"Avenge your host?" At first, Miles and Aisha almost didn't follow.
However, thinking back, Camille had indeed mentioned it before.
The reason he was a spirit without a host was because the bearer of the Millennium Key had been killed ten years ago.
And the one who killed the holder of the Millennium Key—Camille had made it clear—it was the bearer of the Millennium Eye.
Miles confirmed, "The Empire Marshal, Locke Slint?"
Camille nodded gravely.
"Yes. The bloodstained fate among the Millennium Items. Though I've come to terms with that tragedy itself, the hatred is something I can't just let go of. So when I learned Locke was defeated by you, I decided I had to come and thank you personally."
"You even barged right into the girls' dorm to do it, huh. Nice going," Aisha quipped. "Good thing Lishia wasn't here."
Ren and Nova might not have known Camille personally, but they did know about the Millennium Items.
"I came here specifically when that girl wasn't around. That girl named Lishia."
Camille's words carried an undertone that caught Miles's attention.
"Lishia… is she really hiding something?"
"So you've noticed it too, bearer of the Millennium Puzzle—Miles."
In today's duel, Miles had also felt Lishia was concealing something. Especially that moment when the holy light shone and her hair turned golden—it hadn't escaped his eyes.
Camille continued, "That's also why I came here myself. I'm truly grateful you defeated Locke in the capital; that said, I must also warn you. That battle in the capital undoubtedly drew the attention of a certain force."
"A certain force?"
"The Church."
Livorden allowed religious faith but did not mandate it, making it a country of religious freedom.
That freedom naturally gave rise to multiple church factions.
Different cities often had different sects, with entirely different styles of worship, turning churches into tourist attractions.
The most famous example was the Axis Church in the eastern kingdom, which worshiped the Water Goddess. They claimed believers would be granted the goddess's wisdom, attracting many who sought knowledge.
As for the actual results of belief… faith was always a matter of personal conviction.
Ren interjected, "I thought Livorden's churches were all just for show. They're really targeting Miles and Little Ai?"
Camille said, "Most churches may indeed just use gimmicks to fleece followers. Though some genuinely believe in something. And their faith is intense."
"And what would churches believe in…"
Miles' eyes shifted toward Nova, and with his own reasoning, he made a guess.
"The only thing they could believe in would be God, right?"
"Exactly. No matter the faction, churches are organizations that worship gods. And you two know what you did in the capital—I don't need to repeat it."
They had summoned a god. That was what Miles and Aisha had done in the battle of the capital.
The Winged Dragon of Ra, a divine card of true godly nature.
In Spirit Continent, where Duel Monsters reigned supreme, this was undeniable proof of a god.
"If churches that worship gods learned that a 'god' had actually been summoned by Aisha Carlos as a person… what do you think they would do?"
"Try to seize the God Card?" Aisha guessed.
"Bingo~ correct." Camille snapped his fingers and grinned at her.
"Seize the card?" Ren objected. "Isn't that only possible through a Shadow Game? But this is the church… we're talking about faith in gods and moral guidance. Shouldn't they be worshiping Little Ai instead?"
"You're too naïve. Profit is the true core of churches.
"If there are ranks among churches, then of course, there are both black and white sides. History has countless disasters sparked by faith.
"Take the famous witch hunts… how many sorcerers were slaughtered to maintain the church's mystique in believers' hearts? Do you think a church that could do that a hundred years ago would hesitate at a Shadow Game now? Especially cults in the dark—they crave divine power all the more."
"Cults, huh." Miles rubbed the princess's smooth chin, admitting to himself that cultists were indeed a natural fit for Shadow Games.
"Camille, I get it now. Aisha summoned a god, so the churches might target her. Still, what does that have to do with Lishia?"
"That has to do with the country's power structure and the distribution of faith."
Camille kept drawing on the floor with his finger, even borrowing books and teacups as props to illustrate.
"In Livorden, the closer to the capital and central authority, the weaker the church's influence. The reason is simple. Nobles allow religious freedom; however, they won't let the church's authority surpass their own."
He shifted his fingertip from the teacup symbolizing the capital, stretching westward as far as his arm could reach.
"The farther from the capital, the stronger the church's hold. And the region with the most complex, deeply rooted faith is none other than the western kingdom."
Aisha said, "The western kingdom… that's Arnold and Lishia's hometown, isn't it?"
"Yes. The undeveloped west, barren and poor due to geography, poverty breeding chaos. Countless churches thrive in those deserts, with even local nobles reduced to mere lapdogs of the church."
Camille paused his finger over a stack of books representing the western churches. Then he sorted the books into two piles.
"Anyway, in recent years, the western churches have been rapidly consolidating. Once, countless factions have now merged into two opposing faiths."
"Two opposing faiths?"
"The public force: the Order Church.
"And the hidden one: the Church of the Old Dominators. And Aisha Carlos, your roommate—Lishia… is the Saint of the Order Church."
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]