The story of the black silk female knight

"It's very simple... because Her Majesty the Goddess doesn't like it."

Zero sighed and continued in a tone recounting his dark past:

"Actually, the Divine Continent also had independent countries a long, long time ago... Although the number of countries was not as many as when the Eastern Continent had thirteen states and fifteen countries, it was still more than your Frenoia Continent, probably seven or eight."

However, our Divine Continent doesn't have natural disasters like wild beasts, ghosts, or mist demons, nor does it have a natural environment with high magic concentration like the Witch's Forest... Simply put, we don't have any powerful external enemies. The human nations mostly fight amongst themselves for resources and population.

So the saintesses who shared the same thoughts as you established the Holy Knights Order, sweeping across the continent with overwhelming power, completely eliminating the concept of nationhood, and turning everyone on the continent into believers of the goddess... Those stubborn old royal families and nobles were all judged by the Holy Flame.

After completing all this, the senior saintesses were very happy and held a grand prayer to report their achievements to Her Majesty the Goddess, hoping to receive Her Majesty the Goddess's reward.

Unexpectedly, there was no reward, only punishment... Her Majesty the Goddess seemed very angry about this matter and punished those senior saintesses in a particularly shameful way.

I'm not quite sure about the specific punishment... It seems that because it was too shameful, those senior saintesses erased all records.

It was after that incident that our church established the rule against interfering in the internal affairs of humankind.

"So...that's how it is?"

Valensa's mouth was slightly agape, making no attempt to hide her surprise:

"Why? Wouldn't it be better for everyone to live a carefree and happy life?"

"A comfortable life is certainly good, but an overly comfortable life can also cause people to completely lose their ambition and infinite possibilities."

Zero looked very intently into Valensa's eyes:

"You think the Divine Continent is great, right? But do you know that the Divine Continent has actually been like this for over 1000 years, and it's still the same now? Apart from innovations in entertainment, the entire civilization has hardly developed at all."

"Actually, there's no need to develop anything further, right?"

Valensa still has differing opinions:

"Since the productivity of the Divine Continent is already advanced enough that everything can be obtained through prayer, it's alright for people to indulge in pleasure, right?"

"Actually, I also think it's okay... but what we say doesn't count."

Zero shrugged, somewhat helplessly.

"Compared to the entire continent, the entire planet, or even the entire universe becoming a completely identical theocratic society, Her Majesty the Goddess prefers that humanity be able to freely evolve and create diverse civilizations... Therefore, she only allows us to use the power of divine grace to ensure the basic living needs of the people and to fight against natural disasters and external enemies, just as we did for the continent of Frenoia, and forbids us from using her power to completely dominate human society."

Of course, Her Majesty the Goddess would certainly not destroy a place like the Divine Continent, which has already become a theocratic society.

"...Does it guarantee the diversity of civilizations?"

Valensa nodded slightly, seemingly understanding.

Just like her animal protection efforts in her previous life... The best way to deal with endangered species is to protect them all in artificial environments so that they can reproduce without worry, but humans still prioritize trying to let endangered species survive in the wild on their own.

This coincides with another idea of ​​Valencia's.

Divine grace is good, but humanity cannot rely on it entirely; it must have its own pillars of civilization, whether it be technology or magic.

Just like no matter how wealthy parents are, their children should not simply live a life of idleness and complacency. They should have their own jobs and careers, and pursue their hobbies and ideals.

Furthermore, thinking deeper, if the Church of the Sun truly theocratizes the continent of Frenoia, what about noble families like the Bretania family, who have led people against wild beasts for thousands of years? Equality for everyone is unequal to them.

So maintaining the status quo is fine.

Valencia completely extinguished any thought she had of carrying out a full-scale theocratic reform after returning to France, and peacefully continued to enjoy Holy Communion.

After lunch and a short rest, Zero, as she had said, personally led Valensa and the others to play in the Sanctuary.

"Since you've already watched the game and gone to the casino yesterday, you should definitely try this entertainment activity yourself... It's also a favorite of Her Majesty the Goddess."

As Zero said this, she led Valencia and the others into a huge building that looked a lot like the convention center in her previous life.

Before entering the building, Valensa keenly noticed that the people entering and leaving the building were dressed in anime style, and their hairstyles were even more bizarre, resembling seafood such as crabs and starfish.

The entertainment activities here...could it be...that?

Valencia's suspicions were quickly confirmed after she started learning the basics.

It was a rather passionate conversation.

"Give it your all."

"Ignite your passion and soul."

"Let's all present a wonderful match for Her Majesty the Goddess!" x2

"Sacred Card Duel, Begin!" x2

"My turn, draw a card!"

Chapter 21 The Great Bathhouse

"My coin lands heads, I choose to go first!"

"I have no summoned creatures on my field, so I Special Summon..."

Familiar lines kept echoing in Valensa's ears... Just as she had guessed, this huge building, resembling a convention center, was indeed a place for playing cards.

Valensa could tell from watching just two games that the rules of this "Holy Card Duel" were similar to those of the Monster Duel games she had played in her previous life, only the cards themselves were quite different.

It's probably similar to the difference between Hearthstone and Shadowverse... Most of the monsters in Monster Duel are real monsters... Dragons, dinosaurs, reptiles, alien creatures, you name it.

In the game "Holy Card Duel", over 95% of the summoned creatures are anime-style anime girls, and the rest are mostly cute characters.

Furthermore, in the context of playing cards in a technologically advanced world, playing physical cards might only involve a couple of cheesy lines of dialogue. Only when playing online can you see the special effects of various powerful monsters, but it still falls short, since it's virtual after all.

The card games here have real special effects... The beautiful girl summons in the cards will actually appear and fight alongside the player, and may even talk to the player, encouraging them not to give up until the very last moment and to believe in their bond with the deck.

In this situation, it's not surprising that some people would treat the cards like their wives.

The second match that Valencia watched was quite a classic.

Two evenly matched opponents, after a fierce battle, entered the final stage, both with their health hanging by a thread.

One of them had a stroke of luck and drew a core card that could be used to create a powerful board presence that combined disruption and control in the endgame.

The other player was empty-handed, had no cards left, and was low on health. All his hopes were pinned on the next draw, and he only had one card left to win, while his deck still had 19 cards.

A one in nineteen chance... Just when Valensa thought that person would offer a sincere prayer to the sun goddess before drawing a card, he kissed his deck and shouted:

"Wife, save me!"

Then the top card in his deck immediately glowed, and he drew the card without hesitation, playing it without even looking at it, summoning the creature he called his wife.

She was a very beautiful girl in a white dress. Although her attack power was not high, she had the characteristic of being immune to all effects and able to attack directly, making her most suitable for delivering a one-hit kill in the endgame.

The girl in the white dress indeed brought victory. She then high-fived the card player in celebration, and amidst the cheers and blessings of the spectators, she shyly kissed the card player, as if she really was his wife.

It's inevitable for losers to feel frustrated, but they are also enviable... The older sisters he summoned didn't disappear immediately after the duel ended. Instead, they surrounded him, comforting him by resting their knees on his head, patting his head, or burying their faces in his chest, until he regained his spirits. Then, they transformed into various streams of light and returned to their cards.

"So, what do you think? This card game is fun, isn't it?"

Seeing that Valencia had clearly enjoyed the [Holy Card Duel] and was eager to try it out, Zero smiled and led the way to the center of the arena:

"If you like, try playing a few rounds yourself... but you probably don't have your own deck yet, so you'll have to rent one for now."

"Lease?"

Before Valensa could speak, Chiba, who had also watched the duel, couldn't help but say:

"Can decks be rented out? But don't card players treat their decks like wives? Renting out these cards just feels weird..."

"that……"

When Zero heard the word "wife," his expression became noticeably strange... like a parent whose child had done something embarrassing in front of guests.

After a slight hesitation, Zero sighed and said:

"Actually, the summoned creatures of those cards do not have self-awareness... They are able to emerge from the cards and communicate with the player entirely because of the perpetual magic of this arena. Once they leave the arena, they will turn back into ordinary cards."

And the different personalities displayed by those card girls... tsk, they are actually created and controlled by the card players in their subconscious, which means..."

"Those card players who call themselves 'card wives' or enjoy a harem of cards are actually just having a romance with themselves? Haha..."

Valensa smiled and took over the conversation, then thought for a moment before adding:

"But this seems quite interesting? I often think I'm so beautiful when I look in the mirror. If I could have a wife like that... uh."

When Valensa noticed the others were looking at her strangely, she quickly stopped talking and pretended to be shy as she looked away and whistled.

Fortunately, the acquaintances were already used to Valensa's occasional narcissism, and Zero just shrugged and continued to lead them to the center of the venue, where a professional guide explained the rules of the game in detail, and each of them rented a deck to start playing.

As saintesses who have lived in the Sanctuary for hundreds of years, Zero and Velenkasa both have their own decks. However, their decks are meticulously constructed and too powerful. It would be unfair to play with them as beginners, so they started using rented decks instead. They would also occasionally play poorly, clearly letting the opponents win.

Even so, the two saintesses are still very strong, and they are unlikely to lose unless they face each other.

Ilana isn't as powerful as the two saintesses, but she's clearly not a novice either. She's likely played here with Valensa's father before, so she's very experienced in building decks and is quite strong.

Valenza was indeed a newbie to [Card Duel], but she had played similar games in her previous life and was the kind of enthusiast who could play cards all day long. After becoming familiar with the rules and card effects, she quickly developed her own understanding of the game, was able to build her own combos, and became even stronger than Elana in the later stages, even winning against Zero and Velenkaza.

Only Thousand Leaf Grass is a complete novice, with a terrible understanding of cards. Even if others go easy on her, they don't know how to let her win.

Unfortunately, Chiba's competitive and mischievous nature kept resurfacing. Before each game, she would taunt the opposing "small fry" a few times, only to get thoroughly crushed in the process.

Fortunately, this wasn't a dark duel that required paying a price, nor was there any punishment game. Otherwise, Chiba would probably have been covered in notes, stripped naked, and led around with a collar and bells attached.

The happy times of playing cards always fly by. Valensa was still trying out new combos when it got completely dark.

"Alright, alright, let's call it a day... Honestly, I didn't expect you to like playing cards so much, Valencia. I was planning to take you to another place this afternoon."

Zero stopped Valensa, who wanted to play another game, and said with amusement:

"Anyway, Valencia, you'll be staying here for a while, right? If you still want to play cards, I'll come with you tomorrow. Now we should go to evening classes and have dinner... Afterwards, I'll take you to a nice place to enjoy yourselves."

"Uh, okay."

Valensa was still a little reluctant to leave, but it was indeed getting late. She could only give the cards that had been with her all afternoon a wistful kiss before handing them back to the venue staff.

Evening prayers and dinner were not held at the core temple... This is a sacred area, and almost every street has at least one church, many of which are no less grand than the cathedrals in various cities of Frenoia, and can meet everyone's needs for evening prayers.

After the evening prayers and dinner, Zero continued to lead everyone on a stroll under the moonlight, easily navigating the streets of the Sanctuary, and finally stopping in front of another magnificent building.

"Divine Grace Bathhouse..."

Chiba looked at the sign at the entrance of the huge building and read it aloud softly. Her face, which had been a little depressed because she had been losing at cards all afternoon, lit up with excitement again:

"Oh my gosh! Am I going to take a bath with my big sister? Yay! I want to scrub each other's backs, hehe~~"

"A body scrub? No, no, no, no..."

Hearing the Thousand Leaf Grass's murmur, Zero shook his finger and smiled mysteriously:

"You don't need to scrub yourself while bathing in this large bathhouse. It's the place with the highest probability of the goddess's consciousness descending in the entire Holy Land, and there's a very comfortable way to clean you up... Anyway, everyone, follow me. No matter what happens in the large bathhouse later, just don't resist."

After saying that, Zero led the way into the large public bath, with Valensa and the others following closely behind.

The bathhouse is a large oval shape with two levels. The lower level is the men's bathhouse, while the women's bathhouse, where Valensa and her friends went, is on the upper level. The dome is one-way transparent, so you can soak in the warm and comfortable hot water while looking up at the bright moon and stars.

This world has healing holy light magic, and bathwater can be continuously purified with magic, so there is absolutely no need to worry about certain gynecological diseases being transmitted through the bathhouse... The women's bathhouse also has large baths, where everyone can take off their clothes and soak together.

Some upscale bathhouses only have changing rooms but no lockers... The bathhouse will give each guest a special storage bracelet for storing clothes, and the clothes are carried with them.

The same was true at this large public bath. After taking off their clothes in the changing room and putting them into their storage bracelets, Valensa and the others stepped into the large bath one by one, found a place to sit down, and quietly soaked in the water to enjoy themselves.

The large public bathhouse is estimated to be over 2000 square meters in area and can accommodate 1,000 people at the same time, but there are currently about 200 people there.

Judging from their appearance, all the women taking baths can be described as having fair skin, beautiful faces, and alluring figures. In fact, many of them are actually grandmothers.

Female practitioners can continuously use bioenergy to improve their appearance, and divine blessings also have the effect of prolonging life and maintaining youth... It is quite normal for a devout female believer in the sun to look like a beautiful woman when her lifespan is exhausted.

"This water contains a lot of divine essence!"

As she spoke, Chiba tugged at the tender flesh on her arm and exclaimed in surprise:

"And it seems like my body automatically absorbs the divine essence from the water? That's strange... My skin seems to be getting smoother and smoother, even though I'm not exactly a very devout believer in the sun?"

"But Cao Cao, your Chiba family has elven blood and a natural wood spirit root constitution."

Valensa smiled and pinched Thousand Leaf Grass's increasingly fair and smooth skin:

"Plants need to absorb plenty of water and sunlight to grow strong, and the water here is just the right amount of solar energy... It's definitely a great supplement for you, Cao Cao."

"That seems to make sense! Then the grass should soak for a while longer... plop plop plop!"

As she spoke, Chiba Grass submerged her entire head in the water, constantly blowing bubbles.

"Imbued with the power of the sun god? No, no, no..."

Zero smiled and shook his head, correcting Valensa's statement:

"The sun god's power in the water right now is just a remnant of divine grace. When the true divine grace descends... hmm, it seems it's coming soon! Everyone, get ready, and no matter what happens later, remember not to resist!"

"it is good."