The Church still trembles in fear of that Saint.
Today, the Church’s influence has expanded to nearly every human nation, and even many non-human races have begun to gradually come into contact with the Church’s faith.
In theory, the Church had no need to resort to such extreme measures.
But Pope’s Holiness clearly thinks otherwise, or rather, the entire College of Cardinals seems to harbor some strange obsession with that Saint—fully aware of the danger, yet they charge straight into the tiger’s lair.
“Child, I hope you don’t think that way. The Cardinals and Pope’s Holiness have sent you there despite the danger because you are fighting for the future of humanity. And honestly, at this moment, you’re truly the most suitable person for this mission.”
“I have no objections to Pope’s Holiness’s orders. I’m just stating a fact—the purpose of sending me isn’t merely to gather intelligence, and I’m sure you understand that well. There are others with capabilities like mine, so why was I chosen? Especially knowing my sect background?”
Saint Sang was very clear-headed about this.
The Church would never just wait for her to be discovered and eliminated by that former Saint, now the Demon Lord, like a dog beaten to death.
There are many ways to remove political opponents, but to send her right under the nose of her own ‘Grandmaster’…
This was a direct challenge against her, but even more so against her teacher—who, within the Church, had the closest relationship with Saint Via and knew the Saint’s true nature better than anyone.
After the Saint’s sacrifice, as the Saint’s student, Denoya naturally gained significant attention.
But since the Saint was resurrected by the Demon Race, the Church’s prior betrayal made them wary of Denoya, the Saint’s disciple.
Yet, they couldn’t openly strip him of his cardinal rank.
Targeting his student was, in a sense, a way to weaken his power.
Still, Saint Sang knew very well that this old man in front of her was running out of time.
His body had long been failing; beneath his seemingly robust exterior lay constant health problems.
Saint Sang had once considered quitting her role as a Judge to care for her teacher, but the true student of the Saint stubbornly insisted she continue gaining experience outside.
“…I’m glad you’re able to stay so clear-headed, child.” Denoya smiled with relief. “You used to be so innocent it was almost laughable, but now you can see through these adult affairs.”
“I don’t think that’s a good thing.”
“No, it isn’t. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t have led you down this path… Your life back home was actually quite good. If you hadn’t followed me, a simple farmer’s daughter could have lived a peaceful life.”
“Teacher, I’ve said this before—I don’t regret the choice I made. Even this dangerous mission is no exception. I’ll be prepared. When I return, if they still block me from joining the Tribunal, I’ll make you retire and enjoy your old age.”
“So you really think I’m that old, huh?”
Denoya laughed heartily and patted his student on the shoulder.
“Once you get there, protect yourself. The mission is secondary. Survival is what matters most. Also, if you get exposed, take this with you. My teacher will spare you.”
Denoya took a letter from his chest and handed it to his student.
On the letter, Saint Sang saw a photograph captured on a memory stone.
In it, a tall, handsome man pressed his large hands on the shoulders of a shy boy.
They didn’t look like master and disciple but more like father and son.
Beneath the photo, neat characters read: “The first birthday celebrated by the Curia for Denoya.”
“Would my Grandmaster really spare me just because of a photo?”
Saint Sang didn’t quite believe it herself.
Though he was her Grandmaster, they had never met.
Her Grandmaster might not even know she existed.
Could the current Demon Lord really let her go over a single photo?
“My teacher has always been kind. Though now she serves among the Demons out of hatred, her true nature hasn’t changed. If you show this, she won’t make things difficult for you. When that time comes, just do as she says—no questions.”
“I hope my Grandmaster won’t be too harsh on me. Otherwise, I guess all I can hope for is to come back intact.”
Far away in Saint Anso City.
Via suddenly sneezed while watering the flowers.
“Cold?”
Cecilia looked up with concern.
“Probably not,” Via sniffed.
“Could it be that someone’s talking behind my back?”
When she was still human, she had heard a rumor that sneezing for no reason meant someone was badmouthing you behind your back.
But Via didn’t really believe in that.
Since becoming a Saint and now a Demon Lord, she’d made plenty of enemies.
There were many who talked behind her back every day.
If sneezing really meant that, she’d be sneezing nonstop all day.
“Cecilia, you’ve been here for a while now, right? How do you think the Demons are doing in managing the city?”
Via’s sudden urge to water the flowers came from being stuck handling city affairs for too long and wanting to stretch.
Looking out the window, she could see the city’s busiest street.
With the Demons’ migration and the original human residents resuming normal life, the city was slowly regaining its former prosperity.
“To be honest, it’s pretty rough.”
Cecilia was blunt—she wasn’t one to sugarcoat things.
“Explain.”
“For example, after the Demons moved in, they clearly didn’t put much effort into stabilizing prices. You asked human merchants to buy grain, right? But the grain stored in warehouses hasn’t been released into the market as planned.”
“The city is crowded and food is scarce. The grain the merchants brought isn’t enough. The high-ranking Demons have poorly managed the grain distribution plan. I went around yesterday, and the residents barely have enough possessions to avoid starvation. This may make it easier for you to control the Holy City, but it definitely won’t help you expand your territory.”
Now that Via had settled in Saint Anso City, she had to find ways to truly invigorate the city.
But clearly, some of the ideas she came up with weren’t being properly implemented by her subordinates.
“From my personal point of view, the Demons’ management is a complete mess. The only reason the Demons have grown so powerful is because they’re strong and can use magic. If they were as fragile as humans, with such poor management, a little war or disaster would wipe out hundreds of thousands in no time.”
They’re running a mountain of crap code—just make it run, no matter what.
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