Although wine is good, one must not overindulge!
However...
This only applies to ordinary people!
Kaito found it hard to imagine that Baijiu could get a Campione, a demon king, drunk, even with two bottles.
Even ten times that amount probably wouldn't do it.
But Sephie...
She did get drunk, genuinely drunk, but not completely passed out.
So Kaito faced two choices.
But what kind of choice was it really?
Kaito smiled slightly, then reached out and pulled Sephie into his arms, lifting her in a princess carry out of the hot spring. He used an invisible hand formed from magic to pick up her towel and covered her with it.
As for Luo Hao.
It wasn't the time yet; there would be plenty of opportunities later.
Compared to Luo Hao, Kaito was more interested in Sephie.
"Sweet dreams, Sephie."
Carrying her to the large bed in her bedroom, Kaito lifted the towel, dried her off a bit, used magic to dry her hair, then covered her with the blanket and left the room.
At the same time, Sephie also woke from her drowsy state. Her face, already flushed, turned even redder, her eyes filled with joy and shyness.
She shifted slightly under the covers, then gripped the blanket tighter, and, aided by the alcohol, drifted off to sleep.
In the hot spring, Luo Hao, who had been pretending to be drunk, also opened her eyes.
At this moment, she felt both a little disappointed and a little happy… complex emotions surfacing in her heart. But immediately after, her fondness for Kaito increased, and a feeling called the desire for a challenge also arose.
"Um... King Luo Hao, my master asked me to..."
"No need, I'm already awake. You should rest too."
Lucretia had been instructed by Kaito to assist Luo Hao, but as soon as she entered, she saw Luo Hao was already awake.
"Alright, you go back. I'll soak a little longer."
"Okay..."
…
The next day—
Just as the sun began to rise, Kaito was already awake.
After arriving in the living room, Erica excitedly placed a wooden box in Kaito's hands.
"Master, this is the [Gorgoneion]. I've brought it for you."
"Oh? Not bad!"
Kaito took the wooden box while eating breakfast. Opening it, he saw the small black stone disk inside.
After putting it away safely, Kaito affectionately ruffled Erica's hair, then asked her to brew a cup of coffee for him.
Kaito put this [Gorgoneion] away not in the Gate of Babylon, but directly into his pocket.
The reason for doing this was naturally to attract Athena...
In fact, this item wasn't just something Athena wanted to retrieve; it also contained Athena's current consciousness, Metis.
No, according to the setting of the Campione! World, Metis is one of the three personalities within Athena's trinity.
It can be understood as three personalities sharing one body, but when each personality appears, the body also undergoes different changes.
But it's still correct that Metis represents Athena's mother, and she is considered one of the final major bosses in the anime.
They say she's very strong, but she never got to display her full strength.
Maybe it was because she descended in an incomplete form, or maybe it was due to the protagonist's plot armor of Godou?
This was especially obvious when the God of War, Verethragna, met Godou.
Verethragna met the protagonist, appreciated him greatly, and then actively held back.
When Kaito met Verethragna, it was a full-power battle. Conversely, Melqart, who seemed like such a strong god, was unexpectedly and easily slain by Kaito.
"Kaito, good morning."
Sephie came down from the bedroom upstairs. Arriving at the dining table, she actively sat next to Kaito and began to enjoy the still-hot delicious food.
Coincidentally, Luo Hao also appeared just then. After exchanging greetings, she sat opposite Kaito.
No choice, the seat was taken.
"I'm really sorry about last night. I think I drank too much."
Sephie intentionally brought up the matter.
"Heh, next time don't drink so much."
Not taking the bait, Kaito took a sip of the coffee Erica had brewed.
Luo Hao, however, seemed a bit unwilling to admit defeat, venting her frustration on the food. She finished quickly and also asked Erica to brew her a cup of tea.
"Hehe..."
Seeing Luo Hao like this, Sephie couldn't help but chuckle softly. She finished her breakfast elegantly, and without troubling Erica, she went to the sofa, brewed her own tea, and drank it quietly.
Just then, Kaito finished his drink and also sat on the sofa. As soon as he placed his empty coffee cup on the table, Sephie reached out, took it, cleaned it with magic, and poured steaming hot tea into it.
Crack...
A crack appeared in Luo Hao's cup.
"Ahem! Erica, any news from Liliana?"
"Master, not yet. Perhaps unsealing it will still take some time?"
"I see. Tell them to speed it up."
Kaito forcibly started a new topic to communicate with Erica. Not disappointed by the reply, he nodded, quickly drank the tea Sephie had poured, then stood up, saying he needed to go out for a stroll.
He wouldn't take anyone with him and would return after a while.
Basically, he was just escaping the battlefield between Sephie and Luo Hao. Also, if too many people were around, Athena wouldn't show herself.
"Yare yare"
Walking alone on the street, Kaito stretched luxuriously. He had changed his kingly robes into inconspicuous casual wear, and was wearing a hat and sunglasses to avoid attracting the attention of passersby.
'Is he intentionally trying to lure me out...'
In the distance.
A loli standing on a utility pole stared at Kaito on the street.
Even before Erica had delivered the [Gorgoneion] to Kaito, she had followed her all the way here.
She already knew about Kaito, and when she learned the [Gorgoneion] was being delivered to him, she didn't act rashly.
After all, Luo Hao was by his side.
Now that Kaito was walking out alone, and even deliberately playing with the [Gorgoneion] in his hand, if this wasn't intentionally trying to lure her out, what was it?
Until...
Kaito reached an empty beachfront. As he strolled slowly on the sand, and the surrounding civilians gradually left, she finally appeared.
"Campione Kaito, by intentionally luring me here, do you plan to return my property to me? Or do you wish to have a battle with me?"
Athena, in her loli form, stood before Kaito, asking in her light, soft, sweet voice with an expressionless face.
Whichever choice it was, it didn't seem to change her expression. Including battle, she was already preparing for it.
"Instead of that, why don't you let your mother Metis come out?"