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

"I understand the first two, but what about this one?"

"...Because there's a question that's been bothering me...I don't understand why she didn't speak. If she had criticized me or wronged me like everyone else, I could have felt much relieved...but she just wouldn't even open her mouth..."

Theresa was silent for a long time before finally managing to say, "Oh...you're worried...she's being coerced?"

"...I'm also worried that maybe I'm just imagining things." Yang Hao gave a bitter laugh. "Am I being too pathetic by thinking like this?"

"So what if you're pitiful? You'll still have to live with me in the future... But, I'm giving you a choice now, little puppy—you know, I killed a follower of the Church of Light, right? And you had Golem massacre the people of Earl of Kagard, including many followers of the Church of Light..."

"Hmm?" There seemed to be some kind of connection between the followers of the Church of Light and the [Light] that Teresa believed in, which made Yang Hao subconsciously raise his eyebrows.

"Well—maybe it's because they died at our hands, somehow, my Lord, who was about to kick the bucket, suddenly regained a tiny bit of power."

She put down the razor and used two fingers to point to a point that was barely thicker than a fingernail:

"And then... well, I can now cast even more advanced divine spells—though they're mostly useless, there's one I think you can use right now."

"what is that?"

"...A divine spell to calm the mind, called the [Tranquility Spell]. I told you before—a thug once tried to get me to use this spell to torture innocent women, but I refused. Not only because I resisted, but more importantly, because I couldn't use it at the time."

"Can it be used now?"

"Right. If you really can't hold on—"

"Then use it on me."

"...Huh?"

Theresa blinked, put the razor in her pocket, and then took out a damp cloth to wipe the stubble stuck to Yang Hao's face, as well as the small cuts that had been accidentally made by the razor.

"In a sense, if I cast this divine spell on you, I can make you do anything, you know? Not to mention anything else, right now, I can even induce you to take off your pants in public and chase me around like a male dog in breeding season when you are at your most peaceful. Is that really okay?"

He couldn't understand why Teresa would use such a crude joke as a metaphor, nor could he comprehend whether this was the proper conduct expected of a nun... In short, after Teresa wiped the beard off Yang Hao's face, he nodded once more:

"Yes. I completely trust you. If it were you, I would rather die than doubt that you had any intention of hurting me. So if you think it's necessary... then do it."

My condition is very abnormal, and I really can no longer hide it on my own.

Yang Hao chose to trust Teresa completely because Teresa was willing to risk her life to protect him, and he was also willing to risk his life to trust her.

Hearing this, the little nun's already joyful eyes became even brighter:

"...This is really a heavy burden of trust, isn't it? From now on, you'll have to hand over the household accounts to me for safekeeping, come home on time every night, and no going to bars or red-light districts... But since things are like this, how about we think about the names of our future children?"

"Theresa?"

"No, I was just kidding. After all, I don't want to become a mother at such a young age, it's too tiring."

Mother Teresa, ever the assertive one, chuckled lightly, her emphasis seemingly solely on the phrase, "I don't want to be a mother so young." She clasped her hands together, bowed her head in prayer, and then, accompanied by a soft white light, Yang Hao suddenly felt an unusual calm within him.

Looking back at the Ling tribe members who had already started cooking not far away, he tried, as before, to consider the possibility that Naruja wanted to be friends with him.

...The urge to vomit will no longer arise. Nor will nameless anger surge within me. And the hallucinations of Robert and Priscilla will no longer appear before me.

He felt incredibly calm: This tranquilizing technique is truly perfect for a patient like me.

Then, he added to himself: Only Teresa's tranquility spell could make him accept it with a clear conscience and without any defenses.

...........

Meanwhile, in the diocese, Bishop Peter convened a council of bishops.

All the bishops arrived on time, but the saint's seat remained empty. Seeing this, Bishop Peter could only shake his head and sigh: This saint's continued seclusion in the basement had conveniently allowed him to consolidate his power.

But this is, after all, an unstable time bomb. The Holy Maiden still doesn't know the Regent's whereabouts, let alone the current state of the Roman Empire—alas, if she could stay underground forever, it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

But the problem is, she can't stay underground forever. So Leader Peter has to find a way...

...However, that's not the topic of this council meeting. The main purpose of the council meeting convened by Leader Peter today is to discuss the big deal: invading the Elf Forest this November to make a fortune.

"Speaking of which, December is harvest time this year, isn't it?"

A white-robed bishop wearing a silver crown muttered to Bishop Peter as he ate fresh, chilled fish from the coastal region.

"With Harvest Day approaching, our diocese will have to pay the believers the interest on their assets stored in the diocese bank... This is no small sum, especially considering that we provide the Empire with a huge amount of 400 million gold coins every year, plus the nearly 600 million gold coins in compensation for the Kargard incident... If the interest is paid out normally on Harvest Day, our income this year will turn into a deficit."

Each year, the parish can extract about 1000 million gold coins from its own believers and other places—perhaps in various currencies, various minerals, or even a "blood tax" based on the population.

But the parish has already spent too much of its wealth this year.

Without even considering the costs the diocese itself needs to maintain, the diocese has already fallen into a state of negative revenue due to just two "compensations," not to mention that this December marks the "Harvest Day," which comes around every five years.

This year's Harvest Day is expected to cost the parish approximately 1000 million gold coins in bank interest or welfare payments.

Although the expenditure of over 2000 million gold coins this year will not be crippling for the parish's accumulated wealth, the final result will be that they will have to tighten their belts and reduce the amount of lamb sent from the West and fresh seafood from the southern coast sent by the pastors.

However, how to cancel this interest while legally transforming the assets of believers stored in the bank into the wealth of the Church of Light remains the theme of this bishops' council.

After all, you can never have too much money. And every penny saved is precious.

Bishop Peter watched as the bishops discussed the matter in fits and starts. While they might have differing opinions on the details, overall they all adhered to the same line of thought:

That was to send fanatical cultists—especially those who had amassed great wealth in banks—to the Elf Forest to their deaths.

Literally, it means to be sent to one's death.

In a parish, if no heir is designated, all property stored in the parish bank becomes the wealth of the Church of Light upon the death of the person in question.

In other words, as long as enough believers die on this harvest day, the Church of Light can avoid a large amount of interest while also gaining a lot of wealth.

If the expeditionary force proves to be formidable and achieves significant results, the parish can rightfully expand its territory northward while using the elves' special products to further its own interests.

After all, they are elves. Even if they are only used as breeding machines, one elf is enough to supply a noble family for hundreds of years.

Moreover, elves are, in a sense, similar to the demons in the Demon Forest—their entire bodies are excellent sources of magical energy, even their menstrual blood is a natural magical energy conductor...

In this situation, using a guaranteed minimum return to gamble for even greater profits is definitely a good thing for the bishops.

In terms of specifics, should we launch a direct, reckless attack on Fingal, the capital of the Elf Kingdom, or proceed methodically, turning it into a protracted conflict? That's a good question...

The bishops chattered amongst themselves, while Bishop Peter, after much contemplation, nominated a bishop to serve as the commander-in-chief of this northern holy war.

His name is Bishop Stephen.

He was one of the most notorious, yet also the most capable, bishops in St. Petersburg.

Bishop Stephen has over a hundred handsome boys in his manor on the 40th floor of the cathedral for his pleasure. Moreover, his demands are extremely high. After a boy is defiled, he is treated like trash and sent away, and the boy who is sent away must express his gratitude to him.

Because they might gain the favor of important figures, and thus be able to proudly boast about their current status and wealth in front of believers as "deacon apprentices".

Bishop Stephen even had a bizarre fetish for enjoying the abuse of young boys by wild beasts in heat. Although no one knew where those beasts came from, or why he was able to transport some extremely dangerous magical creatures into St. Petersburg, it was a fact that he did indeed possess countless magical creatures in his home.

Even the most notorious executioners in the diocese were unwilling to associate with him, which speaks volumes about how notorious this bishop's misdeeds were.

But this is the kind of person he is, yet he possesses comparable strength and a fanatical faith in the God of Light.

He is also the only bishop in the diocese with experience in commanding large-scale military operations, so it is certainly the best choice for him to serve as the commander-in-chief of this holy war.

“Bishop Stephen, please do not fail in your mission... Now, I declare the meeting adjourned—everyone, go back. Don't just indulge in pleasure. Do something practical and earn some money, like I have. Go on, go on. If the saint's attendants ask about today's events, just say, ‘We will take care of the money ourselves.’”

"Yes. Then we'll take our leave."

The bishops withdrew. Bishop Stephen, who had been personally chosen by Pope Peter, left with an even more arrogant air, eager for everyone to know that he had become the supreme commander of this holy war and had won the Pope's favor.

After the bishops left, the leader of the Church of England looked serious.

Not long ago, he suddenly learned some news from the divine grace of the [God of Light]...

Some of the divine power did not return to the realm of the God of Light after the believer's death, but simply disappeared.

"Who exactly stole the power of my Lord? On Khagad's side... it couldn't possibly be the regent who neither believes in God nor has any magical talent, could it?"

He muttered to himself, clearly clueless about the matter, and could only turn his attention to the primitive demons living in the Demon Forest.

Chapter Four: The Rebellion in the Roman Empire and the Current Situation

......

When Priscilla led the Imperial Knights away from the scene of the peasant riot in the central district, preparing to return to the capital to report, they were followed by countless corpses and heads being counted in baskets.

The riots were started by farmers from the central district. Armed with sickles and awls, they shouted, "We want bread! We want work!" and attacked traveling merchants and other townspeople from their villages.

Priscilla had just returned to the capital to report. Under Prince Garsen's orders, she was tasked with resolving this minor riot as quickly as possible—a task she accepted and indeed completed with the utmost efficiency.

Priscilla unleashed a night magic spell that plunged the entire area into darkness beyond the reach of any light source. Then, she teleported the knights, who had been granted the blessing of Night Vision, directly to the center of the village. They ravaged the village as if crushing wildflowers at will, leaving all 700-plus households dead in the village square. Afterward, Priscilla even found a considerable number of parish-produced Atoning Words in their houses.

Perhaps this was what he meant when he said—a populace bought off by promises of atonement. Priscilla sighed deeply, leaning on his staff as he walked along the cracked brick road, and it was at this moment that the knight Robert, who was accompanying him, muttered something.

"...When they were challenging us earlier, they were chanting slogans demanding that the Empress abdicate and that the Regent succeed her."

"..."

Ever since the day the "Silent Little Queen" issued the decree to allocate resources to Drake Harbor, the people of the entire Central Region have been harboring resentment towards the Queen.

Their slogan is "Let the Empress step down," and their desire is "Let the Regent return"—it's quite funny, really. Just last month, these people were complaining about all the facilities Yang Hao left behind, but now they want him back?

For a moment, Priscilla didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She could only sigh once more, saying that the parish's actions were more unsettling than the matter itself.

"They're actually planning to head towards the Elf Forest... what are they trying to do?"

"It's all about profit. The Elf Kingdom has countless riches, and more importantly—it's Harvest Day."

"[Harvest Day]...They'd rather sacrifice the lives of their believers than lose that money? They'd rather declare war on the elves?"

Priscilla was somewhat taken aback. She didn't quite understand the mindset of religious people. After all, in her understanding, the followers of the Church of Light should be an important asset to Chief Peter, even if it was just for money. They shouldn't be thrown at the elves like trash, right?

Faced with Priscilla's astonishment, Knight Robert pondered for a long time before giving an affirmative answer:

"Right now, the Roman Empire has no shortage of people; it has even abandoned a large number of farmers. These people, abandoned by the empire, military districts, nobles, and landowners, have only two choices: either riot or become believers in the parishes—in a sense, the parishes don't lack believers at all; what they lack are priests with divine power, not ordinary believers, so..."

"...I understand. So we can only hope that the elves will give the parish a hard time, or that the parish will destroy the Elf Forest? Which possibility do you think is more likely?"

"...maybe the latter is slightly more common."

"Why? Aren't elves a powerful race?"

Knight Robert shook his head, looking at the capital city drawing ever closer. Drawing on his years of military experience, he offered the Night Witch a plan:

"Yes, every elf is an expert archer, and their magical abilities are indeed very powerful..."

However, the population size of the elves is an extremely serious problem. If our Roman Empire is so large that some people have to die to alleviate the food shortage, the elves are so small that they can only guard their own small plot of land.

Their lifespan is incredibly long, often hundreds or even thousands of years. Unlike humans, they don't need offspring to inherit their family business or provide for them... This results in their population growth being extremely slow.

The parish is far from short of manpower... and considering the temporary courage gained from the anesthetics, as well as the Light God's divine magic, which is extremely suitable for positional warfare, it's hard to say whether the elves can withstand the wall of flesh and blood advanced at the cost of human lives.