Dear, It's Time to Take Your Medicine!

Today was Mid-Autumn Festival. Wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and that all your wishes came true. Remember to eat mooncakes—the five-kernel kind...

Angelica Must Die (2)

A new Saintess?

Angelica's eyes widened, her breathing even growing a little rapid. Excited light flickered deep in her eyes. She had thought that escaping Rosweisse's clutches was already a heaven-sent stroke of luck, never imagining that she might have a chance to become the Saintess again.

Ever since joining the Divine Church at a very young age, she had worked tirelessly to become the Saintess. Yet she had never expected to fall from heaven into hell overnight, going from a Saintess candidate to a maid.

She had thought that the position of Saintess had long since become something beyond her reach.

In that instant, Angelica felt a wave of heat surge through her chest, stirring up a powerful impulse.

But very soon, a faint trace of confusion appeared on Angelica's face.

Excited?

It seemed... she was not all that excited.

Angelica had thought that this sudden stimulus would make her leap up in excitement, but to her surprise, the heat in her heart lasted only a brief moment before quickly cooling.

The words "Saintess" no longer seemed to hold the same overwhelming appeal for her.

The only thing that interested Angelica was that, if she became the Saintess, she could rightfully be with Qin Chu and become his wife.

She knew very well why she was receiving this treatment now.

Everything was because of Qin Chu.

If Qin Chu had not chosen her, would Augustus have stopped Rosweisse when she wanted to kill her? No!

If Qin Chu had not chosen her, would Augustus have promised to restore her reputation and make her the next Saintess? No!

Everything she possessed now had been given to her by Qin Chu. Augustus's promise to her was merely an attempt to use her to influence and control Qin Chu, thereby increasing the Divine Church's influence.

Times had changed. If they wanted her to work, they had to offer her a little sweetness.

No matter the reason—even if Qin Chu only desired her body—only Qin Chu treated her as a real person. In Augustus's eyes, she was nothing more than a tool.

Just because Qin Chu had chosen her, everything around her had changed.

Angelica sneered inwardly, but none of it showed on her face. Before she left the Divine Church and reached the Hero's side, she could never truly be considered safe. She did not yet have the capital to refuse Augustus.

"Your Holiness, I understand," Angelica replied.

Augustus was very satisfied with Angelica's answer. He nodded slightly. "Very good. Do your work well. The Divine Church will not forget your contributions."

Watching Angelica leave with her back to him, Augustus narrowed his eyes to slits.

Killing intent flickered in and out of sight within his eyes. He could tell that Angelica had not truly submitted. For an old hand like him, if he could not even read the thoughts of a little girl, that would be utterly pathetic.

But in the end, he did not make a move. The Hero had only just arrived, and he did not want to create complications at this time. He had been the one to ask Angelica to return to the Divine Church. If Angelica died within the Divine Church, then regardless of whether the Divine Church was responsible, it would provoke the Hero's dissatisfaction with them.

In the Saintess's room, Rosweisse sat upright before her dressing table. The mirror had shattered into pieces.

She kneaded her cheeks with her hands, adjusting the expression on her face. She was the Saintess. No matter when, she had to remain elegant and beautiful. That impulsiveness just now had truly been inappropriate.

A crisp knock sounded at the door. Without raising her head, Rosweisse said, "Come in!"

She knew who it was.

Sure enough, Augustus appeared in the doorway.

"Rosweisse, were you trying to kill Angelica just now?" Augustus casually swept his gaze over the wrecked room, pretending not to see it. His voice was somewhat hoarse.

He was irritated. This Hero was too unconventional, disrupting many of Augustus's original plans. He had no choice but to lower himself and do some placating.

"Your Holiness, how could that be? No matter what, I would not kill Angelica inside the Divine Church." Rosweisse answered with a smile, her tone seeming to hold very little respect for the Pope.

The difference between how she acted when alone with him and how she acted before outsiders was simply too great.

Yet Augustus showed no reaction whatsoever to Rosweisse's attitude. He did not care in the slightest, as if he had long grown accustomed to it.

"That is good. Angelica cannot die yet..." Augustus lowered his eyes. "If Qin Chu would choose you after Angelica died, then her death would not matter. But the problem is that if she dies, it could very likely make Qin Chu hostile toward the Divine Church. Then we would only be pushing Qin Chu to stand against us and benefiting Saint Monica and Wadsworth. You know those two old foxes have also been watching Qin Chu."

Rosweisse lowered her gaze to the knife-like nails at the tips of her fingers. Her fingers were still trembling faintly.

Even though she was trying hard to regulate her emotions, the killing intent remained difficult to suppress.

"Do not blame me."

"Angelica must die," Augustus continued.

"Angelica's heart is filled with hatred for the Divine Church. She will never sincerely stand with us again. However, even if we are to kill her, we must keep the Divine Church completely clean of it. Do you understand?"

Her eyes rippled, and the corners of her lips slowly curled upward. At last, she rose to her feet, lifted her skirt with both hands, and gave a graceful curtsy. "I shall obey Your Holiness's decree. I understand..."

Her figure was as graceful as a startled swan, and her face was filled with a beautiful smile.

"You are my godfather. I was able to become the Saintess thanks to Your Holiness's help. I have always remembered your kindness. I cannot be grateful enough—how could I dare blame Your Holiness?"

Her voice was gentle and clear.

But Augustus's expression turned somewhat ugly.

He did not continue dwelling on the matter. "Then rest early. If I remember correctly, you are attending the tea party hosted by the Grand Duke's daughter tomorrow. Do not show a haggard appearance. That would damage the Divine Church's dignity."

Augustus turned to leave, but at the very instant he turned around, that kindly face twisted into a knot. His azure eyes turned scarlet.

Distorted like an evil ghost.

Rosweisse, you damned bastard...

Augustus's thoughts returned to the past.

The Holy Church primarily worshipped the Goddess of Holy Light.

But aside from her, it also enshrined many other gods: the Sun God, the War God, the Elemental God, and more.

Within the Holy See, the Pope held the most exalted and unparalleled status.

Below the Pope were two other transcendent positions: the Holy Son and the Saintess.

Only the purest and most beautiful boys and girls could serve as the Holy Son and Saintess. They were the face of the Divine Church.

The Holy Son and Saintess existed to serve the gods.

That was how it appeared on the surface, but in truth, the Divine Church had never sacrificed the Holy Son or Saintess to the gods. This so-called service was merely kneeling devoutly before the statues once a year and offering prayers.

Nor did the Divine Church forbid marriage internally.

Though there were some who remained unmarried for life to display their devotion, they were ultimately a tiny minority. The desire to reproduce was human nature.

Even noble Holy Sons and Saintesses, after reaching an age where they were no longer suited to serve the gods, often chose to marry and have children.

When Augustus was young, he had been the Holy Son.

And the Saintess of his generation was named... Losfelis!

Perhaps because they shared the same noble status, perhaps because they often had to study all manner of etiquette together, they became the people who spent the most time in each other's lives.

There had been no earth-shaking romance, only feelings as calm as water and faint affection.

Neither Augustus nor Losfelis knew exactly when they had begun to like each other.

Even Augustus had once been young.

They loved each other, but they had never tasted the forbidden fruit. While serving as the Holy Son and Saintess, they still followed the Divine Church's rules and preserved the purity of their bodies.

That faint, sweet, warm tenderness was already enough to make them both happy.

Once again, the annual day of serving the gods arrived.

This was Augustus and Losfelis's final time serving the gods.

Their fingers intertwined as they made a promise before the temple gates. After tonight, they would no longer be the Holy Son and Saintess. They would make their relationship public...

Then, they would marry!

Carrying beautiful hopes for the future, they stepped into the temple.

The second update is here. Good thing I had saved drafts—I can take a day off too. Oh yeah.

The Hero's Life—It Wants It (1)

At that time, Augustus had absolutely no interest in the position of Pope. Losfelis was the only one in his heart.

With beautiful fantasies of the future, they entered the temple to serve the gods for the final time.

At that time, neither Augustus nor Losfelis knew that this step marked the beginning of their nightmare.

As the temple doors closed behind them, the two of them did as they had before. First, they cleaned the statues, then knelt devoutly before them and prayed for the gods' protection.

Everything was no different from before.

Then, deep in the night, the most horrifying scene appeared.

A faint light suddenly glimmered from the statues. Augustus and Losfelis had even excitedly believed that it was a sign that a Divine Oracle had descended.

They pressed their foreheads tightly against the ground and loudly recited blessings.

But soon, the situation became somewhat strange.

The light from the statues gradually transformed into bizarre, twisted limbs. Long tentacles writhed like giant pythons, coiling around Losfelis's body.

Augustus's body was suppressed by a mysterious power, leaving him unable to move. He could only glare with bloodshot eyes and let out mournful cries like an injured beast.

The seven twisted beings deliberately tormented Losfelis before Augustus for an entire night.

They seemed to greatly enjoy humanity's despairing wails.

The gods they worshipped were more terrifying than demons.

Before this, he had always believed gods to be holy, great, merciful, spotless, beyond reverence and untouchable—beings who cherished their followers as though they were children.

But at that moment, he understood. These so-called gods were nothing more than beasts filled with filthy desires and possessing immense power.

The next day, Losfelis was pregnant.

Three years later, Losfelis gave birth to a baby: Rosweisse.

Augustus had always held a strange set of feelings toward Rosweisse. On one hand, she was the sole bloodline of the woman he loved most. On the other, filthy divine blood flowed through her veins—the blood of the gods that had brought him unforgettable despair and pain.

Though Augustus did not know which of the seven gods Rosweisse was descended from.

Whenever he saw Rosweisse, Augustus felt affection, but also disgust and hatred. It was an extremely contradictory emotion.

Losfelis had completely fallen into Ruin. That once innocent and beautiful girl had been utterly driven mad by a whole night of brutal torment.

The pure Saintess craved men day and night. Her eyes had become hollow, losing their former radiance.

Augustus knew that was not Losfelis's nature. She was a very strong woman. Even if she suffered treatment as cruel as hell, he believed she could rise again.

But the gods' power was simply too strong.

Augustus had merely witnessed it, yet he felt as though his soul had suffered a violent impact. Blood streamed from both his eyes, and his consciousness nearly collapsed.

Losfelis, who had been toyed with by those gods, had directly suffered the impact of divine auras. Divine seeds had even been planted within her body. None of those powers were something Losfelis could bear.

The Saintess's will had been ground into fragments in that instant.

From that day onward, the faith deep within Augustus's heart had completely collapsed.

The gods he had worshipped with the utmost devotion had merely treated them as pathetic toys, trampling and playing with them as they pleased...

Devout faith transformed into the flames of vengeance. He began madly pursuing power and strength, and regardless of how despicable his methods were, he eventually climbed to the position of Pope.

He would raise the banner of resistance against the gods.

He wanted to slay gods!

But the more Augustus learned about the gods, the more deeply he felt his own insignificance.

He learned the truth of this world.

Humans could not defeat gods.

Only power from beyond this world could contend against gods.

When he understood this, Augustus had nearly fallen into despair—until the Hero appeared.

A Hero from another world, wielding power from beyond the Skyvault Continent. He was Augustus's only hope.

But after what had happened that time, Augustus's will had also become extraordinarily paranoid and crazed. Even gods treated their devout followers this way, let alone a Hero who had come from another world. He trusted no one. Only by completely grasping that power in his own hands could he truly be at ease.