The Villain Saint is my secondary account

When did this guy come back? Ye Xiao took the water glass, looked around, and found himself still in the lounge, but Freya and Tuta were nowhere to be seen.

"Miss Maid, Fu...where is my assistant?"

"Your assistant seemed to have some urgent business to attend to. After instructing me to take good care of you, she hurriedly left," the maid said softly.

Urgent matter? At this time? Ye Xiao was somewhat puzzled.

However, Ye Xiao and Freya weren't close; they'd only known each other for two days. Perhaps she had encountered something more important than what was happening to him. Therefore, Ye Xiao wasn't angry about her sudden departure.

"How did I suddenly fall asleep?"

"I'm not quite sure about that. When I came back from changing the towels, I saw you lying in the chair with your assistant sitting next to you."

"Strange..." Ye Xiao looked at the maid's cute little round face, somewhat confused.

With Ella observing the weather, Ye Xiao knew that it was almost sunset, and by that calculation, the group from the Engineering Society should be arriving around the same time.

However, after learning from Ella that Prince Kenn had an affair with the Craftsmen's Association, the pressure on my side will probably be even greater.

After all, they captured Prince Ken over there, so it's highly likely they won't get away with it here.

"You're probably too tired," the pink-haired maid suddenly said, producing a small cake from somewhere. "Have something to eat, sir."

"Thank you." Ye Xiao took the cake. Why was this little maid suddenly working so diligently again? Was it because she felt guilty for slacking off all day? "By the way, I haven't asked your name yet. What's your name?"

"Just call me Greta, sir," the pink-haired maid said with a sweet smile.

Ye Xiao nodded, "Okay, Miss Greta."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the lounge was suddenly opened.

The maid who entered was dressed in the same style as Greta. She walked straight up to Ye Xiao, bowed slightly, and said, "Greetings, sir. The Academy has sent me to invite you to come over."

To be honest, with Freya's mysterious disappearance and some information leaked from the prince's side, Ye Xiao's group was already showing signs of danger.

But nothing ventured, nothing gained. After learning of the connection between the Industrial Engineering Society and the royal family, his trip became even more unavoidable.

Who knows if we won't catch them red-handed this time, or if we'll ever have another chance?

Ye Xiao nodded and stood up.

Then, he saw Greta, who was sitting to the side, also stand up, and he quickly stopped her, saying, "Wait, wait, you don't need to go."

"Oh, sir, are you going to fire me?" Gladys asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"No, it's just that I can go there by myself." Ye Xiao's lips twitched. "You can go home now."

"That's still firing me, isn't it?" Gladys sighed softly. "The master really doesn't love me anymore."

"What nonsense!" Ye Xiao was speechless.

“Sir, it’s alright if you bring your servants,” a maid from the Craftsmen’s Society suddenly spoke up.

"There's no need," Ye Xiao refused without hesitation.

He couldn't bring an innocent ordinary person to visit the Industrial Society; if a conflict broke out, it would be too troublesome for him to run away with a burden in tow.

"But... if you insist on not letting me follow you into the arena, I'll be penalized for negligence," Greta said pitifully.

"Huh? There's such a saying?" Ye Xiao was surprised and looked at the other maid.

However, the other maid nodded with a subtle expression, seemingly indicating her agreement.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Gentleman Roy

Ye Xiao then slipped two silver coins into the pink-haired maid's arms amidst her shocked gaze and sent her away.

The inexplicable reason of deducting wages is certainly not enough to justify Ye Xiao taking ordinary people on an adventure.

That's what Ye Xiao thinks, anyway.

With the matches scheduled after sunset cancelled, the Colosseum was unusually deserted and empty.

The competition was supposedly suspended due to a celebration, but it actually seemed more like they were closing up shop.

However, Ye Xiao guessed that it was probably because it conflicted with the noble banquet on the pilgrimage day – the big spenders were going to participate in other activities, so they naturally wouldn't bother with this.

Wandering through the vast Colosseum, with only a few scattered lights, feels like walking through a wilderness under the night sky. Countless chairs in the stands quietly surround you, like rows of tombstones.

Ye Xiao followed the maid sent by the Engineering Society to the other end of the Colosseum, and walked up the stairs until they reached the highest point of the entire Colosseum.

Pushing open the door, the first thing you see is the vast stands that offer a panoramic view of the entire Colosseum.

Inside was a lavishly decorated hall, with two glossy leather sofas surrounding a mahogany table. On the table, a cup of tea near the door was steaming, as if it were prepared for guests.

The walls around the hall were covered with many brass-colored metal armors, each holding a different weapon. They were engraved with intricate and complex patterns, but they did not appear to be magic arrays or have any special effects; they were just flashy decorations.

The maid stopped at the door and gestured to Ye Xiao in invitation.

Ye Xiao stepped inside, and immediately heard a soft thud from the door behind him.

He looked around and felt a strange sense of familiarity with the room's decor and layout.

There were square metal plates embedded in the walls, I don't know if they were ventilation ducts that needed to be opened manually or something else.

An elegant, serene, and magnetic baritone voice rang out from the side, "Welcome to the celebration, Mr. Ye. Please make yourself at home."

"Heh, so you are..." Ye Xiao turned her head, but before she could finish speaking, she was stunned when she saw the person whose voice she was talking to.

Because the other party was not a person at all, but a "mechanical puppet" made of brass metal plates and gear chains.

This "mechanical puppet" is dressed in a fitted black tuxedo, wearing a top hat, and carrying a thin cane.

It looks like a steampunk robot, but Ye Xiao, who has modern scientific literacy, can't figure out how this high-tech thing works. Maybe it has a magic crystal stuffed in its metal forehead to provide power.

“You may call me Rohr,” the “mechanical puppet” in a formal suit removed his hat and gave an elegant bow.

"Is Luo Er referring to you, or the one manipulating you behind the scenes?"

“I don’t quite understand what Mr. Ye means,” the “mechanical puppet” pulled his hat back on his head and straightened his back. “However, if Mr. Ye is asking me whether I am a remotely controlled metal puppet, then the answer is no. I am just a separate individual.”

"Are you kidding me? Artificial intelligence from another world?" Ye Xiao frowned; this was too abstract.

"If life composed purely of elements can exist in the world, what's so strange about thinking metal components?"

Well, that makes sense. The world is strange, after all.

"Judging from what you're saying, Mr. Ye, it seems you're also from that group of otherworldly travelers who recently appeared and call themselves 'players'?"

"You know quite a lot." Ye Xiao sat down on the sofa. The soft but elastic leather was quite comfortable, but he couldn't quite tell what kind of animal the leather was made of.

"I've only heard a little about it." Luo Er sat down opposite Ye Xiao and waved to the teacup on the table. "Please have some tea, sir."

"I prefer freshly brewed tea." Ye Xiao didn't even look at the teacup. "I'm not used to just taking tea that's been sitting for who knows how long."

"Sorry, it seems I still have a lot to learn about human etiquette when it comes to hosting guests." Rol patted his metal head, and then a round sphere, also made of metal parts, flapped its attached wings and flew out of what Ye Xiao had mistaken for a ventilation duct in the wall.

The metal sheet on the spherical puppet's belly slowly opened to the sides, revealing a fresh cup of hot tea inside.

"Um... okay, I admit I'm afraid you might have drugged it." Ye Xiao was speechless. There was such a thing? "And I'd be even more afraid to drink tea that comes out of my stomach."

“No problem, I understand Mr. Ye’s caution.” Luo Er waved his hand, and the round mechanical puppet with its big belly flew back to the pipe. A brass door extended from the gap next to it, sealing the pipe opening.

Ye Xiao immediately scanned the entire room out of the corner of his eye, counted the number of these metal pipes, and memorized their locations.

This way, he at least has some idea of ​​where he might encounter monsters later.

"I remember the letter said it was a celebration, but after chatting for so long, it seems like it's just the two of us?"

"Considering that Mr. Ye is visiting for the first time and may have many questions, we will talk in the reception room first," said Luo Er. "The other invitees have already gone to the celebration venue."

"Alright, shall we talk here without taking up too much time?"

"Rest assured, Mr. Ye, we have plenty of time before the celebration begins." Luo Er put two fingers together and rested his cane in front of him. "Please feel free to ask any questions you may have."

"Okay." Ye Xiao leaned back on the sofa. "What does the Industrial Design Society do?"

“I’m glad you can be so direct,” Rol replied politely. “The Society is a group of scholars who have come together to explore the evolutionary direction of life.”

"It sounds just like a cult."

“I think this perspective is closer to the world you come from, a society that prioritizes technological and academic development.”

"...You know a lot."

"We have also recruited some members from your hometown."

"But that probably doesn't align with the local philosophy."

"Advanced ideas always transcend the mainstream of society."

"But your arena, and those alchemical machines and flesh-and-blood puppets, all I see is evil and barbarity, not the so-called advanced technology you speak of," Ye Xiao said in a deep voice.

"Progress is always accompanied by experimentation and sacrifice. The process of life's evolution cannot be separated from bloodshed and cruelty if it is to be grounded in reality." Rol shook his head. "The warriors who died chose this path themselves. We have never forced anyone into the arena. The same goes for the spectators who place bets. We have provided the channel for the transaction and explained the rewards and costs. Whether to participate or not is their own choice."

"Okay." Ye Xiao couldn't think of a rebuttal for a moment. But since they were running such a large cult, it would be strange if he could find loopholes in their doctrines in just a few sentences. "So, are you the leader of the Engineering Society?"

“No, I am just a lowly servant.” Rol shook his head again, a glimmer of light appearing in his intricate eyes, which were made of tiny gears and lenses. “We have no leader, only a great being to whom we serve together.”

"You have gods to worship?" Ye Xiao asked curiously. "I thought that according to your doctrines, there wouldn't be any gods."

“Of course there will be. When thoughts and goals align, they become faith. With faith, gods will be born.” There seemed to be some excitement in Luo’s voice. “Mr. Ye, you are very lucky to be able to witness the birth of a god with us at this celebration.”

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Land Where the Gods Descend

Deep beneath the Colosseum before sunset.

A figure draped in a dark blue cloak walked slowly down the pitch-black passageway, the solitary figure appearing somewhat frail.

The figure stopped when a wide, imposing door appeared before it, tilted its head back, and revealed long, pale golden hair and a doll-like, exquisite face.

This was none other than Freya, who had suddenly left Ye Xiao.

Her emerald green eyes held a hint of nervousness and confusion as she clutched a rolled-up letter tightly in her hand.

She took a deep breath and finally raised her hand to gently knock on the door a few times.

The door was a metal door with a strange mechanical structure; gears of different sizes were embedded in the door panel, and it slowly began to turn as Freya knocked.

With a dull thud, the thick metal doors slowly opened to both sides.

Unlike the dark and deep corridors outside, the interior is a bright, spacious and magnificent hall.

The walls of the main hall appeared to be cast in brass, reflecting a pale yellow glow under the pyroxene lamps embedded in the ceiling.

On the innermost towering wall, a large oil painting hangs, depicting a naked girl whose body is bound only by metal chains.

Objects resembling mechanical parts, such as gears and screws, surrounded the girl, and she had a pair of huge golden wings cast from brass on her back.

The girl's face was not yet finished, but many spherical mechanical puppets were protruding from her belly with spray gun-like metal tubes, flying around and drawing on it.

If Ye Xiao saw this painting, he would definitely remember that it was the painting that Ella had seen in the dream derived from the dream crystal in Lilia's hand.

Beneath the portrait, an elderly man with a white beard stands with his back to the door, seemingly admiring the unfinished oil painting.

Upon seeing the old man, Freya swallowed hard.

She had never been so nervous before, but the familiar figure in front of her made it impossible for her to calm down.

Even though she had only known Ye Xiao for two days, Freya's stubborn personality meant she would not easily break her promise to protect him.

Unless, of course, someone she absolutely has to meet extends an invitation to her.

"High Priest... Your Highness?" Freya's voice trembled slightly, her unwavering faith of the past sixteen years beginning to waver.

"Freya, you've come." The old man turned around, his face both kind and dignified. He was none other than Evans, the high priest of the Loren Sanctuary.

"Why...why are you here?" Even though the letter in her hand did indeed bear the signature of High Priest Evans, Freya still found the scene before her unbelievable. "Why...?"

"Freya, do you think Ella Hevil is really the Holy Maiden of Light?" The High Priest didn't answer Freya, but instead asked in a gentle voice.

"She..." Faced with this question, Freya was momentarily at a loss for words. "She's very suspicious...she's hiding a lot of things...and she also has some inexplicable connection to the ritual that brought forth that evil god..."

“But…she is indeed the Holy Maiden of Light, and the marks on her hands are real.”

"Based on your observations over this period, what is her level of Holy Light magic?" the High Priest continued to ask.

"Talent... is average."

What is her faith in the God of Light?

"I don't feel... particularly determined."

"Her understanding and interpretation of Catholic doctrine?"