The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Amidst the flying wood chips, the burly, dark-skinned man lying on the ground looked utterly astonished. He never expected that this newcomer, this little bean sprout, would actually dare to make a move.

Everyone in the Adventurer's Guild hall stood up abruptly, their menacing gazes all fixed on the Seven Stars Guild members at the front desk.

Although they belong to different guilds, they are all brothers in Stormport. How can anyone tolerate such arrogance from an outside guild?

Li Cheng's lips twitched. Although he knew that his brother Ye was tough, he didn't expect him to take action without saying a word when he arrived on someone else's turf.

But since a fight has already broken out, they have no choice but to...

Wait a minute, why does this scene seem so familiar?

"You fucking want to die!" However, the group of adventurers who had been knocked down by Ye Xiao were already furious and grabbed chairs to pounce on Ye Xiao. Li Cheng didn't have time to think about anything else and directly waved his hand to call on the others to rush up as well.

The entire hall erupted into chaos once again.

Only Greta, draped in a travel cloak and looking languid, and Freya, looking bewildered, remained on the spot.

"Um...do we need to go up and help?" Freya asked the maid beside her timidly.

"Never mind them, let's book a room for tonight first." Greta waved her hand and looked at the equally languid redhead at the front desk.

However, when the red-haired woman saw the short maid, a look of disdain appeared on her lips. "Heh, where did this shorty come from..."

Almost instantly, a fear, stemming from instinct, rose within the languid red-haired woman.

For no apparent reason, she could clearly sense that if she said even one more word, the consequences would be dire.

"Ten rooms." Greta placed the copper coin on the table with her small hand.

"I...I..." The red-haired woman's tongue trembled uncontrollably, and it took her a long time to finally utter a complete sentence, "We...don't have that many houses..."

"You want me to come up with a solution for you?" The maid raised an eyebrow.

"Ugh... I'll get it done right away... I'll get it done right away!" The red-haired woman jumped off the chair and ran away from the front desk as if fleeing.

"...If you had just done that, they wouldn't have needed to fight anymore, would they?" Freya moved closer to the little maid. As someone who had personally experienced the terror of the opponent in the underground arena, Freya knew Gretia's strength all too well.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, a group of people were still huddled together, fighting so fiercely that their noses were bleeding profusely, with cups, chairs, ladles, and plates flying around – the scene was quite gruesome.

“Then you wouldn’t understand,” the maid said, crossing her arms. “That’s their hobby.”

"Huh?" Freya tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled.

Unlike the Imperial City, where the Imperial City Guards would rush in to suppress any major disturbances, in Stormport, where the people are known for their fierce nature, such brawls between guilds are as common as eating and drinking.

Even though a group of people fought so fiercely that the entire hall was in chaos, from inside the door to outside, only a group of passersby on the street watched the spectacle with curiosity. As for the guards, not a single one could be seen.

However, unless it's a life-or-death battle, there's an unspoken rule among adventurers not to use weapons.

Therefore, even if the fighting is fierce, the number of deaths is relatively small.

But injuries were inevitable. Even Ye Xiao, who didn't use sword skills or magic, couldn't avoid getting blood all over his forehead from being surrounded and beaten by a large group of fierce adventurers.

But he still grabbed a soup ladle that he had somehow gotten his hands on and kept swinging it around the hall, chasing after three or four people.

Li Cheng held an iron pot and stood protectively beside Ye Xiao. Anyone who came close to attack him would be blocked with the pot and then knocked back with a couple of blows. This cooking duo managed to create a subtle kind of teamwork as they moved through the chaotic crowd.

After the farce, the hall was filled with adventurers lying haphazardly, their heads bleeding. Ye Xiao, who was also bruised and battered, threw away the bent soup spoon in his hand, clapped his hands, and spat at the several dark-skinned men lying on the ground.

"The local guilds are so rude."

Li Cheng limped to the front desk and slammed his guild certificate on the table. "The guilds that can do the quests have already done them. Can we register now? ...Hey, where are they?"

"She went to get us rooms," Freya chimed in.

"Huh? Why are you suddenly so diligent?" Li Cheng scratched his head, looked at the dignified Freya, and then at the little maid standing to the side yawning.

……

Leaving aside the chaos at the Adventurers' Guild, Ella, who was sitting in the Sanctuary carriage, was about to arrive at the entrance of the Liancheng Bridge leading to the South District.

Guard posts are set up on both sides of the bridge, and the wide, gray bridge surface is bustling with traffic. In the distance, a cluster of buildings of varying heights on a mountain peak is clearly the more prosperous southern city.

The reception staff of the Ocean Sanctuary were also waiting at the bridgehead for the group from the Loren Sanctuary.

Through the lattice window in the carriage, Ella could see from afar the row of Templar Knights clad in black and blue armor, and the slightly older female priestess they were surrounding.

"Welcome, esteemed members of the Loren Sanctuary who have traveled from afar. I am Aurora, the High Priestess of the Ocean Sanctuary in Stormport." This female clergyman, with long, curly brown hair, stepped forward, clasped her hands together, and bowed slightly, making a gesture of worship towards the carriage procession.

“Thank you for waiting, High Priestess Aurora. May the great God of Light bless you.” Ella lifted the curtain, clasped her hands together, and smiled as she bowed to Aurora. “I am Ella Hayville, High Priestess of the Loren Sanctuary.”

Although both are the rank of priests in the ritual hall, as the high priest of the Temple of Light under the command of the Father of Gods, the God of Light, Ella's current rank is one level higher than that of the same rank in the Temple of Gods. Therefore, she only needs to return the greeting from the carriage and does not need to get off the carriage to pay her respects.

"There is no need for honorifics when addressing me, High Priestess Havil. At your age, you have already been promoted to the rank of Elder, truly deserving of being the chosen one of the God of Light, revered by all."

"You flatter me, Priestess Aurora. With your youthful beauty, you must not be much older than me."

"Hahaha, Priestess Havil's praise is truly delightful. Such humility from you..."

The two engaged in a polite exchange of compliments. Although Ella's position in the sanctuary didn't actually require such deliberate flattery, it wasn't a bad thing to do so, and Ella didn't hesitate to praise others.

The priests of the Ocean Sanctuary, who were initially wary of the duke's daughter's infamy or the rumors of the saintly deity, might open their hearts a little more as a result.

As the saying goes, a person praised by the church is loved by everyone.

Chapter Seventeen: The Ocean Charlatan

Priestess Aurora and a group of Ocean Templars led Ella and the others onto the bridge.

Even though she had crossed this magnificent bridge many times in her previous life as Ye Xiao, in this life as Ella, she would still marvel at how these two bridges spanning the strait truly deserved to be called wonders created by the magical power of this world.

The massive, heavy rock piers plunge into the sea to support the wide and towering bridge, which runs through the majestic peaks of the island in the south and connects to the cliffs of the north city that stand on the steep coastline. Below the cliffs is the large-scale North City harbor area, where ships of all sizes from all over the world pass through and drift to the distant sea through the huge archway.

The magnificent and wide bridge is divided into two levels. The lower level connects to a hole carved into the rock wall of the north city, which is a market area elevated above the sea. Merchants from both the north and south cities gather here, and the slow and crowded flow of people passes through it.

The upper level is the bridge that Ella is currently crossing in her carriage; this is merely a transportation hub for noble carriages or freight wagons to quickly pass between the two cities.

As an all-encompassing port city, Ella saw many visitors from different races on this bridge alone. In addition to the handsome and beautiful elves riding in luxurious carriages, there were also orcs sitting in simple, cobbled-together vehicles that somehow could move.

In the distance, dwarven airships slowly descended amidst the towering buildings of the southern city. Unlike the imperial city, which adhered to aristocratic norms and pursued a rigorous architectural style, the urban style here was rugged and diverse.

Admiring the countless cruise ships passing by on the ocean outside the bridge, as well as the magnificent city street scene, the carriage of the Holy Church entourage gradually crossed the western city bridge and entered the bustling southern city.

As mentioned earlier, South City is an island with a mountain peak, and the city's highest administrator, Earl Malz's mansion, is located atop that mountain in Wind Chaser Castle.

And on the mountainside stands a huge church with a blue spire, which occupies a vast area and is called the Ocean Sanctuary.

Unlike the Loren Church, which has a walled-off area that forms its own small district, the Ocean Church is simply a large, pointed church.

In addition to a yellow sun symbol representing the God of Light with a hollowed-out eye in the center, the church also features a blue double-handled water bottle symbol below it.

After navigating a wide, man-made mountain road, Ella's carriage, led by Aurora on horseback, came to a stop at the church's main entrance, startling several white doves that had been standing idly on the steps in front of the door.

"Priestess Heviel, please come in."

Upon entering, the first thing you see is a tall stone statue of a goddess, depicting a long-haired girl with a clear and gentle face, wearing a shepherd's robe and standing barefoot on a stone platform, holding a stone vase tilted downwards.

This should be the image of Undine, the goddess of rivers and seas.

Above and behind this giant goddess statue is a much smaller faceless statue of the god of light, embedded in the wall. This is understandable, since this is the water god's domain, and the fact that the god of light is placed above the water god's statue already explains everything.

Below the statue of the goddess was the back view of a graceful young girl praying to the statue. After noticing the arrival of Ella and the others, she turned around.

Ella's gaze swept across the rows of empty benches in the vast, empty hall and met the other person's.

The girl's long, straight hair seemed to be colored by the azure sky, and two strands of hair falling to her chest outlined her fair and delicate face. Beneath her long, slender eyebrows were a pair of warm, clear blue eyes.

But what is most striking is its pair of slightly pointed, slender ears, a feature seemingly unique to elven bloodlines.

Unlike Ella's pristine white and gold-embroidered long dress from the Temple of Light, this girl's white dress was embroidered with sea-blue water ripples. Perhaps to suit the warm and humid coastal climate, the sleeves were cut shorter, revealing her rounded, fair shoulders.

"The sea embraces all rivers and sees the joy of all living beings. I pray to my Lord to summon the spirits of the river to cleanse you of the dust and welcome you."

"Welcome, brothers and sisters of the Loren Sanctuary. I am Vanessa Shelley, Bishop of the Storm Ocean Sanctuary."

The iridescent light shining through the stained glass window fell on the young bishop, as if she were draped in a colorful veil.

Oh my, Ella's eyes lit up; she had learned another little trick to show off.

In the future, when others come to visit her at the Loren Sanctuary, she will first turn her back and recite a passage of cryptic sanctuary doctrine before gracefully turning away, thus elevating her status as the Holy Maiden of Light.

However, if his previous conversation with Elder Aurora was boasting, then this bishop can truly be described as very young.

Even Ella, the chosen one of the Gods of Light, hasn't been able to rise to the rank of Vice-Bishop within the Sanctuary's system. How could this girl be the Bishop of the Storm Ocean Sanctuary?

Even the strength of the Ocean Gods is probably no greater than this?

Ella introduced herself politely while secretly pondering.

But this couldn't possibly be the Ocean Goddess. Although she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, in her previous life as Ye Xiao, she had used universal points to buy posts about the Ocean Saintess on the community forum.

Regardless of her purpose in buying the post, she at least saw a photo of the Ocean Saintess—she had black hair and, although pretty, a rounder face.

This one, however, has a more oval face; you could say they're completely different people.

Furthermore, the Ocean Saintess is in the Federal Duchy of Tedeh, which is quite far from Loren.

But that makes it even more abstract. What kind of ability does someone need to become a bishop at this age?

Ella was a little puzzled, but since this was a meeting with serious business, she didn't want to ask too many questions about unrelated matters.

Furthermore, during their conversation, she discovered that the young bishop spoke with a sticky, charlatan-like air, which even Ella, who frequented the upper echelons of the Loren Cathedral, found dizzying—perhaps this was the reason why he could become a bishop at such a young age.

“According to your letter, your mission that went on pilgrimage during the festival has gone missing. In response to your request for assistance, we have come here mainly for this reason, to search for their whereabouts together with you brothers and sisters.” Ella asked as directly as possible, “I wonder if Bishop Vanessa has any information for us to refer to.”

“The lost lamb will find its way back to God at the end of the road.” Vanessa’s voice was soft, but there was a mystical quality to her words. “It is heard by following the whispers of the sea to the land.”

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency. I just wanted to ask... is there any more practical, or more specific, information?" Ella felt a chill run down her spine. This beautiful young charlatan's words were incredibly abstract; even her experience as a riddle teller on a forum wasn't enough for her to understand them.

"And close your eyes."

what?

"Feeling the call of my Lord, even the thick fog will be dispelled by a gentle stream."

What utter nonsense!?

The Holy Maiden was completely bewildered, and unusually, her expression was on the verge of breaking down.

Just as she was contemplating whether to find a dark room and use her tentacles to hang the bishop up and interrogate her about what she was saying, she suddenly felt a piece of paper being slipped into her hand.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting that of Aurora, who was standing close to her.

The elderly high priest nodded, gesturing for Ella to open the slip of paper in her hand.

Ella unfolded the note, and it read:

"Upstream is the Horn River, which flows into the sea. The last place they were seen before they disappeared is where its tributary meets the mist forest."

Chapter Eighteen: The False Bishop

Ella and the riddle archbishop had another cryptic conversation, and if Elder Aurora hadn't been passing her notes, she wouldn't have understood what they were talking about.

To be honest, is this how Ocean Sanctuary proselytizes?

But she already understood the general information: the exact location where the missing delegation was last seen, and the fact that the holy water no longer appeared.

The water bottle held by the tall goddess statue in front of us is said to release holy water essence during the archbishop's prayers in the middle of each month, on the night of the full moon. Just one drop of this holy water essence, which contains divine power, is enough to transform an entire pool of water into holy water.

Ella thought to herself, "Isn't this just super-compressed Coca-Cola syrup?"

But starting about three months ago, the archbishop's prayers could no longer be answered by the sea goddess Undine, and the holy water essence no longer appeared in the water bottle.

The clergy of the Ocean Sanctuary are investigating the cause of the incident, but the recent disappearance of the mission has left them overwhelmed and they have no choice but to request assistance from the Loren Sanctuary.

“I understand the general situation. Next, I will go to Horn Village to investigate the delegation’s information,” Ella said softly. “But there is still one problem.”

“Speak freely, Priestess Havil.” Vanessa closed her eyes slightly, her devotion so profound it seemed she was constantly praying to a god.

"Was it always Lady Vanessa who performed the holy water prayer ceremony before?"

Upon hearing this question, Ella noticed that Vanessa's eye seemed to twitch slightly. This fleeting movement was so subtle that Ella thought it was just her imagination.

Looking at the blue-haired girl again, she still had a peaceful and devout appearance.

“No, Lady Vanessa was promoted to bishop three months ago,” Aurora answered from the side. “Before that, it was done by the former bishop, Lady Beverly.”

Huh...? Isn't this clearly a problem with the current bishop?

Ella glanced at Aurora, who was smiling and answering the question, then at Vanessa, who had a calm expression, and countless question marks appeared above her head.

No, three months ago, there was holy water during the previous bishop's prayers, but now that a new bishop has been appointed, the holy water is no longer available. Shouldn't a normal person think that something is wrong with this new bishop?

Why are these two still looking so serious?