Tenraku and the girls spent most of the day inside the church. Their primary purpose was not sightseeing, but rather for Xenovia and Irina to reunite with Nun Griselda.
By the time evening arrived, Tenraku and the girls were ready to bid farewell and return home. Nun Griselda accompanied them outside the church to see them off.
"Xenovia, you better not hide from me again. Promise me you'll come to visit often, okay?" Griselda gently touched Xenovia's forehead as she spoke with a warm and kind on her face.
Though Griselda maintained her holy and gentle appearance, her presence exuded a strong aura.
"I-I got it. I'll come more often," Xenovia replied, turning her head away and avoiding Griselda's gaze.
"Hē Hē Hē… Irina, Asia, and Red Dragon Emperor, you're all welcome to visit me anytime as well," Griselda said, extending her goodwill to Tenraku, Asia, and Irina. Naturally, the three of them reciprocated with courtesy.
"Nun Griselda, there's something I'd like to ask you. Do you still believe in your former Lord?" Suddenly, Tenraku asked.
Upon hearing this question, other devout believers might have become furious and offended. How could they, as faithful believers, not believe in their Lord? Tenraku's question could be seen as an insult to their faith.
However, Nun Griselda instantly understood Tenraku's true intent and didn't become angry. Instead, a bitter smile appeared on her face.
"After becoming Gabriel-Sama's Queen, I learned the cruel truth that my former Lord had long passed away. That fact was too heart-wrenching and nearly shattered my belief," Griselda said with a hint of bitterness. "In fact, you could say it did shatter my belief."
"Though as a loyal believers, we should continue believing in our Lord even if they have passed away, that would be nothing more than deceiving ourselves. Eventually, that last remaining faith would disappear," She continued. "At my most desperate moment, Gabriel-Sama welcomed me, and that's when I found a new belief."
"I no longer believe in my former Lord, but I believe in the beautiful and great Gabriel-Sama," Griselda proclaimed, placing her hands on her chest, showing that fervent believer's expression once again.
As she said, the true Lord had long since passed away, and trying to believe in him would only be self-deception. Thus, she changed her belief, and for her now, Gabriel-Sama was her true Lord.
"Xenovia, you must have experienced the same pain and despair, right? I understand, I completely understand. Do you want to come back to us? Even though our Lord has passed away, we can still listen to the teachings of Gabriel-Sama and others," Griselda said, holding Xenovia's hands with a hint of excitement.
Though Xenovia seemed to be living well as a Devil, Griselda still wanted her to come back.
"Hmm, Nun Griselda, Xenovia is now an indispensable companion for us," Tenraku coughed lightly, reminding her.
"Ah, I apologize, Red Dragon Emperor. I might have been too carried away," Griselda realized that she might have gone too far and let go of Xenovia's hands. However, her eyes still shone with a hint of expectation.
"Griselda, I'm already a Devil. Even if you accept me, the people in your Church won't. Besides, I have many important companions and friends here, and they need me just as much as I need them. I'm content with my life now," Xenovia replied while scratching her head. Though she understood Griselda's concern, she couldn't accept her offer.
Moreover, she believed in Tenraku now. He was her True Lord, and she had the great dream of giving birth to a holy child for him. Returning to the Church was simply impossible.
As for listening to the teachings of Gabriel-Sama, well, she could listen to Tenraku's teachings, and that was all she needed.
"I see…" Griselda's eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment after hearing Xenovia's answer. However, she quickly adjusted her emotions. No matter what Xenovia chose, the bond between them wouldn't change.
"Red Dragon Emperor, do you have any other questions?" Griselda asked, changing the topic.
Although he answered with a smile, a wicked glint suddenly flashed in Tenraku's eyes. The next moment, Griselda's eyes glazed over, and she seemed dazed. After a few seconds, she returned to normal.
"Uh… What happened to me?" Griselda rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit groggy.
"Perhaps you're a little tired. We should head back for now. Thank you for your hospitality, Nun Griselda. Get some rest as well," Tenraku replied calmly.
Xenovia, Asia, and Irina, who witnessed what just happened, knew that Tenraku must have done something, but being fiercely loyal to him, they wouldn't expose him at this moment.
"Sure, please feel free to visit anytime. You're always welcome here," Griselda replied politely, though she still felt a bit dazed.
After bidding farewell, Tenraku and the girls didn't stay any longer and gradually walked away, while Griselda watched them leave.
"Tenraku, what did you do to Griselda just now?" Xenovia couldn't hold back her curiosity and finally asked.
"Don't worry, I just planted a seed in her soul, but it won't harm Nun Griselda," Tenraku reassured her with a light smile.
"A seed?" Xenovia, Asia, and Irina were all extremely curious and had no idea what Tenraku meant by the "seed."
"You know, during the incident in Kyoto, I seized several Sacred Gears from the Hero faction. Among them was one called '[Demonic Words of an Angel],' a spirit-controlling type of Sacred Gear…" Tenraku began to explain, attracting the girls' undivided attention.
"[Demonic Words of an Angel]" was a very rare spirit-controlling type of Sacred Gear capable of hypnotizing the opposite sex. While it wasn't a "Longinus," Tenraku attached great importance to it. Thus, he had been developing it, and with the help of the "Gods and Demons Scripture," he finally developed a Forbidden Move for this Sacred Gear.
Tenraku named this Forbidden Move "The Seed of Belief." By using this ability, he could plant a seed in the soul of the opposite sex. Over time, the seed would take root, sprout, and gradually change the person's spirit, making them believe in and submit to Tenraku.
Changing someone's spirit wasn't easy, especially for those with steadfast beliefs, such as devout believers. Under normal circumstances, it might take a long time, but with the aid of the "Gods and Demons Scripture," the process could be accelerated to a hundred times faster.
"Yeah, that's about it. I just developed this ability, so I tried it on Nun Griselda to see if it works," Tenraku explained.
After hearing Tenraku's explanation, the girls were shocked. If what he said was true, then this ability was like a Sacred Gear specialized in hypnotizing and brainwashing women!
As long as Tenraku wanted, he could turn all the women in the world into his believers, and they would be absolutely loyal and fanatical! For Asia and Xenovia, Tenraku's die-hard believers, this was great news.
For them, anything that benefited Tenraku was justified, even if it meant all the women in the world becoming his believers. They firmly believed that they belonged in his embrace.
Asia and Xenovia were quite happy about it, but Irina seemed a bit panicked.
"Tenraku, you wouldn't brainwash me too, right?" Irina, who was standing a little far away from Tenraku, looked frightened, fearing he might try to hypnotize her.
"Silly Irina, do you still need brainwashing?" Tenraku glanced at Irina and mocked her.
Though Irina wasn't his believer, she was his beloved slave, and in some ways, her situation was even more "tragic" than a believer's.
Understanding what Tenraku meant, Irina's cute face instantly turned red.
"You-You, despicable Tenraku! I'll bite you to death!" Fuming with anger, Irina pounced on Tenraku…
To be continued…
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