I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess

Chapter 74: Imperial Capital, Edelmarion (2)

It was nothing new, but this world had countless gods.

Even just counting the sects actively operating in the Empire exceeded double digits.

If you included gods like Hibras, who had been forgotten or whose faith had entirely perished, it was impossible to estimate how many gods had existed throughout history.

The most renowned among them were the so-called Five Gods—gods of Light, Faith, Benevolence, Order, and War.

The sects worshiping these gods wielded significant influence.

Among them, Asirel, the god of Light, boasted the largest following and would eventually choose the female protagonist, Elise, as a saintess.

Countless gods and a myriad of sects. Despite their diversity, the scale of these sects varied greatly.

In any other world, such differences would have likely led to devastating wars. However, in this world, religious conflicts were surprisingly rare.

This made it impossible for anyone to claim, “Our faith is the only truth, and your god is a fake!”

However, the gods were reluctant to directly interfere in the mortal realm.

The task of believing in gods and building sects ultimately fell to humans.

Surprisingly, those who called themselves followers began to “classify” the gods.

This concept gave rise to the Imperial Pantheon.

Nominally, it was a religious alliance established to prevent conflicts and combat malevolent deities.

In reality, it was a political faction created by the sects of the Five Gods to extort smaller sects.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

If a sect failed to gain recognition as a “benevolent deity” by the Imperial Pantheon, their missionary activities were restricted. Worse, they risked being branded as a cult and purged.

In the end, the Pantheon was a stage for political power plays among the sects.

After explaining this, Sirien waved her hand dismissively, as if exhausted by the subject.

“Well, at least we’re in a better position. We’re not entirely unknown. We may have been buried in that forest for ages, but if you search old texts, our name does come up.”

“Because it’s a textbook example of downfall?”

“Pfft, exactly. That’s why older priests might recognize the name Hibras. At least we won’t hear remarks about having no history.”

Sirien frowned, and I could almost hear her gritting her teeth.

“But it cost us quite a bit of money.”

“Didn’t you extort a good amount from Baron Esquente? I heard the baron was practically in tears.”

“We only got half of what we should have! That money wasn’t supposed to leave my hands for a long time! Ugh, do you know how much I could’ve done with that?”

To officially register a name in the Imperial Pantheon, two conditions had to be met: proof of divine power and contributions to the Empire and the Pantheon.

Divine power was a given for recognition as a religion.

As for contributions, our achievements on the battlefield against demonic forces made this part relatively easy.

If we framed our role in repelling the demons correctly, it would be enough to meet the requirements.

The problem was that these “contributions” subtly included donations.

Without a generous donation, they’d nitpick over every little thing.

It was an open secret, but in Hibras’s case, emphasizing the god’s dominion over death could lead to complications.

So, begrudgingly, we had to gather a hefty sum of gold, which we had just donated.

The donation was so significant that the Archbishop of Asirel, who had been guiding us, grinned so wide it seemed his face might split in two.

The Archbishop promised to discuss our temple with the imperial family and conveyed that this matter would be reviewed positively.

In essence, all that remained was procedural formalities. Approval was practically guaranteed.

Still, it seemed there wasn’t a single uncorrupted corner in Edelmarion’s laws or religions.

No wonder the future crown prince drew so much attention.

“Thinking about it makes me furious again. Just wait. I’ll get back every coin I spent on this—with interest!”

“How?”

“I’ll squeeze it out of them. There isn’t a single money-handler in the Empire who doesn’t fear a tax audit. Let’s see if they can hold their heads high when I start poking around with Eilencia name. I’ll dig up every speck of dirt they’ve hidden.”

Sirien strode ahead, her steps noticeably larger than usual. It was a habit of hers when she was angry.

“Is that even possible? To take down a sect through a tax investigation?”

“If I inherit my title, it is. As the sect’s saintess, I’ll have access to all the Pantheon’s records. After that, I just need to wave the evidence under their noses with Eilencia’s name.”

“Incredible.”

I couldn’t help but admire her determination.

In the original story, the Pantheon hadn’t played a significant role.

Until the female protagonist recognized demons as people, its name appeared occasionally but never actively influenced the plot.

It never interfered with Sirien’s gradual rise to power, which, given the Pantheon’s greed, seemed odd.

Now, I thought I understood why.

“It wasn’t that they didn’t act—they couldn’t.”

As I continued following Sirien, the path flanked by statues of various gods stretched before us.

These were the deities the Pantheon had officially recognized.

The god of Light, whose statue stood before the Pantheon, was the largest.

Next were the gods of Benevolence, War, Faith, and Order, in that order.

Once Hibras was officially acknowledged, a statue would be added at the very end.

What caught my eye were the broken statues, reduced to mere feet.

Noticing my gaze, Sirien quietly explained.

“They’re the gods declared malevolent. Since the Pantheon’s establishment, it’s only happened twice. The statue we just passed was of the god of Time, and the one ahead is of the god of Darkness.”

“Instead of removing them entirely, they just break them?”

“They call it a warning—to remind everyone to stay vigilant.”

“Hmm.”

I wondered if Hibras’s statue had suffered the same fate in the original story.

The thought left a sour taste in my mouth.

Even without faith, the idea felt insulting.

“Ha. Well, at least we’ve bought ourselves some time. We’ll have to come and go a few more times, but... wasting both money and my time is infuriating.”

“You’ve done a great job. Sorry I haven’t been much help.”

“Not helpful? Don’t ever say that again. Just having you by my side means so much to me.”

Sirien took my hand and pulled me along.

“Enough of this. Let’s go eat something delicious. I’m starving.”

“Sure. I’ve got a reservation.”

“Really? When did you manage that?”

“When I thought you seemed upset last time. I wanted to cheer you up.”

“Hmm. Now I’m looking forward to it. Let’s hurry!”

****

Sirien had a refined palate.

Not only that, but she had tasted numerous rare delicacies in Rehaim.

As a result, it was no easy task to find “delicious food” by the standards of the Grand Duchess of Eilencia, and naturally, I sought out recommendations for the most famous restaurants in the capital.

High-end restaurants, of course, were always the kind of places coveted by couples wanting an intimate evening.

Though, in this case, it was likely a man seeking such time.

This meant I ran into Dersian again in front of the restaurant.

“Saintess? Fancy meeting you here!”

“Isha? Did you two plan this from the start?”

“No. Honestly, it’s purely a coincidence.”

Sirien tilted her head, skeptical.

I firmly clarified that it was indeed a coincidence.

It seemed today was the day Dersian had arranged to spar with Isha.

From the looks of it, he had prepared meticulously, and I felt guilty about potentially ruining their plans by inserting myself into the situation.

In times like these, it’s best to step aside and give them their space.

Judging by Isha’s demeanor, she had likely just come along for the promised dinner…

Well, if the two of them grew closer, it wouldn’t be a loss for me either.

“Since the two of you were planning to come here anyway, don’t mind us…”

“Since fate brought us together, how about we dine as a group of four?”

“Excuse me?”

“Ahem. I’ve been meaning to have a deeper conversation with you two anyway.”

Dersian shattered my considerate gesture without hesitation.

Looking closely, his expression was stiff, and his hands, which had been clenched tightly, were just now starting to relax.

He was clearly trying hard to compose himself. I could guess why.

I glanced at Sirien, unsure how to respond, and noticed her tightly shut lips curving into a subtle, mischievous smile.

Dersian likely didn’t catch it, but I did—it was a hidden spark of amusement.

Since she didn’t seem annoyed, I didn’t mind. At least, it didn’t seem like her mischief would be aimed at me this time.

“What do you think, Sirien?”

“Why not? This could be fun for a change.”

“Then go on inside first. Just mention my name at the door—they’ll let you in. I’ll catch up shortly.”

“Okay. Let’s go, Isha.”

After the two women went in ahead, Dersian stood awkwardly in front of me.

The moment his tension seemed to dissipate, he let out a deep sigh, “Phew—”

“I tried to give you some space, so why did you act like that?”

“Well, um… I was just so nervous. I kept making stupid mistakes, and when I saw the two of them, I just… panicked.”

Dersian’s head drooped in shame.

It seemed he was well aware of how ridiculous he’d looked.

I debated whether I should offer him some meaningful advice but ultimately decided against it.

I wasn’t exactly a seasoned expert myself, having only recently started dating Sirien. Besides, Isha wasn’t particularly perceptive in these situations.

Still, I could spare him one piece of advice.

“Take it slow. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“…Thank you.”

“Now, let’s head inside. They’re waiting for us.”

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