Chapter 36 [Royal Capital Illustraria - Part 3: Yalta Church Central Church]
In the luxurious main chamber of the Yalta Church Central Church in the royal capital Illustraria, the displeased Yalta Church High Priest Bocca I (often mockingly referred to as "Baka I" due to his unpleasant demeanor) was in a foul mood.
Despite providing the arrogant elves, followers of the devout Bishop Valen, with an opportunity to crush them—elves, known for their haughty attitude towards other humanoid and beastfolk races—the foolish Baron failed in his mission to subdue the elves. How incompetent can one be to fall behind elves? Unreasonably, the elves invaded our church in the Barren territory. The hero we graciously bestowed protection upon failed in dungeon conquest and died. This not only diminishes the glory of our Yalta Church but also signifies the decline of our influence. Elves and dungeons should just perish; those who aren't human don't deserve to enjoy the wealth of this world.
Feeling his veins pulsating, the High Priest took a sip from his cup, calming his mind with the power of exquisite wine.
The damage in Barren was limited to the church burning down, fortunately sparing the bishop and believers from harm. Losing the church was painful, but a luxurious building isn't necessary for a place of faith. Renting a corner of some hut and modestly starting anew should suffice. The power of the Yalta Church lies primarily in its followers, not in nobles who flock to exploit each other for their own gain. With believers, we can rebuild as much as needed.
However, the influence of the Yalta Church, crucial for gaining new followers, is dwindling. Some blame the recent commotion in Barren on our teachings provoking the elves. Both the success and failure of the operation can be attributed to that incompetent Baron. Blaming our church for the responsibility is an outrageous attempt to shift blame.
Feeling his veins about to burst again, he gulped down a second cup of wine, this time with a bit more quantity.
Even the royal family is criticizing our Yalta Church, riding the wave of discontent. Their motives are transparent; they simply dislike the fact that the Yalta Church has gained power. We cannot allow simple folk to be swayed by such baseless accusations and lose faith.
To remedy this, we must restore the glory of the Yalta Church... The king, however, through his lackeys, has urged us to cease guiding the subhuman races. Is it not the duty of our human race to lead those misguided subhumans onto the right path? Mere terrestrial lords interfering with the divine mission chosen for us... To calm his mind, he downed a third cup. The quantity was quite substantial this time.
Activities in Barren must be postponed for a while. Reinvading the elves' forest is on hold. The royal family is watchful, and we can't make conspicuous moves for some time.
Now, during this period of lying low...
Downing cups four and five, the High Priest, aided by the power of alcohol, began formulating a strategy.