“This is very dangerous.”

“I know.”

“Once you’re discovered, you could even be held accountable by those fanatics from the Judgment Temple.”

“I know.”

“Those people aren’t just fanatical. They’re ruthless types who like flaying people alive and eating them whole. The fact that the Goddess allows them to exist in this world at all is entirely the greatest mercy she has ever shown.”

“I know.”

“So once you fall into the hands of the lunatics from the Judgment Temple, the consequences will be worse than death!”

“I know. Don’t worry. I’m not scared.”

“But I’m fucking scared!”

Bishop Kore wore a miserable old face as he beat his chest and stamped his feet.

“I’m scared... Do you know what I paid to get this position? I had no talent and no background. I finally managed to cling to someone powerful and become a bishop, finally managed to sit securely over my own little territory, and my ass hasn’t even warmed the seat yet, and now...

“Yes, I know I’ve made who knows how many mistakes. Those mistakes need to be paid for and washed clean. But you can’t wash me this hard! This isn’t washing anymore. This is scraping me with a steel-wire ball! What kind of people are in the Judgment Temple? Lunatics! Perverts! Sadists! If they catch me, I’ll never be reborn for all eternity!”

“All right, all right.”

Muen set down his teacup and soothed him helplessly.

“It’s not as exaggerated as you make it sound. I’ve met the Judgment Archbishop once, more or less. She’s so beautiful. How could she possibly be anything like what you’re describing? Besides, I’m only asking you to do me a small favor. It isn’t as though I’m directly handing you over to the Judgment Temple. What are you getting so worked up for?”

“Helping an outsider forge an identity, infiltrate the Church’s interior, and then letting him do who knows what terrible things inside—how is that any different from directly handing me over to the Judgment Temple?”

Bishop Kore bristled. “I won’t do it. I absolutely won’t! I, Bishop Kore, may swindle people, take bribes, love money, and have no conscience, but I still have the most basic bottom line. I am loyal and devoted to the Church. I will absolutely never betray the Goddess!”

“Oh?”

Muen lifted his brow slightly and glanced at the nun beside him. “Are you sure?”

The nun silently stepped forward. She said nothing, merely opened the surgical tool case again in front of Bishop Kore.

“I... Urgh.”

The surgical instruments inside had clearly been carefully polished and refurbished. They no longer looked as frightening as before, but Bishop Kore immediately had certain rather unpleasant memories dredged up by the sight of that exquisite set of tools. His face instantly turned deathly pale, and he bent over, clutching his abdomen as he retched nonstop.

“Cough, cough... Take it away. Hurry and take that thing away...”

“Is it that bad?”

Muen was rather surprised by Bishop Kore’s unexpectedly extreme reaction. “I haven’t even told her to do anything yet.”

“No, she hasn’t... But this crazy woman got addicted. Every night, she sits there sharpening surgical knives. I... I-I can’t even see that thing now. Just hearing the sound of a blade being sharpened makes my whole body tremble...”

“...Is that so?”

Muen raised his head to look at the nun and discovered that, just as Bishop Kore had said, when she held the surgical knife, her cheeks were clearly flushed with an abnormal excitement.

It seemed he really had accidentally made her unlock some rather unfortunate hobby...

“I would like to help you, but when you won’t even fulfill my request, how am I supposed to listen to you?”

Muen spread his hands helplessly. The nun beside him was also extremely sensible. Her breathing grew heavier and heavier as she stared straight at Bishop Kore like she was staring at prey, approaching him step by step...

Seeing the nun and the surgical knife in her hand draw near again—the same nun who had once brought him an experience as agonizing as hell—Bishop Kore’s face grew paler and more twisted. His five fingers dug fiercely into his abdomen. Clearly, both mentally and physically, he was bearing tremendous pain.

Give in...

Give in and it will be easy...

Bishop Kore’s twisted face gradually returned to normal, and the hand gripping his abdomen slowly relaxed as well.

But just as Muen thought he was about to choose submission, Bishop Kore suddenly rallied. He gritted his teeth hard and forced his voice out through the gaps.

“No... No! I absolutely cannot betray the Church! And I absolutely will not betray the Goddess! Never!”

Bishop Kore’s aged face was no longer twisted, but it was twitching, and his voice was almost tearful.

“I am... I am the Goddess’s faithful believer... How could I betray her?”

“...Hearing something like that from your mouth really is unexpected.”

Muen was even more surprised. He carefully studied Bishop Kore’s disheveled old face. “You did all those things, yet you still dare call yourself a faithful believer?”

“S-so what? Doing bad things and being loyal... don’t conflict.”

Bishop Kore tightly clenched the holy cross pendant. “I was an orphan taken in by the Church too. I grew up beneath the Goddess’s radiance too. I revere the Goddess. Even the statue I made for the Goddess was pure gold. Asking me to betray her is impossible. Absolutely impossible...”

“Really no?”

“Absolutely no!”

“Not even if you die?”

“Not even if I die!”

“All right, then. In that case...”

Muen’s face was expressionless. At the signal in his eyes, the nun finally arrived at Bishop Kore’s side, tightened her grip around the surgical knife, and little by little...

Sensing death and pain approaching, Bishop Kore still showed no intention of yielding. Though his entire body was trembling from fear and sweat had already soaked his priestly robe, he continued praying to the Goddess.

Goddess, I, Kore, really am a greedy little man. A base and shameless criminal... But if it is you, then you can still do as you did before and sprinkle down a little warmth for me, right?

“You passed.”

Just a little warmth, and...

“Huh?”

Wait.

“What do you mean, passed?”

Bishop Kore opened his eyes in shock, only to discover that the surgical knife had not pierced his flesh again. It had merely brushed across his skin.

So gently it had not left even the slightest cut.

“I mean it literally. Next, I don’t want someone who will easily betray and submit helping me, even if...”

“Even if?”

“Forget it. That has nothing to do with you.”

Muen casually waved a hand. The nun sensibly closed the tool case and silently retreated behind Bishop Kore again.

“This...”

Seeing the crisis pass, Bishop Kore froze. “Y-you really aren’t continuing?”

“Since even at this point you refused to submit, there probably wouldn’t be any meaning in continuing,” Muen said with a shrug.

“I-is that so?”

Bishop Kore let out a breath, his whole body nearly going limp. “You scared me to death. I thought you really were going to use those cruel methods from before to force me into helping you do something against my conscience.”

“No. As for helping me, you still absolutely have to do that,” Muen said meaningfully. “You can’t escape it.”

“?” 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Bishop Kore shuddered again. “You—no, wait. Do you perhaps have some other, even crueler method?”

“I don’t have any even crueler method. However...”

Muen flicked his finger and tossed a letter into Bishop Kore’s hands.

“I do have a requisition order personally signed by the Judgment Archbishop. Kore Seville, you have now been temporarily requisitioned by me, bypassing Saint Blancfazesiya Cathedral.”