After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

They need to be taught a lesson, that's all.

............

late at night.

In the north of the Roman Empire, the diocese has since been divided in two.

St. Petersburg remained neutral in this diocesan civil war. Under the divine grace of the God of Light, the corpses of countless fallen warriors transformed into angels, dancing gracefully around the City of Light. They sang hymns, guiding believers away from this city that bore witness to countless faiths and corruption. They flew and stood solemnly in the surrounding air, gently persuading believers to leave, and using swords to prevent Protestant and Catholic warriors from approaching.

The God of Light said that He is merciful. He will not punish his own followers, so he can only let the followers choose a victor among themselves.

Under this divine word, even if Saint Cecilia wanted to tear Peter to pieces, she did not have the power to defy it.

She could only leave this dead city, which had been taken over by angels, with her own nuns. She was a witness who had seen the well-preserved corpses in the tombs come back to life one by one.

She heard the dead chanting hymns of the God of Light, but she also saw that there was no trace of the soul in their eyes.

Ultimately... compared to "angels," they were more like puppets controlled by living people—Saint Cecilia was terrified by the conclusion she had reached. She was a saint of the Church of Light, someone who had personally witnessed divine grace and the descent of the God of Light, so why would she draw such a blasphemous conclusion? Why... would she doubt the greatness of God?

She dared not think any further. But the women persecuted by the old church, led by Peter the Elder, became a burden that compelled her to continue thinking.

Saint Cecilia established Protestantism westward from St. Petersburg. She trained those poor women to become ascetics, gradually enabling them to grasp the power of God, while also trying to win over Western believers to her side.

She was a saint, and she won the praise of believers with her pure faith—but what's next? What should she do next?

Having absolutely no experience in administration... Cecilia had no idea what she was supposed to do.

Now, she was sitting upright in the town's former mayor's office. She had no appetite for the food in front of her and was staring blankly at the reports in front of her.

"What is this? And what...? Does a small town really need this much food every month? Should I not have put them under martial law? Should I have sent them back to rest first...? No... I can't do that... but what should I do?"

Saint Cecilia never had any experience in administrative or management work.

She couldn't understand why recruiting a group of believers as an armed force would have such a huge impact on a town. She couldn't understand why some people participated in sectarian wars not for faith but for wealth. She couldn't understand even more why some people, who hadn't even read a single page of the doctrine, dared to call themselves believers of the God of Light simply by holding up a cross.

What is going on here?

what should I do?

What should I do now?

Can anyone help me...?

Saint Cecilia felt a lump in her throat. She wanted the nuns' help, but the assistance they could offer was limited.

They haven't slept for two days and two nights. They need rest... but what about their work here?

The saint silently put down the report in her hand. In the end, she still pressed the bell on the table.

Yes, she still has someone she can ask... Yes. As long as he's willing to help her, then everything can be fine...

With the sound of bells, the waiter entered. He was one of the few cultured people in the town, but even so, he was still very thin due to the effects of the previous drought. It was only his sense of duty that compelled him to do his job properly, instead of going to bed early like the others.

“Your Holiness, what do you need?” he inquired. He was not a believer. “Is it food? Or do you need any orders?”

"...Could you help me contact the capital?"

"Unfortunately, it won't work here—the parish isn't connected to the teleportation network, so even if you want to contact the capital, you'd need a mage here."

However, the diocese's previous attitude towards mages has already caused all mages to leave the diocese... If you absolutely must contact the capital, you will have to send a messenger by express horse.

"Then prepare the horses and have them send a message to Regent Yang Hao in the capital—"

Before the saintess could finish speaking, the waiter paused for a moment, then shook his head helplessly and sighed:

“Your Holiness, there is no regent anymore. Even two years ago, the regent was exiled.”

"What?! You...what did you say?!"

The saintess was stunned. What had he just said?!

In her excitement, she almost unleashed her divine magic, nearly killing the innocent mortal on the spot in a moment of emotional turmoil. But just as the saintess restrained her impulse, the attendant sighed and told her about the current state of the Roman Empire.

The "Silent Exile" incident, the "Kargard Massacre," the royal nobles who still refuse to bring the regent back, and the empress in the capital who seems to have no affection for her mentor whatsoever...

"If they hadn't done that, the Roman Empire wouldn't be in this state now!"

At this point, the waiter couldn't help but sob a few times. Saint Cecilia sat there, stunned. She couldn't understand; she couldn't understand why so much had changed in the country in just a few short years. She truly couldn't understand!

She now has a thousand words to say and countless questions she wants answered.

But in the end, these words and questions all point back to the answer at the very beginning.

If I hadn't gone into seclusion to cultivate in the underworld out of spite... if I hadn't argued with him because of his disrespect for the gods, would this country be in such a state now?

Saint Cecilia remained silent for a long time.

Finally, she sighed and told the servant to go back to rest. She realized that this time she would be like Yang Hao, whom the servant had mentioned, and she would have to go through this journey without any support.

The saintess truly couldn't understand. Her mind was like mush, completely incapable of filtering out any useful information...

But just as the saintess was staring blankly at the report in front of her once again, familiar magic suddenly unfolded before her.

She stared at the thick black fog before her, opened her mouth, and finally saw the familiar face of a friend through the mist.

"...Priscilla."

Only then did Saint Cecilia finally understand why Priscilla had shown a hesitant expression several times when they first met.

She knew her friend knew many secrets, and even more so, she knew the inside story of Yang Hao's exile. She desperately wanted to go to the capital immediately to ask the Night Witch for an explanation, but the Holy Maiden also knew that the Protestant Church could not do without her now.

So, in the end, she could only grit her teeth and utter that name. The witch whose name she called remained silent for a moment.

“I know you have a lot to ask, but let’s get through this first. What do you need?” the Night Witch said. “And the little queen is innocent. Her tongue was ripped out by Garsen.”

"Gasen...?! Isn't he Anna's uncle?! How dare he?!"

"Perhaps it's to gain control of this country. So, Cecilia, what do you need?"

Another heavy blow.

Cecilia felt dizzy and lightheaded. But ultimately, she had no choice but to adapt.

She clutched her head, deep in thought, and finally, exhausted, made a request to Priscilla:

"...Send over Yang Hao's previous records of governance. All of them. I need his experience...and, could you help me check on the situation with Peter the Elder? I have so many things I want to ask you, I wish I could get you to spill everything right now...but you're right—I have to get through the Lord's test first and send those filthy rotten people like Peter the Elder to hell."

"...Wait five minutes, I'll send it over with magic. As for the rest...you can ask me anytime. I'll send a magical item along with it, but use it sparingly."

The Night Witch ended her spell. Five minutes later, when the spell was cast again, what appeared before the saintess was a thick stack of dusty files, along with a mirror left on the files.

That was an enchanted mirror. After absorbing magic, it could communicate over long distances. The saint carefully put the mirror into her bosom. Then, she began to look at the thick files in front of her, hoping to find the type of information she needed from Yang Hao's past work experience.

Meanwhile, in the eastern part of St. Petersburg, the territory of the Old Church was well managed by Peter the Great.

Although Peter the Elder was not a devout follower of the precepts, precisely because of this, he knew very well that this was nothing more than a deal with him by the God of Light.

A deal that puts your life on the line.

If Bishop Peter wins, countless riches and honors will once again surround him. The Holy Maiden, like a sword suspended in the air, will no longer be there to kill him at any moment, and he will no longer need to worry about the nuns' pursuit.

If the saint can be killed in this divinely ordained holy war, then what awaits Peter and the bishops is endless wealth and glory, as well as ascension to heaven permitted by the God of Light.

Hmph... Heaven? It's really just your dining table, isn't it?! God of Light...

But I never imagined that the God of Light's [Corpse Rebirth Technique] had reached this level...

The angels that had been transformed from corpses danced gracefully in the air. If it weren't for the fact that the leader of the Church of Peter was an expert on the art of corpse transformation, he might have been bewitched by the appearance of those angels.

But upon closer examination, it becomes clear that those "angels" born from corpses are merely more advanced "corpse soldiers." Their ability to speak doesn't mean they are alive. They simply mechanically repeat a passage from the hymn; they only mechanically repeat a single sentence. In other words, the God of Light's research into the art of creating life from corpses is actually only in its very early stages!

Otherwise, what Peter the Elder saw this time wouldn't have been a "living corpse," but a "living person" who had truly come back from the dead!

The difference between a living corpse and a living person is enormous... and it is precisely because of this that Leader Peter understood that the God of Light was conducting a test while openly and legitimately acquiring more corpses...

"Heh, hahaha!! What do you mean by 'believers who die after brave battles become angels'?! This is just an excuse to give yourself more material! It's like a little kid saying he needs to go to the bathroom when he wants to go out at night! I never thought our great God of Light would need such a clumsy excuse to get fresh corpses?"

Why can't the God of Light go to the Elf Forest and obtain the corpses by killing the elves?

Couldn't the God of Light go to other places in Roman to obtain corpses?

Why does the God of Light only want to use the corpses of believers?!

Isn't this because the power of the God of Light is limited?! Isn't this because the God of Light's power has weakened to the point that he can only operate in places with strong faith, like the diocese?

Isn't this because the God of Light has lost a large portion of his divine power due to the collapse of the believers' faith? And... isn't this also because the God of Light's current weakness is related to the death of Bishop Stephen?

Although Bishop Peter was not entirely clear on the details of Bishop Stephen's death, everyone saw a beam of light rise from the ground.

That wasn't the golden light of the God of Light... it was a different kind of silvery-white light that looked even more powerful and holy!

...Master Peter already understood...that the God of Light was currently in a very weak state...like a heavily wounded knight still wearing full armor...

Beneath the seemingly powerful exterior of the God of Light, he was gradually weakening due to the blood flowing from his severe injuries.

That's why the God of Light needs the corpses of his believers. Since the [Corpse-Generating Divine Art] is a divine art that utilizes corpses to create powerful abilities, it's understandable...

in other words...

At this moment, the God of Light is a false god who can be killed by mortals.

The Pope Peter looked down, sensing the divine power in his hands that was no longer as strong as before. He hadn't forgotten that when the saintess tried to kill him, the divine power in her hands wasn't as strong as it used to be.

He knew he had guessed correctly. His body was trembling with ecstasy.

Especially considering the bold speculation that the current God of Light might have been just a human in ancient times, only gaining his current power after successfully "killing a god"...

Peter's trembling body abruptly stopped.

Because he wanted to do the same. Since the God of Light became the God of Light through "god-killing," it also meant that Peter the Elder could become the next God of Light through "god-killing."

Peter the Great desired wealth and power because he had already reached the pinnacle of his diocese and was now God's ruler in the earthly kingdom. All he could do was pursue even greater wealth and power.

But now, God, through His own weakness, is telling him that he can try to kill God to reach greater heights...

Why not?

Leader Peter laughed heartily and left his room. Outside, the town, which had been well-managed under his orders, was racing against time to train its militia, stockpile food, and gather all available resources in the wild in preparation for war.

He's not some reclusive saint. He knows a lot about management... He wants to tell the saint that he will win this battle!

He would tear the false god off his throne in front of the saintess and take her place.

Chapter Four: Attention to the Little Queen, Alesser's Intervention 8K

Late on the 5th. Throughout the Roman Empire, signs of division were growing stronger.