The Peaceful Life Of A Maid Who Hides Her Power And Enjoys It - Chapter 289

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Part 2, Chapter 87

At first, I denied reality.

I wondered if perhaps, just perhaps, I had fallen asleep and was having a strange dream. Because this was a sight I couldn’t see otherwise, and something that couldn’t possibly happen.

As if entranced, I got up and approached Rien—no, the being presumed to be Rien.

Rien had changed.

“…What is.”

“What on earth happened?”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one flustered by this unexpected situation.

The women surrounding Rien also poked his unconscious face, arms, and waist with disbelieving eyes.

As I watched this scene quietly and approached, at some point.

One woman blocked my path. She had an unfamiliar expression seeing my transformed female appearance.

“I don’t know which is your true form, but… Are you the same person as that man who came to give us the purification agent?”

“…Yes.”

“I see. My introduction is late—we are Deusian Priestesses.”

She appeared to be the oldest among the women gathered here.

“…To be precise, priestesses of the old faith. The current state religion of Kontaninos is the new faith, and the new faith doesn’t recognize our existence. In modern times, they reject our existence even more strongly.”

“…”

“Because Deusian Priestesses essentially mean human sacrifices.”

Her voice wasn’t one that appealed to emotions.

Therefore, I stood quietly with my gaze fixed on Rien’s arm, glimpsed behind the woman’s back.

“In the east of the Contaninos Republic, remnants of the old faith have remained for a long time. The elderly leaders of villages and cities offered priestesses whenever disasters struck, under the pretext of appeasing the god Deus. They were no different from fanatics.”

Turning her head toward the center of the village, she pointed to the lower part of the Dunain statue.

“Do you see it? The bloodstains layered and blackened with age… These are traces of offering priestesses to the god Deus.”

Suddenly, I recalled Rien’s past memories I had seen through his body.

The scene of a woman who had been living and breathing normally, Rien’s sister… being trampled and violated so horribly it was disgusting to express in words.

Since she was called a sacrifice, she must have been a priestess too. It seems this tradition from decades ago had been repeated until recently.

“We were destined to meet the same fate. Until we met Rien.”

What followed was a long recounting of Rien’s cruel yet heroic achievements in saving them from hell.

I didn’t listen to that story.

As if reading my reaction, the woman changed the topic again. Her gaze sweeping over the young women behind her held deep, long fatigue.

“Half of these children are from Solitork. The rest all came from small nearby villages. They were chosen as priestesses at a young age and had to live under their neighbors’ surveillance, waiting only for the time to be offered as sacrifices.”

Solitork?

“Isn’t it ironic? Those who had their sacrifices stolen by Rien have now all become Rien’s followers.”

That statement was the most shocking thing I’d heard from the women since arriving in this village.

“You’re talking about the fanatics of Solitork.”

Had that woman’s whisper been true?

“…Were all the residents in this area Rien’s followers?”

To my half-doubting question, the woman showed a bitter smile for the first time.

“Did you think ordinary, normal people would follow Rien, who has been called a ‘disaster’ and has instilled fear in the world? Most people in this region were fanatics of the old faith who worshipped Deus until four years ago. But now they follow Rien as an incarnation of Deus.”

So Solitork was the actual stronghold of the followers.

I recalled the boys I had sent outside the Wall of Fire through Ash.

“O-our siblings are orphans! We absolutely didn’t want to come to this strange city, but we had no choice because of the purification agent!”

I hadn’t known that’s what they meant by “strange city.”

The statues that had shown vivid presence through the cracks of Solitork’s burned traces. Come to think of it, they seemed similar to this village’s Dunain statue.

According to the woman’s continued explanation.

Rien’s followers were divided into those inside the Wall of Fire and those outside, centered around the Wall of Fire.

Those active inside the Wall of Fire were “those who serve the god,” while those active outside were “those who spread the faith.” Each held their own purposes and beliefs while preaching Rien’s greatness.

The absolute faith of the old religion.

To realize ‘Appropriate fear shall bring about humanity’s harmony and peace, and thus when all believers hold a single faith, salvation shall descend.’

Indeed, Rien was worthy of being served as their god.

“It’s strange that you didn’t know that fact. Usually, those dispatched from Legion are said to know the truth about this place.”

The truth.

“Then Solitork being burned…”

“Since the city itself is a remnant of the old faith, they’re probably burning everything themselves and fleeing. It’s not strange. Legion, the heart of the new faith, has long desired the purification of old faith fanatics.”

The elimination of old faith fanatics that Legion had desired.

And the top-secret missions supposedly given to each party.

Perhaps the real mission given to Yeonwang’s party was…

I looked down at the purification agent contained in my bag.

‘Is this really an item with purification effects?’

Under the pretext of purification agents, how far had Spolia extended its reach?

Rien had caused numerous damages and sacrifices. This was a fact that even the women before me couldn’t deny.

But as I actually crossed the Wall of Fire and approached its heart, I could see another face standing over Rien’s shadow.

【The Sword Master suffers from serious mental illness. Due to confidentiality clauses, it hasn’t been made public, but all the deaths in the Sword Master’s team were killed by the Sword Master.】

Now when I recall Michèle’s note, I wonder if they were truly victims of the Sword Master’s unstable mind.

Did they really die by mere chance?

【Team 1 abandons purification agent delivery mission and plans to return to Wall of Fire –Team 1】

Team 1, who returned to the Wall of Fire on their own without searching for survivors or discussing with teams that would follow, was the same.

In the end, wasn’t I the time bomb that Rien had pointed out?

I also couldn’t understand why Yeonwang, who had already entered inside the Wall of Fire several times, made the decision to leave all purification agents behind without hesitation.

Especially if he knew there were survivors from other villages besides Solitork, like the kids.

“Sword Master, why are you just watching? The fact that your attitude is uncooperative has already been reported to Black Mask. If you don’t want to be branded a traitor, step forward sincerely.”

And finally… the Divine Knights who had targeted me, not Rien.

‘Everything is full of suspicious points.’

How far and what was Spolia trying to achieve using Rien?

What followed was more defense protecting Rien. Naturally, I didn’t listen carefully and passed by the women to stand before Rien.

By then, the women no longer blocked my way. They were probably curious too.

Why Rien had become younger.

I grabbed Rien’s leg and lifted it, examining his ridiculous appearance thoroughly.

A sigh escaped me naturally.

‘About nine to ten years old, I’d say.’

He’s become no different from a complete kid.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————