They are all characters I control.

"Sir Karl, what breathing technique are you learning?"

"The breathing technique I learned is self-created and has no name."

"Can you teach me?"

"That's possible, but Miss Lia, are you interested in knights?"

"I-I didn't mean it. I just wanted to practice. Um, I won't use rune magic next time."

"In that case, it is commendable that you can abide by the prohibitions of the Goddess Church. I can teach you breathing techniques, which are not secrets anyway; all the knights in my party know them."

"..."

Lia felt as if she were sitting on a rapidly ascending and descending ladder, her mood fluctuating wildly.

Because the 'God of Guidance' would occasionally control her body, then ask a question and return the body to Lia.

This forced Lia to rack her brains to think of various responses to Karl and to answer his questions.

"Nakar, what are the drawbacks of your breathing technique that you should be aware of?" After the 'God of Guidance' took control of Lia's body again and asked this question, the body was returned to Lia.

Faced with Karl's surprised gaze, Lia, who had regained control of her body, nervously clenched her fingers.

“Miss Leah, you’ve thought of everything. There are indeed some things to be aware of with my breathing technique…”

What surprised Lia even more was that Knight Commander Karl did not object to these questions.

They were even quite enthusiastic?

Once the topic of swordsmanship and breathing techniques came up, Karl, who was originally cold and terrifying, became kind and gentle.

This put Liya at ease, at least she could talk to Knight Commander Karl without being interrogated.

[Lia: Guiding God? You're helping me out of this predicament, right? But how did you know that Knight Commander Karl would be interested in this kind of topic?]

Claire: Is that even a question? How could someone who doesn't know holy magic but can still become a knight commander in the church not be a battle maniac?

[Lia: I see. Knight Commander Karl really doesn't know magic. Last time in the library, he completely failed to detect the forbidden book disguised as magic.]

Claire: That's right, so you'd better cooperate with me.

Actually, Claire was simply learning by stealing his techniques.

I can no longer sense my own magic, rune magic can only provide some auxiliary effects, and mental magic can no longer be used as a primary means of output.

Therefore, Claire needs to learn some knightly skills.

Although there are many skill books in the Royal Treasury, there is no way to open the Royal Treasury for the time being. It would be better to learn from Karl in front of us.

It doesn't matter if the other person is a teacher or an opponent, as long as you can learn the skills.

Knight Commander Karl, who had no interest in such boring banquets where nobles flattered each other, was naturally pleased to see that Lia was interested in breathing techniques and swordsmanship.

"The key to explosive combat techniques lies in the instantaneous transition between 'accumulation' and 'release.' The breathing technique needs to provide a stable and surging power source during the accumulation phase, while at the moment of explosion, it must be absolutely synchronized with willpower and magic, like the sudden release of a fully drawn bowstring..."

As he spoke, he dipped his finger in the liquor again and sketched a few simple waveform diagrams of breathing rhythms on the table.

Lia couldn't understand it at all, but the 'God of Guidance' wanted her to see it, so she could only pretend to understand and stare at Knight Commander Karl's description like a student daydreaming in class.

Suddenly, a magical fluctuation emanated from the front of the banquet.

"In the name of the Goddess, we respectfully welcome the arrival of the Holy Council's will!"

Bishop Simon held a fist-sized magical gem that was radiating a dazzling white-gold light, his expression one of intense excitement.

Immediately, everyone at the banquet fell silent.

Because next, through that communication gem, they will see a figure in the Goddess Church who holds a position even higher than the bishop, at the pinnacle of power.

Even the nobles and ladies who had been surrounding Count Orlando just moments before froze, allowing him to finally escape.

"They've arrived. The 'Holy Council' has summoned Bishop Simon. Knight Commander Karl, aren't you excited?"

Earl Orlando sat between Lydia and Knight Commander Karl.

It was obvious that she was protecting Lia.

But it was clear that Countess Orlando had done something unnecessary; she was unaware that Claire had just been consulting with Knight Commander Karl about breathing techniques and swordsmanship.

“There’s nothing to get excited about. No matter where I am or what position I hold, all I need to do is remain loyal to the Church.” Karl remained as indifferent as ever.

He frowned slightly as he gazed at the dazzling magical light screen that was now unfolding above Bishop Simon's head.

Karl didn't understand politics very well, but even though he knew nothing about it, he knew that if Bishop Simon became the archbishop, the situation in the new empire would definitely become more complicated than it is now.

The new empire today is by no means calm and peaceful.

"Hehehe, as expected of Lord Knight Commander Karl, his words are indeed different, such is his loyalty to the Church." Count Orlando mocked Karl with a sarcastic tone.

Karl ignored Count Orlando, while Leah nervously watched the magical light screen above Bishop Simon's head.

From the previous conversation between the 'Guiding God' and Count Orlando, Lia had also come to understand some things: both the Count and the 'Guiding God' were hostile to the church.

In that case, Lia felt that she, too, had to fight against the church.

With that thought in mind, Lia stared wide-eyed at the magical light screen, trying to memorize every face and figure that would appear on it next.

Chapter 88 Holy Council

At this moment, during the 'Advent' banquet, all the guests' eyes were focused on the top of Bishop Simon's head.

The magical light screen in front of Bishop Simon was fully unfolding above the banquet hall, and the magical fluctuations were gradually stabilizing.

It was like a giant screen, with a magnificent, breathtaking pure white marble palace in the center.

Dozens of colossal pillars, each requiring several people to encircle, support a towering dome, which is inlaid with countless star-like magical crystals, illuminating the entire hall as if it were a sacred daytime.

Amazingly, the light that was originally on the magic screen now spread throughout the banquet hall where Lia and Earl Orlando were.

Everyone present felt a gentle, solemn, and omnipresent warmth.

Deep within the hall, a colossal statue of a goddess, her face shrouded in light, could be vaguely seen; even her silhouette exuded a majestic aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

This is the heart of the holy city of Spera, the Supreme Council's council hall.

The place symbolizing the highest power of the goddess on earth, the headquarters of the goddess's church.

After experiencing the breathtaking scenery of the 'Holy Council' venue, the "lens" of the light screen slowly moved down, landing on an oval-shaped meeting area in the center of the hall.

There were eight large, antique-looking chairs arranged in a circle, resembling those carved from a single piece of white jade.

At this moment, seven of the seats were occupied, while one seat was empty.

Bishop Simon stared at the empty seat, his eyes darting around, his hands involuntarily clenching.

As for the figures in five of those seats, they were clearly not the actual individuals, but rather their images were projected onto those seats through some powerful remote projection magic.

Of the five who were not present, four were men over forty years old in appearance and demeanor.

They were enveloped in a faint, holy halo that echoed the color of their bishop's robes. Their faces appeared blurred yet majestic within the halo, revealing only their powerful magical energy and the imposing aura of someone who had long held a superior position.

Even through the light curtain, the people in the banquet hall could feel a subtle sense of oppression.

The four archbishops' jurisdictions are the 'Eastern Alliance', the 'Northern Kingdom', the 'Grand Duchy of the South Sea', and the 'Western Province'.

The vacant archbishop position clearly represents the archbishop of the 'empire' region.

The four archbishops were not from the Holy City, and the remaining woman with a veil on her face, like the other two women who were present at this 'Holy Council', was an acting saint.

The bodies of the acting saintesses were completely enveloped in pure, platinum-gold holy light that seemed to be imbued with the power of faith. Only three outlines, radiating endless majesty and holiness, could be seen, outlined by the dazzling holy light.

The one in the center is the tallest and most graceful, with her waist-length hair and slender waistline faintly visible in the holy light—Isabel the Prayer Agent.

The one on the left, with a tall and aloof figure, exudes a sharp, knife-like sense of order amidst the flowing holy light—Ophelia, the Discipline Agent.

The one on the right has a softer figure and her face is not clearly visible; she does not seem to be the mysterious third acting saintess of the 'Holy City Spera'.

"Hiss, these three acting saintesses are a bit terrifying. Even I can feel the oppressive aura emanating from them, and my elemental perception has also been weakened."

Count Orlando took a deep breath as he gazed at the three saintesses appearing in the magical light screen.

Even though she was a woman, she climbed to the top of the empire and entered the inner circle.

However, the women with the highest status on this continent are not the queen or the princess, but the acting saints of the Goddess Church and the supreme saint.

“Holy magic is enhanced around the acting saintesses, and their physiques possess extremely high affinity for the holy elements.” Karl was too preoccupied to argue with Count Orlando at this moment.

As a fellow member of the Church of the Goddess, Karl, who did not possess holy magic, held the acting saintesses in even higher esteem.

In his view, sacred magic was a gift from the goddess.

To be able to use divine magic means to purify all evil in this world and heal all its wounds.

"This is the first time I've ever seen the Acting Saintess. She's so beautiful..."

Lia clutched at the clothes of her maid Anna beside her, her breathing becoming disordered.

As a magical idiot, what she cared about was the appearance and temperament of the acting saintesses. The faces and figures of the acting saintesses, who radiated holy light, were so sacred and inviolable.

This greatly shocked Lia at this moment. If the acting saintess of the Goddess Church was like this, what would the saintess be like?

[Claire: Heh, the saintess of the Goddess Church is a loli.]

The sudden appearance of this comment shattered Lia's current state of rapture and admiration; she realized that her 'God of Guidance' wasn't joking.

[Lia: Is the Saintess really a loli? Have you seen the Saintess before?!]

Claire: Not only have I seen it, I also absolutely must go and ring the saint's little bell.

[Lia: But, is the Saintess so easy to see? Does the Saintess have little bells on her?]

Claire: Never mind that. At least for now, I can still run into the Acting Saintess, who shines my shoes every day.

[Lia: God of Guidance, are you kidding me?]

Looking up at the three incredibly sacred female figures within the magical light screen, they seemed to be right in front of him, but in reality, they were in a distant place beyond his reach.

Lia felt that she might never see the acting saintess in her entire life, let alone the saintess.

However, at this moment, the 'Guiding God' claims that he can meet the Acting Saintess? And the Acting Saintess even shines the shoes of the Guiding God?

Claire: Believe it or not.

That said, Claire was actually quite surprised as well.

Although Claire knew beforehand that Isabelle had holy light, she couldn't see it herself. It seemed that having the [Demon King] achievement would allow her to ignore the buff on Isabelle.

This was the first time Claire had seen Isabelle from someone else's perspective.

Lia can see the holy light on Isabelle's body, and Claire can also see Isabelle with holy light when she controls Lia's body.

In the holy light, it was indeed difficult to see clearly the anime-style holy robe that Isabelle was wearing.

However, Claire was not used to hearing such praise and respect for Isabelle from other people's mouths. Who would have thought that the saintess they admired was feeding her every day?

Behind the scenes, this acting saintess would also vent to him when she was under too much pressure.

Perhaps only Claire on this continent truly understands the nature of the acting saintesses; they are not some otherworldly beings.

However, at this moment, everyone at the 'Holy Advent' banquet was immersed in the majesty of the 'Holy Council' and the archbishops and acting saintesses.

Just as everyone was awestruck by the sacred posture of the three acting saintesses, a resonant yet gentle voice came through the light barrier from the most robust archbishop, shrouded in a deep purple aura:

"Bishop Simon, may the grace of the Goddess forever shine upon you and the believers in the capital."

This is the most crucial opportunity for Bishop Simon's promotion.

Chapter 89 The Acting Saintess Has First Right to Speak

The magical light screen of the 'Holy Council' is now illuminating the royal banquet.

After marveling at the magnificent architecture of the 'Holy Council' and the figures of the archbishops and acting saintesses, whom most people may never see in their lifetime, the crowd fell silent.

Finally, an archbishop began to inquire about the important matters concerning Bishop Simon.

“On this sacred ‘Advent’ day, Bishop Simon, you have requested to connect with the Holy Council. Surely there must be something important on your mind?”

It was obvious to everyone present that the wealthy archbishop had a very close personal relationship with Simon.

The main supporter of Simon has always been the Archbishop of the Southern Diocese, Grove, who oversees all churches in the Grand Duchy of the South Seas.

His voice at that moment carried the praise and encouragement of an elder to an outstanding junior.

At this moment, the nobles who were close to Bishop Simon straightened their backs, after all, Bishop Simon, who had the support of an archbishop, was someone they followed.