Venom had always considered himself lucky—or more precisely, he believed he had a knack for surviving misfortune.

When he got into a drunken brawl and killed the person next to him, barely escaping capture by joining the Abyss Cult, he thought it was luck.

After joining the cult, he was assigned one of the most dangerous roles—scavenging for sacrificial offerings. But even then, he managed to secretly use the stolen offerings to create Chaos Crystals.

His life had always been a strange mix of bad luck followed by good fortune.

So Venom expected that after this recent streak of bad luck, good fortune would soon follow.

"Losing all the Chaos Crystals is unfortunate, but at least I managed to escape."

He had narrowly escaped the encirclement of the royal knights and soldiers—a situation where escape seemed impossible—by sacrificing his secret weapon, the tunnel snakes.

Although he was now penniless, being alive was what mattered.

"I did manage to pick up a few dark magic tricks here and there while working for the cult."

Venom believed that no matter how powerful the cult leader was, the chances of the cult surviving this attack were slim.

In fact, he saw the potential demise of the Abyss Cult as an opportunity.

Without the ogres in the forest, the trolls rule. Venom, who was weak compared to the cult leader and the other high-ranking dark wizards, now saw himself as one of the few remaining dark wizards on the continent.

He fantasized about founding a new dark magic organization, living like a god, just as the cult leader had.

After all, dark magic didn’t depend on personal talent or training; it was all about the quantity and quality of the sacrifices.

Imagining himself growing even more powerful, Venom felt the exhaustion from his escape melt away.

"I would like to use the teleportation circle to Goldpool Valley."

"Identification confirmed. Please follow me."

Following the tower guide to the teleportation circle, Venom was surprised to see so many people headed to Goldpool Valley.

"Why are there so many people going to that rural area?"

Venom had chosen Goldpool Valley as his escape destination because he knew the area well, having grown up there. It was a quiet, rural place, once known for its gold dust but now lacking any real attraction, which meant few visitors.

"You can’t get any figures in the capital because of all the scalpers."

"Tell me about it. They sell out by lunchtime because there’s a limit on how many you can buy."

Venom overheard two wealthy-looking nobles talking as they waited for their turn at the teleportation circle, but he had no idea what they were discussing.

"Figures? What are those? Some new product?"

He tried to piece together what they were saying but couldn’t make sense of it with his limited knowledge.

And then there was the man in the thick robe who caught his attention for some reason.

Though the man’s face was mostly hidden by the robe, Venom could tell from his jawline that he had a sculpted, handsome face.

But it wasn’t the man’s looks that bothered Venom—it was the sense of danger he emanated.

Despite being a low-level dark wizard, Venom had the instinct of a wild animal, able to sense strength and weakness in others.

And the man in the robe reeked of danger.

Venom wanted to leave immediately, but feared that doing so would make him look suspicious. In the end, he found himself boarding the teleportation circle to Goldpool Valley with the other travelers.

"Let’s go, Rashu!"

At his young master’s excited command, the puppy, Rashu, gave a look that could only be described as the face of a child who didn’t want to get out of bed for school.

Rupert marveled at how expressive Rashu was, as if learning anew just how much emotion animals could show.

What had now become an annual tradition was Ada and Rashu’s stroll around the estate.

At designated times in the morning, afternoon, and evening, Rashu would pull the cart carrying Ada, a familiar sight that had become famous around the estate.

The combination of a child and a puppy was endearing to see, and the cart, sometimes filled with milk or candy, which Ada handed out to the children they met, made the kids eager to follow them.

Of course, Rupert couldn’t let Ada go alone, so he had secretly asked the soldiers to keep an eye on her, ensuring nothing happened.

The people in the rural area were kind and simple, after all.

"Master, the Saintess is expected to arrive soon. Are you sure you’re well enough to meet her?"

"Yes, I’m feeling much better now."

Despite Rupert’s reassurances, Alain still looked worried.

But Rupert wasn’t lying. Ever since he had collapsed, he had been eating three meals a day and training in the courtyard with Sir Mullus each morning.

He had even ordered the workshop employees to join in, so to an outsider, it looked like they were training soldiers.

Moreover, Rupert had been getting enough sleep, and he could feel his mind clearing up.

"But I just can’t get over this withdrawal from the vitality potion! It’s unbearable."

Even though he was getting healthier, Rupert couldn’t shake the craving for the vitality potion.

He tried to stave it off with coffee and other drinks, but the more he resisted, the stronger the craving became.

It got so bad that he even considered trying smoking, something he had never done, even back on Earth. The thought filled him with a sense of dread.

"Did those alchemists really lace the potion with something addictive?"

The silver lining was that, despite cutting back on his work hours, his productivity hadn’t dropped.

With his mind clearer, he found it easier to come up with natural storylines and scenes, and he had already finished his latest work.

On top of that, Sena, whom he had been teaching, had quickly picked up artistic techniques, as if eager to show off her talent.

She was now a great help with the storyboarding process and even with the official work.

For now, she was only assisting with backgrounds and minor details, but for Rupert, who was desperate for any help he could get, it was more than enough.

"Brother Manuel mentioned that the Saintess might ask you to paint a mural for the new church, so it’s probably best to discuss it with her directly."

But even with Sena’s help, taking on additional projects was too much.

Rupert had no particular desire to attempt religious art like murals or sacred paintings, though the idea intrigued him. Such works would require a commitment of years, which was out of the question.

Just working on his current manga was already taking a toll on him; taking on a large-scale, long-term project would likely lead to another collapse.

So, Rupert had decided to meet the Saintess in person and politely decline.

His father had offered to meet her on his behalf and explain the situation, but Rupert didn’t want to give her any reason to take offense.

And he was curious to see the Saintess, someone who most people would only see once in their lifetime, if at all.

"Master, the church’s carriage has arrived."

"Alright, I’ll be down shortly."

The Saintess seemed to have impeccable timing, arriving just as she was mentioned.

Rupert checked his appearance one more time and quickly reviewed the passages from the Goddess’s scriptures that he had memorized as he prepared to greet her.

"It is an honor to meet the Daughter of Gaia in person. I am Rupert Somerset, the second son of the Somerset family."

"Rupert, may your mother’s grace be upon you."

The Saintess responded to Rupert’s polite greeting with a warm smile.

Once chosen by the Goddess’s oracle, the Saintess would renounce her earthly name and live only as the Saintess or the Daughter of Gaia.

Rupert had learned this through Brother Manuel’s guidance over the past few days, and the Saintess’s friendly response filled him with a sense of accomplishment.

The Saintess had soft platinum hair.

Rupert dared not stare too long for fear of being thought disrespectful, but even a brief glance at her face revealed an air of elegance.

She was like the embodiment of the word "sacred."

Unlike the princess or Amelia, whose beauty was noble and refined, the Saintess’s beauty was of a different kind.

It wasn’t flashy or overwhelmingly stunning, yet her mere presence brought comfort to those around her.

If Rupert had the time and could observe her from a distance, he would have liked to sketch her, so impressed was he by her appearance.

"Please, allow me to escort you to the drawing room."

The Saintess nodded slightly at Rupert’s offer.

She was followed by an elderly man who appeared to be a high-ranking member of the church and two holy knights.

"Indeed, the rumors are true—the only comparison for these knights is the royal guard."

Rupert thought as he glanced at the knights following the Saintess.

Though Rupert wasn’t a knight and had no ability to gauge strength, he could tell from their aura alone that they were exceptional.

Having recently bolstered the Somerset family’s knights and soldiers, he could clearly feel the difference.

He had the ominous feeling that even if his entire household’s forces were to confront these two holy knights, they would be obliterated.

"I heard you prefer Blue Tea, so I’ve prepared it for you. I hope it’s to your liking."

"Thank you, that will be perfect."

The extravagant hospitality of the Empire’s nobility never ceased to amaze. In particular, the tea and refreshments offered to guests were often exorbitantly priced.

Fortunately, the Saintess’s preferred Blue Tea, also known as Qingcha, was a simple, inexpensive, and popular tea among commoners.

Had her tastes been more luxurious, acquiring the necessary items would have cost a fortune.

As they sipped their tea, the Saintess offered pleasant words about the peaceful state of the estate, while Rupert, in turn, praised the Goddess, reciting his well-rehearsed lines.

"Oh, I heard you had collapsed recently. Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thanks to the Goddess’s blessing, I’ve recovered quite well."

"I believe my visit today is also part of the Goddess’s plan. May I offer a prayer for you, Sir Rupert?"

"The Daughter of Gaia offering a prayer for me… I wouldn’t want to trouble you over something so trivial. Your kindness is enough."

"No, Sir Rupert, you are already spreading the Goddess’s will through your children’s books. You are more than worthy of receiving this prayer."

Rupert glanced at the holy knights and the church elder standing silently behind the Saintess.

Despite her sudden offer of prayer, they remained still, showing no sign of dissent.

"Is it really okay to accept this?"

In the end, Rupert succumbed to the Saintess’s repeated offer, kneeling before her and bowing his head.