Most buildings in the Holy King Capital were tall, dozens of meters, even over a hundred meters.
They were steadily supported by thick bases of magic technology, with bridges and various load-bearing stone pillars erected in the air.
It looked like a grand metropolis from the future.
Especially this temple.
Several rows of Royal Knights guarded the temple.
Gabrielle swept her gaze over them. These knights all seemed to have just barely reached Marquis rank.
The knights wore white uniforms and held their swords vertically in front of their chests.
The maids looked somewhat out of place among the knights.
They were like personal servants following Gabrielle rather than knights.
However, at Olivia’s request, they still attended in maid outfits.
Compared to the outfits they wore at the mansion, the only difference in the maid uniform design was the addition of several light scale armor pieces at the waist that extended to the hem of the skirt, giving them a slightly more knight-like appearance.
Although they were maids, the Royal Knight squad did not show any signs of suspicion.
“Lady Silver-White Sword Emperor.”
“Miss Saintess, Captain.”
The knights slightly nodded to show respect.
In truth, while on the road, Gabrielle had already seen through Miss Simona’s painstaking efforts.
Many residents had gathered on the roadside to watch this enormous carriage procession.
Occasionally, she could even hear them calling out the name Silver-White Sword Emperor.
Thinking of this, Gabrielle felt so embarrassed that her face turned red.
She was not someone skilled at dealing with crowds.
The temple was not a place Holy Queen Simona liked.
Simona was an interesting ruler.
Although the Church believed in gods, the Holy Queen was an out-and-out atheist.
Therefore, the temple operated under the protection of the Royal Knight Order.
Rituals, worship, and the like were all handed over to another person to manage — Heavenly Hammer Sage.
Later, when Heavenly Hammer Sage died, this great responsibility fell upon another person.
That person was Saintess Loli.
Previously, she did not have this name.
Everyone called her Saintess, so naturally she did not need a name.
Most knights knew the Saintess, including the Priest Order that had long been stationed in the heart of the Holy King Capital.
However, now the temple was without a leader.
It was said that a bishop had been assigned to manage it.
This was the place to worship gods.
Heavenly God Cress raised her head and looked up at this towering building.
There was a hint of emotion in her eyes.
“Very luxurious.”
Gabrielle thought for a moment. Cress would indeed think that.
After all, from ten thousand years ago until now, although humanity had experienced several wars and destructions, and magic power levels varied greatly, they had still preserved magic technology.
Magic technology allowed humans to build skyscrapers, trains, and even airships.
During the battle against the Demon King, humans had even brought out magic puppets and airships.
However, without the support of the Priest Order at that time, these weapons appeared like slow-moving targets in front of powerful mages.
This scale and level of technology was something a Heavenly God who had reached the pinnacle in both magic attainment and physical cultivation was seeing for the first time.
Isabella had the same feeling.
In truth, this was not her first time visiting a human city either.
A long time ago, when Gabrielle had not yet recovered her memories, Isabella had come once.
It was that very time that made her fall in love with chocolate and human culture.
After returning, she had even clamored for Gabrielle to make it for her to eat.
Upon entering through the temple’s main gate, the surroundings suddenly became quiet.
The thick walls blocked out all sound.
A humming sound echoed in the air, as if it were the low murmurs of believers kneeling on the ground.
In the center of the hall stood a majestic goddess statue.
Its proportions were the same as a normal human body.
A pair of white wings behind her looked lifelike.
She lowered her eyebrows slightly, as if looking down upon all living beings.
Several saints dressed in white robes knelt on the ground, as if they had completely merged with the floor and the surrounding stone carvings.
If not for the nine candles casting a blood-red glow on their faces, Gabrielle might have even thought they were already dead.
One of them, a tall woman, stood up.
Her face carried a dazed and blank expression, yet her eyes were extremely spirited.
Her figure could be described as “full-figured.”
Her long gray-white hair looked as if it had faded in color.
She looked toward the direction where the four of them stood.
“I am the bishop currently in charge of temple affairs. You may call me [Abyss].”
“That’s quite a special name.”
Gabrielle smiled.
“Yes.” The girl who called herself Abyss tilted her head and smiled.
The corner of her mouth curved into a chilling arc.
Those spirited eyes seemed to see through everything.
“This is a title bestowed upon me by God. Hehe… no need to mind it.”
At some point, Isabella had picked up a holy scripture from the wall and begun flipping through it.
It recorded various miracles and was something believers would carry with them.
Then, Isabella raised her head and looked at the statue of the god.
“Your god doesn’t have a name?”
“How rude, Miss Black. Our god does have a name.”
Miss Abyss said with a smile.
[God of Holy Feathers].
The only god all humans believed in.
From beginning to end, there was only her.
“The title God gave you is actually something like [Abyss].” Isabella laughed. “I thought it was a Demon King bestowing titles upon her Four Heavenly Kings.”
Isabella stopped speaking.
Gabrielle also noticed that the one called [Abyss] had extremely stable power.
Bishop Abyss emitted the aura of the most normal clergyman.
Her combat class might have reached “King rank.”
As a bishop, it was very ordinary, yet there was an indescribable strangeness about her.
In her previous understanding of this world, even when she had treated it as a game, Gabrielle had only known that the Church’s four bishops were all under the Holy Queen’s control.
It was very strange.
Olivia’s eyes also narrowed slightly.
“I haven’t seen you before, Miss Abyss.”
“Miss Saintess, there is no need to concern yourself with a small character like me, hehe.”
Bishop Abyss’s words seemed to avoid the topic.
For a moment, the atmosphere became strange.
Gabrielle looked once more at the statue of the [God of Holy Feathers].
It was pure white.
Even as a sculpted product, it seemed one could see every detail of her body.
The way she looked down upon all living beings felt like mockery, like a curse, like an indescribable strangeness.
Gabrielle felt somewhat suffocated.
She understood far too well why Miss Holy Queen did not believe in gods.
At this moment, as if she had seen through Gabrielle’s thoughts, Abyss looked at Gabrielle.
That gaze was not a smile, but a stiff, chilling reverence.
“Lady Silver-White Sword Emperor, Miss Holy Queen is not a pilgrim like us. God comforts her and supports her. This is also part of her mercy.”
“Oh.”
Gabrielle nodded.
Suddenly, Cress, who had remained silent the entire time, spoke.
“This god does not exist.”
Everyone froze.
Even the believers turned their heads and stared at her in unison.