Myths Reawakened

Sandrine lowered her stance and spoke with more deference, “Oracle High Reverend, the Life Alliance has looked into the Black Axiom Sect and found out that the demon secretly supporting the sect wasn’t that powerful. The Life Alliance would stop the demon, so your concerns are unwarranted.”

“Your ignorance and hubris surprise me,” Wayne said bluntly. “I’ll go as far as calling you a fool!”

Sandrine scowled. “Oracle High Reverend, multiple legendary mages worked together to acquire the piece of information. We’re confident...”

“The Black Axiom Sect was backed by Andrius the Troll, who’s middle of the road in Hell in terms of power and competence. Even if he descends to the human world, we’ll be able to banish him back to Hell.”

Sandrine shared reliable intelligence, vexed by Wayne’s dismissal. He seemed to think that he was the only one with the good of the world in mind, and they were cold-blooded butchers who would kill without batting an eye, which wasn’t true. The Life Alliance had already found out where the sacrificial ritual would be held and how many would be sacrificed.

She had to admit that the Life Alliance had allowed the demonic faction to grow to undermine the Church of Heavenly Father’s following. Once the sacrificial ritual began, they would intervene as saviors, showing the followers of Heavenly Father that their faith would give them nothing, that only by following the merciful goddesses could they have salvation.

“Nicely said, but what if you fail?”

“We won’t,” Sandrine said stiffly. “To be frank, you are the most prideful one. So confident in your own prowess, you look down on me from the bottom of your heart. No matter what I say, your bias will prevent you from believing me.”

Wayne raised a hand without a word.

Sandrine staggered back and clutched the door handle. Then she saw him comb through his slicked-back hair with his fingers.

(▔皿▔)

This bully!

“The truth justifies my pride. It’s only natural that I’d look down on you,” Wayne huffed. “You’ve done your investigation, and so have I. I conclude that there is more than one demon backing the Black Axiom Sect. Andrius the Troll is only a red herring the demons have used to trick you with. Since the very beginning, the Life Alliance has been fooled...”

“Moreover, the local Church of Heavenly Father has fallen under the demons’ control, but not the Papal State. Confirming the significant presence of demons here, the Papal State has deployed more than one reincarnated angel...”

“Finally, the Death Knight of the underground catacombs has long fallen under the control of the demons. He’s lost his head, making him a headless knight...”

“If you can’t do anything about the Headless Knight, how are you going to defeat the demons controlling him? Once the reincarnated angels arrive, how is the Life Alliance going to compete with Heaven?”

“Your plan A doesn’t work, neither does your Plan Z. Aside from daydreaming, what exactly could you do?”

With every line and sneer out of Wayne’s mouth, Sandrine’s face became paler and paler. Still, she said stiffly, “Then it seems that you have no solution, either. Am I wrong?”

You’re really asking for it, Woman!

Wayne felt an itch in his fist. He smiled with narrowed eyes. “At least I’m more clear-headed than you are. Contact the High Reverends of the two other churches right now, this second. Do you understand?”

Shuddering, Sandrine nodded quickly, turning around and heading to the private quarters.

“Wait!” Wayne called out. “Arrange a meal with them, but don’t mention the reincarnated angels. Just tell them that we have to renegotiate the division of benefits we’re getting from the Church of Heavenly Father.”

Sandrine’s heart sank. She stuttered, “Do you mean...”

“Just because you haven’t fallen under the control of demons doesn’t mean that they haven’t. We keep this on a need-to-know basis.” Wayne closed his eyes. The reincarnated angels could be discovered by the demons, but he couldn’t be the one to expose them. The former scenario would be a natural happening that allowed him to steal their kills, while the latter scenario would be an intentional plan to benefit from his allies’ deaths. He wasn’t shameless enough to do that.

“I understand. I’ll contact them at once.”

“It’s one in the afternoon now. I expect to see them over afternoon tea.”

“Understood.”

***

Half an hour later, Isabella returned to the office with take-out steak. When she saw Wayne standing at the desk and Sandrine standing in front of the desk with a pale face, she frowned. Forgive her keen eyes, but the High Reverend seemed different.

Her brows had extended, her eyes muddled, and even her legs were further apart. She was also shaking like she had been injured and couldn’t stand right.

Isabella smelled the faint metallic smell in the air, derision flashing across her face. She hated women who sold their bodies, giving up their integrity and dignity for power.

She wasn’t like them. She had sold herself out for food.

“Mr. Wayne, today’s entrée is steak. Since you never came to the restaurant, I got take-out for you.” Isabella opened the container and passed him the knife and fork.

Wayne picked the steak up with the knife and was about to pop it into his mouth when he noticed Isabella’s unblinking stare. As he moved the steak to the left, Isabella’s eyes darted left; as he moved the steak to the right, she continued to trail the protein.

How fun!

Not only was it entertaining, but it was also worthy of boasting. Not every man could make a beautiful lady salivate.

Wayne didn’t need food. After teasing Isabella, he passed the steak to her.

“This is unbecoming of me, Mr. Wayne. It’s supposed to be your lunch.” Isabella finished the steak in a few swallows, licking the scraps off the knife.

What an agile tongue!

Wayne took the knife back, falling silent. If he didn’t know how obsessed Isabella was with food, he would’ve thought that she was seducing him.

How shameless. The sun’s still out!

Sandrine hid her derision behind a poker face. She hated women who sold their bodies, giving up their integrity and dignity for power.

She had never noticed this side of Isabella. While Isabella was a woman of few words, there was an inherent seductive air to her. She was adept at luring men.

Moreover, while Sandrine’s investigation into Wayne had failed to present an accurate profile, it had gotten one thing right: Wayne was a pervert. He had turned Isabella into his plaything so soon after arriving in Palis.

She would bet that Wayne was going to show Isabella favorable treatment.

“High Reverend, this is Isabella.” Wayne turned to Sandrine icily. “Last night, I tested her combat power and concluded that it was too wasteful to keep a Gold-ranked mage a level three archdeacon. Make the arrangements to restore the autonomy that the four priests had taken from the surgical strike unit. Isabella will be the new leader.”

What did I say?

Sandrine smothered a scoff, cursing the pair of degenerates. It was mainly meant for Wayne.

While maintaining an undefined relationship with the Pope, he’d been messing around with lustful women and using his authority to promote his lovers. He was clearly a depraved snake.

“Also, give her food subsidy...”

Wayne explained what he wanted. Sandrine frowned deeply. There were many ways to earn money, and the amount of money the food subsidy could bring in was limited. If things got out, it would reflect badly on the Oracle High Reverend.

“Are you sure you want a food subsidy rather than other subsidies, Oracle High Reverend?”

“Why, do you find it too expensive?”

“No, if you truly want that, I have no objection.” Sandrine nodded. “It could be put on the church’s budget.”

Wayne shook his head. He could tell that Isabella was so ignored that the top leader of the head office knew nothing about her unusual appetite.

She must have swept through the canteen. She only brought a steak back for him because he would be keeping her well-fed. Between filling her stomach once and in the long term...

Right, she probably hadn’t eaten her fill this time.

Franc was too chaotic now, and it would become even more chaotic in the future. Wayne wasn’t going to leave Isabella in Franc. He would take her with him when he returned to Londan.

To make it easier to transfer and promote her, he asked for Isabella to be made the leader of the surgical strike unit first. Then she only had to complete a few more clear-up missions to fill her resume so that no one would fault Wayne for abusing his authority.

He asked for the food subsidy for a similar reason. If Isabella had the subsidy in Franc, she would need it in Londan, too. Given the century-old friendship between the two countries, Londan would refuse to be seen as inferior.

The Londaners were in charge. The Palis residents were nothing but beggars!

The office door opened again. A youthful girl in white attire walked in, reporting to Sandrine, “A meeting has been arranged in an hour. The two High Reverends didn’t say so, but they appeared dissatisfied with your sudden change of mind.”

“Alright. There’s corn in the room. Go ahead and enjoy.”

“Yay!” The girl reverted to a white pigeon and flew inside.

The meeting would be held before the afternoon tea, which was satisfactory. Wayne rose to his feet and followed Sandrine out of the office.

After taking two steps, he grabbed Isabella and stopped her from looking back. “Stop. That’s a carrier pigeon, not a roasted pigeon.”

Isabella continued to look back every few steps. “No, I’m looking at the corn.”

“...”

Wayne’s eyes twitched. He regretted taking such an uncivilized woman under his wing. She would be an embarrassment when he took her out on a walk.

***

Sandrine had asked the High Reverends of the Sun and Moonlight to meet her at the headquarters of the Palis Ministry of Magic. The organization had been established by the Francan government with the inheritance from the previous royal family. Like its Londan counterpart, the Ministry served the country and was the government’s most powerful instrument in the world of magic.

After the revolution, unfortunately, the churches gradually encroached on the Ministry without the royal family serving as a check and balance. Now, the Ministry no longer had anything to do with the government, rendered a tool for the Life Alliance and the Church of Heavenly Father to rule over the Francan world of magic.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The government paid the salary, keeping the bullies happy with tax revenue, like how civilians paid the mafia protection fee.

How wonderful that the state and church had separated.

The headquarters of the Ministry of Magic were vast, showing greater fortune than the Londan ministry. After all, the four churches had been asking the government for a budget rather than paying out of their pockets. Thus, the renovation continued with random repairs, demolitions, and reconstructions. The construction continued to this day.

One bag of cement alone had an incredible price tag. The money put into the courtyard alone could’ve sustained the navy until the next year.

Wayne couldn’t be bothered with the snakes. He told the driver to pull over and said to Isabella, “I’ll give you half an hour to eat. They won’t charge you. If anyone does, just tell them the High Reverend’s name.”

Isabella nodded eagerly. Wayne’s thigh was long and hard, perfect for her to latch onto. If she had known what would happen, she wouldn’t have returned to Palis two years ago. She had starved herself for two years for no reason!

She had to make it up to herself.

After Isabella left, the black car continued passing through a path perfect for marching, under the canopy of vibrant trees. Sitting in the back of the car, Wayne looked at Sandrine and placed a hand on her thigh, whispering, “You have taken quite a cut all these years, haven’t you?”

Sandrine jumped and shifted to the side. “You jest. I have a mission from the church’s headquarters with no compensation. Even when there’s any extra income, it’s been used to build connections. Aside from what a High Reverend should be paid, I’ve gotten nothing.”

In other words, the money had all gone to Senna. Sandrine was only the black gloves Senna had used to do her dirty work.

“Nevertheless, I saw it, so I should get a share,” Wayne said. It would be a shame for him not to pick up something when he’d come all the way here. Not getting anything would be a loss, which was akin to death.

Sandrine cursed the snake out silently. Before she could make a comment, Wayne lifted his hand to touch her leg. She gave up. “How much do you want? Fifty percent—no, how about seventy percent?”

“Seventy percent? Do you think I’m a beggar asking for scraps?” Wayne scoffed, balling his hand into a fist rather than stroking Sandrine’s leg. He said coldly, “I want all the cut you’ve taken all these years.”

I’d rather die!

“Or you’ll die!”

“...”

When Sandrine was so furious that she couldn’t speak, Wayne huffed again, unwilling to quietly wait for money to fall into his lap. He considered what else he could do to punish her.

You scum even boldly try to use demons for your benefit. I’ll show you what a real demon is if you like them so much.

As for Senna... Wayne ignored the issue. As they said, a vassal’s vassal wasn’t the master’s vassal. Sandrine worked for Senna and had nothing to do with him.

He wanted every coin that should go into his pocket!