Chapter 361: A Saint Became Obsessed with a Pagan

What I told Celeste was none other than the story of Phase 4 power increase.

A shocking tale of how all the able-bodied people in this world will become much stronger than they are now.

“That’s because the Sun God’s descent is near?”

“Yes. I think so.”

I said so with a shameless face.

…Actually, all of this was the result of Celeste’s self-realization in the original story. All of a sudden, everyone’s abilities become stronger, and in the midst of the chaos, Celeste deduces the truth of what happened.

And that truth…the process of discovering that truth…is now in the form of me telling her.

In other words, I’m “specifically” giving her this information.

And then…

“So, the Sun God himself told you this?”

“Yes, that’s right, I was sitting idly by during the day, and all of a sudden, with a divine sense of the world coming alive, this information popped into my head, as if I was remembering something I had forgotten. I guess it was a divine revelation.”

“Well… Well…”

Hearing that, Celeste’s expression changed strangely.

…Naturally, the emotion was one of disappointment.

To tell me information that even she, a saint of the Sun God, wouldn’t know about? Honestly, even the most pious person would feel frustrated here. Even clerics are human beings.

Of course, her faith wasn’t weak enough to be easily shaken by something like this, so it was more likely to end up as ‘I’m not good enough, or god must mean something’.

…If she can’t be shaken easily, I can just stand here and shake her hard, right?

I took advantage of the momentary pause in her self-consciousness and spoke up, warming to her.

“…Don’t be so upset. Maybe God passed it on to me because it might confuse you.”

“What? Ha…Who said anything about being upset, it’s not like that.”

She responds with a cold glare, as if slightly stung by my words.

Even if you’re not upset, when a third party decides that you look upset, it makes you think, “Am I upset?”

…Yes.

Like this, slowly, very slowly, I’ll create a rift between her and the Sun God, so that I can get between them, and intercept her.

“…Anyway, if you’re right, this is a big deal.”

She closed her eyes again for a moment, thinking, then opened them again, her golden eyes locked on mine.

“Yes. There would be a great disruption in society, a bunch of fearless brats who don’t know any better, drunk on their own power.”

I said with a villainous grin.

How I love a good villainous line like that.

…Actually, by fearless, I meant villains, not heroes, but that’s just the way it is.

“….”

“Hmm…”

I looked at Celeste, who seemed to be pondering my words for a moment, and subconsciously organized my plan.

The core of Phase 4 was the Power Inflation. This power inflation was only good for the powerful, and was a disaster for the general public. Weaker powers would become stronger, and stronger powers would become unstoppable, meaning that Celeste, right in front of me, would become even stronger.

And in the midst of this chaos, this is what Celeste chose to do.

Power inflation made villains more numerous. A world where those who were too weak to terrorize became stronger, and all of them awakened as villains.

In that world, Celeste proclaims herself to be a force to be reckoned with.

All villains must follow her.

Just as the heroes all belong to an association, so do the villains.

That was the true emergence of Cathedral.

…Since Cathedral was originally composed of the strongest men in a country, a Cathedral with all of them, made even stronger by the Power Inflation, was a disaster.

Rebellious villains are crushed, and the organization becomes a vast coalition of villains, larger than the Association itself.

It’s an event that was portrayed as a group that must be destroyed, and scales Stardus enemies to global proportions.

…By the end of Phase 4, the reader’s assessment was.

[No. But wasn’t Cathedral actually not that bad after all?]

The logic goes something like this: the world was a chaotic mess of villains anyway, and Cathedral was the one who united them and brought order.

That’s what happened in the original, but it’s better now because me and my friends are part of Cathedral, which means I can manipulate things from within.

As I was thinking about it, the words of Celeste caught my attention.

“…I’ll have to think about that.”

She mumbles quietly as her eyes closed.

Then she opened her eyes again, and said to me, with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Well…I guess I was going to find out anyway, but it’s nice to know…thank you, Egostic.”

I looked at Celeste, slightly averting my eyes and I was surprised.

Celeste is grateful. The sun is rising in the west.

…Still, she’s opening up to me a little bit, and that’s a good thing. Though it was kind of funny to see myself getting all giddy over a thank you…I need to win her over to prevent the end of the world.

Anyway, that’s enough for today.

I’ll go now, and I’ll approach Celeste again when her mind is clearer.

I was about to say goodbye when I thought to myself.

“Haha, since we’re in the same boat, of course I should let you know this right off the bat, so I’ll be off…”

“Going where?”

Just as I was about to cry and get up, I heard a cold voice in my ear.

I turned my head, momentarily flustered, to see Celeste, who seemed to be flustered herself, coughing slightly and motioning for me to sit back down.

“…Hmph. You’re right, we’re in the same boat, believing in the same god, and you’re going to have to help me figure out what to do. Sit back down.”

“…Um, yes.”

I sat back down just like that.

‘What is it?’

I didn’t know what it was, but I didn’t want to offend her now…

‘…Yeah, whatever. That’s good.’

Maybe I should take this opportunity to give her my own idea for Cathedral expansion.

With that thought, I opened my mouth.

I wonder how much time has passed since then.

“Let’s do that, then.”

“Okay.”

It was decided that I would be in charge of the Asia branch of Cathedral.

‘…The Sun God’s descent is near, and everyone’s abilities will be strengthened…’

Listening to the words of Egostic in front of her, Celeste was silent in thought.

This was very important information. It could change the course of the world.

The more she thought about it, the more butterfly effects it would have in her mind.

Celeste, as the head of Cathedral, the world’s most powerful villain organization, was naturally good at keeping track of the situation…so much so that all sorts of calculations were going on in her head at the same time.

“…I’ll have to think about it.”

So she muttered those words, lost in thought. What is the right thing to do in this situation? What should she do?

…Regardless, this information was invaluable, if it was true.

Though she wasn’t sure why God had chosen to speak only to him and not to her…

‘You never came to me except to share your power with me in the beginning…’

She felt a slight twinge of annoyance, which she suppressed at the thought of blasphemy, but she didn’t know that if anyone who knew the truth about the Sun God had heard this, they would have burst into flames…The Sun God had never visited Egostic in the first place, nor was he in a position to do so.

Anyway, it was thanks to him that she knew.

Celeste wanted to thank him.

“Well…I was going to find out anyway, but it’s nice to know. Hmmmm, thank you, Egostic.”

…It was a bit awkward to say this, and the wording was a bit odd, but it was all she could do to convey her sincerity.

In fact, it was so out of character for her. For someone who had always been on top of the world, this was the first time she’d ever had an equal relationship…they were both chosen by the same Sun God.

If what he said was true, anyway…

That was when she thought to herself.

“Haha, since we’re in the same boat, of course I should let you know this right away, so I’ll take my leave…”

That’s what she heard.

And the moment she heard those words…she reflexively looked up and said, without realizing it.

“Where?”

The words came out of her mouth unbidden and were so cold that even she felt embarrassed.

“…Hmph. Where are you going? We’re on the same boat, believing in the same god, as you say. You’ll have to help me figure it out. Sit back down.”

Even as she thought this, she felt her stomach churn.

She had always stood alone at the pinnacle of her power, and was the first person the Sun God had ever chosen.

Forgetting that she was too ashamed to face him, she grabbed hold of him.

“What if we expanded Cathedral into an international alliance of villains, instead of just an information-sharing conference?”

She found herself nodding in agreement at his lingering idea.

…It was a good idea, one she would have come to the same conclusion had she thought long enough.

‘…After all, it’s useful…’

Celeste thought to herself, quietly.

‘Yes, it is. Perhaps, after all, Egostic was sent by the Sun God as a gift for her.

Unbeknownst to her, Celeste was beginning to believe him, a little…slowly, but surely.