As I stepped into the office, Karl naturally tried to follow behind , but I stopped him.
The conversation we were about to have was not sothing an ordinary person should overhear.
After practically shoving Karl out, I walked into the office and imdiately commanded Alsatin to set up a soundproofing spell.
I wasn’t sure how much Alsatin had discovered, but it was better to be cautious.
“I’ve already set it up, my lady. This conversation could be dangerous if overheard.”
Seems like Alsatin was thinking the sa thing, as he had the soundproofing spell in place before I even asked.
Judging by how seriously he was treating this, he must have uncovered so truth.
As soon as the door closed, Alsatin, as expected, seated in the main chair and stood in front of .
‘How much have you uncovered?’
“Information broker, how deep did you dig?”
“I couldn’t get too far. The tifra was too short.”
Of course. The Church of the Principal God, with its influence spanning the entire continent, wouldn’t have any glaring weak spots.
If Alsatin had the kind of skills to unravel everything in just a month, he wouldn’t be wasting away in so back-alley job like this.
If he were that skilled, he’d already be the mastermind pulling the strings of the underworld.
“However, I believe I’ve uncovered what you were looking for. The Church of the Principal God is conducting so kind of research. And it involves the children from their orphanages.”
That doesn’t an Alsatin was incompetent—far from it. The fact that he managed to get this close to one of their operations proves how capable he really is.
I hadn’t given him many clues, yet he still managed to dig this deep. Even with all the connections his ntor had passed to him, it was impressive.
Hmm. I should definitely maintain my relationship with Alsatin, even if the Newman family gets involved later.
‘What’s your evidence?’
“Information broker, how do I know you’re not just spouting nonsense?”
“I was just about to explain.”
Alsatin began his explanation, saying that my tip about the Church’s possible misdeeds was a big help.
He had used his pre-existing connections to dig deeper, eventually tracking the trail to an orphanage in a remote village, where he found the first signs.
“I haven’t pinpointed the exact nature of the research, but strangely enough, several notable figures were frequenting the orphanage. High-ranking clergy who rarely leave the church’s headquarters. An alchemist who had been discredited for conducting experints related to life. Even a dark mage who should have been excommunicated. None of these people belong in a small, rural village.”
Even more suspicious, there was a mortician who regularly visited the orphanage.
“I believe they are conducting so sort of experint using the children. I had to pull back before I was detected, but given more ti, I could find out more.”
As I listened to Alsatin’s report, I couldn’t help but be impressed by his information-gathering skills.
In the ga, I always saw him as a convenient NPC delivering all kinds of intel, but now that this world has beco real, his abilities seem even more remarkable.
An ordinary person would have vanished without a trace trying to follow the Church’s trail.
Even though I trusted him with the job, I couldn’t help but be amazed.
“This is as far as my investigation has gone for now.”
As soon as the conversation ended, Grandpa spoke in a voice that trembled slightly, sothing unusual for him.
Unlike , who had no love for the Church or the so-called Principal God, Grandpa held deep, unwavering faith.
Given his position as one of the founding figures who helped the Church rise to power, it must be hard for him to hear that the institution he helped build was now so corrupt.
‘Yes, it’s true.’
But I had to tell the truth.
Since he was traveling with , he’d eventually have to face everything, and it was better he prepared himself now than be blindsided later.
‘To add to Alsatin’s explanation, the Church is currently conducting experints to create a being with imnse divine power.’
It’s well-known that our so-called Principal God doesn’t choose apostles.
Even while apostles of various gods road the continent, Aramadi never chose one for himself.
He only spoke to his believers, guiding them in their direction, but never directly appointing soone as his apostle.
The Church publicly claid that this was because the Principal God loved everyone equally, and they praised Aramadi for it. But privately, they had other thoughts.
They envied the apostles of other gods.
It wasn’t because apostles were closer to their deities or wielded special powers.
The Church envied the apostles for one reason: authority.
Whatever an apostle said was considered the will of their god.
For the higher-ups in the Church, who were constantly t with opposition to their actions, the existence of an apostle was an irresistible tool.
So the leaders of the Church decided to create one for themselves. Using the title of “Saint,” which had existed in the past but rarely manifested.
‘At first, they tried selecting orphans who already had so divine potential to mold into a saint, but finding such geniuses was no easy task.’
‘Exactly.’
Grandpa let out a deep sigh, which made it clear that even in the past, the Church had never been a completely clean institution.
Of course, it wasn’t. No group is entirely good. That only happens in fairy tales.
‘Yes. She’s one of the artificially created saints.’
Faybi probably doesn’t realize it yet, but she was also manufactured by the Church.
Her personal story in the ga involved her discovering she was a false saint and going through a period of turmoil before becoming a true saint.
I’d always admired her for never losing her kindness, even after all the hardships she endured.
‘Yes, it will.’
Faybi, unlike her ga counterpart, was already struggling with many doubts.
She was anxious about her failures and doubted her faith in the Principal God. If all of this were to be thrust upon her now?
Since this scenario didn’t exist in the ga, I couldn’t say for sure how it would play out, but it certainly wouldn’t be a happy one.
That’s why I’d ordered Alsatin to investigate—to gradually reveal the truth to Faybi.
It’s like giving soone a vaccine. You don’t start with a full dose right away.
You introduce it slowly so they can build up the strength to handle the real thing when it cos.
For now, Alsatin’s evidence is still largely circumstantial, so I won’t be telling Faybi anything yet.
But there’s no rush. Faybi’s path to uncovering the truth doesn’t begin until her second year, anyway.
By then, Alsatin should have solid proof.
‘Keep up the good work.’
“Hmph. Information broker, and you still only have circumstantial evidence? Aren’t you ashad to say you’ve done your job? What a weak performance. Even your title as ‘information broker’ feels wasted.”
“...I’ll try harder.”
A few days after the field trip had ended, Faybi had sowhat regained her composure from the recent chaos.
It wasn’t that she no longer envied Lucy. As the apostle of a god, soone who could hear divine voices, Lucy remained an object of jealousy.
But Faybi no longer blindly resented or envied her. She had co to acknowledge that Lucy was worthy of her role as the apostle.
What had influenced Faybi’s change of heart was the field trip.
She had seen Lucy endure great humiliation for others, fearlessly taking on the role of a villain to help others grow. And in the end, she had succeeded in bringing about a happy ending for everyone.
Having witnessed all of that, Faybi could no longer deny Lucy’s worth.
Unlike herself, who was full of shortcomings, Lucy was truly soone who deserved to be an apostle.
It was only natural. The great Principal God wouldn’t have chosen soone with selfish intentions.
From the mont Lucy was chosen as an apostle, she had proven herself worthy.
After accepting all of this, Faybi felt a sense of peace.
In other words, the reason the Principal God hadn’t spoken to her yet was simply because she wasn’t ready.
If she worked hard and beca a better person, then one day, Aramadi would surely speak to her.
So, until then, she would strive to improve herself.
Yes, there’s no way the Principal God favored Lady Alrn’s blasphemous remarks, right?
It’s just that Lady Alrn has sothing special to offer that compensates for her behavior.
Even though Faybi knew there was no way the Principal God would allow such things, she still felt inadequate and blad herself.
As Faybi walked back to the church after academy classes, lost in self-criticism, she suddenly stopped and chuckled to herself.
Sigh. Now that I’ve set down my burdens, I feel so much lighter. I should have done this from the start.
“What are you thinking about that’s making you laugh like that?”
Just then, a voice called out from behind Faybi. It was a deep, heavy voice, dripping with shadow.
“You…”
“It’s been a while. I’ve been preparing a satisfying answer for you, but it took longer than expected. I’m sorry for the delay.”
The Apostle of the Evil God smiled as he lood over Faybi with his towering height, casting her in his shadow.
“I’ve brought you the answer you’ve been waiting for…”
“Leave.”
“Hm?”
Faybi took a step back from his shadow and spoke firmly.
“I don’t want to hear any more of your words. If you get any closer, I’ll call the people from the church. Leave.”
“Are you sure? Don’t you want to know why Aramadi doesn’t speak to you?”
“I already know, so there’s no need.”
If this had been the Faybi from before, lost in her doubts, it might have been different. But now she had found her answer.
There was no need to hear anything from him, as she already knew that all her problems stemd from her own shortcomings.
“Ah. You’re thinking that because you’re lacking, the voice of your god can’t reach you, aren’t you?”
The Apostle of the Evil God smirked and said it as though mocking Faybi’s thoughts.
“That’s such a predictable, boring answer.”
“What do you an?”
“I’ll make this clear. The reason Aramadi doesn’t speak to you isn’t because you’re lacking.”
The Apostle of the Evil God smiled darkly as he once again enclosed Faybi in his shadow.
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