They are all characters I control.

This was expected. The acting saintess in front of her was not a fool. Although she was more saintly than Count Orlando, who was disguised as a man.

But she's definitely not stupid; she just never imagined she could control Leah.

"Is there anything else I need to tell you? Those rules and what your job entails are none of my business."

Isabelle was not angry at Claire's answer.

Instead, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and when she looked at Claire again, her gaze softened considerably.

"But I'm still a little worried. Is there anything else I need to add?"

"I don't know. I'm not the emperor of your goddess church. Figure it out yourself." Claire maintained her usual dislike.

"That's not quite right. We're all doing the same thing."

Isabelle looked at the evil god emperor in front of her and did her job: listening to others' confessions.

However, Claire showed no remorse whatsoever, and it would take some effort to get him to repent.

"Doing the same things? So, what does your goddess church do to those who share the same goals? Imprison them? And stab them with swords?"

Claire looked at Isabelle, whose face was somewhat embarrassed, with a mocking gaze, while the chains binding her limbs rattled.

“I… I can’t let you go either.” Isabelle naturally understood what Claire meant.

She shook her head with a troubled expression, determined not to let anyone see that Claire's attitude would never change.

Regardless of what Claire had done for her, Isabelle, as the acting saintess, could not let Claire go.

Otherwise, the same wave of infighting within the Church of Goddess, where members fought each other for immortality like Claire, or the murder of clergy members, would have happened again.

"Then what's there to say? I have nothing more to tell you."

Claire shrugged, not really expecting Isabelle to let her go.

“However, although I cannot break your seal or release you, I can still do something for you.” Isabelle said, her gaze falling on the holy swords on Claire’s body.

"What are you going to do? You're not going to let me go anyway. If you won't even untie me, what can you possibly do for me? I'm not buying your empty promises. Give me some real meat."

Claire pursed her lips, urging Isabelle with no hope whatsoever.

“I really can’t untie your chains, nor can I let you out.” Isabelle wasn’t angry; Claire’s attitude was perfectly reasonable.

She didn't rush to feed Claire, but instead raised her hand to activate a sacred magic circle.

In the blink of an eye, several never-before-seen magic circles gradually converged at Isabelle's fingertips, finally bursting forth with dazzling light.

Claire watched Isabelle's finger movements with great interest, her initial joking expression gradually turning into surprise.

"I can transform these holy swords that imprison your magic, physical strength, and mobility into holy marks."

"Perhaps you don't like the stigmata of the Goddess Church, but there's nothing we can do about it. The stigmata are formed by the runes engraved on these cross-shaped holy swords."

"That way, at least you'll look better in appearance, and no one will see the holy swords on your body."

The Holy Cross Sword itself is the sealing magic of the saintess, and even Isabelle, who is acting as the saintess, is unable to break the saintess's seal.

The reason why the Holy Cross sword is kept on Claire's body is that the former archbishops and acting saintesses thought it would have a deterrent effect and enhance the visual appeal.

Seeing the Holy Sword of the Cross embedded in her body would be a more direct deterrent to Claire.

Of course, the members of the Church of the Goddess, seeing the Holy Sword of the Cross stuck in Claire's body, would understand that this evil god emperor was under their control.

Although the previous members of the Goddess Church had tried to use other swords to decorate Claire and make her a backdrop, Claire's lifespan was longer than that of those swords.

Even the finest sword will become rusty after a hundred years without proper maintenance.

Of course, Isabelle did not have such a perverse hobby.

Although she might complain to Claire, who hadn't woken up yet, to vent her stress, she would never use Claire's body to flaunt her authority.

Now, looking at Claire with several holy swords stuck in her body, she also felt that this was going too far.

Therefore, she transformed these cross-shaped holy swords into holy marks, so that Claire wouldn't appear with several swords stuck in her body like a hedgehog.

"Heh, it's just that the sword has been turned into a sacred mark. How about you break the seal for me if you're so capable?"

Claire grumbled, seemingly dissatisfied, as she glanced sideways at the acting saintess.

"Yes, yes, I'm not capable. This is the saintess's sealing magic, and I can't break it." Isabelle picked up a piece of steak and put it in Claire's mouth, giving him a disdainful look.

"Even if I could break the seal for you, I wouldn't. Do you think I'm stupid?"

Claire snorted as she looked at Isabelle in front of her.

"It doesn't matter. At worst, I'll outlive you. After you die, I'll wait for the next acting saintess. Maybe she'll be easy to fool."

“You won’t.” Isabelle shook her head, smiling at Claire’s fierce expression. “If you really wanted to do something, you would have done it to me already.”

"How do you know I didn't target you? Making you implement those new systems led to you being targeted by the Goddess Church, and that was also part of my scheme."

Claire didn't want to be a good guy, and his rebellious nature amused Isabelle.

"You're actually worried about me, aren't you?" Isabelle looked at Claire with a smile.

"Pah! Didn't you hear what I just said? If you don't let me go, I'll just wish you would die sooner so that a rookie can take over as the next acting saintess."

Even though Claire spoke so angrily, Isabelle felt that she had guessed correctly.

Having known Claire for so long, she had long since realized that Claire was a hypocrite.

In fact, the more she seems to dislike you, the more she actually cares about you. Claire would directly verbally abuse or physically assault someone she truly dislikes, not act this way.

"Claire, do you remember the surname Rost?" Isabelle brought the conversation back to the main topic.

The moment she uttered the name, she immediately saw Claire's expression gradually change.

See? This isn't how Claire treats people she truly dislikes.

“I remember. How come there are still members of the Rost family alive? What about that traitor from back then? Is he dead or not? I’ll kill them all when I get out.”

“Claire…” Seeing Claire’s resentment, Isabelle quickly comforted her, “The Marquis of Rost who betrayed you back then is dead, and his descendants haven’t betrayed you. Why don’t you learn more about them before making a decision?”

"No interest. Why bother learning about a bunch of dead people? I'm in this dungeon now. Those traitors must have become high-ranking nobles by now, right? If the empire were still standing, I would definitely be carrying out a massive purge."

Claire's attitude was firm, and although he was in the dungeon, Isabelle still didn't want to see him like this.

Continuing this topic is clearly not appropriate.

So Isabelle changed the subject: "You shouldn't hate the Empire so much. Don't you have any attachment to the Empire?"

"That's true, for example, women."

Claire stared at Isabelle with undisguised gaze.

"You!" Isabelle admired Claire's lecherous nature and her ability to switch emotions so smoothly.

"Besides those improper things, what else do you still cherish?"

"If you insist on asking that, then it should be the bar. The drinks in the Empire are different from those here, and it's best to have beer, preferably brewed with malt, honey, and hops. Of course, it also has to be water from the capital; water from other places won't do."

"Oh, I see..."

Isabelle nodded vigorously, trying hard to remember Claire's words.

Chapter 100 unlocks the second character.

My days in the dungeon are almost over.

Watching Isabelle's departing figure, Claire breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Next, Leah and Isabelle will proceed as he wishes, and Claire will no longer need to make many preparations.

"Lia is finally proving useful." Claire looked at Lia, who was now sleeping with her maid Anna on the system screen.

He has devoted a great deal of energy and effort to Leah, and now the Rost family has finally severed ties with her.

After this 'Advent' banquet, Bishop Simon will definitely go to great lengths to torment the Rost family.

Other nobles will increasingly ostracize the Rost family, whether they side with Bishop Simon or stand on the moral high ground.

From the moment Marquis Rost faced pressure from Isabelle and revealed Lia's identity, he was destined to become someone who was disliked by everyone and despised by all.

The father not only failed to protect his daughter, but also betrayed her when threatened, shifting all the blame onto her.

Even Isabelle couldn't stand this behavior.

Bishop Simon needed a scapegoat, and Earl Orlando invited Leah to stay with him in order to make way for Bishop Simon so that he wouldn't have to worry about Leah causing trouble for Marquis Rost.

Of course, Earl Orlando was also using his power to protect Leah, so Claire didn't need to do much more.

At this point, Claire only needed to go with the flow and wait for Isabelle to approach Leah on her own.

Another good thing that could get Claire out of the dungeon faster was his body.

"The troublesome and conspicuous cross-shaped holy sword on my body has also become a holy mark. I am truly grateful to Isabelle, this 'saint,' for saving me the potion that the count gave me."

The Holy Sword of the Cross is gone, transformed into a Holy Mark.

Although the seal is still there, the holy swords that were conspicuously stuck in his body are no longer visible.

This is something Claire values ​​more than the dinner party. Although the duration of [The Keeper's Gaze] has increased from a few minutes to ten minutes after Leah's bond level reaches 80%.

But the Holy Swords of the Cross remain; the Guardian's Gaze can only break the seal, not erase the Holy Swords of the Cross that are stuck in Claire's body.

That way, even if Claire goes out in the future, she will carry these holy swords with her.

Even a fool could see that there's something wrong with him.

Wearing a cloak or something can cover it up, but you always have to take it off when you sleep or take a shower, and then you'll see these holy swords stuck in your body.

As for Isabelle, she felt that these few holy swords were just for showing off and establishing authority, to demonstrate the Church of Goddess's authority over Claire.

That's indeed the case; that was my initial thought.

But Claire is currently locked up in the dungeon and can't get out. Even if she tries to establish her authority and show off, who is she trying to impress? Is she trying to impress the 'Saint Mary' Isabelle?

Before Claire was awakened, it didn't matter if there were several crosses stuck in her body; back then, Claire was just a trophy decoration.

Now that Claire has awakened, she is no longer just an ornament in Isabelle's eyes.

She casually transformed the Holy Cross into a Stigmata, partly because she had absolutely no idea what Claire, who spent all her time locked in the dungeon and didn't even know whether it was day or night outside, could do.

Isabelle was completely unaware that Claire not only controlled Leah and was fully aware of the situation outside, but was also planning an escape. Therefore, her seemingly benevolent actions greatly helped Claire escape from prison.

However, these are not the only good things.

Claire's pleasure and calculations were interrupted by a crisp notification sound that suddenly rang in her mind.

【Ding--】

[System notification: Anchor point 'Lia von Rost' has shown continued emotional stability, increased trust, and positive expectations for the 'future'...]

[Bond value increased! Current bond value: 85%]

[Conditions met, second role features unlocked...]

The system interface glowed, and the image of Lia lying in bed whispering to her maid Anna was pushed to the side.

Claire was once again presented with two other character slots in the center of the system interface, alongside those of Leah.

Besides the first character card representing Lia, the second character card is a black-haired girl in a nun's outfit.

[Character Profile: Cecilia Violet]

[Identity: Member of the Silent Order in the Holy City of Spera, candidate for sainthood]

Age: 20

Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆

Current Bond Level: 0/100

[Core Talents:]

【◇Shadow of Silence (Passive): When in a crowd or performing covert operations, the presence is greatly reduced, making the user difficult to detect using conventional means. Has basic resistance to mental detection and divination magic.】

【◇True Sight (Hidden): The eyes can directly observe the flow of magic, ripples of lies, traces of contracts, and intense emotional states. Overuse can cause severe headaches and temporary blindness.】

【◇Forbidden Resonance (Unawakened): This refers to a weak, uncontrollable resonance and urge to interpret ancient knowledge, sealed artifacts, or forbidden entities, which can easily backfire.】

The third card features a red-haired female knight with a high ponytail.

The card bursts with a fiery golden-red light, against a backdrop of training grounds, banners, and worn-out weapon racks.

The girl stood tall and straight, one hand on her sword, her red ponytail fluttering in the wind.