A streak of light cut across the sky, landing on the deck of the luxurious yacht at a speed that surpassed human reaction limits.
With wings like flames retracting, Roy had previously used the power field generated by these wings to shield Erica from the external impacts while in the 'Divine Speed' state.
As the wings transformed into specks of light and vanished, the halo above Roy's head also dissipated, and he shifted from an angelic form back to that of a human.
Gently placing Erica's delicate body down, the Italian girl’s face flushed with a hint of redness, as if she had a fever, her heart racing. In the past, Erica held a position akin to a princess within the 'Copper Black Cross'; which man would dare to be impolite to such a lady?
After all, Erica was just a fourteen-year-old girl. Although her figure had developed somewhat excessively, it was indeed the time of youthful infatuation. Now, being held closely by Roy, who was of a similar age, and due to the torn gown, even the girl’s untouched, tender skin was in his grasp. Even a stern knight would feel shy in such a situation.
"Well, I was right to have this yacht keep as far away from Ponzai Island as possible. Otherwise, I would have had to carry you back to Italy," Roy remarked.
Roy was already in his thirties and was not the kind of person who had never touched a girl's hand. He felt no embarrassment in any ambiguous behavior with women.
The crew on the yacht were not ordinary people; they were magicians sent by the 'Copper Black Cross'. Upon seeing someone suddenly land on the deck, they were all on high alert, but once they recognized it was Roy, they relaxed their guard, their expressions turning respectful and fearful.
Though they hadn't witnessed the specific scene of Roy battling Metatron on this yacht, they had seen the devastation of Ponzai Island and the roaring tsunami. The terrifying power and dense magical energy had left these magicians shaken to their core.
Now, seeing their princess seemingly close to the 'King', they exchanged glances and quietly withdrew.
"My apologies, 'King'! Please allow Erica to freshen up first before coming to your presence to receive orders. I am not presentable in my current state," Erica took a deep breath, suppressing her shyness, and performed a knightly salute.
"Hearing you say that, I might need to tidy up a bit myself," Roy glanced at his own attire. The cardinal robe he wore had magical protection, so it wouldn’t wrinkle or get dirty from being soaked in water, but his body still carried the salty scent of seawater.
"Then... let me serve the 'King' in cleaning up first. After I finish serving you, I will take care of myself," Erica suggested.
"Serve? How do you intend to serve? Is it by stripping down in the bathroom and using your youthful body to relax me?"
Roy suddenly teased.
Erica was taken aback; she never expected the usually cold and indifferent Roy would become so flirtatious. Could it be that she had gained the 'King's' true trust, allowing her to see this hidden side of him?
The girl, who held the rank of a great knight, felt her heart race. Even her usual sharp tongue faltered, "…'King', please have a little self-restraint… Of course, it’s not that I wouldn’t want to, although serving in bed isn’t part of a knight's duties… But if you truly wish for me to do so, I hope you can give me a title!"
Erica was not like her good friend Liliana, who would lose her ability to think due to shyness. She quickly composed herself and calmly made her request.
She understood that once she became Roy's subordinate in the name of a knight, if the 'King' had ulterior motives towards her, there would be no escaping his grasp. She had some confidence in her beauty, but she absolutely did not want to degrade herself by giving her body away like that; what she wanted more was a title.
Erica's character was such that she would think and solve problems in a way that maximized her benefits. Knowing she had no way to escape, she even dared to use her body as a means to gain more benefits. This woman was somewhat overly shrewd, which could be annoying at times, but it must be said that when she wholeheartedly considered you, it was very reassuring; she possessed exceptional talents.
"Ah, I was just joking, Erica, don’t take it seriously," Roy retracted his teasing expression and returned to a calm demeanor.
This sudden change in attitude made Erica feel a bit uncomfortable, even anxious. Did the 'King' think little of her, believing her beauty was insufficient? Or did he think she was unworthy of a title?
In her complex emotions, Erica, somewhat disappointed, said, "…Very well, 'King', please go wash up first."
"No, you should go first, I’m not in a hurry…"
After a pause, Roy suddenly grasped Erica's arm, noticing the layer of burned blisters forming on her fair skin. His fingers gently brushed over it as he softly asked, "…Does it hurt?"
Roy's sudden shift from cold to gentle left Erica even more flustered. She raised an eyebrow slightly, "…Compared to the pain I endured during my knight training, this isn’t much. It's just that I currently lack the magical power to cast healing spells. I’ll apply some medicine first, and once my magic recovers, I can heal it."
Hearing Erica's nonchalant attitude towards the pain, Roy said nothing, merely murmuring a spell. To Erica's surprise, he directly cast a spell, healing all the blisters on her arm.
"Unlike other godslayers, I still have a keen interest in magic. It seems the first time using this healing spell had a good effect. A girl should take care of herself; don’t leave scars on such delicate skin," Roy gently stroked Erica's slender arm and added, "…Go on, Erica, get yourself ready."
"Understood, 'King'."
Erica hugged her injured right arm with her left hand, as if still in a daze, and walked to her room on the yacht in a somewhat muddled state.
Once the girl's figure disappeared, Roy pressed his forehead, self-deprecatingly saying, "…I may not have been shy around girls before, but I wasn’t exactly eloquent either. Why am I suddenly so talented now?"
"…Could it be that this is also a talent I inherited from Aleista Crowley? I didn’t show this ability before because I only had Lola in my life… No, it seems I always liked teasing Lola in the past."
Roy sighed and walked to his room. The saying goes that a gentleman is well-matched with a graceful lady; now that he was the demon king on the ground, it seemed reasonable to collect beautiful women for his own enjoyment.
If one day he truly became the kind of scoundrel who would casually toy with a girl’s body and heart, it certainly wouldn’t be his fault; it would be Aleista Crowley’s fault, for he was the kind of rogue who deceived women’s feelings. Roy was merely following in his father’s footsteps.
Roy quickly cleared his mind of these thoughts and focused on the new powers gained from slaying Metatron—
'Gaze of the Divine'!