Chapter 51: Politics of Faith

Nio, sitting on Stelaria’s lap, watches the many papers Stelaria signs. She’d always thought the paper-signing work important people did was simple.

But reality proved to be pretty damn cruel. Stelaria not only has to read every line carefully, she has to do complex mathematical calculations depending on what the paper is about.

She has to interpret text where nobles use a kind of language full of frills to create loopholes so she’ll accept things that disadvantage her, and she’s also forced to mentally review everything with every paper she signs.

So that the content of one doesn’t affect another, whether negatively or positively. Nio looks at Stelaria with a little more respect, and at her work, which is hellishly boring and complex.

Nio understands, but she knows she couldn’t do the same. She’d get tangled up in the first ten papers, while Stelaria easily signs a hundred papers and remembers the important parts of the first one.

"What did you think?" Stelaria asks Nio, who rests her tail on the table.

"It’s amazing. You’re very skilled, big sister." Nio is sincere. Stelaria just climbed many steps in Nio’s eyes, and Nio barely knows what to do with the news Azalea sent her regarding the sixth floor’s apostle.

’I guess that’s it... I’ve always been good with strategy and resource management, but it’s not the same as handling nobility affairs...’

"Stelaria, that paper over there, it’s a letter from the emperor. Are you going to consider his request?"

"...No. There are too many insinuations about making you his wife. He just wants more power. He’s a bastard who wants to use the theocracy’s influence. If I sent you as a partner to him, he’d slowly start to control the Theocracy."

’...So it seems I won’t have to kill him yet...’ Nio obviously wouldn’t accept getting married, much less to a man. Even if she doesn’t care that much about this marriage business, she still wants to defend at least the bare minimum of her past self.

"He seems pretty clever."

"Yes, he is. And he’s irritatingly competent. Unlike the king of the kingdom of Ortyr, who seems like a greedy idiot who fights with his own nobles, the Emperor managed to keep all the power concentrated in himself."

"Stelaria, about that territory I asked you to look into, to see if you could restrict it... are you going to do it?" Nio looks at Stelaria’s face, trying to look cute.

"...I’m still... looking into it... Why do you want me to restrict the area so badly? Do you have something to do with whatever is in that place?"

"...No... I don’t... have anything to do with it... I just think that place isn’t somewhere people should keep going."

"..." Stelaria doesn’t believe Nio, but she can’t bring herself to question her about it.

"Nio... don’t you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you!!"

’Of course I don’t trust you’

"Then why don’t you tell me your reasons?"

"It’s... j-just because I get embarrassed..."

’Why should I say what I want? Tsk, she asks too many things for a slave.’

"That’s not the reason, is it?"

"Of course it is!!"

’Is she really going to insist on this? If she doesn’t want to limit the area, fine. My servants will just kill everyone who gets close.’ In Nio’s view, she’s being generous. She’s protecting these people from dying.

Whether the area is restricted or not doesn’t affect Nio that much. It being restricted prevents so many adventurers from dying trying to explore it, and it not being restricted means deaths will just keep happening nonstop.

"..." Stelaria grabs Nio and lifts her off her lap, placing her on the floor with a cold expression.

"As a saint, you shouldn’t lie to another saint. It wouldn’t cost you anything to trust me... Please leave. I have work to do, and I can’t just try to teach you something right now. I need to manage all the money the treasury has been receiving lately from the sales of the new communication method..."

’Tsk... this is all Ryu’s fault. After she kept trying to make Stelaria see something wrong, Stelaria became more cautious with me. Even if Ryu has stopped, that doesn’t change the strategic manipulation she already pulled off...’

"Okay, sorry, big sister." Nio gets up from the floor, stealing one of the artifacts from Stelaria’s pocket before she notices. She walks to the door, storing it in her inventory while Stelaria goes back to work.

’One more... I should solve Moros’s problem... or Moros’s... Should I treat him as he or she? Moros has no gender. In the game, it was just a slime that changes form... I think I’ll treat him as a boy...’ Nio closes the door carefully and begins walking to her room, stopping at a window when she sees some novice nuns.

"It looks like Stelaria started hiring new people... Tsk... it was better when we were far more limited, but more people equals more risks... risks... or... opportunities." Nio jumps from the window, thinking about Moros.

’Moros in the lore was made to be like my [Son] in terms of attitude. I gave him traits that would make him act like a little puppy who adores me, and a son who loves me as if I were his mother... it all boils down to an almost stupid adoration...’ Nio appears behind the group of novice nuns.

"Hello, sisters!!" She speaks with a smile to the nuns, who turn around surprised to see her.

’If I shape the relationships with the new saints... I can shape the entire religion to increase my power... The saint already has all decision-making power, but what if even the worship given to the gods is given to me?’ Nio smiles at the nuns, who look at her with happiness.

"Saint Nio!! We didn’t see you there." One of the nuns approaches Nio, finding her adorable.

"Hehehe, I was playing in the garden. The little plants are pretty, and I like the flowers." She speaks several lies as if they were casual truths.

"That’s wonderful. Do you need help, Saint Nio?"

"No! But I want to help you! You’re new here, right? So could you accept my help?" Nio stares into their eyes without blinking, applying [Charm] on all of them.

"O-Oh! O-Of course..." They all accept, lacking the level to fight against [Charm].

"Perfect... then I’ll help all of you! But before that, I need... two of you. The others can go and spread word of how Saint Nio is kind, genuine, and an innocent angel sent by the gods to purify all the evil in this world." Nio speaks in a cute tone. She looks up, noticing Ryu above, watching her.

’Can I apply Charm on Ryu?... no, I don’t need to...’ Nio begins guiding the two novice nuns while the others leave with the orders applied. Nio decides not to use any items on them because she doesn’t need a permanent effect and doesn’t care if the charm is broken.