Hyper-Dimensional Player

Chapter 974: Chapter 22: A Close Alliance

The Divine Hall of Joy.

After a great battle, Duncan returned to his living quarters. Even before he reached the room, he saw a voluptuous and alluring figure waiting outside the door. She looked up and saw Duncan from afar and immediately knelt humbly at the doorway to greet his return.

"Lord Duncan." Elia-Smiles’ expression was almost fawning.

Duncan didn’t even spare her a glance as he pushed the door open and asked, "Where’s Vera?"

Vera was the joyful attendant who first served him, while Elia-Smiles used to be a maid to the Mother of Great Bliss. After Duncan had a falling out with the Mother of Great Bliss some time ago, this woman had also been absent for a while.

Typical fair-weather friend.

Elia-Smiles’ demeanor was almost abjectly humble. She knelt before Duncan, helping him remove his armguard, and with a slightly seductive tone, she said, "The Mother of Great Bliss plans to promote Sister Vera to the role of Joyful Envoy. She should be undergoing the baptism right now."

What a smooth ride without any effort.

It would be a lie to say there was no regret. Vera had almost no achievements; her sole function seemed to be faithfully attending to Duncan’s daily needs and occasionally serving as a sort of concubine, doing her utmost to satisfy Duncan’s occasional physical desires. Yet, in such a short time, she rose from a joyful attendant to a mid-high tier within the church, and she had no background, merely a beautiful widow from the countryside.

Elia-Smiles considered herself no less beautiful than Vera and even more dedicated in her service.

However, because she was late and, when Duncan and the Mother of Great Bliss had their fallout, she unhesitatingly returned to the Mother of Great Bliss’s side, her current position was extremely awkward.

Duncan nodded expressionlessly.

The Mother of Great Bliss was actively trying to appease him. There was virtually no one close to the human form except for Vera, who served him daily, making it hard to find leverage.

"Dismissed," Duncan said blandly.

Elia-Smiles showed a hint of regret, raised her head, wanting to speak, but seeing Duncan didn’t even look back at her, she could only bite her lip and leave with a face full of resentment.

This heartless man.

Even if she stood by the Mother of Great Bliss, there should have been some sentiment, yet he was so ruthless.

As she left the room, a light and quick set of footsteps sounded outside, and Vera appeared in a tri-colored Joyful Envoy’s tight gown. Upon seeing her, she slightly squinted her eyes, then walked past with her head held high.

Elia-Smiles even had to bow her head in greeting.

At the same grand party, some are guests, while others are servants.

At the doorway, Vera resumed her respectful and humble demeanor. She cautiously approached to remove Duncan’s boots, observed the bloodstains seeping through, and hurriedly instructed others, "Prepare holy water, the lord needs a bath."

Only then did she carefully peel off the attached skin and flesh, her expression shocked, eyes slightly red, "The Mother of Great Bliss has invited the lord to a banquet."

How much pain did he endure?

Vera almost tore off a whole piece of human skin, and though there was high-tier divine technique healing, the marks from the excoriation remained horrifyingly visible.

Duncan took a deep breath and said, "Understood."

Now he had to face the Mother of Great Bliss anew.

For Duncan, the Mother of Great Bliss sitting in her current position was more advantageous since her power was insufficient to lead everyone, which conveniently facilitated his ascent, provided that the Mother of Great Bliss could recognize the situation and submit to Duncan.

"Whether it’s the Wealth Church or the Church of Joy, I only need to control the battle power."

"Daily church affairs can be left to them."

Duncan’s priority was to seize control of the military force, having little interest in the day-to-day operational power of the church.

After taking a bath, Duncan changed into a set of light, flexible attire.

Several beautiful maids came to welcome him. At the villa courtyard of the Mother of Great Bliss, it was now rather deserted, no longer having the previous bustling prosperity. In just half a month, the Church of Joy suffered severe losses; more than half of the Crimson Performers had died, and even the Red Veil Archbishop was beheaded and executed.

Master of Revelry Kowall was trampled into a pulp by the Blood Mark Priest. His joyful priests, revelers, and devotees died in large numbers.

The followers of the Goddess of Joy, Lierla, originally had few strong professionals. With so many dead or wounded, even those around the Mother of Great Bliss were stretched thin. In the future, they’ll need to recruit minstrels to fill the gap.

Due to the limitations of divine position, there are few combat units among the followers of the Goddess of Joy.

"Lord Duncan."

Outside the courtyard, greeting Duncan was a maid named Alevia-Huanmeng. She had a hint of half-elf blood, noticeable from her slightly pointed ears.

She wore a gown woven from moon-white elf silk, embroidered with silver vines and pink flowers, as if she were wearing the life force of the forest.

Leading the way, her skirt swayed lightly and gracefully, rippling like flowing water with every step.

Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall of gold, held up by a headband studded with blue gems, with a few strands falling by her cheeks, adding to her charming appearance. Her fair wrists wore a pair of bracelets carved from elf crystal, engraved with runes symbolizing joy, and she wore a pair of silver soft boots embedded with pearls, moving silently, like an elf in the woods.