As Lucien waited for the right moment in his room, he carefully considered the different scenarios that could happen and the counter measures.
His target this time was someone with a much stronger faith, someone from the royal family. The only variable in this plan was the God, Lucien couldn't be sure if the god would send an incarnation down for one of the royals.
The level of existence was completely different and putting himself in the shoes of a God was not something within his capabilities. For that God, this continent might not even be a considered a speck of dust, he might not even care if the whole Empire fell, but at the same time he could care deeply for it, it was just not possible to understand his perspective.
So the only way to be safe was to go about his plan in a roundabout way.
The waiting continued for almost a week until a figure came out of the entrance of the palace. The moment she was out, people surrounded her and started praying silently. They were praying for her blessings.
The figure silently cast a spell while maintaining her cold look and blessed these commoners, who left contently after praising her to the high heavens.
As she walked and blessed the people of the capital, an almost unnoticeable killing intent covered her, and turning her head she saw the person emitting the killing intent walk into an alley.
The proud saint daughter never considered any danger in the capital so she didn't even call for guards as she followed with a frown.
Entering the alley there was a figure there smiling at her, but his smile was bizarre, as if he didn't expect her to be this stupid.
"Who are you?" said the proud Saintess.
"Someone coming with a deal for you, little girl."
The girl frowned even deeper, thin killing intent started spreading off her body, but the man in front didn't even seem to notice this fact.
"Gods are very selfish creatures, they don't really care about you, so even if you fall into a predicament, nobody would answer your pleads."
As he spoke, the killing intent the girl was emitting started rapidly escalating, she was clearly ready to die if it meant killing this man.
"How about you leave that God of yours and join me?
She didn't even wait for him to finish, before shooting towards him with a murderous look on her face.
"Now now, keep your calm, I'm telling you this for your own good, even if you don't accept now, if one day your feel abandoned by your precious God, my offer would still stand." Lucien kept talking while evading her slow movements. It has been only a bit over a year since the first round of the tournament, and the girl was already Rank 2, but that didn't mean a fart in front of the monster Lucien was.
The Saintess didn't care about the futility of her actions and continued trying to strike down the heretic.
"You are so weak, yet so brave."
Lucien slapped her across her bottom while evading an attack, he even groped for an instant, enjoying the elastic feeling.
"Really nice, you should really join me."
The girl was all red, not known if it was from anger or embarrassment. But then, whatever it was turned into pure rage.
As the fight was getting nowhere like this, Lucien decided to finish his plan and leave.
"It seems a lesson is in order for naughty girls like you."
All of a sudden the whole atmosphere in the alley changed, as if a beast was unleashed. Even if she tried to resist, Maria stood frozen.
"I won't kill you as I really want you, but I'm not someone you can jump around like an annoying fly."
Lucien slapped again, but this time one her body.
Maria flew backwards like a kite with its strings cut and slammed onto a wall. The damage was not a big as she expected, but she coughed some blood. Standing back up she looked at the man defiantly, as if saying go ahead kill me.
"There is no need to be so cold. I won't do anything further, but don't forget my words from before."
Lucien started walking out of the alley, not paying any more attention to her.
What the girl didn't notice through was that just one drop of her blood flew away silently.
When she tried chasing him and calling for help once they were out of the alley, his figure was gone.
'Stupid heretic, there is no way my faith can be shaken by something like this.'
It didn't take long for some priest to notice the ragged appearance of the Saintess, which caused a commotion, but no matter how much they interrogated her, she didn't speak a word of the event. Her dignity wouldn't allow it, even if the Emperor asked.
Lucien looked on with his perception from the inn, he didn't dare push it inside the palace, but the entrance was fine.
'So cold on the outside, but so warm on the inside. I wonder what would happen if your own people isolate and stop caring about you, would that shake your firm believe. Now that the seed has been planted, let's see if it will grow into a beautiful tree.'
Lucien chuckled while thinking that the hardest parts were over. From now on he was sure that the God wouldn't descend, if his pious believer was in danger he might do it, but Lucien was sure that he wouldn't if the faith was the only thing that was being tested. Nobody needed people that could be easily shaken. If she kept her faith after what followed, she might even be valued more, but if she lost – nobody would care.
Looking at the drop of blood floating above his hand, his lips went from a chuckle into a sinister smile that would send chills down the spine of anyone who saw it.