curious, but all this time she felt it was inappropriate to ask directly. Campiones are known to be unpredictable, especially Ren, who has a casual yet dangerous demeanor. She decided to be cautious.
"Is it alright to tell me?" She asked cautiously, looking at him indifferent face.
Ren waved his hand casually. "It's only a matter of time before my new Divine Authority is revealed. Moreover, with your intelligence, you should already have a guess, right?"
Alice nodded slightly. As one of the most talented witches in the world, she did have speculations.
She recalled the moment when her spirit body transported Ren to Canvey Island by helicopter. After the battle ended, Ren returned to Silver Dusk Palace without needing a ride.
"Could it be... Godspeed or something similar?" Alice finally revealed her guess.
A thin smile appeared on Ren's face. "As expected from the Sage Princess. You guessed correctly."
"I see... The same Divine Authority as Alexander Gascoigne." Alice murmured, more to herself.
Alexander Gascoigne, or known as the Black Prince Alec, is the Campione who has been most famous for using Godspeed for many years. The fact that Ren now possessed a similar ability amazed Alice.
'When that gloomy man comes, I wonder what his expression will be when he has to compete with King Ren in his most prized aspect of speed.' Alice chuckled inwardly.
With her intelligence, she had calculated that Alec would come when the news of the Holy Grail in Ren's hands spread, and would take it.
When that happened, would Ren hand over the Holy Grail to Alec? Clearly, the answer was no.
When ambition meets ambition, it can only lead to conflict and destruction.
Alice could already imagine the confrontation between Ren and Alec. What she worried about most was the damage caused by the clash of two Campiones in London.
'It seems I need to prepare everything.'