After sunrise, a visibly exhausted Tia was abruptly dragged into the meeting room through the back door by Truth, who was dressed firmly in a teal long dress.
Truth insisted that from now on, she would be responsible for Deya City.
“Me, responsible for Deya City? Th-this doesn’t seem right at all!”
Tia was utterly confused. She was just a Fourth-Rank Priest with no connections or authority, incapable of controlling those cunning nobles. At best, she could only serve as a figurehead.
But if it was going to be a figurehead, wouldn’t Truth herself be better suited? Why was it her being chosen?
“This is the Hermit’s test for you,” Truth said.
“The Hermit’s test? Fine, I’m in!”…
Truth then led Tia to a side room in the meeting hall to wait, while she went alone to the main conference table to face the nobles who had been waiting for some time.
Unlike yesterday afternoon, this morning nearly half of the nobles were absent, and the mood was somber—completely devoid of their usual arrogance.
Everyone except the fifteen who had been assassinated was present, because they knew there was no escaping the Church’s assassins.
As for dignity, it no longer mattered. Better to live in disgrace than to die.
Truth sat at the head of the table, clapped her hands lightly, and asked with a smile, “Have you all thought it over? Can you settle down and listen to what I have to say?”
The room fell silent; no one dared to speak.
After a long moment, under the gaze of the others, Antonio was reluctantly forced to be the first noble to speak—after all, he was the first to raise doubts about the Ninth Saintess, sparking the recent conflict:
“Y-yes, after a night of serious consideration, we have realized that only under the guidance of Saintess yourself can Deya City break free from its long-standing stagnation and forge a new future…”
Antonio’s words were the sycophantic type his kind excelled at. The others nodded in agreement. Truth was very pleased; it seemed they were still quite obedient.
“That’s wonderful to hear. I hope we can cooperate happily from now on. By the way, since I’m not yet very skilled at governing the city, I plan to have someone more familiar with Deya lead you temporarily.”
Someone else?!
The nobles present immediately grew restless. Was this even acting? She was outright saying someone else would replace the Ninth Saintess in governing Deya City?
At least the Saintess wouldn’t propose harsh policies, but someone else might.
And judging by how the Church assassins operated last night, if the newcomer was from the Church, there might be a total purge!
Then, under everyone’s tense gaze, Truth called out the High Priest Tia, who appeared somewhat uneasy.
“Uh… hello, everyone?”
Huh? The High Priest? It’s her?
What was going on?!
The nobles were utterly baffled by Truth’s intentions.
Weren’t the Church assassins supposed to intimidate them last night?
Why now suddenly appoint the gentle and kind High Priest to replace her?
Was this a black face, white face act?
“This is the Church’s decision. We hope everyone can coexist peacefully,” Truth suddenly added, immediately dispelling all the nobles’ concerns.
The Church’s decision…
Oh, so that’s it, Antonio thought. Since the Saintess is responsible for the entire Deya Plateau, someone else is assigned to govern Deya City so she can focus on other matters…
Tsk! Why overthink? Whether Saintess or High Priest, they’re all Church people. All we can do is obey quietly, or else one day we’ll be gutted alive!
Antonio was the first to bow respectfully to Tia:
“Greetings, High Priest. Over the years, I have often heard praise for your boundless love. Your status in my heart has long been unparalleled. It is truly an honor to serve alongside you!”
Immediately, all the nobles scrambled to mount their horses, unleashing their best stored-up compliments. Tia started to doubt herself, her face flushing softly.
Huh? Do I really have this much influence among the upper class? Usually, these people barely acknowledge me unless they’re injured. How come now they’re so eager?
Could the Hermit be secretly pulling strings behind the scenes?
“Very good,” Truth nodded with satisfaction. With the threat of death looming, the nobles should obey Tia’s orders for a while.
Having minions is a real advantage—now she could level up without worries!
But just as Truth arranged everything and announced the meeting’s end, preparing to head to the Adventurers’ Guild, Tia suddenly stopped her.
“Wait, where do you think you’re going, Saintess? Do you know how long I looked for you last night?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Last night’s commotion was huge, and didn’t you notice? The Demon Hunter Squad fought over a dozen demons all night. Several demons even injured many curious bystanders. Those wounded are still piled at the Church’s main entrance!”
Since Truth entered through the back door this morning, she hadn’t noticed the injured at the front.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“It’s your business!” Tia pinched Truth’s cheek and continued.
“My priests and I can barely keep up with treatment. We were exhausted and had planned to rest a couple of hours before continuing, but then you dragged me here first thing this morning and suddenly there’s a mountain of new tasks.”
“And you, my Saintess, surely don’t want your followers to die here in the Church, right? Your primary mission now is to take over my position and heal them!
“Besides, if you don’t treat them, the Goddess of Life might start doubting you.”
Tia whispered this last part, which made Truth click her tongue in impatience. What a hassle. Fine, she’d do it—consider it a side quest before the main storyline.
Hopefully, these followers would generate more Faith Power for her…
Ten minutes later, outside the Church of the Goddess of Life, the entrance was crowded with wailing injured.
Their wounds emitted a thick black aura—an infection skill of the Dark Demons.
This infection gradually corrodes wounds, causing agonizing, deathly pain like slow dismemberment.
During the battle with the Demon Hunters, several Dark Demons indiscriminately infected over a hundred civilians who had come too close to watch the fight.
This number did not even include those injured by other demons.
Tia’s junior priests were still working hard to heal everyone.
They could only treat for twenty minutes before needing an hour of rest, as their mana recovery was insufficient.
“Ah, Saintess!” An injured man with a dark scratch across his abdomen, bleeding black blood, spotted Truth’s arrival.
All eyes turned to Truth, as if seeing a beacon of hope. Faith Power began gathering around them.
Why did the Demon Hunters injure so many people? What are they even eating?
Truth frowned and asked a resting junior priest what was happening.
“It was quite serious at first—about twenty critically injured and unconscious. Thankfully, Teacher Tia barely managed to hold on. But as more wounded arrived, it became harder for us. Fortunately, an old man named Suho brought a whole cartload of high-grade Healing Potions.”
“High-grade Healing Potions? Could he be trying to profit from the wounded?”
“No,” the junior priest shook his head.
“Though he seemed nervous and suspicious, he gave the expensive potions away for free, saying it was to show his respect for the Saintess!
Saintess, you’re amazing! You made that stingy rich man suddenly do charity!”
After learning the fifth noble was assassinated, Suho and Maina immediately suspected the Church was establishing the Saintess’s authority.
They sent their applications overnight, and soon Suho brought a cart full of Healing Potions to the Church, greatly easing the priests’ burden…
“And then?”
“At dawn, he left, saying he had to attend an important meeting. So now, our priority is purging the Dark Demon infection.”
The infection was a toxin; high-grade Healing Potions couldn’t effectively cure it.
Only the junior priests could, though Truth’s upgraded Healing Mist could also treat poison injuries.
“Alright, you all can rest for now. Leave the rest to me.”
“Eh? You’ll handle it alone?”
“Don’t worry.”
Truth decided to finish quickly. She stepped into the crowd of wounded, raised her hands, and instantly a gray mist, intertwined with silken threads, slowly enveloped all the injured.
With almost infinite mana, Truth’s Healing Mist skill alone had healing power exceeding all the junior priests combined.
Soon, the wounded began to improve.
“So cool…”
One infected patient touched the mist and felt his pain lessen, his breathing easing.
Is this the Saintess? She truly is the embodiment of all things beautiful in this world…
He struggled to open his eyes, hoping to see the Saintess’s face.
At last, he succeeded—her silver-white hair shimmered in the sunrise, but her face was filled with disdain… an expression?!
Wait, why the disdain? What did the Saintess mean by that? Is she looking down on us?!
Yes, very much so.
Because Truth noticed the Faith Power these wounded produced was pitifully low—only 136 points—and some was even intercepted by the Goddess of Life, wasted on beggars!
She had expected at least a thousand.
Hmph…
She once gathered over thirty thousand Faith Power in a single day. So now, a hundred-something points was beneath her notice.
Moreover, these wounded barely gave much experience. Truth’s own experience only rose by 20 points—less than if she had gone to the labyrinth to fight slimes!
What a waste of time!
“Saintess!”
Because Truth’s disdain was so obvious, many wounded panicked, forcing themselves to sit up through pain and cast her pleading looks.
“Saintess, do you dislike us now?”
Had they caused trouble by gathering at the Church entrance after being injured? Or was she angry for having to treat them after a tiring night?
But then again, the Saintess’s combination of disdain and healing had a peculiar charm…
“Well, a little,” Truth immediately switched to a sweet smile, breaking everyone’s hearts. Some even knelt down and apologized.
Then she continued, “After all, I don’t want you to keep abusing your bodies like this. Demons are so dangerous, yet you get so close and end up lying here so pitifully. I’m really saddened…”
As soon as she finished speaking, a small burst of Faith Power flew out from the wounded, and just with that one sentence, Truth squeezed a little more Faith Power from them.