The Freed Slaves Are Obsessed-Chapter 225: Showtime

We need to clean this up.

A city in ruins. Devoted believers driven to madness.

No matter how much money I have, I obviously don’t have enough to restore an entire city, let alone one this massive.

The city itself is one thing, but the bigger issue is the people.

I had anticipated this outcome, which is why I strictly ordered my subordinates not to kill anyone. Thanks to that, there were no deaths, but the problem lay elsewhere.

‘If we leave them like this, they’ll completely lose their minds.’

They were already fanatics, but at least before, they’d obediently listen when someone of higher status spoke.

However, after losing to us, it seems their faith has started to crack. No matter who tries to command them, they’ll likely question everything now.

Unless, of course, a god were to descend before them.

‘If a god won’t descend, then why not bring down a divine representative?’

If you don’t have teeth, use your gums.

If you don’t have bread, eat cake.

And lucky for us, we’ve got not one but two individuals perfect for the role of a divine representative.

This is an absolute jackpot~☆

I needed to make a plan. A plan to rebuild the city and restore the church to its former state.

A brilliant idea struck me.

“Let’s put on a performance.”

“A performance?”

“Yes.”

The tale of a Saintess who protects the Holy Kingdom and its faithful against the monstrous threats of the Reaper, the Nine-Tailed Fox, and the Spirits who attacked the sacred land.

I had only just thought of the plot, yet I could already hear the sound of faith rising.

Of course, a mere performance wouldn’t be enough. But I happen to have some exceptional slaves at my disposal.

There’s no shortage of ways to create a spectacle so grand that it would send chills down one’s spine and stiffen a man’s resolve.

There was some pushback, though.

“Master, do we really have to go this far because of them? Let’s just convert them to the Reaper Cult instead. That way, our church will become the biggest one in the world.”

“Lin, do you actually want people like that joining our faith?”

“...I didn’t think that far ahead.”

And just like that, the opposition was silenced.

The actors were prepared.

The show was about to begin.

****

Under the Moonlight, Kassilon Lay in Ruins.

The shadow of the Reaper heralded death. The sinister energy of the yokai spread madness. The spirits rampaged through the Holy Kingdom as if it were their playground.

Fallen crosses were soaked in blood, and the voices once singing hymns turned to screams before fading into silence.

“God... has abandoned us...”

Prayers went unanswered. Miracles never came. Even the Saintess, in whom they had placed unwavering faith, could not withstand the relentless calamities.

Some believers gave up in despair. Others fell to their knees and wept.

Their faith wavered.

Hopelessness spread like a whispering plague.

But then—

A pure white light began to bloom.

A light like the hope that the Holy Kingdom had lost.

From within the dazzling radiance, Saintess Elise rose.

The halo above her head, cleansed of blood, spun with fierce brilliance. The luminous glow she exuded was as radiant as the breaking dawn, and Kassilon was soon engulfed in light.

The Reaper’s presence was pushed back, and the Nine-Tailed Fox’s aura dissipated.

Once again, battle commenced.

A clash of monstrous forces that could only be described as apocalyptic.

The Reaper swung his scythe, sending waves of deadly slashes. The Nine-Tailed Fox hurled massive foxfire orbs that rained down like meteors. And each time, the Saintess intercepted their attacks.

The sheer force of the impact caused the Great Temple’s cross to collapse. Beneath it, the children of the monastery stood frozen in terror.

I averted my gaze, unable to watch.

But instead of a deafening crash or the wails of the innocent—

Awe-filled gasps filled the air.

The massive cross, mere moments from striking the ground, stopped in midair—then slowly, it rose back into the sky.

That wasn’t all.

Everywhere the Saintess’s light touched, the wreckage and ruins of the city began to rebuild themselves.

With a serene smile, Elise spoke.

“Do not fear, everyone. God is with us. He does not turn away from our prayers. His divine will has been revealed.”

“Ah...!”

“As expected...!”

Tears streamed down the faces of the believers as they clutched their crosses.

“A miracle...”

No one dared to deny it.

It was a miracle.

The Saintess had descended to deliver the will of the Almighty.

But the enemy was not so easily defeated.

A violent storm of spirit blades surged toward her. Unable to fully block the attack, the Saintess’s robes were torn apart.

Under the soft glow of the moonlight, her bare skin shimmered.

The believers held their breath.

She had always been wrapped in solemn ceremonial robes, her form completely hidden from sight.

To even imagine what lay beneath was blasphemy.

To witness it with their own eyes was forbidden.

It was a sight so sinful, it should not be allowed.

And yet—because of that very reason, they could not look away.

Between the fluttering, loosened fabric, glimpses of her thigh were revealed. Her flat, unblemished stomach. A small, straight navel. The slender curve of her waist, exposed by the shifting wind.

She had been attacked from the front—so why was the elegant curve of her back now visible?

But no one questioned it.

There was no room in their minds to dwell on such trivialities.

“Ah...”

Blushing, Elise hurriedly wrapped her arms around herself, trying to shield her exposed skin.

That only made their hearts race even more.

An exquisite, precarious, and vulnerable figure.

“This... this is a miracle...”

The believers—especially the men—spoke in unison.

This was not indecent.

This was divine.

This was the grace and elegance only a truly holy being could possess.

This was not blasphemy—this was worship.

To look away from her would be the true act of heresy.

Those who doubt the existence of God,

Look upon the Saintess.

God is real.

That concludes the defense’s argument.

Despite the Saintess’s awakening, the crisis had yet to be resolved.

As the believers clutched their hands together in anxious prayer—

A powerful voice rang out.

“Why do you kneel?”

A familiar old man’s voice echoed from the balcony of the Great Temple.

The believers, startled, turned their heads.

A man stood before the grand spear engraved with the image of the scales. Though aged, his somewhat raccoon-like expression gave off a gentle warmth.

The man who had been like a father to the faithful, the guiding light of the Holy Kingdom.

The former Pope, Antonious.

“Was your faith truly so fragile?”

“Your Holiness?”

“It’s His Holiness! The Pope has returned!”

Cries of joy and ecstasy erupted.

The ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Saintess and the Pope standing together in one place!

A shiver of excitement ran through the believers.

“Do not remain prostrated. Rise. Lift your hands and show your faith to the Saintess.”

Antonious raised his papal ferula. A pure white radiance flowed toward the Saintess.

One by one, the believers followed his lead, standing up and raising both hands high toward the heavens.

The Saintess, who threw herself into battle for the sake of the church, and the former Pope, who had returned in the moment of the Holy Kingdom’s greatest peril.

If this were a novel, it would have been mocked for being too convenient.

At this moment, it felt as if the world itself had become a stage set just for them. Even if this had been an orchestrated play, it wouldn’t have played out this perfectly.

If this isn’t a miracle, then what is?

A thrilling sensation spread through every fiber of the believers' bodies.

“Stay strong, Saintess!”

“Take my strength as well, Saintess!”

The growing prayers surged like a wave.

The faith of the people, once fragmented, now united into a single tide that enveloped the Holy Kingdom.

A collective faith formed, gathering around the Saintess.

“Thank you, everyone. Thanks to you, I believe I can win.”

Elise smiled softly and turned to face her enemies.

A massive magic circle began to form in the sky.

“Take this upon your bodies—the weight of our faith, our conviction!”

With a resounding declaration, Elise swung her arm downward.

Colossal pillars of black and white light rained down upon the land.

The divine punishment of Genesis—an act of the gods that restores chaos into order, returning the world to its genesis.

The Reaper and the Nine-Tailed Fox were unable to withstand the onslaught and collapsed helplessly.

“Incredible! Nothing else is damaged, but the enemies are being destroyed!”

“Even in a situation like this, she made sure we wouldn’t be harmed...! Hk—! As expected of the Saintess!”

“These pillars of light—they don’t contain even a hint of divine power!”

“The power of a god exists on a different plane. It’s only natural that a human body cannot perceive it. Just like how God is always with us, even if we cannot feel Him.”

Any lingering doubts were swept away beneath the overwhelming weight of faith.

The fear and despair had vanished. Now, the Holy Kingdom was brimming with a festive atmosphere.

The Reaper and the Nine-Tailed Fox, once thought undefeatable, had finally fallen. Their forms shattered and crumbled into dust.

Silence fell over the land.

“Is it over?”

“Did we win?”

Elise smiled.

“Yes, everyone. We have won. This is our victory.”

“Waaaaaaah! We did it! We won!”

“Long live the Saintess! Long live the Church of Order and Balance! Long live Ordo!”

A chorus of triumphant cheers erupted, shaking the Holy Kingdom to its core.

The once-faltering church had now united under the Saintess.

Without a doubt, Elise had truly become the Saintess.

“What a joke.”

From the back of the crowd, Lin scoffed coldly.

In her hands was an oni’s club, stolen from a defeated duokshini. She tapped it against the broken buildings, casually repairing them with each strike.

“Hah... Well, as long as they’re happy, I suppose it’s fine?”

Beside her, Mirabel let out a wry smile as she flicked her fingers, casting a series of twinkling spells to restore the city.

While the actors and audience reveled in the performance, they were the ones handling the cleanup behind the scenes.

“Just a little more effort. I’ll give you a reward when we get back.”

And standing at the helm—the director, Karami.

From beginning to end, this entire spectacle had been Karami’s carefully crafted production.

A live-action, blockbuster-level performance, brought to life with stunning realism.

A Saintess, exalted by the church.

A Living Legend Pope, who had mysteriously vanished, only to return at the moment of crisis to save his people.

A performance so immersive that everyone felt like they were a part of it.

And to top it off, a “strategically placed” scene of the Saintess’s wardrobe malfunction.

Every single element designed to flood the brain with dopamine.

‘How could they not love it?’

They never stood a chance.

The minds of the believers were already resting in the palm of his hand.