Chapter 52

Intermission A Day in the Life of the Saint Located in the northern region of Uropeh, a small village with no more than three hundred residents was at the brink of destruction by a single monster. The villagers cowered in their homes as they watched the massive boar, as big as a shed, dig up and eat the seed potatoes that had just been planted. It was heavier than an elephant but ran as fast as a horse; people were mere mincemeat before it. One boy had actually managed to run to a neighboring village to bring back two of the Goddess’s heroes, but the warrior’s sword had shattered against the boar’s sharp tusks, and the priest’s Force spell had bounced off its bulky flesh before it trampled the two to death. The heroes were immediately resurrected at the village’s church, but they ran away from the village, claiming they were going to call for reinforcements. “We’re done for! It’ll finish off the potatoes soon, and then it’ll eat us!” cried a villager. “Please save us, Goddess!” prayed another, trembling in fear at their impending doom. That’s when the unexpected happened. “Brilliant white, pure and holy lightning, pierce my enemies. Call Lightning,” said a gentle voice, and a bolt of lightning rained down from the heavens, striking the monstrous boar. “Graaaar—!” Even the mountain of flesh wasn’t enough to defend against the electrical shock. Its organs and brain were fried. A black smoke rose from its charred body as it fell over in the fields and moved no more. “What was that…?” The villagers were frozen in place, too shocked by the turn of events to be happy. They watched as a single girl floated down gently from the sky. With soft porcelain skin, jade-colored eyes, and long golden hair that sparkled under the sun, she was beautiful enough to be mistaken for the Goddess Elazonia herself. It was Saint Sanctina who smiled kindly at the villagers who peeked out at her from the cracks between their shutters. “You are all safe now,” she announced. “““Whoooo!””” The people let out cheers of joy, bounding out from their homes, surrounding Sanctina as they showered her with words of gratitude. “Thank you so much, Lady Saint!” “I thought we were going to die…” “Goddess Elazonia has protected us!” cried one woman. With a smile on her face, Sanctina firmly but gently denied the statement. “That is incorrect.” “Huh?” “I am no longer a follower of Elazonia—for she brings suffering to the people. I am a devout follower of the Goddess Rino.” “Uh-huh…” The villagers were confused at the mention of this new goddess. Taking advantage of the sudden lull, the elderly village chief stepped forward. “Lady Saint, we are incredibly grateful to you for saving our small village. But with our fields and crops having been destroyed, we have no money to offer you as—” “That is unnecessary,” interrupted Sanctina with a benevolent smile. “What?” “Goddess Rino teaches us that love is free. My acts of service are a manifestation of her love that she bestows upon those who suffer. There is no need for you to overexert yourselves just to thank me.” “B-but…” “The greatest reward would be to see the village rebuilt and all its residents happy.” “O-ohhh…!” She had cast aside her own desires, putting everyone else first. She had a heart of selfless love. Sanctina might as well have had a halo emblazoned above her head. Along with all the villagers, the chief cried tears of joy, falling to his knees. “Please raise your heads. I am simply following her teachings. I am not worthy of your worship,” said Sanctina. “That’s not true. There’s no one in this world as kind as you!” “You’re nothing like those greedy priests from the church!” “I am honored. But the Goddess Rino is the one who taught me to love. Please offer your thanks to her.” Then Sanctina cast Illusion: The image of a beautiful girl floated down from above. Long black hair cascaded down her small back, where pure white wings sprouted. It was an image of Rino—archangel, Diva, and Goddess. Sanctina’s mind projected her with an almost exaggerated beauty. “This is the loving Goddess Rino…,” she announced. “She’s so cute and divine!” cried one of the villagers, and they prostrated themselves on the ground again. An evil smile flashed across Sanctina’s face: Everything is going to plan, it seemed to say, but she quickly hid it before gently calling out to the new followers. “Let us all praise the Goddess Rino. Love is free.” “““Love is free!””” cried the villagers. “Love is blind to age, gender, and race.” “““Love is blind to age, gender, and race!””” And how wonderful was it to love all without discrimination! Their faith in the Goddess Rino deepened. They had no idea it included the wicked desires of a pedophile who wanted nothing more than to become one with a little demon girl. “Love is everything. Cuteness is justice!” “““Love is everything. Cuteness is justice!””” Sanctina’s leading of the chants swept the villagers into this new faith. For a religion to spread, it obviously needed something to worship and captivating teachings. On top of that, it needed zealous missionaries who others could admire. They would even go as far as to sacrifice themselves to appear admirable. The creepy zealot by the name of Saint Sanctina was sure to spread faith in the Goddess Rino across the world.