Chapter 211: Believers’ Hobbies Are Very Unique!
Nicole Qianxuan’s issues were complex, stemming from a combination of her profession, personality, and experiences, and might take a long time to resolve.
She also possessed a very private hidden attribute: a sense of pleasure when treated violently.
The whip that had previously struck Collins had also been used by Nicole on herself, a test of her faith’s fervor.
This secret was revealed by Nicole herself.
Believers are completely open to their deity, and the more shameful things they confess, the more satisfaction they gain.
All these factors combined led to her peculiar dependence on Roger.
Simply put, she was accustomed to the mindset of a fanatical believer; she needed to believe in something to survive.
When the Sea God proved unreliable, she chose Roger as a substitute, drawing warmth and sustenance from him.
For him, she could do nothing all day but wait for Roger to return, and just talking to him a few words would make her incredibly happy.
At first glance, it sounded quite romantic, embodying the perfect loyal hound.
If Roger were a sadist who whipped the beautiful young girl until she was barely clothed, she would have been even happier…
However, from Roger’s perspective, this twisted relationship was not a happy one.
After all, he was not a lofty deity. Witnessing Nicole’s transition from a blank expression to one of surprise and relief was akin to observing someone with a severe mental illness.
Perhaps Nicole, a believer whose heart, incomplete after the shattering of her faith, and her excessive dependence on “external things” should be treated as a mental illness.
Roger even worried that in her state of dependence, if she saw him being close to someone else, she might easily descend into yandere tendencies and chop herself up with a cleaver.
So, it was truly not romantic at all. This was a case of “If I don’t go to hell, who will?” (Seriously).
Nicole’s spiritual emptiness was somewhat similar to Shana’s when she first arrived in this world, but there were also significant differences.
Shana was a blank slate, an angel sculpted by a deity. Though she lacked a life mission, she was easily guided.
Nicole, on the other hand, was a sapling that had grown crooked. While possessing a fundamentally good, intelligent, and sensitive heart, her perception of the world was distorted.
Shana could establish relatively correct and healthy values by learning and experiencing more of the world, but Nicole could not be so easily corrected.
Roger wanted to help Nicole. She was his subordinate, and in a way, a problem he had caused. Nicole’s emotional blackmail wasn’t entirely unreasonable; he did have a part to play in her situation.
In any case, this process wouldn’t be a loss. If Roger wanted to, he could fully exploit the situation for his benefit.
Nicole was more obedient to Roger than any maid, completely devoted, self-sacrificing, and devoid of self. It was easy to imagine how devout her previous faith had been.
If he had fewer moral qualms, he could have already helped this saint unlock all sorts of positions by now.
Furthermore, due to her hidden attribute, they could have engaged in acts beyond what ordinary people could accept.
But Roger was unwilling to take advantage of her. He always believed that relationships between men and women should be based on mutual affection, and faith often involved too much deception and exploitation for believers.
When negotiating with Nicole, they had skirted the edges of intimacy to understand what was in her heart.
But later, realizing it was merely Nicole’s pretense, a way to please him and get closer, Roger stopped asking her for services like massages.
Until they returned to the City of Mysteries, his interactions with Nicole were limited to acting as a divine statue and a part-time therapist, striving to rebuild her spiritual world.
They discussed theology, studied history, and explored the relationship between faith and corruption, while also talking about many current events.
Nicole was knowledgeable and intelligent, having managed the church for many years. Although her perspective was somewhat skewed, their conversations were quite enjoyable, offering Roger new insights from different angles.
Tonight, they discussed Shana, and Nicole offered her viewpoints from the knowledge and experience of a saint.
Roger pondered, musing, “If that’s the case, then Nalinel is different from ordinary angels; she is already showing signs of corruption?”
Nicole affirmed, “A Six-winged Angel is certainly far more powerful than me, a saint, but her mission is still to serve the deity. The deity’s control over her should be even more profound. Shana’s transformation is so rapid, as if she had never had faith. That is not her accomplishment; it is because Nalinel no longer believes in the gods.”
Roger frowned and corrected her:
“If that’s the case, it’s merely a yearning for freedom, should it not be described as corruption?”
“Her heart’s devotion to the deity is no longer pure; that is corruption.”
“Nicole, you are no longer a believer.”
“Ah… I’m sorry, I was wrong. I won’t do it again!”
She immediately lowered her head, apologizing with a look of panic in response to Roger’s slightly reproving tone.
“You are no longer a believer… Alright, let’s return to Shana.”
Seeing her like this, Roger felt both helpless and a little pained.
Any dissatisfaction he expressed would be magnified infinitely in Nicole’s eyes, and she would earnestly try to correct it.
A patient like Nicole would be incredibly troublesome for a doctor, making them want to vomit blood. She would even act like a healthy person to please him, making it difficult to judge her true state from her outward appearance.
However, if a doctor were irresponsible and acted like a normal person, they could be declared cured.
Who knew how many madmen were hiding in this high-pressure world, masquerading as normal people?
Roger rubbed his temples with a headache, setting aside Nicole’s issues and gaining a deeper understanding of the general state of angels.
Shana was unrepeatable. Even if other angels descended and similar operations were performed, a blank new individual could not be created to become a potential force for the empire.
First, Nalinel had to sever ties with the God of Knowledge. Only then would Roger and the Empress of Eternal Night have room to operate on her. Otherwise, they would only create a bomb that would self-detonate.
Another gain was that Nicole, based on her understanding of Shana from their group chat, proposed a new idea for the Little Angel to serve the empire.
“This is very useful,” Roger praised her.
“It’s good that I can help you, my lord!” Nicole’s face lit up with joy and anticipation. Roger couldn’t resist her gaze and gently ruffled her hair.
Nicole then leaned her head on his large hand, looking both obedient and pitiable, with a hint of unique temptation.
Purity tainted by the mundane world; a beautiful young girl, completely open and ready to be savored at any time – what kind of inner-world scenario is this!
Roger took out his Hyper-Dimensional Canvas, preparing to use it to trick Shana and divert attention.
…
…
Anti-Azurevine Alliance.
Shana had been badmouthing Roger in the group chat for several days.
After Nicole was kicked out, Shana was the only one in the entire group who didn’t know what had happened and remained confused for a long time.
Finally, Tasika provided her with an explanation: they had received intelligence that the Sea Kingdom had been defeated, Nicole was captured, and had defected to the Azurevine Empire.
“If she remained in the group, who knows what intelligence might be exposed, so we had to remove her,” Tasika said with great regret, framing it as being for the good of the alliance.
“The empire is truly insidious, and Roger Charles is an even worse person!” Shana, as expected, accepted this explanation.
If it were someone else, she might have doubted whether a saint’s faith could be shattered.
But if it were Roger, he was the slickest and most cunning. The poor little saint must have been terribly deceived, boohoohoo…
Thinking this, Shana felt sorry for herself. She herself had naively thought that guy was a good person!
Following this incident, Shana’s daily routine became posting Roger’s dark history in the group for discussion.
After all, Roger had swept through the nobles of the empire, leaving rivers of blood. Countless people hated him to their core, and he lived in exile overseas, his life quality greatly diminished.
Some were true black marks, while others were inexplicable scapegoats, but Shana was a staunch “Roger hater” and used them all.
Copperbeard gave it a like. That guy betrayed himself to support Lydia, he must be cursed!
Whether the accusations were true or false, they could all be used to curse him!
Roger and Tasika, who neither exposed nor commented, casually chimed in, scaring Frankenstein into silence.
Damn, someone is lurking!
But Shana remained endlessly enthusiastic.
Today, Roger took out his Hyper-Dimensional Canvas and scrolled back, only to find Shana’s usual daily discussions, which were somewhat uninteresting.
Nicole was offline. It was time to have Tasika recruit new targets to deceive!
However, the immediate priority was to resolve Shana’s issue.
Roger used the strategy he had devised with Nicole and complained in the group chat:
“Jostar: Ugh, damn Night Watch, we’ve lost another comrade.”
“Tasika:?”
“Copperbeard:??”
“Shana: I know, it’s all Roger’s fault!”
“Jostar: What should we do? Intelligence work in Austen is becoming increasingly difficult.”
“Tasika: Let’s put it on hold. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Shana: Can I help?”
“Jostar: You haven’t had any training in this area; it might not be good.”
“Shana: I can learn! I learn things very quickly! As long as I can make that Roger look bad!”
“Jostar: Is that so… Going directly to the Night Watch is definitely not an option. Perhaps you could start by submitting articles to ‘New Arcana’ and approach him through another path. Writer—Editor—Editor-in-Chief. This path will allow you to ambush Roger and provide us with intelligence.”
“Shana: I’ve mastered it! Let magic be great again!”
(This is the subscription spell for ‘New Arcana’)
Afu provided feedback: Shana had indeed purchased ‘New Arcana’ and begun reading it, preparing to write an article.
Roger and Nicole exchanged knowing smiles. The deception was successful!
Shana possessed formidable combat power, but the empire was not lacking in powerful individuals. What it lacked was intelligence on the Seven Gods’ faction.
Due to previous coincidences, it was now difficult for Shana to directly serve the empire, or it would require immense sacrifice, with no guarantee of how much valuable memory she still retained. Thus, he was too lazy to pursue it.
Now, Nicole’s plan was for Shana to infiltrate Roger’s circle by writing for ‘New Arcana’.
And to gain Roger’s attention and trust, she would have to write sufficiently valuable articles and work exceptionally hard, wouldn’t she?
With Shana’s strength and knowledge, she could effortlessly produce high-quality articles, offering a perspective different from the empire’s mages.
Entering the editorial department of ‘New Arcana’ under a pseudonym would also not be difficult.
This way, the empire could leverage Shana’s 100% or even 200% work enthusiasm without incurring significant costs.
Nicole’s method was ingenious, perfectly satisfying Shana’s psychological needs and maximizing her initiative.
“Do you want any rewards?” Roger asked Nicole.
Nicole summoned a whip. “My lord, test me.”
Roger took it with a sigh.
You believers have such unique hobbies!
…
…
One month later, Naga Empire.
The defeat had cast a heavy gloom over the entire nation. Terra’s debt pressure and the series of forcefully signed treatises made them feel humiliated and helpless.
Just then, Saint Nicole, whom everyone believed to have died on the front lines, returned to the Naga Empire’s royal city with a group of senior generals from the expeditionary force, having taken a detour from another direction.
This was actually an arrangement similar to the “Tasika Prison Break Case,” except Saint Nicole was a true saint of the Sea God, able to use the excuse of being saved by a divine miracle and teleported by the Sea God to a direction far from the Azurevine Empire.
However, within the Naga kingdom, there was no warmth for Nicole and these defeated generals.
They were the ones who had dragged Naga into the quagmire of war and were now facing a decline.
Only the Sea God Church offered Nicole their unwavering support. The Sea God’s protection on her remained unchanged, indicating her faith was as devout as ever, making her a qualified religious leader.
In reality, it was her devotion to the Roger figurine she held in her arms!
But a believer’s judgment of right and wrong is often this simple and unadorned.
Those who believe in the gods are good brothers and sisters; those who don’t are heretics.
With the church’s support, Nicole remained a saint and harbored military generals like Kami, who temporarily resided in the church.
The Naga Empress was, of course, extremely displeased with Nicole, but she could do nothing.
The Naga’s city development depended on the Sea God Church appeasing the volcanoes, so she could not break ties with the church and had to publicly welcome Nicole’s return.
It was, quite frankly, exhausting.
Later, Nicole entered the palace for a secret meeting with the Naga Empress and explained that this was an opportune moment to change their attitude towards subordinate races.
From now on, for a considerable period, Naga would not expand outwards but adopt a defensive stance. It was time to boil the frog slowly, leading those accustomed to serving the empire to contribute, and even shed blood and tears for the main race.
“Those who are not of my kind will always have different intentions.” Loyalty is not cultivated through a life of luxury, but by having them participate in construction and constantly contribute to the nation, thereby sharing in both honor and disgrace.
Anything gained for free will not be cherished, unless money is subsequently spent on it.
This was a lesson Roger had taught Nicole, using the empire’s decision to charge a price for the simulated soul bracelets, even though they could be distributed for free and the cost recovered through the benefits they provided to citizens.
Even if the purchase price could be fully refunded after a certain period of signing in, the one gold coin price remained.
It was like the first top-up in a game, tricking you into spending six yuan, but giving you extremely good rewards.
Because big data would tell the operator that users who had spent those six yuan were more likely to spend more.
The empire was not trying to swindle money, but rather wanted its citizens to utilize the simulated soul bracelets effectively, not simply buy them and display them like watches.
The Naga’s subjugation of subordinate races was not to be a sugar daddy. Retaining them through welfare and preferential policies was by no means a long-term strategy.
Subordinates must make corresponding contributions to be considered an increase in Naga’s population; otherwise, they would become a burden.
Previously, the Naga Empress had naively thought of converting these subordinates through time, which was high-risk and time-consuming.
Now, Nicole stepped forward and stated that the church was willing to play the villain, making the lives of the subordinates miserable, seizing their accumulated wealth in the process, and then having the Naga Empress step in to win over the hearts of the people.
This was essentially a variation of the Azurevine Empire’s method of winning over the hearts of the seventeen nations, with the Sea God Church playing the role of the Restoration Army.
The Naga Empress was touched. A saint willing to take on the blame? She loved it!
