On the side.
The thirteen-year-old Garcia felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, uncomfortable in every possible way.
“So this is what adults talk about? It’s so dark. That’s not how it is in fairy tales.”
“Those story-telling bards are lying to Garcia.”
“And shouldn’t a High Priestess be merciful and kind? Always talking about killing and wiping out families, how terrifying!”
Sislia fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
“Your Highness, what must I give in return?”
“As long as it is something I possess—my soul, my life—anything at all.”
Compared to destroying the Kot Family, what she cared about most was how to preserve the Dawn Church.
Lu Ming narrowed his eyes slightly.
Now, it was his turn to gather information.
“What are your thoughts on Divinity?”
***
It seemed Sislia hadn’t expected Lu Ming to bring this up so suddenly.
But there was a hint of deep meaning.
Sislia pondered for a while before opening her mouth.
“It’s very difficult. That threshold blocks off almost all demi-gods, except for those gods born at the beginning of each era.”
“Up until the present Third Era, those who achieved Divinity on their own number less than ten.”
“Obtaining Divine Authority isn’t hard; the hard part is mastering it completely. That requires being recognized by the world.”
As she spoke, Sislia suddenly seemed to realize something and hurriedly apologized.
“To speak of these things before you, Your Highness, I am ashamed.”
Lu Ming shook his head indifferently.
But inwardly, he was delighted. As expected, the key was recognition by the world.
Play the role and spread the [Divine Authority] until you become the [Divine Authority] itself.
The answer Lu Ming wanted was already in hand; now it was time to start bluffing.
“You’re absolutely right, but you missed something.”
***
“Divinity is a leap in the essence of life. After becoming a god, there is no longer death—only downfall.”
“And for a god—a mighty, benevolent god with no enemies—how could they possibly fall?”
Sislia drew in a sharp breath, as if she’d caught a clue.
“And how… would that happen?”
Lu Ming secretly complained about Sislia’s straightforwardness in his heart.
I know, that’s why I’m asking you!
Can’t you just let me show off? Don’t ask questions that trip me up!
Meanwhile, Garcia on the side had completely faded into the background.
Shock after shock washed over her.
Is this the kind of topic I’m allowed to participate in?
“Sislia, you already have the answer in your heart.”
Lu Ming replied ambiguously.
When you don’t know how to answer, just find a way to throw the question back.
The light in Sislia’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.
“My Lord has not fallen!!”
Lu Ming froze mid-motion. You said that, not me—I didn’t say anything.
Although Lu Ming didn’t know how Sislia came to this conclusion, it didn’t matter as long as it didn’t drag him in.
“My Lord’s fall was sudden, with no trace of other gods joining in, no signs of Evil Gods or Fallen Gods taking action…”
“All of this shows that my Lord still exists!”
“I don’t know for what reason my Lord left, but before her return, I must safeguard the church.”
Lu Ming, eavesdropping on Sislia’s innermost thoughts, more or less understood the situation.
In this light, the Dawn Goddess’s fall might really be false.
“If that’s the case, it’s a great chance to find a powerful backer.”
But, the matter of me pretending to be her friend and calling her by name—she must know about it by now.
As a benevolent god, the Dawn Goddess shouldn’t be that petty… right?
Thinking this, he silently added in his heart: Praise the Dawn.
Lu Ming decided not to dwell on it. By the time the Dawn Goddess returned, he might already be a god.
“Great Your Highness, thank you for guiding me out of my confusion!”
Sislia, sincerely, dropped to one knee and gently kissed Lu Ming’s hand.
Lu Ming felt the soft, moist touch on the back of his hand.
His heart tightened inexplicably.
This overly beautiful woman was definitely teasing him.
He suppressed the growing heat in his lower abdomen and silently accepted the gesture.
Sislia’s mind was a swirl of thoughts.
Then she spoke again.
“Your Highness, I would like to ask you to lend me your strength.”
Knowing full well what Sislia intended, Lu Ming nodded.
He did not refuse.
The more he helped Sislia now, the greater the chance of establishing relations with the Dawn Goddess in the future. It could be seen as winning over a powerful benevolent god in advance.
However, with only his meager demi-god power, dealing with a single family was possible, but dealing with a church would be a stretch.
But, there was another way.
Lu Ming turned his gaze to Garcia.
The little girl, feeling utterly invisible, was silently nibbling on snacks to ease her shock.
“Eh? Why are both Your Highness and the High Priestess looking at me?”
Garcia’s cheeks puffed out like a squirrel, and she didn’t dare move.
“Garcia, are you willing to help this sister?”
“I… can I?”
Lu Ming spoke to Sislia.
“She is the eldest daughter of the Duke Niel’s Mansion in the Dresis Empire.”
A glimmer of understanding flashed across Sislia’s face.
She smiled gently.
“Garcia, I would like you to use the power of the Duke’s Mansion to spread the news that our Lord, the Dawn Goddess, has not fallen.”
“You can choose any reward you like from the Dawn Church’s treasury.”
Lu Ming raised his eyebrows.
Wait, why didn’t Sislia say this to him earlier?
Garcia nearly sprayed her snacks all over Sislia when she heard that.
“Dawn Goddess!?”
***
Inside the Duke Niel’s Mansion.
Duke Niel, with his messy golden hair draping over his shoulders, looked helpless.
He truly was helpless about this daughter of his.
He even regretted it a bit—he never should have given in to that temptation back then.
“What is it now, Garcia? I have no time for your antics. His Majesty has summoned me to discuss the war with the Violet Empire.”
“I have received a Divine Revelation from the great Promise God!”
Garcia raised her head, her blue eyes shining clear and bright.
“The Dawn Goddess has not fallen! We must do everything we can to help the Dawn Church!”
“What!!” The ever-steady Neil Earl’s expression finally collapsed, revealing pure shock.
Garcia was inwardly delighted—so her father wasn’t just a stone-faced man after all.
“It really is the aura of a god. Is this a reminder from my Lord?”
But knowing what kind of little witch his daughter was, Neil Earl grabbed her shoulders, sternly.
“Garcia, swear upon the Promise God that you’re not lying to me.”
“I swear, the Dawn Goddess has not fallen!”
Garcia blurted out the words and immediately closed her eyes.
After a while, Garcia, finding that nothing had happened, was secretly overjoyed, feeling a wild kind of thrill.
“Your Highness really didn’t lie to me—just do as I was told and there won’t be any problems.”
“This is my very first adventure as Garcia, future demi-god Adventurer!”
***
Two days later.
Violet Empire, Dawn Church.
On this day, the doors of the Dawn Church stood open. The normally quiet halls were, for once, filled with a gathering of many believers.
The red-robed High Priestess Sislia, staff in hand, knelt on one knee before the statue of the Dawn Goddess, chanting hymns of praise.
She waited silently in her heart.
Today was the deadline the Kot Family had given her.
In the past two days, she had also investigated which churches stood behind the Kot Family.
There was the Dawn Church, Limen Church, Sacred Church, and the Church of Procreation…
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