Chapter 29: Some Unknown Secrets

Glen explained a lot, all about why the Holy Church placed recruiting the Hero as their top priority.

What he said made Vylian extremely unhappy; the implication throughout was that the Demon King was just an experience boost for the Hero.

But, that was the reality.

No matter how strong or terrifying the Demon King was, they would ultimately be defeated by the Hero.

The Hero capable of slaying the Demon King would only be even stronger.

Such a figure was equivalent to a human-shaped nuclear bomb. Just their presence alone provided maximum deterrence. Who would dare to provoke them?

Coupled with the prestige and achievements accumulated from slaying the Demon King, their future influence would undoubtedly be immeasurable.

Looking at it this way, compared to a Demon King destined to be vanquished, recruiting the Hero was clearly the more important matter.

The threats to this land were not limited to just the Demon King.

Take the Empire’s royal family, for example.

If they could bring the Hero into their camp, they could deter all hidden domestic forces harboring ill intentions towards the monarchy and extinguish any ambitions of neighboring countries to invade.

Furthermore, the Hero’s bloodline could purify the royal descendants, allowing newborns to be blessed by the gods from birth and inherit a portion of the Hero’s abilities.

This was precisely why the widely circulated theatrical stories of the Hero marrying a princess or staying with a prince were mostly deliberately spread by the royal family to create momentum.

And what about the Holy Church?

Having had no Hero affiliated with them for many years, although the Holy Church still appeared somewhat glorious on the surface under the name of the Main God’s church, its real-world influence was declining day by day.

They urgently needed a Hero to “reinvigorate” the church and restore its prestige.

That’s why they were handling the matter of the new Hero with such gravity now, even going so far as to spend the cost to prophesy the Hero’s location and dispatch an Archbishop, all to gain the upper hand.

“Saintess Vylian, now that it has been confirmed you are the Saintess, there is something I believe you should be aware of and vigilant about.”

Having temporarily concluded the explanation of the mission, Glen showed no intention of ending the conversation.

“Hmm? Go ahead.”

“The decline in the Holy Church’s influence is not simply a matter of reduced control over the Empire. More crucially, other sects will seize the opportunity to rise.”

“Are you saying other gods are taking advantage of the situation to make their moves and recruit their own followers?”

“Exactly. A god’s power comes from their followers. The more followers, the stronger the god becomes. But there are only so many followers. The fewer we control, the more heretics there are. The decline in our influence only provides other sects and gods with the opportunity to weaken our god’s power and rise.”

“In this era where gods cannot directly interfere in the mortal world, aside from the Demon King, any heretic is our great enemy. Or perhaps it should be said, those heretics are the enemies we need to deal with first.”

Glen’s words grew increasingly serious. Looking at his expression, one could understand how important this matter was.

Although he didn’t say it outright, Vylian could infer from his words that eradicating heretics was far more important to the Holy Church than recruiting the Hero.

Or perhaps, recruiting the Hero was precisely to use the Hero to combat the heretics lurking in the shadows, ready to stir.

But a situation where heretical sects rise and the world falls into chaos would be nothing but beneficial for her, the Demon King.

Only when the Holy Church was stretched thin dealing with heretics, and the Main God’s power was divided, would the Abyssal forces have room to develop and grow.

Put that way, the heretics mentioned by the Holy Church might actually have the potential to become her allies.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Good. That’s all I wanted to say, Saintess. Please remember it. We won’t stay any longer and will head back now. We’ll also report the matters here to His Holiness the Pope. If all goes well, the Saintess Garments and Identity Plaque for proving your status should probably be delivered to you the day after tomorrow.”

“Alright, take care.”

Watching the two leave, a smile unconsciously curled at the corner of Vylian’s lips.

Infiltration into the enemy’s high ranks by disguising oneself couldn’t be said to be without other benefits.

At the very least, Vylian had learned some secrets not covered in that original work that only knew about lewdness.

The other party had even told her directly without any concealment.

If not for this, Vylian probably would never have known about the matter of the heretics.

‘Hehehe, they’re all a bunch of foolish, careless fools.’

After using the restroom, Anlis went back to her room for a short nap. When she woke up and came out, she discovered the dining table in the main hall was laden with a spread of unfamiliar dishes.

At that moment, the Demon King Vylian, wearing a small apron tied around her waist, was humming an unfamiliar tune while carrying dishes to place on the table.

Her innocent face exuded a faint, holy, and sacred aura. Her movements were graceful and dignified, appearing beautifully pure and pristine under the twilight glow.

Seeming to notice her arrival, that sweet smile capable of shattering all defenses struck Anlis’s eyes.

If she didn’t know the true identity of this loli before her, Anlis would probably have really wanted to protect this most beautiful smile.

“Hero, you’re awake.”

“Yes, I was feeling a bit sleepy earlier, so I stole a nap. Did you make all these dishes, Saintess Vylian? Your culinary skills are truly astonishing.”

Anlis responded very naturally.

Perhaps due to the new Disguise Talent taking effect, she clearly felt that maintaining her disguise was no longer as exhausting as before, and controlling her facial expressions had become easier.

‘So this is a Talent? Like biological evolution.’

Although it was quite miraculous, the first Talent she awakened later in life being Disguise was, no matter how you thought about it, a complicated feeling.

“You flatter me too much. I’m not that great at cooking.”

Though she said that, it was evident from her expression that Vylian was clearly pleased by the praise.

“It’s almost all done. Could you trouble yourself to call the others? And… please remember to wash your hands.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away.” Anlis did not refuse.

After she called the whole family, the five of them sat around the table. The dishes were abundant, and the enticing aroma made one’s mouth water.

However, except for the young Anli, the others couldn’t help but feel somewhat reserved.

“Sister, the food you made is so delicious!” Anli scooped food into her mouth, her eyes shining.

“If you like it, eat more.”

Vylian smiled and rubbed the little one’s head, casually adding more food to her bowl.

Lisina sighed softly. “We are truly sorry for making you busy yourself like this.”

She had originally wanted to help, but was shooed out of the kitchen after only a little while.

“It’s no trouble. Actually, I made these all according to my own taste. I’m just glad everyone likes them.”

There wasn’t much conversation among them, as they had only been together for a day, and the atmosphere still carried a hint of unfamiliarity.

After the meal, Bolai proactively took on the task of washing the dishes.

At that point, Lisina pulled Vylian aside and spoke somewhat apologetically.

“Saintess, our house is quite small. We really can’t clear out another new room for you…”

“This…”

Vylian was momentarily taken aback, thinking it might be a hint for her to leave, but then she heard the other continue.

“So… could I trouble you to squeeze in with Anlis?”

Before Vylian could say anything, Anlis, who had been pretending not to eavesdrop nearby, instantly couldn’t hold back.

“What?!”