Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 265

[Vol. 5] Chapter 265: A Private Conversation with the Judgement Saintess

The last time they met, this confident, beautiful, and powerful saintess had left quite a good impression on the priestess. Yet now, upon their second meeting, she was beginning to question her own faith.

But any truly devout believer would likely find it difficult to accept such a thing.

With a quiet sigh in her heart, Violet didn’t offer any meaningless words of comfort. Instead, she filled the now-empty teacup in front of Frederica and gently pushed it in her direction.

“Drink some water, calm down.”

“Mm… Thank you…”

To become the Judgement Saintess, Frederica’s mental willpower was undoubtedly extremely strong. Although she had momentarily lost control of her emotions when discussing the strange matter that had been troubling her for so long, after drinking half a cup of warm tea, she had gradually regained her composure.

After a brief wait, seeing that Frederica’s complexion had improved slightly, Violet thoughtfully spoke again.

“Was that something the people from the [Light Worshipper Church] told you?”

The blonde girl was slightly taken aback but quickly nodded in agreement.

As expected…

It was a classic case of “the person in question being too close to see clearly.” While what she had heard certainly seemed wrong, for Frederica, who had grown up surrounded by the teachings of faith-based magic, if she had been able to figure out these subtle details on her own, she would have realized them much earlier.

It must have been some outsider who pointed it out to her and presented the inconsistencies in a more obvious way. Combined with the frequent failures of faith-based magic in the Sarnos Province, it was this that truly caused the staunchly faithful saintess to waver.

Setting down the teacup, Frederica softly continued the previous topic.

“After making the necessary arrangements, I lost consciousness due to severe injuries. When I woke up again, I found myself lying on a bed in a cottage.”

“Later, my personal guards explained to me that I had been unconscious for over a week. During the journey to the eastern part of the Sarnos Province, I had suffered from exhaustion, chills, and the injuries from battle. I had a high fever, and it seemed like I was about to die.”

“My personal guards were all skilled in combat, but none were particularly good at healing. In desperation, they decided to find a nearby village to stay in temporarily, using some local remedies. With the help of the villagers, they worked hard to save my life.”

“I slept for a long time, and when I woke up, the situation in the Sarnos Province had deteriorated drastically. Major cities had fallen one after another and were occupied by demons, but that village… it was very strange.”

“Although the turmoil had spread anxiety about the future, the overall situation was still stable. It seemed as though some kind of force was secretly maintaining order, replacing the Church that had been destroyed or temporarily evacuated due to the drastic changes, and played a role in pacifying the people’s hearts.”

She paused to catch her breath after speaking at length. Looking down at the light golden robe of the [Light Worshippers] she wore, Frederica shook her head with a sigh.

“Later, I found out that it was the [Light Worshipper Church], an organization that had recently spread from abroad. Taking advantage of the gap left by the Goddess Church losing control of the two major provinces due to the demon invasion, this organization began to take root and grow in this region.”

“To be honest, as a saintess of the Church, I was initially very cautious about these people.”

“Without revealing my identity, I secretly observed them for a long time. I then sent my most trusted guard back to the Holy Capital to report my situation to the true pillar of my family, an ancestor who could be absolutely trusted. Afterward, I decided to lie low and wait for an opportunity to further investigate this strange organization.”

“It was also at this time that the phenomenon of faith-based magic malfunctioning and the collapse of faith in Sarnos Province began to spread alongside the [Light Worshipper Church].”

“Wait… so, who exactly is the true leader of this [Light Worshipper Church]?”

Upon hearing the question from the white fox, Frederica paused for a moment, then quickly shook her head in earnest.

“I don’t know. Or rather, the [Light Worshipper Church] likely doesn’t have a leader like a ‘Pope,’ ‘Saintess,’ or anything similar.”

“As you can see, the core of the [Light Worshipper Church] in this region is made up of people like me and Elrand, like the Apostles, Missionaries, and others.”

“But what we do is really just guide and care for the believers in certain regions to some extent. There is very little communication across distances within the organization. In fact, I still don’t know who the ‘Apostles’ are in other countries or regions, or how many of them there are.”

“It’s a rather loose organization, and its concept of faith is strikingly similar to that of the Goddess Church. It’s almost like a… part-time job, which is why I could join without much burden.”

At this point, Frederica smiled again.

“As for why I joined the [Light Worshipper Church], I mentioned earlier that shortly after I woke up, the phenomenon of faith-based magic malfunctioning began to occur in Sarnos and Keller Provinces.”

“At that time, the [Blood Calamity] in the St. Bergen Mountains hadn’t erupted yet. It was the first time I encountered such an inexplicable situation, and my guards, who had gone to contact our ancestors, hadn’t returned. Unable to make sense of it, I had no choice but to seek help from the [Light Worshipper Church], which had arrived here before us, to see if they had any insights.”

Frederica glanced toward the closed door of the room, lowering her voice slightly, as if hinting at something.

“What does Miss Dawn think of Elrand from the Lightborn Tribe?”

“?”

Caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic, Violet quickly realized. The leader of the [Light Worshipper Church] in the village Frederica encountered was likely the missionary they were discussing.

In other words, he was Frederica’s guide.

Reflecting on this, the white fox gave her judgment.

“Firstly, it’s said that the Lightborn Tribe not only possesses outstanding strength and talent but also has an upright character, often doing good and punishing evil. That’s why this race has always earned the respect and praise of the people of the Holy Empire…”

“As for Elrand, I haven’t interacted with him too much, but based on various circumstances, he seems to be a rather straightforward guy.”

“He wouldn’t be considered a saint or anything, but at least he won’t casually lie, cheat, or covet power and wealth… relatively speaking, he is worthy of a certain level of trust.”

In other words, he is commonly referred to as a “good person.”

The Saintess nodded in agreement.

“I think so too. Additionally, Miss Dawn may not know, but Elrand had previously lived in the wasteland between the Human United Kingdom and our southern region. When the [Southern Calamity] or abyss calamity came, he even helped the Holy Empire’s army fight against the abyssal beast army, achieving significant results.”

“After the Abyssal Calamity ended, he quietly left, and by chance, came into contact with the newly rising [Light Worshipper Church]. After some twists and turns, he quickly became a missionary there and, due to his identity as a member of the Lightborn Tribe, chose to come to this area to spread the teachings… just in time for the demon invasion.”

“I have secretly sent people to investigate his background, and it’s very clean. Plus, with the protection of being from the Lightborn Tribe, there shouldn’t be any issues…”

“Uh, so what are you trying to say?”