A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

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"It's okay, I'll just go to the bathroom to take care of it. Class monitor, could you please keep an eye on everyone? I'll be right back."

Saint Karina smiled outwardly, but inwardly she was filled with countless beautiful thoughts.

Arguing with the minor priest about her clothes would make her seem petty and narrow-minded, and she might use this as an excuse to vent her frustrations.

Fortunately, there were a hundred spare sets of clothes in the locker, specifically to prevent the clothes from being damaged by some unknown force or from being soaked by engine oil like this.

There was a bathroom set up at the end of the corridor, and Saint Karina would often take a bath using the church's hot water for free, since it didn't cost her any money.

He would never spend his own money if he could avoid it. Besides taking advantage of the church's hot water and food subsidies, he would also often take baths in the palace and take advantage of their food for free.

The saying "getting something for free is the best" probably best describes her current life.

The young priest seemed uneasy, disobeying Saint Karina's words and following closely behind her. His long golden hair was stained with a few drops of dark engine oil, the pure color seemingly tainted by the stains.

The scene of them getting up to go to the bathroom to wash themselves felt strangely incongruous.

An invisible pressure and sense of crisis gripped her throat.

"Student, the bathroom on the fifth floor is spacious. You don't need to squeeze in with me on the sixth floor."

"It's alright. Actually, I've been wanting to find an opportunity to be alone with you, Holy Maiden."

"Is there something you can't say now?"

"I think some things are best said in a quiet place where only the two of us are together. I hope you don't mind me keeping you in suspense, Your Holiness?"

"I don't mind as long as it's not a confession to the teacher."

Saint Karina habitually forced a standard, business-like smile. Thinking about it carefully, how could a student she'd only known for less than a day possibly confess their feelings like in an anime? It was utterly absurd.

Using bullying as a way to attract a girl and express affection is so outdated; no one would do that in real life.

So the two of them stepped into the bathroom. Since no one was using it, it was a good place to whisper secrets to each other.

Santa Karina took off her oil-soaked white robe and threw it into the basket of dirty clothes, a chill running down her back. Only a cold hand landed on her back, circling around it.

The other person's actions overstepped the boundaries of their identities and the appropriate social distance, and that invisible sense of oppression returned.

"Holy Maiden, it's astonishing that you have a tattoo of an evil god on your body. Why is that?"

"..."

"Your Holiness, you wouldn't want people to know that you're a follower of a cult, would you?"

The little priest's words echoed in the empty bathroom.

The tattoo on her back was slightly warm, not because it was touched and caused a strange reaction in her body. Saint Karina knew what this meant, even though the other party seemed to be in complete control.

"Excellent, student. You are very knowledgeable, able to delve into knowledge beyond the textbook, even such obscure knowledge. I think you deserve a reward."

She applauded the other person sincerely.

The junior priest opposite him flashed a hint of displeasure in his eyes. Theoretically, being suddenly exposed as a cult follower should have caused him great alarm, made him kneel down and beg for mercy, loudly pleading, "Please don't tell anyone," and promised to grant the other party's every request.

The tattoo you see is not fake; it is indeed imprinted on Saint Karina's back.

This is completely unreasonable.

"Hey, what's with this reaction? Your Excellency, don't you have any sense of crisis? Both the Empire and the Church have clearly stipulated that citizens are not allowed to join cults. Violators will be punished with hard labor at the very least, and imprisonment or execution at worst. Your Excellency, you've knowingly broken the law. Which category do you fall into?"

The young priestess squinted her emerald green eyes, her expression somewhat unpleasant. She hadn't yet mastered emotional control, eager to instill pressure and fear in her opponent.

It's enough to deal with people your own age, but it's completely useless against Saint Karina.

She turned around, emphasizing her feminine advantages. The way her feminine advantages undulated with her movements momentarily captivated the young priest's gaze.

"But why do you recognize this tattoo? At your age, you shouldn't know such things at such a young age, unless you are also very interested in cult-related knowledge. Or perhaps you are a member of a cult."

"How could that be? Your Excellency, it is very wrong of you to smear the students."

The little priest inhaled the air, which smelled of engine oil.

She wore an exasperated expression, somewhat like a child in a fit of impotent rage, perfectly restrained by a mature adult.

This is exactly what Santa Karina wanted to see.

The arrogant young priestess, attempting to threaten herself with these "little secrets," is utterly inexperienced and lacking in both skill and knowledge. If she could actually cause Saint Karina to lose her position as saintess, Saint Karina would be more than grateful to her.

As for cults, once this is exposed, she certainly won't be the first one to suffer.

Before misfortune struck, she seemed to have no way out, but in reality, she had countless choices.

"Yes, just like you threatened me, why can't I threaten you back? There's a saying that goes, 'Treat others as they treat you, learn from the barbarians to subdue them,' or 'use magic to defeat magic,' which is roughly the idea."

"..."

As a result, the junior priest quickly fell into a disadvantageous position and lost the momentum he had just displayed when threatening his superior.

Saint Karina knew that she was just bluffing and was not prepared to actually threaten anyone.

To put it bluntly, although she is still a young saintess, Saint Karina only needs to bring up her background—that woman, the woman with the highest status in this sanctuary, above all others—to essentially reboot a computer and immediately solve 99% of the problems.

The remaining 1% is moving to a new place to live, which is inevitably the last resort.

Having finally gained a little bit of the upper hand, of course I had to bully the little priestess without any mercy, so that she would understand the meaning of respecting her teacher.

"So, you don't want me to label you a cult member and execute you, do you? You know, sometimes, the Holy Church has no way to prove anything when someone is dead..."

Before she could finish speaking, a loud rebuke interrupted her. The sound of another shower starting up and water spraying from the bathroom filled the air.

The young priest hid in another compartment, his previous composure completely gone, even his voice trembling slightly.

"Stop—Holy Maiden, if you treat me like this, I'll drag you down with me even if it means my death. Anyway... I didn't lose today, and you didn't win either. Next time, I'll definitely find a way to make you submit. Just you wait."

"Teacher, I'd be happy to oblige. Also, I know you deliberately spilled the engine oil to see the tattoo on my back. How about you treat me to afternoon tea after class and buy me a new outfit? Since your class doesn't have any classes this afternoon, we might be able to discuss why that essay got a zero."

"..."

The only response to Santa Karina's voice was the sound of knocking from the next cubicle and the sound of running water in the shower.

Partition door panel HP-1.

Apart from that, everything is fine.

The minor priest who tried to threaten her was successfully countered and even ended up paying compensation.

It's only natural to compensate for the clothes; St. Karina feels no guilt about making students pay for them.

If she doesn't keep that money now, it might end up in the pocket of another female public relations officer or physical therapist someday. That would be a hundred times more painful than losing money herself.

To avoid feeling the pain, she could only try to get the little priest to stuff all the money into her pocket, a very narrow opening.

After taking a shower and changing into spare clothes, and having won the match, Santa Karina felt refreshed and invigorated.

A great era is coming.

Thus, Saint Karina received the treatment befitting a victor. Not only did she receive a brand-new set of clothes—not the expensive white robe, but other clothes that she could wear—but she also enjoyed afternoon tea at her family's restaurant, which catered to the aristocracy.

It's earlier than dinner time, but the food is much more plentiful than a typical afternoon tea.

Tender and juicy steak, crispy fried shrimp, a delicious red wine, and a rich and flavorful vegetable soup—these are things that are hard to make in ordinary cuisine.

In terms of ingredient selection, ordinary people are already at a disadvantage from the start. In other places, ordinary restaurants simply cannot compare with professional restaurants.

She wiped her mouth clean with a disposable napkin and faced the displeased priest across from her.

"Thank you for your hospitality. Regarding your article, I only have one suggestion: first, read through the book 'The History of the Development of Mechanical Industry.' The answers I want to give you are in the book. You should understand that although the mechanical age has not yet truly arrived and is still in its infancy, its significance is not only that it will change the way countries wage war and the means of victory in the future. Machinery is not a weapon of war; it is already an indispensable part of human civilization. I only see you writing extensively about how to develop weapons and crush other countries with force. This is not the correct understanding, and you should not be influenced by these things."

The manuscript paper marked with a bright zero stood between the two, like an insurmountable chasm.

Although other teachers thought the article had its merits and could be given a passing grade at their discretion, without offending anyone, Saint Karina did not listen.

Some things are non-negotiable, just as principles cannot be trampled on by others.

"So, Your Excellency, what are your thoughts?"

The young priestess brushed a blonde streak aside, her face showing impatience, but bound by her saintly status, she could only continue listening to Saint Karina's ramblings. This meal had cost her a fortune, making the woman opposite her seem increasingly repulsive.

“You have two weeks to redo this assignment. This is your only chance, and I don’t want to see you in the retake class. Your classmates will laugh at you about it, and you’ll become their target of gossip.”

"I see."

He answered through gritted teeth.

"..."

The conversation was almost impossible to continue, as the other party showed a complete unwillingness to communicate, and continuing would be unlikely to yield any results. Santa Karina was torn about whether to continue persuading them when a figure outside the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling window interrupted her thoughts and drew most of her attention to it.

A woman walked past the door, standing out conspicuously on the street.

Her white robe reached almost to her ankles, decorated with exquisite and intricate embroidery, using gold and black silk thread.

The woman had long, gray hair with a light blue tint, the color of which complemented her pale skin. Her bloodshot pupils gave her a somewhat vacant look.

The woman is very beautiful.

As if sensing something, Santa Karina felt the crater tremble strangely, giving her the illusion of difficulty breathing, numbness in her back, and a feeling of heaviness in her abdomen.

The indescribable things have never been like this before.

That's all for today. I have to take my leave.

Santa Karina's intuition compelled her to put aside what she was doing and pursue it. If she didn't, she might miss something.

The reason for following her might be superficial—the woman was very beautiful and eye-catching.

Saint Karina never denied that she liked women. It's as normal for a girl to like another girl as it is for a person to eat and drink; there's no need to question it.

Why would a beautiful foreign woman be here?

She even forgot her newly bought clothes at the restaurant, and the black tea on the table wasn't finished. It's a bit of a shame, but if she doesn't catch up with him now, she might never meet him again in the vast sea of ​​people.

The white figure was sandwiched in the crowd and moved very fast. Saint Karina's physical fitness wasn't particularly outstanding, but fortunately she didn't lose track of it.

There was a plausible excuse for chasing after her: the woman's hoop earring had fallen off while she was walking. Returning lost property is perfectly reasonable. No one would suspect her ulterior motives.

The woman slowed her pace in the crowded street, and Santa Karina gradually caught up with her.

"Miss... wait, this is... what you just dropped..."

The woman in the white robe turned around, her blood-red pupils stunningly beautiful, captivating anyone with just a glance.

"This one……"

She first reached down and touched her right ear, finding the place where the jewelry should have been clipped empty. She then realized that the pretty ear clip had indeed fallen off.

The ear clip was exquisitely crafted; the metal parts were made of high-quality white gold, and it was inlaid with blue gemstones. It would definitely fetch a high price if sold.

"Thank you. Without your help, I definitely wouldn't have been able to find it. I didn't even realize I'd lost it... It was a gift from someone very, very important to me, and I wanted to keep it with me no matter what."

The woman took the ear clip, looking at it with exceptional tenderness.

"I wish I could help you."

"Saint Karina said."

115. The Stranger

She was racking her brains for a way to continue the conversation when the other person suddenly seemed to have an idea and spoke first.

"Miss, are you a stranger in this land?"

"Why do you ask that?"

“Because… you are communicating with me in the official language of the Kingdom of Etov. Nowadays, I can’t find anyone who can speak it as fluently as you.”

The woman's eyes did not dim because of Saint Karina's words. She was excited, with an expression of meeting an old friend in a foreign land, just like a transmigrator meeting another transmigrator in another world.

"How come you're so good at this, Miss?"

"I... I probably picked up some of it from my parents when I was little because I heard them use this language to communicate. My father is a sheriff who has been to many countries, and my mother is a mechanical engineer, so it's not surprising that they are fluent in several languages. As for me, I'm just an ordinary university teacher who happened to be passing by."

Saint Karina did not intend to reveal her identities as the current Holy Maiden of the Order God Cult and the Holy Maiden of the Eternal God Cult's National Guardian for the time being, and she told another plausible lie.

Even if I told people, no one would believe me. Others spend years mastering a language, while I can do it in a few seconds. I know I'd be laughed at for bragging.

"Then, could I ask you for a favor, miss?"

The woman grasped Santa Karina's hand, her face filled with anticipation.

No one can resist that expression.

Logically, she should refuse a stranger she doesn't know, but Saint Karina was completely captivated by the other woman's earnest gaze.

As they clasped hands, a surge of emotion welled up within them.