18. The Goddess Observes All
As time passed, more and more believers, both inside and outside the church, had come to know, to some extent, that the once-glorious archbishop who had appeared before everyone with the saintess, exuding power and authority, along with all his followers and those he had favored, had been thoroughly “judged.”
After all, it had been quite some time since these individuals, who had essentially been amassing wealth under the guise of “faith,” had made an appearance. Not only had they not shown up, but they hadn’t even gone door to door demanding “donations” anymore. What else could it mean if not that something had gone awry?
Thus, when everyone saw the church’s announcement: that a new round of clergy selection and promotion would take place, they all rushed to sign up as if they had gone mad, each emphasizing that they would absolutely not be as incompetent and corrupt as the previous archbishop and his followers, each declaring their commitment to devote their lives to faith. Moreover, with so many fewer people in the church now, they would surely be eager to expand, meaning the threshold to become a clergyman would likely be lowered accordingly. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could not be missed!
So, this…
Is just the beginning of another cycle.
The “church faith” has always been the most superficial, the most incompetent and shallow aspect within the church. No matter how loudly these new believers shout their slogans, it doesn’t really matter whether they can follow through later, just like that previous archbishop. The branches of the “faith lineage” are merely consumables, to be judged and executed when necessary, maintaining the believers’ high respect for the church.
In this system, the only one of importance is the top saint, Ikusis. In the eyes of the judges, as long as the saint maintains her faith in the goddess, the losses in the church’s faith can be seen as mere fluctuations in numbers. If even the saint herself becomes less pure in her devotion to the goddess of order…
At this moment, within the church, in the room of Her Highness the Saint.
The door was opened from the outside, and the ordinary nun, Urasiru, immediately heard the sound of a girl hurriedly hiding things, followed by the clatter of something being knocked over. Accompanied by the sight of the girl, whose eyes were already brimming with tears yet still forcing a sickly smile, she sat down on something. Urasiru paused for a moment in silence before stepping inside.
“Nun, Nun Urasiru? Hehe… Why are you here all of a sudden!? Today isn’t a day for inspecting the church, you know! So you can’t say my room is messy! I promise I’ll clean it up next time, um… definitely by tomorrow!”
“……”
Shifting her gaze away from the saint’s backside, Urasiru slowly spoke.
“Your Highness the Saint, weren’t you the one who wanted to summon me? Please tell me your request.”
The saint’s request, publicly presented as the “will of the goddess of order,” should naturally be met as much as possible. However…
Urasiru remained silent, quietly watching as the saint immediately donned a flattering expression, hands clasped together, slightly tilting her head as she “requested”: “Please, Nun Urasiru, about the ‘blessing’ and such… could we possibly skip it?”
“Of course not.”
“Eh…”
“Rather, what are you thinking? The blessing for humanity is the expectation and hope of the goddess of order. You are the most important ‘faith’ within the church, and you should… understand what faith in the goddess of order truly is, shouldn’t you?”
With no sign of anger, Urasiru merely explained the importance of the blessing and the goddess in an emotionless manner.
The saint is a crucial source of faith for the goddess of order, and a suitable “candidate for sainthood” can make this endeavor far more effective. The “saint” before her is on the verge of being hailed as a “reincarnation of the goddess,” and thus… is also an important… asset. So…
“Your Highness the Saint, can you… understand?”
“I understand, I understand, of course I do, but… but I just happened to have a bit of a situation suddenly, haha~ So, um… please, just consider it the goddess’s will, okay? The blessing might not be cancelable, but could we possibly… just move it up a little? The sooner, the better~”
“…… The goddess’s will, you say?”
The Holy Maiden suddenly jumped up in excitement: “That’s right, that’s right! I am the genuine, prophetic Holy Maiden! I said there’s definitely a reason for the advance notice, right? In any case, Sister Superior, you must speed up! Whatever you can do to move it forward, please do it, okay?”
So, if there’s a chance to salvage this, it must be done as much as possible.
If it cannot be salvaged, then…
“Holy Maiden, may I ask, is this your own thought, or the will of the Goddess? You… should understand, right? The Goddess of Order is observing everything about the believers within the Church, and she will pass judgment on any disloyal person. Please, Holy Maiden, understand this.”
Urasiru’s emotionless voice and unwavering gaze sent a chill down Holy Maiden Ikusis’s spine. However, if she didn’t find an excuse to move the blessing ceremony forward soon, wouldn’t the prophecy of death come true immediately!?
Wuwu… It doesn’t matter about the Goddess! I’m super afraid of dying! In any case, I need to use the Goddess as an excuse to get this unyielding nun to agree!
Ikusis thought.
“Eh!? I, I… of course I understand! Hahaha~”
After shaking in fright, the Holy Maiden quickly put on a smile, “I, I am the Holy Maiden! This is definitely the will of the Goddess! I must act according to the Goddess’s wishes! In any case, Sister Superior, don’t ask anything else! Just hurry and do as I say!”
“…I understand.”
After responding, without giving the Holy Maiden a chance to explain further, the ordinary Church nun, Urasiru, turned and left, closing the door behind her.
Her footsteps were as light as a ghost, and a gentle breeze lifted the veil beneath her hat, causing her pure white hair to flutter slightly.
Ah~ Poor Holy Maiden, her power is so well-suited to be the backbone of the faith in the Goddess of Order, yet she repeatedly makes mistakes without any repentance, even…
So ugly that she would lie in the name of the Goddess…
It seems the faith within the Church must undergo a thorough cleansing. Since even the central Holy Maiden has betrayed her faith, forsaking the Goddess’s grace, then…
The Goddess of Order will surely pass judgment on the traitors who are disloyal and disrespectful. This is the will of the Goddess, this is the way of her punishment. The Goddess of Order is watching everything and will not spare the pitiful and pathetic traitors.
And all of this will be executed by the “blade” of the Goddess of Order, known as the “Blade of Order,” to judge their faith.