Seeing Michaela place Viktor's hand on her own chest,
Zora's mind went "buzz," and she froze on the spot.
Very quickly, she snapped back to her senses. Her cheeks flushed red like apples, and she reached out a hand, pointing at Michaela as she asked in a fluster, "Y-you… you… you… what are you doing!?"
"You're a bishop of the Church of Abundance, a believer of the gods, and you're acting so shamelessly!"
'Didn't Mr. Viktor say he already had a fiancee?'
'Then what exactly is going on with the two of us right now!'
Hearing Zora's voice, Michaela turned her head and looked at her blushing face, a half-smile on her lips.
"Heh."
A soft sound, yet it carried who knew how much hidden mockery.
Feeling the provocation, a nameless anger shot up inside Zora with a "whoosh."
She lowered the hand covering her eyes and clenched it tightly into a fist.
Even though Michaela hadn't said a single word, and even had her eyes covered like a blind person, Zora could still feel that faint, elusive gaze, and a very clear sense of ridicule.
At this moment, Michaela still didn't let go of Viktor's hands.
Instead, she spoke as if it were only natural, "Lord Viktor has accomplished great deeds for our Church of Abundance. As a bishop, it's only right for me to repay him."
"Even if it means offering myself, I am willing."
The meaning was as if she were saying to Zora that she would even be willing to call Viktor the godfather of their church. What could you possibly use to compete with me?
But before she could finish speaking, Viktor pulled his hand back on his own.
Feeling the sudden emptiness at her chest, Michaela clearly hadn't expected this change, and looked at him in surprise.
"That joke went a bit too far, Bishop Michaela."
Viktor looked at her, hands casually in his pockets.
In his deep gaze was a clear refusal, "I won't stand on any god's side."
The smug, half-smiling expression on Michaela's face gradually disappeared.
In its place came shock and disbelief.
Viktor's reply had clearly stunned her.
But…
All the miracles of the Goddess of Abundance descending into the world had been realized by Lord Viktor.
Even now, the streets and land of Shulben were still filled with golden waves of wheat from the Goddess of Abundance.
And the Goddess of Justice appearing in the City of Mages, her deeds had already spread across the entire continent.
The scales of the Goddess of Justice had even become the symbol of the Mage Council.
And now, Viktor was saying he wouldn't stand on any god's side?
No, this was like he'd been with two goddesses and then refused to acknowledge it afterward.
Seeing Michaela's reaction, Zora curled her lips in satisfaction.
That "arrogant bishop" who had dared to provoke her just now was now full of shock.
She had just called Viktor her 'godfather,' and now he denied it. Wasn't that a slap to the face on the spot?
Watching Michaela get put in her place made Zora feel quite pleased.
After all, the other party had gone against her right from the start.
"As for your side's matter."
At this moment, Viktor suddenly turned his head and looked at Zora, "That will depend on how much sincerity your merchant guild can show."
Hearing this, Zora's brows lifted slightly, and a smile immediately appeared on her face.
She saw a glimmer of hope, and a possible partnership.
So she suppressed the excitement in her heart and did her best to appear calm.
Nodding, she quickly said, "Mr. Viktor, please rest assured. You are an honored guest of our Kassidra Merchant Guild."
"We will prepare a satisfactory contract proposal as soon as possible and deliver it to you."
She bowed deeply to Viktor.
Beneath her outward calm, her heartbeat thumped wildly like a chaotic drum.
Afterward, she raised her brows again and looked at Michaela, like a Viktor mocking the defeated.
She turned around, her steps light, leaving the scene with a satisfied air.
Michaela's expression was a bit stiff. She watched Zora's figure gradually fade into the distance, then turned back and carefully 'looked' toward Viktor.
Taking a deep breath, she asked in a trembling voice, "Mr… Mr. Viktor."
"Do… do you also wish for the gods to be unable to return?"
'But why?'
She couldn't quite understand.
Why would Viktor manipulate the power of the gods, yet hope they couldn't come back?
Wasn't that a bit contradictory?
And besides, wouldn't it be good for the gods to return?
Michaela recalled the scene years ago when the Goddess of Abundance manifested in Shulben. The streets were filled with golden waves of wheat.
The residents of the territory had enjoyed agricultural harvests because of it, and their lives became more prosperous.
And the appearance of the Goddess of Justice in the City of Mages had strengthened many mages' belief in justice and their pursuit of morality.
More and more mages appeared among the common people, and their willingness to help others allowed more people to see the justice and kindness of the Mage Council.
People recognized the Mage Council more, and along with it, their past dislike or indifference toward the Goddess of Justice improved a lot.
At least, the manifestations of these two gods had brought many people better experiences and lives.
Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.
However, Viktor's next words directly denied Michaela's belief.
"The gods don't do these things. They only send down guides of their doctrines."
"The ones truly doing these things are the believers acting in the gods' names."
His tone was calm, but his words struck deeply at Michaela's heart.
She stood there blankly, as if struck hard, her beliefs shaken.
A sect is also an organization. And any organization needs leaders.
Only better leaders can give the sect a better reputation.
Because gods won't directly act. They only guide believers to realize their doctrines.
And the ones who can truly lead a sect toward the light are those devout believers.
The Goddess of Justice is the most typical counterexample.
'Justice' itself is naturally a good concept.
The Goddess of Justice bears the name of justice, but when there are many believers, there will be good and bad within the church.
Some will even twist the doctrine to fulfill their own evil desires.
Like those twisted cultists.
They carry out "justice" in the name of the Goddess of Justice.
In reality, they've only found a reasonable excuse to satisfy their warped, perverse desires.
People aren't fools. The truth always reveals itself before the world.
Those twisted believers of the Goddess of Justice keep stirring up wars in the name of justice and freedom.
Anyone with clear eyes can see that what they're doing isn't justice at all.
So the reputation of the Goddess of Justice kept getting worse.
Then, when the Goddess of Justice manifested in the City of Mages, and the Mage Council took up the 'orthodoxy' of the Goddess of Justice, her reputation improved.
In fact, the Mage Council had never changed.
The mages who joined it had always upheld themselves with noble morals and consistently helped the people.
It's just that with the name of the Goddess of Justice, their influence grew larger, letting more people see their good deeds.
So in the eyes of the world, that merit naturally went to the god, and more people came to recognize the justice of the Goddess of Justice.
Only then did her reputation improve.
And after their impression of the Goddess of Justice improved, people further affirmed that the true orthodoxy of the Goddess of Justice lay within the Mage Council.
Likewise, the Church of Abundance was the same.
Although the manifestation of the Goddess of Abundance brought new hope to many believers, and her divine power truly did help the residents of Shulben greatly, only by going deeper could one understand, in the end, it still required a church like the Church of Abundance, willing to help the people farm, to put in the effort.
Divine power is only an assisting method.
If a lazy person does nothing, no matter how fertile the land is, it cannot produce flourishing wheat out of thin air.
Those who selflessly devote themselves are naturally few.
That is why the Church of Abundance now has fewer than two thousand believers left.
In this world, there simply aren't that many people willing to give without expecting anything in return.
"The gods are innocent, because they do not manage worldly affairs."
"Their reputation depends entirely on what the people below are doing in their name."
His voice fell slowly, but those words kept echoing in Michaela's mind.
She stood there, and though her eyes were covered, it felt as if she were seeing far into the distance.
Viktor's words gave Michaela a new understanding.
All change comes from human actions, not from the gods.
Viktor glanced at her and paused for a few seconds.
As the cold wind howled and rustled their clothes, his calm voice sounded again, "But the gods are not entirely innocent either."
"They watch their believers fall into corruption and do nothing. That is their fault."
If a god merely observes and does not interfere with the actions of their believers, then it means that the power of the gods can be used by anyone.
And once those with evil intentions, who only crave power, receive divine blessings, and continuously bring disaster and suffering to the world, that in itself is an extremely wrong thing.
It might even be better if they truly left this world.
At this moment, Aurelian and Priscilla walked over side by side.
The wedding had already ended, so there was no need for them to remain in the court.
Seeing his familiar black coat, a smile appeared on Aurelian's face, "Teacher! So you were here!"
"We should go!"
Seeing the two girls approach together, Viktor nodded lightly.
Then he turned his head and glanced at Michaela, and finally said, "When you can truly understand the concept of gods..."
"...then come call me godfather."
As his words fell, the wind rose, fluttering his coat.
Viktor walked toward the direction of departure.
At the moment he passed by Michaela, he lowered his voice and casually said, "Also, the feel was pretty good."
"I quite like the doctrine of the Goddess of Abundance."
Hearing his words, Michaela turned back in astonishment.
But Viktor, who should have been behind her, had suddenly disappeared.
Only a gust of wind swept past her on the terrace.
The strong wind blew her long hair, sending it dancing freely in the air.
The veil covering her eyes was also lifted by the wind, flying off toward an unknown direction.
Under the night sky, Michaela's eyes, mysterious and brilliant like stars, blinked.
The starlight flickering in her gaze seemed to echo the confusion in her heart.