It was calm. Looking at the clear sky without a single cloud, the battle he suffered last night seemed like a dream.
“I can’t admit it!”
“......”
Grid, who was immersed in his thoughts, heard the commotion and s.h.i.+fted his gaze. The Rebecca Church’s priests were raising their voices.
“You want to close the temples? This can’t be understood!”
In Reinhardt, there were a total of three Rebecca Temples. In order to build the Rebecca Temples, it was necessary to meet the strict conditions of the Vatican. Great efforts were made to build the temples here.
“From the moment the statues of the G.o.ddess were erected here and people prayed here, they have already become a part of the G.o.ddess! This entire temple! Even the weed that grows within the temple is the private property of the G.o.ddess! What right does the Overgeared Kingdom have to close the temples?”
“Taking away the territory of the G.o.ddess is to rebel against her and prove that you aren’t her apostle!”
“What? It is the command of the Overgeared King? Hah! His Majesty must’ve been confused by heresy! If you don’t hurry and lead His Majesty onto the right path, then His Majesty will be punished by the G.o.ds!”
There was a fierce backlash from the priests of the three temples. They felt the Overgeared Kingdom’s stance of closing the temples was absurd. Yesterday, the 15 members of the Overgeared G.o.d Church who used to be elders of the Rebecca Church had told them the truth.
“G.o.ddess Rebecca tried to harm humanity in order to hide the sins of the G.o.ds. The G.o.ddess of mercy that we believed in and served doesn’t exist.”
“The nature of the G.o.ds who attempted to kill us to conceal them turning Archangel Sariel into a great demon for accusing them of sin is completely different from the G.o.ds we believe in! We offered prayers to them but what we get in return isn’t salvation and blessings. It is deception and violence. How can we believe in and serve them?”
“The Overgeared G.o.d saved Archangel Sariel, who was dying in the mask of a great demon that the G.o.ds placed on them, and humanity, who is desperate after seeing the truth...
“We have to serve the Overgeared G.o.d in the future.”
The elders tried to persuade the priests of the Rebecca Church. The influence they had as elders were enormous so the Rebecca priests naturally listened to them. However, they soon shook their heads and blocked their ears. From the positions of those who hadn’t directly seen the truth, they could only think that the old priests were collectively dazzled by the demons.
“Ahh! Those who lack faith have been confused by the demon’s whispers and became apostles of evil!”
“It isn’t enough for the Overgeared King to deny the G.o.ds. He also sinned by declaring himself a G.o.d! This place will soon become a demon’s lair and will be used as an outpost to turn the earth into h.e.l.l!”
“The elders who should’ve guided the Overgeared King onto the right path have something happen to them... Sigh...”
The Rebecca priests were heartbroken. Many of them wept and wailed while hitting the ground. It was a great shock and sadness that the hundreds of followers who partic.i.p.ated in the Drasion expedition, as well as the elders, had abandoned their faith in G.o.ddess Rebecca and wors.h.i.+pped the Overgeared King as a G.o.d. The faithful raised both their hands after confirming the actions of the Overgeared Kingdom, who were mobilizing the army to cast them out of the temples.
“We understand... it seems pointless to try and convince you any further so we will leave.”
“Considering our feelings over this period of time, I will give you advice. You should be careful of the difficulties that will come to the kingdom in the future. The heavenly G.o.ds won’t let you go as long as the Overgeared King calls himself a G.o.d.”
“There is already an uproar all over the kingdom. A plague has broken out in the north and a swarm of locusts has appeared in the west. A typhoon has. .h.i.t the central part and there is a flood in the south.”
“Take a look! It is all punishment! The elders must regain their minds and lead the Overgeared King to the right path!”
“The disasters were over in less than half a day. The plague in the north was solved by Saintess Ruby, the typhoon in the center by Braham and Euphemina, the flood in the south by Maxong and the water clan, and the locusts by Lord Piaro and the farmers.”
“......?”
“Additionally, haven’t you noticed why Reinhardt is calm even though a typhoon is sweeping through the central region? Look at the sky. Reinhardt is safe due to Sariel, the messenger of the Overgeared G.o.d, blessing Reinhardt.”
“......”
“The G.o.ds in Heaven can’t punish the Overgeared G.o.d and the Overgeared Kingdom. How can those who aren’t qualified deal out punishments?”
“......”
The Rebecca believers refused to talk any further. They feared being deceived by the former elders who kept talking.
“The charity and blessings of G.o.ddess Rebecca won’t come back to this land.”
The Rebecca believers left these last words and hurriedly left the temple and Reinhardt.
“Take away the statues of the G.o.ddess.”
Damian and the former elders were busy. First of all, the statues of Rebecca were removed and all forms symbolizing or suggestive of Rebecca were destroyed. Then statues of Grid started to be carved in the empty temples. People could now wors.h.i.+p Grid without having to go to the Hall of Fame.
Grid’s expression was uncomfortable as he watched the situation silently. He still wondered if he should be hostile to the Rebecca Church.
Damian read his heart and told him, “Don’t you know? The relations.h.i.+p between the Rebecca Church and the Overgeared G.o.d Church can’t exist from the moment Isabel-chan and the elders converted.”
“Damian, you know that my friendly relations.h.i.+p with the Rebecca Church has lasted over 10 years. If we have a deep conversation over time, wouldn’t the truth come out one day?”
Most of the Rebecca Church followers trusted Grid, just like the Rebecca’s Daughters and the elders. Perhaps he could’ve convinced them through conversation.
Damian shook his head at the regretful Grid. “The elders who now wors.h.i.+p you as a G.o.d wouldn’t have believed you if they hadn’t seen the truth with their own eyes. Even if Sariel, who recovered their angel wings, was put up as a witness, Sariel would’ve been condemned as an apostle of evil. It is difficult to doubt the faith you’ve had all your life.”
“......”
This was correct. It was impossible to change the faith of the priests simply by talking.
“The Rebecca Church will sooner or later elect new pops and elders. It is too risky to keep the Rebecca Church by your side when you don’t know what type of revelation they will receive. I think it is a good thing to break the relations.h.i.+p early.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The carpenters’ hammering and sawing were changing the temple into a new shape. All the forms that symbolized Rebecca were erased and the forms that would symbolize the Overgeared G.o.d filled the place. Now Grid had to be prepared. He had no choice but to go against the heavenly G.o.ds...
In the future, there would be dangers he had never imagined before. A greater power was needed to confront these dangers. The more force he had, the better.
‘For example...’
Grid was suddenly reminded of a person. One of the seven humans who first revealed the sins of the G.o.ds. A man who was betrayed for the G.o.ds and suffered for years of eternal life. The incarnation of one of the seven malignant saints, Grandmaster Zikfrector.
‘He tried to recruit me as an ally.’
He thought he needed Grid’s strength to fight against the heavenly G.o.ds. Grid wondered why Zikfrector appreciated him so highly, but somehow, he became a person who could live up to Zikfrector’s expectations.
‘If it is Zikfrector, then he will surely join hands with me.’
It felt reliable just thinking about it. Zikfrector’s strength was the highest on the continent and his potential was the strongest in the worldview. Additionally, Zikfrector’s apostle, Zibal, and the Neo Red Knights were also excellent talents.
‘If Zibal joins me, then I can start producing magic machines in earnest.’
Grid was immersed in his thoughts for a long time before a question occurred to him. “By the way Damian, wasn’t your cla.s.s originally G.o.ddess’ Agent?”
That’s right—the pope was just a status and Damian’s cla.s.s was G.o.ddess’ Agent. Could he still be the G.o.ddess’ Agent when he became the pope of the Overgeared G.o.d Church?
The awkward looking Damian scratched his cheeks. “I lost my strength yesterday.”
“Then what will happen?”
G.o.ddess" Agent was a unique cla.s.s. Damian explained to the fl.u.s.tered Grid, “I got a cla.s.s as a paladin of the Overgeared G.o.d Church. It isn’t just me. All the former members of the Rebecca Church have changed cla.s.ses to paladins and priests of the Overgeared G.o.d Church.”
“Really...?”
They fortunately didn’t have no cla.s.s, but Damian’s loss of a unique cla.s.s was painful. It seemed he would have to get a new hidden cla.s.s for Damian.
‘I will have to ask Faker and Skunk.’
Grid made a plan and then showed curiosity. “Then what is the power of the paladins and priests of the Overgeared G.o.d Church?”
Maybe they specialized in item enhancement buffs? It would also be nice if they had heals. Damian opened his mouth as Grid was filled with expectations, “Um... There are no buff skills and heals.”
"???”
Up until now, the paladins and priests had been divided into three types—the Rebecca Church’s paladins and priests, the Dominion Church’s paladins and priests, and the Judar Church’s paladins and priests. The Dominion Church’s paladins and priests specialized in personal buffs, especially when it came to attack power. The Judar Church’s paladins and priests had high defense and were proficient in wide area buff skills. The Rebecca Church’s paladins and priests had lower buffing ability compared to the believers of the other two churches, but their heals guaranteed their survival ability.
“The elders and I are over level 300 so it can be said that our third cla.s.s advancement has already been completed... still, we don’t have any buffs or healing skills.”
“What do you have if there are no buffs or heals?”
“A pa.s.sive skill that ignores a certain amount of item-wearing penalties and the Overgeared G.o.d Church’s sword dance...”
Grid’s expression crumpled like a piece of paper. In order to increase the number of members in the future, he had to promote the unique characteristics of the Overgeared G.o.d Church. However, the paladins and priests couldn’t use buffs and heals. It wasn’t compet.i.tive compared to the other churches.
‘I might be able to convince the NPCs through communication, but players will never join my church.’
This was bad. Grid held his head, but he had forgotten the essence of the sword dances. Originally, the sword dances were a means of directing the ritual.It was used to offer prayers to the spirits or G.o.ds in ritual-like ceremonies. For example, Transcend had the principle of raising transcendent power by making a wish to become transcendent. This meant that the power of the Overgeared G.o.d Church’s paladins would be somewhat proportional to Grid’s combat power as they aspired and prayed for the power of the Overgeared G.o.d while performing the sword dances.
No one had noticed it yet.
“Damian... hurry up and get a new cla.s.s quickly.”
“...Yes.”
On this day, the Rebecca, Judar, and Dominion churches declared hostility on the Overgeared Kingdom. There were a large number of players trying to join the Rebecca Church that had lost the owner of the First Holy Sword while the Overgeared G.o.d Church didn’t receive any special attention. They felt sorry for Grid, but what could they do? The Overgeared G.o.d Church’s paladins and priests were such bad cla.s.ses...
‘Besides, I don’t have the power to bless players yet, unlike the other G.o.ds...’
Still, it was fine. He had Zikfrector and Sariel. He would surely convince Nefelina as well. Before that, he had to meet the gourmet dragon. A pilgrimage around restaurants with the gourmet dragon was the immediate challenge.
“Perhaps it is because she is older, but Nefelina is sleeping a lot these days.”
“These days, once she falls asleep then she won’t wake up for at least a fortnight.”
“Don’t worry, I will contact you as soon as Nefelina wakes up.”
“Yes... you might have a lot of work lately, but please pay attention to it.”
“Yes, that is my role.”
As always, Grid left it to the rea.s.suring Lauel and logged out. He wanted to rest before meeting the gourmet dragon.