It had never crossed his mind that he would add a member to his harem at this banquet held by the Shinomiya Family; Ren now felt a slight impatience to immediately claim Momobami Ririka as his own.
"Ahem, it's getting late. Gan'an-san, the banquet was truly very satisfying. The dishes served were exceptionally delicious, and the hospitality of you and your family was very impressive."
Glancing at his watch with a deliberate gesture, Ren didn't forget to give sincere compliments to the event organizer before taking his leave.
Gan'an bowed slightly, showing his respect and relief.
"It is a great honor to hear such high praise from Ren-sama. My family and I are very pleased if this banquet was to your liking. We wish you and your companions a restful night."
"Well, it wouldn't feel right if I didn't provide some tangible reciprocation for all the Shinomiya Family's devotion to me. So, I will grant you a gift."
Then, Ren began to chant an incantation.
"Tales, Facts, Myths, all are stored in my writings, all secrets gathered in my grasp, nothing can be hidden from my mind."
Instantly, an ancient book appeared in his hand as if born from thin air.
Divine Authorities Book of Knowledge!
'Come to think of it, lately I've been using this Divine Authority I seized from Thoth more often than my first one. Although in terms of pure destructive power, this might be the weakest, its functionality and flexibility are truly unmatched.'
'What can I say, I rarely get involved in battles, so most of my Divine Authorities are just gathering dust. Even the Divine Authority I seized from Atlas hasn't been used once in combat.'
Not dwelling on it too much, Ren began to search for magic as a gift for Gan'an.
"..."
Seeing the appearance of the mysterious book, Erica stared at Ren seriously.
"So, the rumors that the Seventh King killed several Heretic Gods in London and obtained new Divine Authorities recently were indeed true."
Liliana nodded with a complicated expression.
"Just as we suspected, King Ren is indeed very active in hunting Heretic Gods, just like Marquis Voban."
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Yukino, who witnessed the book suddenly appear in Ren's hand from thin air, her eyes widened in disbelief, her brain struggling to find a rational explanation for the impossible sight.
'Impossible... this must be some kind of magic trick! Yes, there must be a hidden mechanism, an optical illusion, or something. There's no way an object can just appear from nothing!'
'This is the 21st century, the era of science! Things like magic and supernatural powers are just fairy tales and myths. These people must be conspiring to deceive all the guests present. I won't be fooled by such unscientific things!'
Yukino stubbornly and completely rejected what she had just seen.
Unfortunately, she failed to realize the simple fact that just because she didn't believe in something, didn't mean it didn't exist. In the end, it was all about perspective.
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"Wow, look at that, Erina! The book just suddenly appeared out of nowhere!"
"I can see it myself, Alice. There's no need to tell me something so obvious."
The Nakiri cousins, Erina and Alice, stared at Ren with great interest, especially Erina, who had recently been reading shoujo manga and longed for an exceptional man.
'What a pity... his appearance is really similar to the handsome princes in those manga, but it turns out he's a playboy,' Erina thought with a disappointed tone, glancing briefly at Masha, Alya, and now Ririka standing near Ren.
'Gathering so many women around him... That man is a scoundrel! Even though, if only he wasn't that type of man, maybe I would be a little interested... just a little.'
While his two granddaughters were still captivated by the sudden appearance of the book, Sanzaemon stared at Ren with a more serious and contemplative expression.
'What exactly is this Seventh King trying to do? What does he mean by giving a gift... That book... the aura emanating from it feels ancient and full of mystery. Could it be one of the rumored Divine Authorities?'
'If it's true, what's his purpose in showing it in public? Is this a way to demonstrate his power, or is there another, more hidden intention?'
Sanzaemon tried to analyze every possibility in his mind.
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"Ohohoho... It seems the special guest of this banquet is a skilled magician! With such a handsome face, why haven't I seen him perform on television?"
Tenjoin Saki giggled in her characteristic ojou-sama style, regretting the fact that a man as handsome as Ren turned out to be a playboy.
"Ahem, Saki. That young man is no ordinary magician. What you saw just now is most likely one of his Divine Authorities. Don't make baseless assumptions." Tenjoin Ryuga rebuked with a soft cough, feeling the need to correct his daughter's misunderstanding.
He felt the need to introduce his daughter to the knowledge of the mystic world as soon as possible.
"Divine Authority? What are you talking about, Father?" Saki asked with a confused expression.
"After we return to the residence, Father will explain it to you." Ryuga replied, postponing the impromptu lesson for his daughter.
Just like Sanzaemon, Ryuga was also filled with curiosity about Ren's purpose in displaying his Divine Authority in public.
'What exactly is this Seventh King trying to achieve?'
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On the other side of the hall, four of the Twelve Divine Generals present at the banquet—Dairenji Suzuka, Yuge Mari, Kadei Byakuran, and Kadei Kurogiku—felt an incredible aura of power emanating from the book in Ren's hand, far surpassing anything that ordinary humans could perceive.
"Impossible... This power... it feels like it's not from this world. Even if all the Divine Generals united, could we possibly win?" Suzuka whispered with wide eyes.
Mari, known for her calmness and ability to control her emotions in any situation, looked slightly taken aback.
"The aura it emits is so ancient and powerful, it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. So this is the power the gods used?"
Byakuran, usually cheerful and energetic, now showed genuine shock on her face.
"Woah! That's insane! I've felt strong magical energy auras before, but this is on a completely different level! It feels like facing the power of nature itself. No wonder Campiones are called Demon Kings... The power of the Campiones is truly extraordinary!"
Agreeing with her twin sister, Kadei eliminated the last vestiges of doubt about the power of Campiones.
"I can feel an immense pressure of energy, even though that young man is holding it so casually. If such a small amount of power is already so terrifying, imagine the full power they can unleash. If all Twelve Divine Generals worked together... I doubt we would be able to withstand it. Their power truly disrupts the order of the world as we know it."
Just Ren's demonstration using what he considered his weakest Divine Authority—the Book of Knowledge—was enough to shake the four Divine Generals' beliefs about the power of Campiones.
The unexpected aura and power emanating from the book provided a clear picture of just how dangerous the existence of the Demon Kings was!