Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

This situation forced the Chloe Church to set up numerous hidden sentries in the mountains, and the secret entrances could only be found with the guidance of clergy. Of course, Ryūka didn't need to; he had built this place for Chloe, so he easily entered the temple through the secret passage at the back of the mountain.

"We just finished resting, and you're here again..."

As soon as Ryuga stepped into Chloe's temple, her voice echoed in his mind. Sasha was already waiting for Ryuga at the entrance.

"Lord Lucia."

The girl, much younger than Evelyn and the others, wore a happy and peaceful expression, much like the young nuns Ryusha often saw in the Vatican. Ryusha nodded to her; if Chloe's interests aligned with his, then he could accept her sect's expansion here.

As long as it's not too much... Ryuga thought to himself, and followed Sasha into the temple. In front of Chloe's ram-headed statue, his figure became illusory and he entered another space, where Chloe, who looked like a black bride, was waiting for him.

"It seems that your place is becoming more and more organized. The internal structure of the sect is gradually improving, and there are quite a few believers. It feels like in a few days, you'll be able to go out and preach."

Although Ryūka came with questions, the drastic changes within the Chloe Sect made him unable to resist starting with pleasantries. The person opposite him was a god, even in his weakened state, and Ryūka wasn't entirely comfortable with exchanging benefits with a god.

"This is all thanks to you," Chloe chuckled softly. "How are you getting along with that little princess?"

"Hmm, not bad."

"That's good... Bell's body is under her control, and she's by your side, so we can rest assured."

Chloe tilted her head slightly, her small face beneath her enormous ram's horns smiling sweetly, radiating divinity under the divine halo behind her. The former little brat was gradually acquiring 'motherly' qualities, just like the larger Chloe that Ruka had seen in her memories…

"So what brings you here today?"

“I have a question.” Ryuka shook her head, banishing the distracting thoughts from her mind, and asked Chloe, “Can the Demon Sword, the Witch, the Fragment of Order, and the Power of the Goddess all exist in the same person? I think I’ve met someone like that, but judging from my own experience and Tipalotura’s, the Power of Order and the Power of the Witch alone would restrain each other.”

“It’s not impossible, but it could be very dangerous, after all, each of them is no ordinary power…” Ryūka’s question made Chloé frown; she even became somewhat curious. “Did you really encounter someone like that?”

"Uncertain, just a deduction." Ryuka shook her head.

"Fragments of Order and the power of Chaos are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining forces born from the divine realm. The witches, born from Chaos, and the goddesses of the Holy See, born at the same time as the witches, are in opposition. Therefore, the power of the fragments of Order is greater than the power of the witches, which is why you and that little princess can suppress the witches' power. The Demon Sword, forged with the power of fallen gods, is unrelated to these two forces, so theoretically it can coexist. However…"

Do you remember the memory I showed you last time? The nascent goddess worshipped by the Papacy was born to correspond with a witch. And because she was imperfect at birth, the Papacy, the goddess, and holy magic—these powers can only be learned by humans, and they reject all other powers…”

Ryuka was very curious: "Why is it a human, and not some other race?"

"I don't know either." Kuroel shook her head. A god like her could make anyone a believer, regardless of race, as long as they were pitiful or slaves.

Now Ryuka understood. If the fragments of order and the witch's power could maintain a balance, while the power of the demon sword was neutral, then the goddess's power, or rather, holy magic, might disrupt that balance.

In short, if her conjecture is correct, Carmela possesses all the power she needs to do those things. Although even Chloe thought this possibility was small, after ruling out other possibilities, Ryuka felt that even the smallest probability was true.

"If such a being truly exists, we advise you not to provoke him lightly, as none of these powers are easy to deal with. It's a pity you've indeed found other fragments of order, but the little princess's fragments of order are needed to suppress the witch's remains, and the others are difficult to obtain."

Seeing Chloe's playful expression, Ryuka rolled her eyes. From Chloe's mental state, she could sense that her power was indeed gradually recovering. Although Chloe had displayed divine power many times, it was mostly due to her mastery of advanced divine arts; her pure strength wasn't that great. But now, in terms of sheer power intensity, she was almost catching up to Ryuka.

"And you? You're recovering well too, you'll be better than me soon, aren't you going to help me?"

"Why?" Chloe blinked, quickly understanding Ryūka's meaning—she wanted her help to deal with the Holy See. She chuckled as if amused by a child. "My plan is, if nothing happens, of course, to do nothing and continue recovering my strength. Of course, if anything involves the Goddess and Bell, I will certainly step in."

But she immediately added, "Of course, you are our number one divine messenger. As long as you plead with me properly, we can certainly share our power with you~~~"

Do nothing? Ryūka frowned, Chloé's smile seemed to hold a deeper meaning. Did she mean that she would simply stand aside and do nothing about matters unrelated to the goddess and Bell? Instead, she would send him to the front lines while she only provided support from behind?

"Why? I thought you would gather strength to wage war against the Papacy."

In response to Ryukyu's question, Chloe replied: "The duty of the gods is to respond to the prayers of believers, not to act arbitrarily according to their own desires. Although the Church betrayed other races a thousand years ago, we can only do so if our current believers want to overthrow the Church, but it seems they don't have that idea yet."

“Ryuka, you seem to be treating gods and humans as the same thing. I’m not an ambitious warlord like you. Most of the time, I can only do what’s within my duties. Of course, the premise is to ensure my own existence. Then I send people to eliminate vengeful spirits, guide the souls of believers… and also, ensure that this world is not destroyed. That’s why I’m so proactive about matters concerning witches. We must not allow Bell’s consciousness and body to merge again. Her remains have been found, but her divine consciousness is still hiding in the world. Ryuka, this is the thing you need to pay the most attention to.”

"Don't talk to me like I'm a savior." Ryuka put on a roguish look. "I have enough trouble of my own. I'm here today to ask you, esteemed God Chloe, is there anyone who can be a witch, possess the power of a fragment of order, and also become the host of a demon sword?"

Kurowell didn't rush to answer Ryukyu's question. Instead, he patiently smiled and said, "Arrogant brat, who said you were a savior?"

"Then why am I being asked to do this?"

"Because you're ambitious and lustful?" Kuroel blinked, answering without hesitation. "Think about it, if the world were controlled by witches and the chaotic forces behind them, then nothing would exist. That's why the gods also fight against them, because if the mortal world doesn't exist, then the gods are nothing more than lonely consciousnesses in the endless void, only waiting to slowly dissipate. Just like a monarch without territory and subjects isn't a monarch at all..."

"And you certainly don't want that, right? Compared to us, who are bound by divinity, you, who are human but have fragments of order, are more qualified and capable than gods to do this."

"Not only you, but also that little princess and the Pope of the Holy See—only those who possess the fragments of order can fight against chaos! However, you each have your own methods and different beliefs, which will put you at odds with each other. But it is precisely because of your uniqueness that you are qualified to merge with the fragments of order and define your own new order, unlike us, who have already become gods and must abide by the existing order."

"Listen, Ryūka, the resurrection of the Cruel Witch is absolutely unacceptable. Back then, the entire world's resources were used to seal her away, but the chaotic power behind her still exists. This is precisely why the Cruel Witch Bell can exist forever. And to fight against all of this, perhaps the only way is to collect all the fragments of order!"

From the gods' perspective, regardless of who wins in the end, a complete order will be established. But I hope you're the winner; that's just a small selfish wish of mine…

As Chloe spoke, she slowly moved closer to Ryūka, her delicate fingertips touching Ryūka's forehead. A surge of divinity flowed through Ryūka's body with her fingers, causing a warm current to run through her, a comfortable sensation spreading throughout her entire body. However, after this feeling faded, Ryūka did not notice anything different about her body.

“This is a part of my divinity. If the opponent you mentioned is really that dangerous, then this power will help you at a crucial moment. Although I am not as powerful as the goddess of the Holy See now, at least if she has four powers, you now have three.”

Only the magic sword is missing...

"Thank you."

Looking at Chloe's somewhat haggard face, Ryuka felt a little guilty. Although she had promised to help Chloe regain her strength, every time she recovered a little, she would immediately become weak again because of helping her.

“Without you, I probably would have vanished by now.” Chloe smiled, indicating that there was no need for thanks. But then a sly look appeared on her face:

"And don't rush to thank me, this power might have some side effects for you~"

Liu Xia's expression changed: "Side effects?"

Are you kidding me?! If there are side effects, you should have made that clear before you even applied them to yourself!

"This divine title was given to you through the contract between you and our divine messenger. Having our divine title means that you are now also 'Chloe'~ You're going to the Bauhinia Kingdom, right~ There's no one from our cult there yet~ Kukuku~~~"

Chloe's smug look of triumph made Ryuka grit her teeth. She'd thought Chloe had gained a lot of divinity, but it turned out she was just a little brat!

"Our divine power will instill in you a strong sense of compassion for the poor and needy, almost to the point of being undeniable at the rule level. This means you'll have to go and spread our teachings. Well, while you, Ryuka, are naturally compassionate, you'll ultimately prioritize reason in crucial moments, right? But this power will interfere with your judgment—that's the side effect I'm talking about."

Crowell chuckled, her figure flickering as she disappeared behind the curtain, then banished Ryūka from her temple of consciousness...

"Lord Ryukatsu, why... do you look a little pale?"

Ryuga returned to the temple in the cave. Sasha, who had been waiting there, blinked and looked at Ryuga, who had a long face.

"It's nothing, Sasha. How many worshippers are praying here right now?"

Sasha was very curious as to why Ryukyu asked this, but she still answered honestly. After all, in her heart, Ryukyu was the rightful divine messenger of Lord Chloe, and she was merely managing this place on Ryukyu's behalf, making some minor contributions.

"Uh... about three or four hundred people. People come and go every day. Although some believers stay a little longer, as you know, our order, whether believers or temple clergy, is very poor. So most people don't have enough money for travel and food, and they basically have to return home after a day or two..."

"Is that so..."

Ryuga looked outside the temple and saw that the pilgrims and worshippers of Chloe were indeed dressed in rags, and the clergy recruited by Sasha were not dressed very well either. Their food was even worse…

Thinking of all this, Ryūka felt an uncontrollable surge of pity. It was that despicable thing called 'saintly compassion'! While Ryūka possessed basic compassion and morality, he wasn't a saint!

But now, the divine power that Chloe has injected into his body makes him uncontrollably want to help these people, otherwise his heart feels like it's being strangled!

"Take it all, take it all..."

As Liuxia spoke, she emptied all her valuables. Not only did she take out the gold and silver coins from her wallet, but she even tore off the gold and silver buttons and epaulets from her clothes!

After all, he was originally attending the opening ceremony of Sochi Academy, so his attire was naturally elegant and appropriate.

"Lord Ryu-Ryuka, what's wrong...?"

Sasha looked at Ryusha as she stuffed all these things into her little hands, her face full of surprise and flushed.

"No, you can't! Lord Ryukatsu! Have you forgotten? We are the Chloe Order, and we cannot accept gold or silver donations from our followers..."

"What kind of bullshit is that! How can you get enough to eat without money!"

Ryuga's inner turmoil made him roar, startling Sasha, who shrank back. She had never seen Ryuga like this before...

Damn it… it's all Chloe's divinity's fault… no wonder she always seems so detached as a goddess. It must be that being in this state of compassion for thousands of years has numbed her personality, turning her into a twisted little devil!

“Listen, Sasha, use this money to buy some food and clothes so that everyone who comes on pilgrimage can have a little more comfort. And you girls, don’t neglect yourselves. You know, girls in their teens must make sure they get enough nutrition, so you won’t regret it later!”

Ryusha patted Sasha's shoulder hard. "That's right, don't end up like Esther, missing out on most of your development due to malnutrition caused by poverty. Even though life is better now, looking at her chest, she probably has no hope of catching up to her cousin Linor..."

"Yes, yes... Lord Ryukatsu..."

Sasha stared at Ryusha in disbelief. The divine messenger today... seemed a little different.

"Alright, if you need any help, send someone to Sochi to find Kania. If Kania isn't there, find Kira; I'm sure she can find a way to help you from the government funds!"

After saying that, Liuxia rushed out of there without looking back, not wanting to stay for even a moment longer!

Master Liu is kind-hearted! He can't bear to see pitiful people!

Chapter 20 Basic Body Techniques

"Oh my god! Ryuka, what's wrong with you?!"

When Ryuga returned to Sochi Castle, weary from his journey and possessing the power of a Celestial, Kania and Tipalotura were 'studying' Hinatil based on the information Ryuga had provided about her physical form... Although Ryuga was worried about what would happen when these two witches from different factions met, there was a silent tension in the air. However, before he could observe, he was interrupted by Kania's exclamation.

When Kania saw Ryuuya, disheveled and looking as if he had been ransacked, her pretty face instantly filled with surprise and worry. The little witch pounced on him, her tiny hands frantically searching Ryuuya's body to check if he was injured.

"Did they run into people from the Vatican? Or did the Fourth Prince send men to retaliate? How did things get like this!"

Ryūka has quite a few enemies. Although he is now an extremely powerful Heaven-rank expert, it doesn't stop Kānia from thinking of him as a little brother or boy. Ryūka felt both amused and embarrassed by Kānia's excessive concern. Although a warm feeling arose in his heart, he also felt awkward and ashamed.

"Calm down, I'm fine, it's just that..."

It was just a good deed; I donated all my valuables...

Just as Ryusha was about to explain, his voice suddenly stopped, as his attention was drawn to Shinatiel in front of him.

Her room had been transformed into an operating room-like setting, with Hinatil bound to the large bed. Not only were Kania and Tipalotura there, but Melanie, Anyaberg, and several others with knowledge of magic were also present. Linor, an unawakened witch, was also there, and she knew a little about the Prototype Project.

Surrounded by them, Hinatil's body was covered in runes, complex powers intertwined—this was what Carmela had done to her…

"Goddess above, what is this...?"

Sister Lindsay prayed quietly to the side. Although she hadn't yet had any relationship with Ryukyu, Kania had already considered her her pre-arranged love. After all, anyone could understand what was going on with the bespectacled, adorable, and shy nun when she saw Ryukyu; probably only she herself didn't understand.

She was also the only one besides Ryūka who could use the Holy See's sacred energy and holy arts. So, with Ryūka absent, Lindsay was the only one who could use the holy arts that Ryūka obtained from the Faith Department's "Luminova" to perform magical manipulations on Hinatil, who was the physical form.

Lindsay was unaware that her companion Luminova had returned. She had only been asked by Kania to help out with a small matter. She never expected to not only meet the princess of the empire in person, but also to see this thing after using that strange holy magic on Sinatiel!

Although Lindsay knew that Hinatil was a prisoner of Ryukyu, she only believed it was due to a conflict between the Holy City faction of the Papacy and the Ottus Randall faction. She could also tell from Hinatil's usual brooding demeanor what was happening beneath her creamy leather straitjacket… but in Ottus, it was common for nobles to do such things to female prisoners; she had heard many similar rumors during her time at the dreary nunnery.

But for Lindsay, Ryūsha was different! It wasn't just their mutual understanding in Linhu Town, but also the fact that the common people under Ryūsha's rule were the happiest Lindsay had ever seen, almost like the peaceful and prosperous world described in the Holy See's holy books. So Lindsay could accept all of this, though she felt a pang of shame every time she thought about it. In the dead of night, she couldn't suppress her fantasies about how Ryūsha would treat her alluring body beneath the leather jacket of Bishop Hinatil, and then she would repentably twitch her little finger…

Corinnesay had never imagined seeing something like this on Hinatil, a fellow clergyman! Complex magical runes swirled and circled like rings, forming a giant sphere around Hinatil. Hinatil, as if possessed, was muttering incoherently… her forehead was covered in sweat, and her high-bridged nose and mature face looked as if she had been pulled from the water, like a woman struggling in childbirth.

"At first she was screaming incessantly, but now she has no strength left."

The calmest of them all, Tipalotura, explained to Ryūsha, pointing to the rune sphere on Sinatiel's body:

“We had Miss Lindsay use the holy magic you mentioned, and this thing appeared. You should be able to sense the complex power within it, but neither Miss Snowfield nor I could decipher it, and Anjaberg, who tried to approach it from the perspective of magical formulas, couldn’t handle it either. Because whenever we try, Hinatil suffers immense pain.”

After saying that, Tipalotura ordered Lindsay, "Miss Lindsay, please cover up the rest for Liu Xiaqing."

"Would you like to come again...?"

Lindsay's face flushed instantly, making Ryūka curious about what Tipalotura had said. Seeing Tipalotura nod, as a citizen of Ottus, Lindsay couldn't refuse the princess's request, so she had no choice but to use the other holy arts she had obtained from Ryūka.

"Goddess, please forgive my sins..."

Pure white holy runes lit up Lindsay's forehead, and she slowly raised her hands, moving them as if manipulating a puppet. Bound to the bed, Hinatil's body twitched in response to Lindsay's movements. If she weren't bound, her body would be controlled by Lindsay like a puppet!

Keep in mind that she is a high-ranking priest! Her strength far surpasses that of Lindsay, who is just an ordinary nun! And a simple holy spell can make her controlled by Lindsay!

“We tested it, and after the first activated holy spell binding, Lindsay could control Hinatil's movements from the other side of the castle. The distance and the strength of the control were related to Lindsay's own strength, after all, she was controlling someone of a higher level. But that's not the most crucial thing…”

Tipalotura explained, nodding to Lindsay again. The orange-haired nun blushed instantly, cautiously casting another holy spell. Then, her body went limp, and she leaned against the bed, closing her eyes…

At the same time, Hinatil on the bed gasped sharply, making a sound as if she were possessed. After calming down, her eyes gradually cleared.

"Miss Lindsay, can you hear me?"

Hinatil, lying on the bed, seemed half-asleep. After a moment, she nodded and asked Tipalotura, "Your Highness, may I get out?"

"Thanks a lot."

Tipalotura nodded, and 'Sinatil', as if granted a pardon, immediately closed her eyes and fainted, quickly returning to her previous state. Lindsay, meanwhile, slowly woke up, but as soon as she sat up, her face flushed, she said:

"I'm sorry, I'll be right back..."

After saying that, she grabbed her skirt and fled from there in a very awkward manner!

“I get it, this is what ‘Luminova’ we encountered before was all about, right? But what’s wrong with Lindsay? Are there any side effects?”

Ryūka watched this unfold, understanding dawning on him. Moreover, looking at Hinatil on the bed, he felt another strange, elusive sensation…

Damn it! Hinatil... she's my slave now, isn't she... no matter what happened between us before, she's practically a slave now, right...?

The divine power bestowed upon Ryukatsu by Chloe caused him to uncontrollably sympathize with the manipulated Hinatil, and he inwardly condemned his own actions. Ryukatsu was caught in a painful internal struggle between his left and right hemispheres, forcing him to clench his teeth to control his emotions and body.

Kania's answer caused Ryuka's side effects to explode instantly.

Tipalotura had been the one talking to Ryukyu the whole time, which greatly displeased Kania. Finally, she found a chance to speak herself and grinned mischievously at Ryukyu:

"Have you forgotten? What's in Hinatil's little belly right now? Lindsay only possessed her for a short while, but the stimulation was more than a virgin like her could handle."