[Saintess Iris]
On that day, a large crowd had gathered in the commoner district at the heart of the royal capital.
These people, brought together by Tashte and Mido, came from diverse backgrounds. Some were commoners, others slum dwellers, and others still low-ranking nobles. However, they shared one thing in common—their unwavering faith in the orthodox teachings of the church, which had deep roots in the royal capital since the olden days.
Among them were individuals related to Loweist Lecherouss Piggs. They were members of the Piggs House he had cut off and had no involvement in this incident.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Who knows? But it seems that the church asked us to gather.”
“Is some big wig going to give a speech or something?”
“I’m not sure.”
For most of these people, the teachings of the church had become an integral part of their daily lives.
What they had imbibed from the revered institution had become their way of life.
It didn’t matter to them who held sway within the church hierarchy.
Well, at least not completely; because whoever held power within the church, its core teachings wouldn’t change.
They would still hold them in reverence because it was the path dictated by the church.
Their belief was that by doing so, a brighter future awaited them.
“Everyone!! Thank you all for being here. We’ve gathered you here today to share an important announcement: a saintess has descended among us!!! But before I continue, there is a special issue of a newspaper I must share with you!!!”
This newspaper contained an extensive account of the countless evil deeds committed by Loweist Lecherouss Piggs.
It was stressed that these deeds had no connection to the church and that Loweist Lecherouss Piggs had shamelessly exploited the church’s name. That’s the first point.
The second point concerned the fact that the church did not advocate the supremacy of humans.
“We’ve been deceived! Punish the evil-doer! Give us a true guide!!!”
Incited by actors hired by Mido, the crowd began to grow increasingly agitated.
As the crowd unified, Sister Iris descended gracefully from the sky, riding a transparent Bal.
“Look! A goddess has descended from the heavens!”
“Someone is flying!”
“Hey, I think I’ve seen her before!”
“So have I!”
“That’s Lady Iris!! I saw her during the Sword Emperor’s Cup!”
As the newest champion of the Academy Sword Emperor’s Cup, the young lady of the Ducal House of Deskustos, and the kingdom’s most cherished jewel, there wasn’t a single soul in the royal capital unfamiliar with Iris Hugaro Deskustos.
“Everyone! Starting today, our true guide, the Saintess, will lead us to the right path!!! Let us begin our prayers!!!”
Without hesitation, people assumed prayer positions.
A soft, pink radiance emanated from Sister Iris as her mana flowed into the assembled crowd.
Sister Iris channeled her attribute magic, [Temptation], into the people gathered before her.
She didn’t possess enough mana to affect everyone, but more than half of them succumbed to her magical influence, which was more than sufficient.
“Saintess!!! Please guide us!!!”
It began with one person, then another, and another, until…
The once-muted voices swelled into a powerful chorus, echoing throughout the area.
Emotions ran high as people shared in the sentiments of those around them.
Just as one person might yawn upon seeing another yawn, the human mind tended to align with the prevailing opinions and unconsciously adopt them.
If the majority accepted that Sister Iris was indeed the Saintess…
“““Long live the Saintess!!! Long live Lady Iris! Long live our guide!!!”””
The collective consciousness of the people resonated through empathy.
“““Long live the Saintess!!! Long live Lady Iris! Long live our guide!!!”””
Temporary or not, it didn’t matter.
“““Long live the Saintess!!! Long live Lady Iris! Long live our guide!!!”””
Whether they were swept up in the moment or genuinely believed it… the people here acknowledged Sister Iris as the Saintess.
“Well, Syrup, shall we go?”
“Yes, Master.”
I left the square with Syrup who held a stuffed purple bear.
Sister Iris had already touched down on the ground.
My part in this was over, and I entrusted Sister Iris, Tashte, and Mido with the rest.
Loweist Lecherouss Piggs was now left with no slaves or believers, only the fanatics he had cultivated.
I had instructed Ruby and Myril to remain at the mansion. After all, no one would be foolish enough to break into the residence of Duke Deskustos.
As we got closer to our destination, the commotion in the plaza grew faint… while the number of black-clad men gradually increased.
I had been taking away Loweist Lecherouss Piggs’ sources of wealth one by one.
・I had destroyed the orphanage run by Loweist Lecherouss Piggs and took away the children.
・I had turned the wealthy nobles who aligned with Loweist Lecherouss Piggs into sloths and took away their slaves.
・I had secretly made certain that individuals affiliated with Loweist Lecherous Piggs within the church mysteriously vanished.
I didn’t undertake these actions in the manner of a typical do-gooder or ally of justice.
Many of the nobles were aligned with the Noble Faction and the Royalist Faction, but I didn’t care.
My objective was simply to teach other nobles who the true villain was in this world.
And to show them the dire consequences of making an enemy of Luc Hugaro Deskustos.
It was similar to what I had done in the tutorial battle with Dan.
The Nezurs played a huge part in all of this. They hadn’t only provided me with information but also conducted covert operations behind the scenes. Without their help, I would have had a much harder time.
And for the sake of Akali(?), Mido had spared no expense in hiring the necessary personnel.
Their contribution was so substantial that I managed to take away everything Loweist Lecherouss Piggs’ possessed in just a single day.
Once everything was over, I had to express my gratitude to them.
I left the church-related matters to people who genuinely cared about the church (i.e. people who listened to me). From now on, they would worship Sister Iris as the Saintess.
The children from the orphanage and those who had been sold as slaves had been relocated into the maid and butler unit educational institution organized by Karin and Akali.
Children with severe injuries had been brought to my mansion, where preparations were underway for their proper care and treatment.
By anointing Sister Iris a Saintess, I had effectively kicked Loweist Lecherouss Piggs off from the holy throne he had built for himself within the church, robbing all faith in him and his credibility.
It was unquestionably an act of evil.
But, I didn’t mind embracing the role of the villain.
“Eek!”
In front of me, Syrup and Bal efficiently took down the black-clad men.
The man who had put up the fiercest resistance looked up at me.
“Hi, you’re the leader, right? What’s your name?”
“……”
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you die. [Sloth].”
I wasn’t going to grant him an easy death. Instead, I’d strip away his will to resist and leave him lethargic…
“I’ll ask again. What’s your name?”
“Ga… Ro…”
“Did you touch what’s mine?”
“Yes…” Garo, the leader of the black-clad men, answered with vacant eyes, drooling.
“So you did. Well, congratulations. You will spend the rest of your life in sloth. It’s my gift to you. I sure envy you. To be able to embrace sloth.”
These black-clad men were Loweist Lecherouss Piggs’s last private army. His only remaining forces were those guarding his mansion.
But Loweist Lecherouss Piggs wasn’t in his mansion.
He must have figured out a plan to turn the tables and ensure his survival. As for how effective it was, it would remain to be seen.
“Syrup.”
“Sir!”
“I’ll proceed with Bal alone from here.”
“All right.”
“I expect we may have visitors. Receive them.”
“I will prepare some warm tea and await your return.”
Heh, Syrup was just like Hacchan, as always.
Let’s wrap this up quickly and return soon.
With that, I stepped into the underground dungeon managed by the church.
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Yup, everything pretty much went as expected. Though Iris becoming a saint was unexpectedly hilarious!
I wonder how this little shake up will affect the factions that are currently in a state of cold war? (Well, I guess it’s probably not quite right to call this move just a small thing, it’s more like he took the chessboard and flilled it over entirely.) I mean Luc effectively took over the church, one of the largest sources of power and influence in the whole country! And he did it all so fast too! I can’t imagine how much effort and planning went into Loweist’s slow and methodical take over of the church, it must have been unimaginably painfull for him to lose it all so quickly.
I wonder how much both factions lost when everyone associated with loweist was forcibly stripped of all of their ambition? I imagine desktos must have been hit the hardest, but it’s not as if the royals got off scot free.
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Saintess Iris? More like garbage
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