A Secret Discussion in the Temple

Holy Autonomous Territory.

Although they have not yet encountered any attacks from undead creatures, a dark cloud hangs over the Holy Autonomous Territory within the Xialuo Kingdom.

The war in the Federation severely damaged the Temple's reputation and strength. Of the paladins painstakingly assembled, less than a tenth returned, while many more high-ranking priests and clerics perished in the brutal battle. Although the defeat of the God of Justice by the Arcane Mage was classified as top secret, rumors still began to circulate. Now, with most priests and clerics having lost the ability to use divine magic, the rumors gained even more credibility.

Having lost its military might, divine magic, and prestige, the Temple of God of Justice can no longer attract the large number of believers it once did. Even many priests have abandoned their missionary duties. Endless despair has become an indispensable part of the Temple's atmosphere. However, not everyone has given up hope. Many clergy continue to wait devoutly, firmly believing that the current suffering is merely part of a test. Only by passing this test and overcoming this pain can they become true messengers of God.

Just like the few people standing in the cathedral right now.

"Your Excellency, Grand Knight Commander"

Standing on the soft, warm carpet, Catherine gazed at Henderson, who was clad in snow-silver armor.

"I'm not doubting what you're saying, but the problem is, don't you think this is a bit too difficult?"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Henderson frowned. He glanced at Mobius, who was completely mesmerized by the saintess's beauty, and sighed inwardly. He cursed the damned woman viciously in his heart. Originally, as the Holy Knight Commander, he had no need to pay attention to the words of a saintess, a church doll. But now the situation was different. His army had been defeated, and Henderson himself had lost most of the divine power. His status was no longer what it once was, and amidst the church's bleak state, only Catherine still possessed divine power (her power came from the body of an angel, not from the God of Justice, so the God of Justice was no longer relevant to Catherine), and could even use divine magic. This naturally greatly enhanced Catherine's influence. Now, the Temple, almost devoid of divine protection, desperately needed someone to stand up and demonstrate power to the people, and Catherine, with her white wings and still able to use divine power, was naturally the best candidate.

"Does Your Highness have any better suggestions?"

"I don't have any better suggestions."

Catherine remained indifferent to Henderson's aggressive questioning.

"However, I will not condone your insane plan, Grand Knight Commander, to unite all nations against the Magic Empire. Don't you think this idea is utterly absurd?"

"So what!?"

Henderson involuntarily took a step forward.

"The situation is clear: if we don't unite, we will be utterly destroyed by the Magic Empire sooner or later!!"

"How can the current situation be clear? Lord Henderson, have you forgotten that so far, only the Five-Nation Alliance has been attacked by the Magic Empire, while other countries have not been harmed? Do you think we can persuade those countries to send troops to join this fierce battle?"

Facing Henderson's gaze, Catherine showed no panic whatsoever. To her, this paladin was nothing at all.

But...

Catherine glanced briefly at the still-young boy standing next to Henderson.

He's the legendary savior? Hmph, just a greenhorn, daring to try and sabotage the great master's plans? However, since that madman Henderson is so confident that he's the one the God of Justice is looking for, we absolutely cannot let our guard down. We must find a way to gather all the information about him and tell our master.

"And..."

Thinking of this, Catherine turned her gaze to the boy next to Henderson.

"To be honest, I don't see what potential this young man possesses to lead our soldiers to destroy the Magic Empire. It may be somewhat rude, but... Lord Henderson, you yourself said he's just an ordinary, unremarkable boy, while we are facing the most terrifying, powerful, and evil enemy in history. If you demand that we unconditionally unite with other nations to fight this enemy simply because he is the savior chosen by God, don't you think that's utterly delusional?"

Hearing Catherine's subtly sarcastic words, Henderson's face flushed with anger. He opened his mouth, but said nothing. Mobius, on the other hand, lowered his head awkwardly. To be honest, when he learned his true identity, the boy himself couldn't believe it. After all, he was just an ordinary person, without any talent or extraordinary abilities—how could he possibly become a savior? And now, although Catherine wasn't mocking or ridiculing him, the boy himself felt equally confused and uneasy.

Are you questioning the will of our great god, Your Highness?

Henderson stared coldly at Catherine and asked.

"I have never doubted the will of the great god, Your Excellency Grand Knight Commander, but I do wonder if you have truly received guidance from the great god."

As Catherine spoke, she slightly moved her pair of pure white wings, demonstrating to the other party that she was clearly closer to divinity than Henderson, who was currently just a mortal.

"You!!!"

Henderson could no longer contain himself; he was about to unleash a torrent of curses when, at that moment, an aged voice rang out in the hall.

"Okay, that's enough."

Upon hearing this voice, Henderson and Catherine simultaneously took half a step back and bowed to the person above them.

"My Lord Archbishop..."

"Catherine is right."

An old man with white hair and beard sat in the center, holding a magic staff, and spoke calmly.

"Henderson, I understand your devout faith and your loyalty to God. However, as Catherine said, your plan is too far-fetched. We cannot make such a decision until this young man... Mobius, has demonstrated his abilities as a savior."

"!!!"

Henderson lowered his head and clenched his teeth, but he had no way to refute the archbishop's words.

"Then, I have a suggestion, Your Excellency."

Catherine immediately seized the opportunity to press her advantage.

"I wonder if we could let this boy join the Paladin Order's training camp? In my opinion, he hasn't yet learned any Paladin combat techniques. If that's the case, why don't we train him while observing his abilities?"

Hmph, even if he's the Savior, he's just a young man. If Catherine can get her hands on him, she's absolutely confident she can turn him into a good-for-nothing who only cares about alcohol and women within three months. Compared to her great master, this brat is utterly insignificant.

"I appreciate your kind offer, Your Highness."

A cold glint flashed in Henderson's eyes.

"Since I was the one who found him, I will take responsibility for teaching him; you don't need to worry about that."

Mother fox, although I don't know what you're up to, I will absolutely not give up this last hope.

Although the madman is indeed a madman, he is quite difficult to deal with. If he cannot get his hands on this boy, he will be unable to explain himself to his master.

Catherine and Henderson stared at each other, causing the atmosphere in the Temple to gradually become awkward. The other bishops and paladins watched them uneasily, completely unsure of what to say. Henderson was originally highly respected in the Temple; his abilities and faith as a paladin were well-known. Moreover, the gods had bestowed upon him two divine artifacts—something unprecedented in the Temple's history. He would naturally not betray the God of Justice; everyone was quite clear on that point.

However, as clear as it is, as Catherine said, the idea of uniting all nations is simply a pipe dream. Leaving aside the Temple's past failures, they have no reason or excuse to persuade other countries to join them on their adventures. Even the religious conflicts between the Temple and those smaller nations since many years ago are enough to shatter any alliance. The Temple has always hoped to expand its faith, getting those smaller nations to also worship the God of Justice, but few in those smaller nations are willing to submit. This has led to numerous clashes between the two sides. Now, Henderson's claim that he has found the savior chosen by the gods and therefore wants to unite the entire continent to fight against the Magic Empire is itself a mad act.

Furthermore, the Temple currently lacks sufficient military strength. After the annihilation of Henderson's Paladin Order, the only remaining force with adequate military power is the Northern Paladin Order under Catherine's command. They escaped annihilation before the war by being borrowed by Catherine for defense, thus becoming the only military force within the Temple that hasn't suffered heavy losses. Now, this saintess clearly has no intention of releasing them, and her arguments are reasonable and supported by divine protection (angelic transformation), making her far more convincing than Henderson. Moreover, the only diocese without casualties is the Northern Diocese. This is also inseparable from Catherine's personal image; in any case, this saintess possesses far more authority than Henderson.

"So, Your Highness, what are your plans regarding the current situation?"

Henderson clearly didn't intend to dwell on the teenager's affairs and directly changed the subject.

"I just returned from the Federation. Right now, those terrifying undead creatures are still greedily advancing. No life can survive in their path. So, what should we do to achieve victory and eliminate these evil creatures?"

Upon hearing Henderson's provocative question, Catherine did not answer immediately. She closed her eyes, pondered for a moment, and then walked to the center of the hall, opened her eyes, and looked at everyone.

"Yes, we need victory."

Catherine opened her mouth and spoke, word by word.

"My friends, I think you are all well aware that the previous failures have damaged the Temple's reputation, and many have abandoned their faith. I don't blame them. It's not their fault; after all, they are just ordinary people who simply want to try to live in this world. If we cannot provide them with the protection they need, they will naturally feel fear and choose other ways. My friends, what we need to do now is not to continue to be despondent, nor to seek help, but to first rise up from our failures. Failure is not terrible, but the fear of failure is the most terrible thing."

The cathedral was unusually quiet. Everyone was watching Catherine, whose body was enveloped in a faint holy light, and whose white wings were as dazzling as divine radiance. Her beautiful face was filled with courage and faith.

"The High Knight is not wrong. Facing the evil, terrifying Magic Empire, we are not alone. We must unite all forces that can be united. However, under the current circumstances, we have no way to persuade those who can lend us power. We must first demonstrate the strength that makes them feel at ease before we can ask them for help."

"So, Your Highness, what do you mean...?"

A bishop stepped forward and asked, puzzled.

We need a victory.

Catherine revealed her plans.

"We need an absolute victory to show the mainland that our strength has not diminished, and that we can still resist evil. Although it will not be easy, we must do it for our great god."

The meeting is now adjourned.

Although the exact steps have not yet been determined, the general direction has been set.

"... That's all for today's meeting."

Standing in the bedroom, gazing at Li Lin's hallucination, Catherine recounted everything that had happened at the bishop's secret meeting that day.

"So, what kind of man is this guy who's called the savior?"

"He's just a greenhorn, Master. He's no match for you. If you agree, I guarantee I can make him disappear from the continent forever..."

There's no need for that at the moment.

Faced with Catherine's suggestion, Li Lin thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Didn't you say that Henderson is keeping a close eye on you? These are critical times, and I need your help. Don't do anything stupid that will expose your identity."

"Understood, my master."

Catherine immediately lowered her head deeply.

"So, about that matter..."

"You need to eliminate a portion of the undead to demonstrate your power once again?"

It must be said that Catherine's idea was good, but putting it into practice was not easy. However, once she achieved her goal, it would be very helpful to Li Lin's plan. Because in this way, Catherine's reputation would rise, and at that time, she would be able to control more power and strength within the Temple, making it easier to uproot and completely destroy the Temple.

"I will tell Angela that in ten days, an undead army of about five to ten thousand will set off from the ruins of the Capital of the Magic Empire towards Xialuo and Dideyasi. You should know what to do... At that time, I will give you some equipment, equipment that can unleash the true power of light. I think you should understand what to do. Also, keep a close eye on that boy for me. Since the God of Justice has chosen him, there must be something special about him. Whatever is unusual, you must report it to me or Nia immediately."

"Of course, great master, everything will be done as you command."

At this point, Catherine looked up, a blush creeping onto her face.

"Um... if Catherine performs to your satisfaction by then, I wonder if Master could... give Catherine a small reward?"

I never hesitate to reward those who deserve it.

After saying this, Li Lin's figure flickered and disappeared into thin air once again. Only then did Catherine let out a long sigh of relief before collapsing onto the soft bed.

"Owner..."

Whispering softly, Catherine instinctively reached her fingers between her legs. Her breathing quickened, a seductive blush rose on her pale cheeks, and her body began to tremble. In that moment, Catherine seemed to return to those days, to those blissful times of training filled with pure pleasure and joy. For Catherine now, there was no more beautiful memory than that time. She didn't need to deal with tedious social interactions, nor did she need to appease the emotions of ignorant people, nor did she need to maintain her image. She could simply feel completely, immersing herself in pleasure. Striving to achieve the results her master desired and enjoying his rewards—could there be a happier life than this?

Completing the master's task sooner will earn a reward... that intoxicating sweetness, so irresistible, far surpasses any other temptation...

"Master... my dear master..."

Catherine's fingers moved faster and faster, her breathing became more and more rapid. As she kneaded her breasts, she imagined the moment Li Lin's thick, hot member entered her body. Catherine finally could not hold back any longer and screamed.