Melodia and the Crown Prince, along with the Pope, took their seats.

The Pope seemed even more restless than usual. The Crown Prince was no different. In this situation, the only one who could maintain some composure was Melodia.

She was calmly sipping her tea with her usual serene expression.

While the Pope, with a slightly disturbed expression, observed the tranquil Melodia, and the Crown Prince, with a satisfied smile, affectionately held Melodia’s hand.

“…Melodia.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Why did you summon me? Of course, we don’t need any particular reason between us…”

Looking at Melodia’s dreamy expression, the Crown Prince had a contented smile.

With Melodia by his side, everything seemed to become perfect. The more he looked at her, the more subtly enraptured he became.

While the Pope, silently observing the atmosphere created by the Crown Prince as if they were alone, cleared his throat a couple of times.

“Your Highness, my apologies, but it’s not Melodia who called me; I called you.”

The Crown Prince, hearing the Pope asserting his authority, frowned uncomfortably.

“So, what’s the matter, Pope?”

“Well…”

The Pope ground his teeth with an uneasy expression. He extended his hand to his chest and mumbled.

“In short, what happened to my power?”

Staring alternately at the Pope’s bony hand and his face, which had nothing but bones, the Crown Prince questioned him with an irritated tone.

“What do you mean by ‘joint pain’?”

In fact, it was an unpleasant event for him. The time to enjoy leisurely moments alone with Melodia was already scarce.

“My divine power…”

The Crown Prince stared intently at the Pope.

In the Pope’s hand, there was a round cluster of light.

“…It has decreased this much, Your Highness.”

A white light dimly illuminated the surroundings.

However, the Pope did not look happy.

His divine power emitted an intense light that could originally illuminate the entire room. It was based on the faith and hope of all imperial citizens.

But…

“It has weakened.”

To the extent that the Crown Prince snorted, his divine power was excessively weak. The Pope stared at the Crown Prince with gritted teeth. The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow and said,

“I know the reason.”

Melodia responded innocently.

“Yes… It’s probably because faith has disappeared. But why have people stopped believing in God? Even though we have been doing volunteer activities and using the media as usual.”

Unlike the group led by Melodia returning from the Path of Light, who stayed in the capital, continuously raising awareness about the capital’s rumors, the Crown Prince snorted arrogantly.

“All because of Siyan Mirmord, that brat.”

“Siyan Mirmord…?”

The Pope frowned. It was unpleasant to hear the name of a person who was undermining his benevolent plans.

“That little sly kid.”

Melodia responded cheerfully.

“If that child tried to oppose God, couldn’t we arrest her for treason? Even if she’s Mirmord, she shouldn’t be allowed to act against the state religion, right?”

“Well, it’s ambiguous. She didn’t establish a religion.”

The Crown Prince tapped the table, suggesting to check the newspapers for details. The various newspapers he brought described in detail Siyan’s actions so far.

Melodia, who saw everything, exclaimed softly.

“Purposely using philanthropy to eliminate belief in God? Quite clever!”

“Clever, indeed. Just caught in the act while backpedaling.”

“No, Your Highness. This child seems to know that divine power grows by consuming people’s belief!”

At Melodia’s words, both the Pope and the Crown Prince fell into silence.

There were almost no living people who knew that the divine power of the clergy feeds on people’s belief in God.
Among the living, there were almost no individuals who knew that the divine power of the clergy feeds on people’s belief in God.

The former Pope abhorred the weakening of the church and sought to eliminate any elements that could threaten the divine authority.

During the reign of the former Pope, the reasons for the weakening of the Pope’s divine power were attributed to natural causes, and the fact that the temple’s volunteer activities were meticulously planned actions was also completely concealed.

“Who could have informed her?”

“It must be Delphia Mirmord.”

Delphia Mirmord was well aware of the weaknesses of the temple.

However, even though she held those weaknesses in her hands, she didn’t use them properly and refrained from touching them because it felt awkward.

That means…

“…Siyan Mirmord is a problem, even a few years ago and even now.”

Melodia chuckled lightly.

Although the Pope and Melodia had planned to cooperate to enchant and use the Mirmord family before eliminating them, Siyan Mirmord had consistently blocked their path.

So now it was finally time to confront Siyan Mirmord for real.

Melodia and the Pope exchanged glances. The Pope was the first to avert her gaze. He chewed his lips, stood up, and then spoke.

“Go and find Axel Mirmord. He might know about Siyan Mirmord’s weaknesses.”