Churches were not common in China, after all—this was not a nation where faith was universal. Yet, in a small district near the imperial capital, there stood a modest chapel.
Recently, this little church had seen an unusual bustle of activity, far livelier than its usual quiet. The visitors were a mix of men and women, old and young, but surprisingly, the majority were young girls.
For girls of rebellious age to turn to faith seemed odd at first glance. The reason this chapel attracted so many young women was simple—a new priest had arrived to preach.
The priest appeared no older than seventeen or eighteen, yet there was no trace of immaturity about him. On the contrary, he exuded an air of maturity and trustworthiness.
He sported an uncommon silver mane that cascaded past his shoulders—no one knew which salon had dyed it so flawlessly, without a hint of premature graying. Instead, it gave off an air of nobility. Combined with his androgynous, saintly beauty—neither fully masculine nor feminine—it was no wonder young girls flocked to him.
As for whether priests were allowed to dye their hair—well, the Bible had no explicit rules against it. Besides, this was just a way to "connect with the people." Who knows? Maybe this priest was a cyberpunk clergyman at heart.
"Father, can I be forgiven by God?"
A young girl knelt in the confessional, her voice earnest.
"Of course, my child. God is merciful and compassionate. He will surely forgive your sins."
"But... but Father, I cheated."
"You did not cheat, my child. You're only eighteen—not even of legal marriage age. You have a boyfriend, but you are not wedded. What you're experiencing is the pursuit of free love, not something as harsh as 'cheating.'"
The priest's tone remained gentle.
"Ah..."
The girl exhaled in relief, then gazed at the priest with burning intensity, her voice hopeful.
"...Then, can I... with you—"
"No, you cannot, child. I have devoted my life to God."
"..."
The girl left, disappointed, while Roy couldn't help but chuckle.
Were these young girls here to worship God—or to worship him?
During his days in the real world, Roy hadn't dwelled on troublesome matters, but he hadn't been idle either. Using some magical tricks, he had easily integrated himself into the church and become the priest of this little chapel. Though his power system originated from the Bible, and in the world of Campione, he had once reigned over the Vatican, he had never truly experienced the doctrines and sermons of Christianity firsthand.
This time, taking advantage of the lull, he had fully embraced the role of a charlatan—a priest guiding people toward virtue.
With his Face of God ability, even without such a handsome face, he could easily attract countless people to join the faith. Coupled with Roy's extensive knowledge of Christian scriptures, he managed to convert many into believers with just a few persuasive words.
He realized that perhaps his true calling was being a charlatan. Maybe someday he'd take the opportunity to play at being a pope for fun.
Emerging from the confessional, the small chapel housed two rows of wooden chairs for the faithful to pray upon. As evening fell, the worshippers filed out one by one, their gazes inevitably drifting toward the last row where a silver-haired maiden sat in quiet repose.
The girl possessed a beauty so flawless it made others feel inadequate, her noble bearing accentuated by a flowing dress that couldn't conceal her graceful figure. Her skin was as fair as frost, her delicate, Western features so striking that one could scarcely imagine a more breathtaking woman in all the world.
Yet no matter how stunning she was, none dared approach her. A single glance from her was enough to instill boundless terror, even in the boldest of souls.
"Athena, don't you find it dull coming here every day?"
Roy had changed out of his priestly robes into more modern attire. Seeing the goddess of wisdom sitting serenely on the wooden bench, her gaze fixed on the Christian chapel that seemed so incongruous with her presence, he couldn't help but smile as he spoke.
"This one holds no curiosity for the world. As long as you remain in my sight, I shall never grow weary."
Athena's dark eyes shimmered with unspoken depths as she fixed her gaze on Roy, the faint smile playing on her crimson lips hinting at secrets only a goddess could know.
Roy opened his mouth but found no words, his heart trembling under the weight of her affection.
Seeing him speechless, Athena's smile brightened further. Then, shifting the topic, she asked, "...What have you gained from preaching as a priest?"
"I feel closer to the essence of the Bible. This method works—perhaps it truly will help me better comprehend the Holy Right."
Roy sat down beside Athena. The renowned Greek virgin goddess showed no hesitation, habitually leaning into his embrace.
A few strands of her hair brushed against his nostrils, carrying the goddess's fragrance. With his arm around Athena's slender waist, feeling the warmth beneath her garments, Roy found himself deeply moved.
"Will you continue being my priest?"
For the goddess, there wasn't anything particularly pressing she wanted to do. During her time in the Campione world, she had been wandering. Whether facing tense situations or such ordinary daily life, Athena could adapt to either.
··········
"No. Now that we know it's effective and beneficial, that's enough. Three days of rest here is sufficient. It's time to resolve the Human Order's Curse. Carrying around this DEBUFF is unbearable—I don't want my future life to become synonymous with 'misfortune.'"
Roy shook his head, resting his chin atop the goddess's head as he gently stroked her smooth hair.
"Athena, do you have any particular feelings? Like a premonition that if I were to travel to another world, you'd have to follow me or something?"
Roy asked a question that had been weighing on him.
Athena hesitated briefly before coolly shaking her head. "...No, I don't have such feelings. I understand what you mean—you want to go to a new world alone and leave me here. That's perfectly fine. Given the difference in time ratios, I'd only have to wait for you for at most a dozen days or so."
...
"...Besides, I've been meaning to study the concept of 'Existence Convergence.' Once I've made sufficient progress, I'm eager to attempt converging all my alternate-timeline counterparts."
Though Athena was quite accustomed to this peaceful daily life, as the goddess of wisdom and war, she also yearned to seize more knowledge and revel in battle.
Roy exhaled. This 'Throne' was clearly not some kind of 'Main God's Space'—it didn't require him to drag a group of people along for team missions. Instead, everything was entirely up to his own discretion.
This was for the best. If he had to bring too many people to each world, Roy would have far too many considerations. As things stood, it was a win-win: Roy could travel to different worlds seeking opportunities to grow stronger, while Athena could focus on researching how to converge her own uniqueness. And as her uniqueness converged, Athena would undoubtedly grow more powerful in the process.
As for Roy himself, after some research, he concluded that perhaps because he wasn't some particularly significant mythological or historical figure, he had no alternate-timeline counterparts—he was inherently unique.
However, Roy suspected it was more likely that the 'real world' he lived in simply had no parallel worlds, making everyone in this world unique. But for now, he lacked evidence to prove this theory.
"Then it's settled. No time to waste—it's time to resolve this curse."
Roy declared decisively. Three days of rest in this ordinary world was more than enough for him!
Athena's gaze was soft and tender as she tilted her head up to lightly brush Roy's lips with hers. The once aloof goddess now brimmed with worry and anticipation, "...Be safe, Roy! This one shall await your return."
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