"You saw it. The Wealth Church has already taken the lead, but our ties with them are actually deeper."
Annan's tone was coaxing. He sounded just like a little boy trying to lure a girl away.
Eldest Sister and Olmedo had always worried that the Wealth Church would take control of Free City. The Wealth Church knew they were wary, so it had done nothing that might arouse suspicion. Even when sending money, it had been hesitant.
But it was hard to mock Free City's cautiousness. The Wealth Church was simply too powerful. It was like a Dragon befriending a cat. Even if the Dragon meant no harm, its every move could still hurt the cat.
All the cat had to worry about was being squashed. The Dragon had far more to consider...
The Wealth Church couldn't give up its Holy Son, so it had no choice but to curl in on itself and try to look harmless, however frustrating that felt. Viewed in that light, the Empire had been clever to do nothing and let the Old Ancestor's branch make contact with Annan.
If Annan brought in the Order Church to compete for territory, the Wealth Church might even welcome it.
As for whether the two Churches might compete for a while, then suddenly decide to deal with Annan first... that was why Annan had chosen the Order Church.
Its name alone told you how the Order Church operated. Calling it as extreme as the Paem Kingdom might be going too far, but no one would object to calling it conservative.
Rather than worry about the Order Church overreaching, Annan had more reason to worry about getting it to accept the blasphemy that was the Pantheon.
"Can I do it?" Colette lacked confidence. After all, she was still under