Free Web NovelEarly morning, I was diligently reviewing documents as usual. While reading reports from each regional temple, checking the number of believers, and busily going through my morning routine...
[Ch-Church Leader. A guest has arrived.]
Contact came from Alphius in a tone quite different from usual. There wasn't really anyone who would visit at this time. Still, I asked Alphius back without much thought.
"A guest? Who came?"
[Well, that's...]
But for some reason, Alphius couldn't continue his words easily, unlike usual. When I waited a moment without rushing him at the strange atmosphere, a surprising answer came.
[It's the Saintess of the Diego Church.]
I was more surprised than I expected. None other than the Saintess of the Diego Church had come to find me. It was as surprising as when Terdius came to the temple looking for me not long ago.
"What's her business?"
Still, I asked calmly for now. Then Alphius answered composedly.
[She says she wants to see you, Church Leader.]
Not only did she come for missionary work to Holden Territory where most residents believe in the Kyros Church, but she even came to find me openly. And she even confidently visited the temple saying she wanted to meet me.
'What is she thinking?'
If a senior member of another religion had visited, I wouldn't have thought this deeply, but since it was none other than the Diego Church, I couldn't help but think deeply.
'To visit so openly like this. Seeing that she wants to enter the temple interior, it doesn't seem like a simple visit.'
If I refused, the Saintess couldn't meet me. Because the temple had Kyros's protection. The clock tower also had one more protection, but in that case, since people's entry restrictions were lifted, it wouldn't matter. But the temple was different.
'Still... if she intended to harm me, she wouldn't come so openly like this.'
For now, I stood up and told Alphius. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"Alright. I'll be right there."
I intended to confirm directly what intention the Saintess of the Diego Church had in coming to me.
After roughly organizing the documents, I quickly left my office. Since it was early morning and there were few people in the temple, there was no need to hide my appearance.
I greeted the believers I occasionally encountered and quickly headed to the temple's main entrance.
'There she is.'
Before long, I could see the Diego Church's carriage and group of priests standing in front of the temple entrance. And Alphius, Sasha, and Chester in front of them.
"Church Leader, you're here?"
When I approached them, Alphius greeted me as if he had been waiting. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
"Yes, Alfie. Sasha, Chester. You were all here."
"Yeeess..."
The three were glancing at the Diego Church's carriage and looking a bit troubled. I spoke to the children with a faint smile.
"Don't worry, nothing bad will happen."
While I was reassuring the children, the firmly closed door of the Diego Church carriage opened. And from inside, a woman wearing Diego Church priest's robes descended with a priest's escort.
Long green hair reaching her waist, brown eyes, and a beautiful face. The woman truly resembled Zain, befitting being his older sister.
She could be seen as a female version of Zain, but her beauty surpassed even Zain's.
But perhaps because of Diego's brainwashing, her gaze toward me was utterly cold.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Leader of the Kyros Church."
Soon the Saintess of the Diego Church, Emily Billion, greeted me in a monotone voice. Unable to cross the temple's entrance due to Kyros's protection.
"I am Emily Billion, Saintess of the Diego Church."
Emily Billion added her greeting. Though her lips curved up slightly, it wasn't at all a smile expressing friendliness.
'Even worse than a business smile.'
The sight of her smiling stiffly as if she had received education from the Diego Church was no different from a robot.
"Nice to meet you. I am Leviathan, Church Leader of the Kyros Church."
I showed Emily a proper business smile.
'This is how you do business.'
I thought about offering a handshake, but I quickly abandoned that idea. What if she didn't accept the handshake I offered? I didn't want to be ignored in a place with many watching eyes.
"If it's not rude, I would like to speak with you alone."
After a brief awkwardness, it was Emily who spoke first. I wondered if there was a reason she specifically requested a private meeting with me.
"Hmm. Understood. Then excluding the others, only you, Saintess, may enter."
I spoke while gently smiling.
'If it's just one Saintess, I can handle it even if a problem arises.'
Then the priests who came with Emily Billion showed signs of panic, apparently surprised.
"What do you mean! Only letting the Saintess enter! We have a duty to protect the Saintess!"
One who seemed to have a high rank among the priests stepped forward and shouted at me. I spoke to him with a smile.
"I have no obligation to let all of you into the temple."
"Th-that's..."
"Moreover, you visited the temple suddenly without an appointment."
At my continuing words, the priest couldn't find the right words and kept his mouth shut. Then the Saintess stepped forward and spoke.
"Understood. Since we visited without an appointment, I will follow the Church Leader's words."
"But Saintess, this is the Kyros Church! It might be dangerous!"
How exactly were those priests viewing us? I couldn't understand at all.
If we're talking about what's really dangerous, wasn't Diego more serious? Ridiculous people.
"Don't worry. Probably nothing will happen. Right, Church Leader?"
Saintess Emily asked while looking at me. Her confidence clearly came from the Diego Church's power. She also knew well that we couldn't carelessly touch the Saintess.
'I had no intention of touching her in the first place.'
I nodded slowly.
"Yes. Nothing will happen."
After finishing that brief dispute, Emily Billion stepped into the temple.
Kyros's protection naturally didn't activate. However, the Diego Church priests were still looking at me as if viewing a villain.
'They live tiresome lives.'
But since I couldn't openly say anything to them, I had no choice but to silently guide the Saintess inside.
"Alfie, please prepare simple tea and snacks."
"Yes, Church Leader."
After telling Alphius, I entered the temple building with the Saintess. Emily didn't say anything even as we entered the building and climbed the stairs.
"This way, please."
The place I guided Emily to was the reception room. I had no intention of carelessly bringing someone unrelated to the Kyros Church into my office.
"Please sit here."
After showing her to her seat, I sat in the head seat. Then Emily looked around and said.
"...The temple is quite modest."
It wasn't a statement that felt malicious, but I didn't feel very good about it. So I just gave her a smile.
Meanwhile, Alphius entered carrying refreshments. Tea and simple snacks were placed between Emily and me, and then Alphius left the reception room.
"Is the tea to your taste?"
"Yes. It's delicious."
Despite saying that, Emily only took one sip of tea out of courtesy and didn't touch the teacup anymore.
'...Is this also because she's brainwashed?'
When I recalled the past story I heard from Zain and what I had seen about Emily Billion in the original work, there was nothing except that she was quite kind.
'Right. It must be because of the brainwashing.'
I decided not to care much about her behavior.
"So what is your business?"
And I asked directly. Meaning to just state her business and leave. Then Emily also seemed to understand my intention and quickly opened her mouth.
"Our Diego Church plans to stay inside Holden Territory for about a month to conduct missionary work."
I had heard from mother that the Diego Church would stay for quite a long period, but I didn't expect it to be a month.
"I see."
I answered while trying to act nonchalant.
"I hope you achieve your goals while staying here."
And when I even said something I didn't mean, Emily's gaze visibly became colder.
"Church Leader."
Then she called me in a cold voice. Now that there were no onlookers around, was she going to talk frankly? I looked at her thinking so.
"While staying at headquarters, I often heard news about the Kyros Church. That you're growing rapidly."
"Ah, yes. Well. That's how it turned out."
"First, congratulations."
"Thank you."
"However..."
Emily's gaze became even colder. As expected, was she now bringing up the main point?
"I wonder if it would be better to conduct missionary activities outside the Herpheon Empire from now on."
"...What do you mean?"
I roughly understood what the Diego Church wanted. But I didn't expect them to convey their intention so openly.
"Just as I said. It would be good for both of us if you focused on external activities rather than inside the empire. Though Holden Territory and a few areas that already have believers can't be helped."
I stared at Emily. Though her eyes were extremely cold, I couldn't feel any life in them at all.
'She's no different from a puppet.'
Then what Emily was saying now would be no different from the First Apostle's will.
'It's not because of Terdius, but a warning not to expand our influence further, so they sent the Saintess.'
The First Apostle always liked hiding in the background as usual, so it was probably right.
But did they think I would easily give in?
"I understand what you're saying. However, I have a question."
I spoke to Emily with a faint smile.
"Please ask."
"Was what you just said the Saintess's personal will, or the will of the entire Diego Church?"
"Does it matter?"
"Of course it matters. My answer will also differ depending on the answer."
At my words, Emily kept her mouth shut for a moment. Then soon she spoke.
"...It's the will of the whole."
"I see. Understood."
"Church Leader, what do you mean you understand?"
"I understand the Diego Church's will well, so we will also conduct ourselves in our own way."
When I expressed that I had no intention of talking further, Emily looked at me for a moment. Then soon she nodded.
"...Yes. Understood."
"Then would you please leave now?"
Though I answered in a roundabout way, she would have understood enough that I had no intention of following the Diego Church's orders.
"Then let's meet again."
Emily stood up from her seat with a still expressionless face. I roughly greeted her while watching her retreating figure.
"I won't see you out."
Emily immediately opened the reception room door. I was planning to leave the reception room after confirming she had left.
But then an unexpected voice was heard.
"...Sister?"
