MTL NOVEL Chapter 13: The Doctor with the Title Hand of God
Ren had just successfully breached the government's security system—an achievement even world-class hackers rarely accomplished.
"Finally… I found it."
On the screen, a document labeled
Ren read carefully.
—[Sasha Dejanstahl Voban. The oldest Campione, having lived for over 400 years. A cold man who views ordinary humans as ants. He rules Northern Europe with tyranny.]
—[The second oldest Campione among them all. His personality is arrogant, as he considers ordinary humans inferior to him. He views Japan as a district, not a separate country. Despite his age, he maintains a youthful appearance. He is the true ruler of China behind the scenes.]
—[Alexander Gascoigne: A highly intelligent man, but with a somewhat rigid and gloomy personality. One quality that makes him famous is that if he finds something interesting, he will immediately take it without caring about what others think or want. He doesn't rule any territory like the other Campiones, but he is the leader of an organization called the Royal Arsenal.]
—[John Pluto Smith: A flamboyant Campione who wears a metallic mask and a cloak. He is known as the protector of the United States, but his personality is unpredictable.]
—[Madame Aisha: The most mysterious Campione. She claims to be 17 years old, though she is actually over 150 years old. She rules over India but is rarely seen.]
—[Salvatore Doni: The youngest Campione. Cheerful, reckless, and believes that all problems can be solved with his sword. He rules Italy and is known as the biggest troublemaker among the Campiones.]
The classified document also detailed the Divine Authorities of each known Campione so far. Whether there were undisclosed Divine Authorities, only the Campiones themselves knew.
"Six Campiones, huh…" Ren leaned back in his chair, processing this information.
But one thing caught his attention the most.
"Kusanagi Godou hasn't become a Campione yet. That means Prometheus' Grimoire is still with the Kusanagi family."
Ren smirked slightly. This was a rare opportunity he couldn't afford to miss. As an immoral person, he had no qualms about stealing Prometheus' Grimoire before Godou could use it.
*TAP-TAP-TAP*
His fingers danced across the keyboard again. With his hacking skills, he began tracing the address of the Kusanagi family's home.
"Found it!"
Kusanagi Godou lived in Setagaya, Tokyo.
However, before Ren could start formulating a plan, his eyes inadvertently caught another detail in the data he had just accessed.
His expression immediately turned grim.
"Damn it! Kusanagi Godou already boarded a flight to Italy yesterday. He's probably already there by now. I'm too late..."
Ren let out a long sigh, pressing his fingers against his forehead. His eyes returned to the screen, scanning the latest satellite reports and flight databases. The confirmation made him growl softly. It was all too late.
"Godou must have already met Verethragna, and if he meets the War God… Then he'll become a Campione..."
Ren closed his eyes for a moment, trying to control his emotions.
"Prometheus' Grimoire is a one-time-use item. It seems I can only rely on my luck to encounter a Heretic God by chance."
Leaning back in his chair, Ren stared at the ceiling with a frustrated expression.
"For two days in a row, I found something related to the gods, and today my luck ran out. If only I had realized this information earlier… But now it's all pointless."
Ren finally let out a long sigh and closed his laptop.
There was no use in regretting.
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That day was Saturday, the weekend many people had been looking forward to. The summer morning in Tokyo felt cool, unlike the usually scorching afternoons. The streets were still relatively quiet, with only a few people out enjoying their free time.
Some were walking their pets, some were hanging out with friends, and others were enjoying dates with their lovers. However, behind all that, there were also white-collar workers still bound by their duties, working for black companies that didn't recognize holidays.
For Ren, this weekend already had its own agenda. He had made a reservation for Itsuki's pregnancy check-up at a renowned hospital in Tokyo. The doctor handling the examination was known by the title "Hand of God" a specialist whose name was widely recognized.
Of course, Ren could have asked for help from his father-in-law, Nakano Maruo, who was also a famous doctor. However, their relationship was far from good.
In Maruo's eyes, Rokuhara Ren was just a scumbag who had ensnared his daughter with sweet words. If Ren had run away like Jinnosuke, Rena's late husband, Maruo might have hired yakuza to capture him and drown him in Tokyo Bay.
At the moment, Ren and Itsuki were preparing to leave their apartment.
Since leaving the room, Ren hadn't let go of Itsuki's hand. He made sure every step his wife took was safe, especially with her growing belly.
As they walked down the corridor toward the elevator, Itsuki glanced at their intertwined hands and let out a small sigh.
"Hubby, you're overdoing it."
"What do you mean?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"This isn't the first time we've gone to the hospital for my pregnancy check-up. You don't need to hold my hand the entire time like this."
"Better safe than sorry."
"I'm not that weak, you know?"
"What if you fall? That's very dangerous."
"I won't fall."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But I'm still not letting go of your hand."
Seeing Ren's concern for her, Itsuki's heart felt warm. There wasn't a single ounce of regret in her, even though their status wasn't officially that of husband and wife. Society might view their relationship as taboo—a teacher and her student now expecting a child together. However, for Itsuki, what mattered most was their own happiness.
The elevator finally reached the ground floor, its doors opened, and they stepped out.
When they reached the outside of the apartment building, a black taxi was already waiting by the curb, as per Ren's earlier booking. Quickly, he opened the door for Itsuki before getting in and sitting beside her.
The taxi driver was a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and a gray hat, glancing at them through the rearview mirror.
"Where to, sir?" He asked politely.
"To Satoshi Hospital." Ren replied casually.
The driver nodded before driving off slowly, leaving the apartment area and entering Tokyo's main streets, which were starting to fill with other vehicles.
As he drove, he occasionally glanced through the rearview mirror, observing the two passengers in the back seat.
'Young people these days are really wild. L' He thought to himself.
His eyes focused on the young man in the back, who looked relaxed but attentive to the woman beside him. The young man kept holding his partner's hand, even occasionally stroking her belly gently.
'Sigh... He's still young, probably a high school student? But he's already gotten an adult woman pregnant. Makes others jealous!'
Of course, it wasn't his business. But the driver couldn't help but think. How could he be so sure they were a couple and not just siblings?
The answer was simple. Anyone with normal EQ could see it. The way they looked at each other, the young man's protective attitude, and the woman's soft smile when speaking to him—it was all too intimate for a sibling relationship.
'If I were as handsome as that young man in my youth... maybe I could've done the same.' The taxi driver sighed inwardly.
However, he quickly shook his head, trying to dismiss his unnecessary thoughts. After all, his job was simply to take passengers to their destination, not to judge others' lives.
"..."
In the back seat, Ren noticed the occasional glances from the rearview mirror. He didn't care much, but a small smile appeared on his face.
"What?" Itsuki asked, noticing her husband's expression.
"The driver seems curious about us." Ren said softly.
"What do you mean?" Itsuki frowned.
Ren leaned a little closer and whispered in her ear.
"Maybe he thinks I kidnapped an adult woman and got her pregnant."
Itsuki pinched his arm in annoyance.
"Idiot."
"Ha Ha Ha..."
Ren chuckled softly, enjoying the light moment between them.
The journey to Satoshi Hospital continued, with the atmosphere inside the taxi growing increasingly comfortable.