The Hero transformed into a nuclear-powered beast of burden.
The speed at which he emptied the city guard’s logistics department was unmatched, and no one could stop him.
In an instant, a bold declaration from Leah, written by his hand, was left on the wall for the whole world to see.
[Demon King Lia was here (I’m back)]
The magic crystals were sent to Poo Town, where they were promptly devoured by the Queen Poos who had returned one after another.
As long as a Pink Poo evolved to Rank 3, they could use their innate ability, just like Leah, to transform other Poos.
With the entirety of Poo Town operating at full capacity, the production speed of the Life-saving Pu was incredibly fast.
However…
Leah remained pessimistic about the subsequent results.
In a sense, those commoners who were unfamiliar with the Hero were far more difficult to command than the city guards, who at least offered superficial obedience.
The subsequent developments were exactly as Leah expected.
Even though Jon had repeatedly increased the compensation, the number of commoners who came forward to help remained pitifully small.
It was not difficult to understand.
They were survivors who had narrowly escaped the flood with their lives.
The waters had just swallowed their homes, relatives, and friends.
Under such circumstances, those who did not suffer from PTSD were already considered strong-willed; how could they find the courage to return to the water?
To make the commoners brave enough for such a task, the reward of a few silver coins was clearly far from sufficient.
One would either have to offer massive benefits worth risking one’s life for, or there would need to be the support of faith.
It was Jonathan who first suggested utilizing the group of Neo-believers who followed Io.
Although his overall abilities were not high, his grasp of the psychology of the commoners and the believers was quite precise.
“The Divine Messenger these people believe in stopped the flood with her own hands. They are naturally born with less fear toward the water,” Jonathan said.
“Jon, you just need to bring out these… cough, Life-saving Pu, and claim they are sacred relics left behind by Io. Tell them that by wearing these, they can move freely in the water. They certainly won’t be afraid to go back in then.”
“Thanks, Teacher.”
Jon’s worry turned to joy.
He hadn’t expected these believers to be so useful.
On the way, he couldn’t help but ponder the meaning of religion.
Fear, evasion, confusion, seeking benefit while avoiding harm… these were all human instincts.
To break these instincts, one needed a spiritual force strong enough to defeat them.
Some people could achieve this through sheer will—constantly challenging, constantly resisting, and remaining high-spirited until they completely broke free from the shackles of instinct and others to become their own masters.
However, not everyone could do it.
In fact, most people could not.
Because of this, they were forced to find a spiritual support, an object of faith.
Did an ethereal god ultimately ruin such people, or save them?
Unfortunately, before Jon could find an answer, he encountered something even more surreal and absurd.
The Church of Light had come to “retroactively canonize” Io.
***
Inside a tent where the lamplight flickered like a candle in the wind, four people were present: Holy Maiden Yuna, the local parish Bishop, and Jon, who felt as if he were in a dream.
The remaining man, whose face was covered in stubble and oil, was the number one fanatic who had first incited the refugees to believe in Io and had personally transcribed the Bible of Io.
Now, he had become the “Second Divine Messenger” with the highest status among the believers, presiding over all religious activities related to Io.
“Frank, is it?”
The Bishop closed the register, his expression a forced mask of indifference.
“A month ago, you still believed in the Goddess. You even donated two hundred copper Coulons to the Church, praying for the Goddess to bless you with a wife. What is this? Have you changed your sect now?”
Frank wore a fake crown woven from strips of white cloth, trying his best to imitate the priest from his village.
His voice trembled, but he forced a dignified rebuttal.
“The Goddess never responded to my prayers, but last night… I saw a real god! A god who can contend with nature! I didn’t change my faith! I attained enlightenment!”
“Are you questioning whether the Goddess is real?”
The Bishop wore a cold, disdainful sneer.
“So many smart people—so many educated, high-ranking officials—believe the Goddess is real. You’re the only one questioning it. Are you saying you’re smarter than everyone else?”
Frank’s face flushed red.
He stiffened his neck and stared deathly at the Bishop, refusing to back down, yet not knowing how to respond.
“Now, now… he is merely a temporarily strayed lamb. How can you be so harsh toward the beloved people of our Goddess?”
Yuna waved her hand, signaling the parish Bishop to be quiet.
She looked at Frank with a soft gaze.
Her moist, bright azure eyes seemed to possess a natural power that could melt a person’s heart.
“Priest Frank, allow me to call you that,” Yuna said gently and affectionately.
“Actually, you have no way of being certain that your god, Io, is entirely unrelated to our Goddess, right?”
Facing the Holy Maiden—especially one so approachable—Frank’s tone softened significantly.
“…Theoretically, that is true.”
He turned his head away.
Yuna continued to guide him persuasively.
“So, is it possible that Io is actually an avatar sent down by our Goddess? The Goddess foresaw the grievous disaster here and, ten years ago, sent a wisp of her true spirit to personally save the suffering believers.”
“But Io never said that,” Frank stammered.
“This… this isn’t right, is it?”
“A god is always confused before they awaken. If it wasn’t the Goddess, how do you explain Io’s power to stop the flood? Perhaps when she wakes up, she will remember her true identity.”
Yuna spoke in a soft, whispering voice.
‘But she will likely never wake up again,’ Yuna thought with a sigh of pity.
Frank felt a wave of hesitation.
Regarding faith, it was certainly better to be aboard the grand ship of the Four Orthodox Churches.
However, during her life, Io hated the Church of Light the most.
She often cursed the Church for being a group of useless, blood-sucking leeches, claimed the Church’s holy light was just the reflection of gold Coulons, and even referred to the Goddess as the “Light Bitch.”
“I… I’m afraid I must pray properly and ask for the opinion of Lady Io.”
After a moment of hesitation, he ultimately stood his ground.
“There is no rush.”
Yuna took an exquisitely packaged brocade box from behind her.
She slowly opened the box and presented it to Frank.
Inside was a laurel crown made of gold—a true Bishop’s miter.
“Priest Frank, you know that the Goddess is always generous to her people. As long as you lead these strayed lambs back to the Goddess’s embrace and make Io the twenty-seventh Divine Maiden under the Goddess, we will make you a ‘Bishop’ recognized by the Goddess.”
Frank’s eyes remained fixed on the golden crown.
He tried several times, but he couldn’t pull his gaze away.
His eyes were practically glued to it.
“This… this goes against Lady Io’s… Lady Io’s…”
His tongue felt like it was no longer under his control.
Beside them, the Bishop, who had been playing the “bad cop,” couldn’t help but let out a contemptuous snort.
“Fine, don’t be ungrateful. Our Holy Maiden has a good temper, but others might not. Be careful not to have an appetite for something you can’t swallow!”
“Why are you saying such things again? Get out.”
Yuna seemed very angry as she scolded the Bishop and sent him away, yet she did not issue any real punishment.
The Bishop bowed to Yuna, performed a salute, and strode out of the tent with his head held high.
Staring at his back and then at Yuna, for some reason, a memory flashed through Jon’s mind like a bolt of lightning from the blue.
It was a phrase Lord Rossie once said:
‘A law without severe punishment is an encouragement!’