While committing the blasphemous act of throwing gods into a goblin nest, Sword Maiden had contemplated many things.
But what occupied her thoughts most was the mystery of Luo Shu.
The Adventurer's Guild's simplest goblin extermination quest had suddenly been elevated three difficulty ranks, becoming a mission to wipe out an entire goblin tribe.
Their party's Witch had cast detection spells over a dozen times, yet failed to locate any goblins, nearly resulting in their entire group being ambushed and wiped out.
And then... the deity who had suddenly appeared to save her during her moment of peril.
The first point alone might have been explainable - while rare, mission errors at the Guild weren't unheard of.
But when combined with the second and third points, the situation became undeniably suspicious. It wasn't just questionable anymore - it was an obvious trap.
Yet if one assumed Luo Shu to be a manifestation of the Supreme God, everything suddenly made perfect sense.
A deity had plotted to harm the Maiden favoured by His Majesty the Supreme God, tampering with the guild quest and concealing the goblins' presence, thereby driving her adventuring party into dire straits.
Upon discovering a god targeting his devout follower, His Majesty the Supreme God descended personally to execute the scheming heretic deity.
Connecting these events, Sword Maiden reached a conclusion that made her blush furiously.
Being rescued by the god she worshipped like some damsel in distress—such a thing had never even appeared in heroic epics!
Shouldn't it normally be a hero or brave warrior saving the maiden, who then pledges herself in gratitude?
What kind of scenario was it when a deity personally played the hero's role?
Moreover, why had His Majesty's only manifestation in centuries been to save her from peril?
Could it be that His Majesty...
Just as Sword Maiden's heart raced with these thoughts, Luo Shu, who was crouched before her drawing technique patterns, suddenly let out a derisive snort.
That mocking chuckle instantly shattered most of her bashfulness.
As Sword Maiden puzzled over Luo Shu's reaction, she heard his calm voice:
"I'm not the god you worship."
After this statement, Luo Shu paused, turning to give Sword Maiden a meaningful look:
"As for your so-called Supreme God... haven't you already met him?"
"In that goblin nest."
All colour drained from Sword Maiden's flushed face in an instant.
In that moment, she recalled the golden-haired deity who'd roared at her, and stood frozen in shock.
Seeing the conversation had reached this point, Luo Shu temporarily halted his technique inscription and stood up.
"Since we're on the subject, let me show you something interesting."
He raised his hand, lightly touching Sword Maiden's forehead with his index finger.
Instantly, scenes from an unknowable realm flooded her mind.
The gods' board game.
The rolling dice of fate.
And the Supreme God, who personally delivered his own devotee to be defiled by goblins.
In that instant, Sword Maiden understood everything—and precisely because she understood, her psyche began crumbling completely.
"This... this is fake, isn't it? Just lies?"
Rather than sparing the maiden's fragile state, Luo Shu added fuel to the fire:
"Want to verify with the source? You should know his current whereabouts, don't you?"
Sword Maiden's face turned deathly pale.
Now she realised the crucial implication.
She'd personally delivered her worshipped deity to a goblin den?!
Suddenly comprehending everything, Sword Maiden lunged forward, wanting to seize Luo Shu's collar and demand what this evil god intended.
But in reality, her hands merely came to rest against Luo Shu's chest as she opened her mouth—no accusations emerging.
Though a faithful church devotee, Sword Maiden wasn't foolish.
If what Luo Shu had shown her was true, this wasn't merely about her delivering her god to goblins—but that her deity had abandoned her long before.
The believer was betrayed by the god she worshipped, and Sword Maiden's heart collapsed.
As her right hand trembled against Luo Shu's chest, Sword Maiden forced out a single sentence:
"I... I refuse to acknowledge that as the Supreme God's will."
"You're free to say that to yourself."
Luo Shu grasped Sword Maiden's hand, casually pushed it aside, then turned back to continue etching techniques onto the wall.
With the topic now laid bare, Luo Shu's words grew more candid:
"You've seen the current situation. Six deities from this world's righteous faction and six deities from the world's evil faction have fallen into my hands."
"Considering every sentient being in this world worships deities, if I intend for my Familia to govern this world, I'll inevitably replace these false gods, usurping their worship to facilitate operations for both myself and my Familia."
It was precisely after witnessing this that Mai Sakurajima had suggested Luo Shu directly supplant the Supreme God, keeping Sword Maiden in the dark so she'd unknowingly transfer her faith to him.
This was Mai's mercy towards Sword Maiden after learning the truth.
Yet Luo Shu disagreed with her approach.
In his view, lies were merely stopgap measures, not permanent traps.
A short-term measure turned into a long-term task would only increase one's burden.
Luo Shu couldn't keep lying to Sword Maiden forever, so honesty was the inevitable path he had to take.
As for whether Sword Maiden accepted it or not, that was her business. Luo Shu would simply use methods to make her face reality.
Upon hearing that Luo Shu would replace all the gods of this world, Sword Maiden fell silent for a moment before saying:
"I understand. You are His Majesty!"
Before Luo Shu could refute, Sword Maiden hastily added:
"Whether you admit it or not, you will be His Majesty!"
"This is something I, as the Maiden, can absolutely confirm!"
Glancing sideways at the stubborn Sword Maiden who insisted on treating him as a god, Luo Shu couldn't help but pull a strange face.
Was she giving up completely now that she knew he would replace the Sun God's worship?
While Luo Shu was still puzzled, Sword Maiden had already knelt down, taken his hand, and bent to kiss its back.
Watching her actions, Luo Shu finally sighed and said:
"Once you take this step, there's no turning back."
Though Luo Shu didn't fully understand Sword Maiden's actions, he could guess this was likely some religious ritual of pledging allegiance to a deity.
After this, Sword Maiden truly couldn't turn back. Even if the Supreme God managed to stage a comeback, her only fate would be the pyre.
Having completed the ritual, Sword Maiden declared with firm conviction:
"Should you not abandon me, I shall never leave."
These simple words made Luo Shu smile:
"Well, since you've said that, it would be rude to refuse any longer."
"Then let's make preparations, my Maiden. It's time we turned up the pressure on these gods."
Sword Maiden obediently lowered her head and murmured softly:
"Your will be done, my master~"