Free Web NovelFacing Pero’s unblinking stare, Muen felt thoroughly embarrassed.
What did she mean by doing things and refusing to take responsibility afterward? She was making him sound like some scumbag who toyed with girls and abandoned them!
“I just think your religion... really isn’t necessary. The thing you believe in isn’t some great existence, nor can it provide you with much help. In the end... you’re only a small group of people huddling together for warmth.”
Muen sighed as he carefully chose his words.
If this had been the world from his previous life, after a “miracle” on the scale of what had happened before, with so many core believers appearing out of nowhere, forget spreading into a massive religion across an entire nation—even spreading that faith across the whole world and becoming one of the mainstream religions would not have been difficult.
But here, that kind of thing was basically impossible.
Because this world truly had gods.
Orthodox gods. Evil gods.
Gods with weak presence. Gods with overwhelming presence.
All kinds of gods with all kinds of believers.
They stood high above, overlooking the mortal world.
A tiny miracle might create ripples, but it could never stir up a tidal wave.
Because the source of those ripples...
Was simply too weak.
He was merely an ordinary... human.
He was not a god.
“I know... but I believe you’ll definitely become greater than everything else!”
Pero still showed not the slightest hint of retreat. Instead, she clenched both hands tightly, her eyes burning brightly.
The corner of Muen’s mouth twitched. He could only awkwardly turn his head away.
Become greater than everything else?
The hell was he supposed to do that?!
At the human level, maybe there was still hope. Perhaps someday he really could become some rebellious disciple who kicked over that old loli teacher of his and became the strongest human alive.
But above that?
Those were all gods!
Was he supposed to go up there and run them over?
“I think... the chances aren’t great.”
“You should believe in yourself. I believe in you too!”
All right. There was no stopping this stubborn girl anymore.
“By the way, what about the Church of Life? Have they acknowledged your religion yet?”
Muen suddenly asked.
Since he could no longer stop the girl from choosing this rugged path, then as the object of worship, after receiving faith power, he ought to show at least some concern for the direction they were heading.
He could not really let them walk straight into a dead end.
“That side... still isn’t clear yet.”
Pero sighed, troubled.
“The Church operates on a level far above a religion that people like us just threw together temporarily. It’s very difficult for us to get accurate information, so... all we can do is wait nervously.”
She understood that the greatest obstacle to the establishment of the Black Sun Cult was not that Imperial Empress, nor the future King of the Kingdom, nor even the object of worship standing before her.
It was the Church of Life.
As the church of the Life Goddess, who possessed the overwhelming majority of faith across the continent, if they refused to permit the Black Sun Cult’s existence...
Then the Black Sun Cult, still little more than a fledgling bird, would never be allowed to exist.
Especially under the current state of complete city lockdown, they could not even hide.
“Is that so?”
Muen raised his head and thought briefly before looking toward the cathedral.
“Looks like I’ll have to handle this personally.”
“Huh? Can that really work?” Pero asked in surprise.
That was the Church, after all...
“It’s nothing. Influencing the Church’s decision-making a little should still be possible, I think.”
Muen sounded extremely confident.
Then he sighed again.
Though it would require selling a little of his sex appeal.
Why was he living more and more like...
A pretty boy kept by rich women?
......
......
Saint Blancfazesiya Cathedral.
Conference hall.
Under the Goddess’s gaze, a sacred meeting was being held.
The topic of discussion was everything that had happened in the Kingdom this time: the Salvation Society, the Lord of the Stars, and more...
It was difficult to imagine that decisions capable of influencing the future of the entire continent were being made inside this seemingly ordinary conference hall. Yet beneath the Goddess’s witness, every discussion, every decision, every exchange here felt solemn, dignified, and steady.
“I object!”
A jade-like hand slammed against the table, making the entire long table tremble with a thunderous bang.
The solemn and dignified atmosphere instantly vanished.
A holy figure rose to her feet and glared angrily at the several old men opposite her.
Everyone attending this meeting belonged to the Church’s true upper echelon. The lowest-ranked person qualified to sit at this table was a cardinal archbishop from the Holy City.
Yet despite that, under the glare of those eyes—which were not frightening at all and could even be described as cute—the several archbishops unconsciously shrank their necks.
“What do you mean, not allowing the Black Sun Cult to exist? Are you planning to directly purge all those people?”
“No, we merely...”
“Archbishop Ision, you’re the archbishop in charge of this cathedral. Tell me—are we really supposed to purge the city’s millions of inhabitants?”
“...Your Holiness.”
Archbishop Ision helplessly stroked his beard.
“In the previous agenda item, I was already stripped of my authority as archbishop due to dereliction of duty. Right now I’m merely awaiting punishment and have no authority to participate in this kind of decision.”
“Huh? That happened? Something this major, and nobody informed me?”
“......”
We’re literally discussing this at the same table! Who failed to inform whom?!
You were openly spacing out just now, okay?!
Archbishop Ision’s mouth twitched.
Before the Saintess arrived, based only on certain records, he had thought the Church was finally about to gain a gentle, kind, noble, and normal Saintess.
But after actually meeting her, he realized this Saintess was just like the previous one...
Possessing a somewhat unique personality.
“In any case, ahem, the reason I remain here is merely because of the documents. I have no authority to participate in decisions. Though I can offer my suggestion.”
Archbishop Ision looked around.
At this meeting, aside from the cardinals sent to replace him in handling the Kingdom’s affairs, there was also the Judgment Archbishop, who had returned after dealing with certain “miscellaneous matters,” still carrying the scent of blood across her body.
He understood that although nominally he and the Judgment Archbishop held the highest status, in reality, both of them were currently “sinners awaiting punishment.” Therefore, regarding the Saint Blancfazesiya incident, the authority they could wield was very limited.
Instead, the true power of decision rested with those cardinals from the Holy City—old monsters dug up from who knew where, people even he had to address respectfully as elders.
“Oh? And what advice does Archbishop Ision have?”
Sitting in the central seat was Cardinal Clemens, who looked the oldest of all, as if he truly had been dug straight out of a coffin. He opened his eyes and asked in a hoarse voice.
Although he still respectfully addressed Ision as “Archbishop,” there was not the slightest trace of respect in his tone.
“I wouldn’t dare call it advice.”
Ision said:
“I merely believe Her Holiness the Saintess makes a valid point. Black Sun faith has already spread throughout the city. If we forcibly extinguish it, it will inevitably trigger a massive bloodbath. Are we truly supposed to kill every single person who believes in the Black Sun? At this moment, soothing and restraining them is the correct course of action.”
“Nonsense!”
Before Clemens could answer, the cardinal seated on his right abruptly rose to his feet.
“How can such a faith of unknown origin be tolerated so casually? Ision, as an archbishop, you have access to the Church’s internal archives. Don’t you know how many terrible disasters throughout history originated from small acts of indulgence and turning a blind eye?”
“But we’ve already investigated. That Black Sun truly does not belong to any currently existing Evil God, and those believers show no signs of contamination.”
“They may not now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t in the future! If this tiny bit of tolerance gives birth to an enormous malignant tumor, then how will you answer to the Goddess?”
“It is merely a small religion. Calling it a malignant tumor is excessive.”
“Heh. For Archbishop Ision, who allowed the Salvation Society to control all of Saint Blancfazesiya right under his nose, I suppose it truly doesn’t qualify as a malignant tumor.”
“Then according to Your Grace’s logic, should every faith on the continent besides the Goddess’s be eradicated?”
Bearing guilt in his heart and shame in his conscience, Archbishop Ision had been patient this entire time. But facing the cardinal’s increasingly aggressive pressure, his expression finally darkened.
“Cardinal Fulen truly speaks with authority. The Goddess rules the world through mercy, yet your mercy consists of eliminating all who differ from you?”
“I never said such a thing!”
The cardinal named Fulen snorted coldly.
“I’m merely informing you of the risks!”
“By your reasoning, every faith besides the Goddess’s carries risk! So they should all be eliminated!”
“You’re becoming extreme!”
“You’re the one becoming extreme!”
“You’re walking down a radical path!”
“I think it’s you walking down a radical path!”
“You—”
“Enough!”
Unable to endure it any longer, Clemens slammed the table and roared:
“Look at yourselves! Do you still resemble people blessed by the Goddess’s holy radiance at all?”
Terrifying pressure burst from the old man’s frail body, instantly freezing the atmosphere of the conference hall.
An old monster...
Was not merely an old monster.
Before being sealed within the Holy Coffins, these people had once been terrifying figures who shook entire regions with their power. It was simply that their names had long since been buried in forgotten corners of history, scarcely remembered anymore.
“......”
Archbishop Ision stared deeply at Clemens for a long moment. In the end, he said nothing and silently sat back down.
Although he did not fear that pressure, once the other party invoked the Goddess herself to suppress him, there truly was nothing more he could say.
After all, he no longer possessed the authority of an archbishop.
“And what does the Judgment Archbishop think?”
Clemens looked toward Judgment, who had remained silent the entire time.
“Me?”
The Judgment Archbishop laughed softly in surprise.
“My sins are even heavier than Archbishop Ision’s. Therefore, outside the authority of the Tribunal Temple, I will not interfere in anything extra. I only need to obey the instructions that come from the Holy City.”
“Is that so?”
Clemens nodded.
“In that case, we shall proceed this way. Completely purging everyone with Black Sun faith is unrealistic. However, the Church cannot permit a new religion to emerge in Saint Blancfazesiya under these circumstances. This concerns the Church’s dignity.
“Therefore... we shall compromise. Send people to admonish them.”
“Admonish?”
After remaining silent for a long time, Liya’s beautiful eyes widened.
“That’s right. Admonish them. And if those people remain stubborn and refuse to repent, then somewhat forceful measures may also be used.”
“How is that any different from before...”
“Of course it’s different.”
Clemens replied expressionlessly,
“We will not purge Black Sun believers—provided they cease believing in the Black Sun. That still represents the Goddess’s mercy.”
“How is that mercy at all? In the end, you still refuse to allow—”
“Your Holiness!”
Clemens’s tone turned stern.
“Please... remember your identity. You represent the Goddess herself and should safeguard Her glory. Clearly, those people have already offended the Goddess’s glory. Therefore, our actions are necessary!”
“But—”
“These regulations are inscribed in the holy canon itself! Even you cannot change them!”
“......”
Liya’s chest visibly rose and fell once. Yet she could not produce any words of rebuttal.
As true old monsters, no one in the Church understood the profound meaning behind every clause of the canon better than these people.
Because they had spent their entire lives upholding and enforcing those doctrines. Even after becoming old and stubborn like ancient tree roots, they still took pride in it.
“......”
The conference hall fell silent.
Clemens swept his gaze around and saw that no one opposed him anymore. Even Her Holiness the Saintess, who had objected earlier, had obediently sat back down and no longer looked interested in arguing.
Satisfied, he nodded.
In the end, they were merely young people. Though they might usually rely on their status to act arrogant and impulsive, before ancient existences like them—the very foundation of the Church, the so-called “heritage”—and before the holy canon itself, they still had to yield.
As for this so-called admonishment?
Heh.
There were countless ways to “admonish” people in this world.
But among the Church’s ancient methods of admonishment passed down for thousands of years...
Gentleness had never been one of them.
“Very well. This meeting is concluded. Carry out your respective duties.”
Clemens slowly rose to his feet, trembling so badly that every movement made one wonder whether his body would fall apart in the next second.
He was already very old. Had the Kingdom not caused such a disastrous mess this time, and had the continent not descended into constant unrest, leaving even the Church short-handed, this old relic would never have climbed back out of the Holy Coffin.
And now that he had emerged, it was to restore the Church’s dignity!
The tragedy of Saint Blancfazesiya would never happen again. The Church would never again stand helplessly by while enemies achieved their goals without resistance.
The Church would proclaim its might to the world, and the Goddess’s holy radiance would once again bless all people!
Therefore, those tiny stains born from the surging darkness would be completely erased before the sun rose, before they could appear before the eyes of the world!
That’s right!
Completely erased!
No one could stop him!
He swore it in the name of Clemens the Cleaner!
“I hope all of you will complete your duties properly and not allow the Church to—hm? Your Holiness the Saintess, what are you doing?”
Mid-sentence, Clemens suddenly froze.
His heart was still surging with the heroic ambition he had not felt in many years, yet that surge abruptly stiffened.
Because he saw the young new Saintess, who had remained silent for so long, suddenly move.
She did not verbally object.
Nor did she do anything improper.
She merely raised her slender hand wrapped in white silk gloves.
Ordinarily spread her fingers.
Ordinarily lifted the floral crown atop her head.
Everything looked completely ordinary.
The only thing that was not ordinary...
Was that the floral crown had been woven from the purest silver and gold in existence, bathed for a thousand years in the purest holy radiance. It was the symbol that guided countless believers forward—
The symbol of the Saintess’s identity.
“I’m not doing anything.”
Liya puffed out her cheeks, her eyes slightly red.
“It’s simply that, as the Saintess, as the Goddess’s representative walking among mortals, I still cannot stop a tragedy from occurring. I cannot save the lives of so many innocent people. I feel deeply ashamed and know I no longer have the face to continue serving the Goddess.”
“So...”
Liya made an entirely “ordinary” motion as though about to smash the floral crown onto the ground.
“I quit being the Saintess!”
