They are all characters I control.

As for Claire, he had long since put the previous topic behind him and started getting down to business.

He carefully searched the bookshelves, looking through the books on them.

Sure enough, he found some of what he wanted on the bookshelf.

Chapter 14 Visitors to the Dungeon

The coldness and deathly silence of the dungeon once again enveloped Claire's consciousness.

After the link with Lia's body was severed, the brief sense of "freedom" vanished, leaving only the excruciating pain of being pierced by the cross sword and the omnipresent binding seal.

[...Anti-addiction system activated...]

[Current bond level with the proxy 'Lia von Rost': 9/100, valid for 30 minutes.]

[Next login will take 9 hours, 42 minutes, and 34 seconds]

A system notification appeared before Claire's eyes; she was already used to it.

Although I only logged in for half an hour this time, I still got some good results.

In the Marquis of Rost's study, Claire actually found the diary left behind by the first Marquis of Rost.

“Who keeps a diary? But thanks to Rost’s diary, I was able to remember what happened back then,” Claire muttered to herself, looking up at the water droplets dripping from the dungeon ceiling.

More than a hundred years ago, he killed the archbishop.

When the viscous, divinely powerful blood stained his hands and chest, Claire unlocked a hidden achievement in the game, gaining immortality.

However, just when Claire thought she had it in the bag, the melodramatic plot of Deus Ex occurred.

As if specifically to prevent bugs like Claire from affecting the plot, a figure descended from the sky.

In the holy light, a woman, barefoot and immaculate, floated in mid-air, enveloped in a soft yet blinding glow.

Claire remembered a thin silver chain tied to a delicate ankle, with a small bell hanging from it, but the bell did not make a sound under the overwhelming pressure of the holy light.

Then a beam of light enveloped Claire, and at that moment Claire was 'banned'.

[...When the supreme sage manifests himself in the world, his majesty is like mountains collapsing, and mortal bodies can only prostrate themselves, daring not to look up.]

[The wicked Claire roared blasphemously amidst the radiance, but the holy light forged invisible shackles, utterly sealing her power and form within an eternal prison...]

I only caught a glimpse of its hazy silhouette, yet my soul trembled with awe… It was God’s human representative, the purest and most immaculate crowned being…

The identity of the other party was clearly described in the diary of the first Marquis de Roosevelt.

The woman with bell anklets on her jade feet is a saint.

Claire began to suspect that goddesses might actually exist in this world, based on the image of this saint from the church.

But I'm still alive, and I'll bring this saintess down sooner or later. We'll settle this score later.

The diary also mentions how Claire was dealt with by the Church of Goddess afterward.

According to the first Marquis de Roosevelt's memoirs, the church originally planned to hold a grand 'trial procession' for Claire in the Royal Square.

However, Claire's attainment of immortality caused the Church of the Goddess to abandon this plan.

The delivery location is top secret, carried out by the Holy Maiden and her personal guard. Although I have contributed, however…

Unfortunately, the first Marquis de Roosevelt, though a collaborator and a traitor, offered his blood oath.

Traitors will be despised no matter where they are, and it will be impossible for them to integrate into the true power center of the church, and they will be unable to access matters involving secrets.

The first Marquis Rost did not know exactly where Claire, who had lost consciousness and was sealed away, was imprisoned, but it seemed that she was not in the capital.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have mentioned the shipping location, or even that it might not be within the Empire.

"It seems the only way to find out where I'm being held is through the royal family or the church?" Claire sighed.

Looking at the dungeon she was in, Claire couldn't see anything at all.

The dungeon wasn't large; it looked like a secret dug-out basement, but the sealing magic on the holy swords stuck in Claire's body was genuine.

Claire is currently the only one being held here.

Unfortunately, Claire still couldn't find out where her real body was imprisoned, but she did know the location of the [Guardian's Spying].

While perusing the notes of the first and second Marquis de Roosevelt, he discovered some clues.

Because it revealed a special item called "The Keeper of Secrets," the bishops of the church all wanted it, and therefore occasionally hinted to the Marquis of Rost to hand over the good stuff to the church.

But how could the first Marquis of Rost be so foolish as to actually hand it over? At that time, he still had the confidence to refuse such an unreasonable demand.

However, by the time of the second Marquess of Rost, the royal family repeatedly demanded, both openly and secretly, the "Guardian's Spying," ostensibly for "centralized safekeeping and use for the safety of the empire."

But the second-generation marquis was not stupid. He knew that if he handed over such a treasure that could ignore the barrier seal and made such a compromise, the Rost family would be devoured sooner or later.

Therefore, the second Marquess of Rost hid the "Guardian's Spying" in the family cemetery.

"Hehe, good things come in pairs! Double happiness!" Claire couldn't help but laugh out loud when she thought about it.

It not only allowed him to dig up the grave of that traitor from the Rost family, but also to find the [Guardian's Peeping] that would unlock the seal on his true form.

This effectively pinpointed the location of the "Guardian's Spying".

Although we haven't found the place where Claire herself is being held, it's still some progress.

Next, all I need to do is improve Lia's strength, continue searching for clues about the dungeon where she is imprisoned, and then find a way to get [The Guardian's Peeping] and send it in.

Just as Claire was making this decision in her mind.

"Click...creak..."

A dull, long-unheard mechanical sound suddenly came from above the dungeon!

Claire looked up abruptly, surprised, and followed the sound.

This was the first time in this dungeon that he had heard any sounds other than himself and the sound of dripping water.

The dungeon stone door on the long staircase above slowly opened a crack inwards.

The long-awaited, blinding sunlight pierced through the eternal darkness of the underground like a sharp sword, casting a narrow band of light across the ground, and the dust it kicked up danced wildly in the beam of light.

Claire squinted at the sudden burst of light, but he forced his eyes to adjust and stared intently at the light coming from the doorway.

Backlit, a graceful figure slowly emerged, its outline somewhat unrealized by the sunlight.

She appeared to be wearing an elegant long dress, her steps were light, and her high heels made almost no sound on the cold ground.

However, the moment she stepped inside, Claire seemed to hear a sound that was both extremely faint and incredibly clear.

"jingle……"

It's the sound of a bell!

Claire's pupils suddenly contracted. Could it be a saint from the Church of the Goddess?

When he saw the figure and several attendants move down the dungeon steps, he immediately looked away and lowered his head.

Hearing the approaching sounds of bells, footsteps, and the clash of armor against a knight's sword, Claire suppressed her emotions, completely relaxed, and withdrew the light from her eyes like a vegetable.

This was the first time Claire had seen members of the Church of Goddess in this dungeon since she awoke.

Chapter 15 Everyone would dodge this.

Footsteps and the sound of armor rubbing together drew closer, and a group of people appeared at the entrance to the dungeon and descended the stone steps.

Bound by chains, Claire lowered her head, closed her eyes, and pretended to be dead, remaining motionless.

Soon, he heard a clear, cold, and authoritative female voice.

"Alright, that's enough for now. You may all leave and wait outside."

"Large cup," this is clearly the mature, older sister voice of a large cup.

The sound of medium and small cups is not as low.

This is quite different from the saint in Claire's memory; the saint looked rather young and should have been a little girl.

“But, Acting Saintess!” a follower said, sounding somewhat anxious.

Oh, is she the acting saintess? No, she's not a saintess.

Claire explained it to her.

"It's too dangerous for you to be alone with this evil god emperor. Although the seal is still in place, no one can say for sure what might happen to him..."

"Lady Isabelle, this evil god Claire killed an archbishop."

"That's right! He's dangerous!"

"..."

The other attendants also offered their advice.

"It's alright," the acting saintess, known as Isabelle, said calmly.

She gripped the scepter in her hand, the bell on her wrist ringing crisply, and continued, "The radiance of the goddess and the seals set up by the successive saintesses are incredibly strong."

"What you see before you now is nothing more than a living corpse nailed to the pillar of shame."

"I'm just trying to purify the soul of this evil god emperor, just like I have done before. You don't need to be so nervous every time."

? ? ? ? ?

Wow, Claire found someone who has been 'taking care' of her all along.

So this is the woman named Isabelle in front of me? This woman hasn't just been coming to check in here today; she's been doing it all along?!

"...Yes, Acting Saintess. We are right outside the door. Please call us immediately if anything seems amiss!"

The attendants ultimately chose to obey, and their hearts were filled with even greater reverence for the saintly representative who was so persistent, devout, and kind.

To avoid disturbing the acting saintess Isabelle, they closed the stone door again when they left the dungeon.

The light shining in from outside gradually became thinner and thinner until it disappeared.

However, the dungeon was not completely plunged into darkness. As Isabelle chanted, a ball of light, as bright as a kilowatt light bulb, floated above the dungeon, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime.

With the rhythmic sound of high heels, the acting saint walked unhurriedly to Claire's side.

A faint, feminine scent, like expensive incense, wafted into Claire's nostrils.

After stopping in front of Claire, the other person bowed his head, cradled the scepter, and began to pray: "Great, merciful, and holy goddess, your..."

While the other person was praying, Claire also got a clear look at the face of the acting saint.

She was indeed very young, looking no more than twenty years old, with dazzling blonde hair meticulously braided into an intricate updo, and wearing a small, exquisite tiara.

She had a beautiful face, even stunning beauty, and her azure eyes were closed reverently beneath her long eyelashes.

She wore a well-tailored white robe with gold trim, but the robe seemed to have been "modified" to fit her perfectly, highlighting her amazing fullness, slender waist, and plump, pert hips.

She's supposed to be a substitute saintess, but in Claire's opinion, she's more like a succubus dressed as a priestess for cosplay.

"May the goddess redeem you from your sins..."

The prayer is over.

Isabelle slowly stood up and looked up at Claire.

Then, she parted her red lips slightly and uttered a sentence.

"Damn evil god! Filthy blasphemer!"

Before she could finish speaking, the acting saint grabbed Claire's clothes and questioned her.

Is this woman crazy? Why did she suddenly grab someone's collar?

Claire nearly lost her composure when her collar was grabbed, while the acting saint continued to vent her emotions on Claire.

"Do you know how many idiots I have to deal with every day?!" The acting saintess shook Claire's body in a fit of rage, causing the chains binding Claire's limbs to vibrate incessantly.

Now Claire knew why the acting saintess had dismissed her attendants.

This acting saintess has been suppressing her feelings for too long!

This only made things difficult for Claire, who was desperately trying to pretend to be dead with her eyes closed.

"Those stubborn old fogies! Those archbishops who say one thing to your face and another behind your back!"

"Damn it! Are those old bastards only thinking about profit? They have absolutely no respect for the Holy Maiden and us, their acting Holy Maidens! They deserve to die!"