The more they oppose, the more it shows that I am doing the right thing

Luojia was somewhat confused.

She had only intended to persuade An Su to turn back from his wayward path, yet how did she end up exceeding her mission and recruiting this fellow to enlist?

Watching Luojia lost in thought, An Su's lips curled into a barely noticeable smile.

The Radiant Holy See's scrutiny was very strict, and secular nobility who wished to join the church needed the recommendation and endorsement of related clergy.

And whose guarantee could be more persuasive than that of the Holy Maiden in waiting before him?

The most important reason An Su had requested Luojia's recommendation was—

No matter what he did in the future, Luojia could not report him.

During his imprisonment, the oath he made Luojia swear to the Goddess actually contained a textual trap.

"Cannot report against An Su after getting out and cannot harm An Su"

The key was the clause about not being able to report against An Su once out,

It didn't specify what incidents could not be reported.

A trap-free oath should have been, "Cannot report against An Su's present deeds performed on this altar after getting out"

Leaving out the reference to time and place, the meaning changed entirely.

Not specifying anything in particular, not particularly referring to the offering of Esoteric Cult Followers, henceforth any incident that happened, Luojia could not report against An Su.

And could not harm An Su either.

This plan was rather good.

An Su's lips curled into a barely-noticeable smile.

As for the words he had just spoken to Luojia... indeed, all were true.

The Esoteric Religion's organization was fragmented, factions were splintered, and there wasn't even an Archbishop; due to their Goddess's fondness for dark life, Esoteric Cult Followers were each other's enemies, engaging in internal bloodshed, each eager to offer up their brethren to their Mother Goddess.

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According to An Su's memory, there were nearly ten hostile believer dens in this borderland alone.

Splintered internally and hunted down by the church externally.

Only a fool would now join the Green Forest Organization.

He, An Su, such a sunny and cheerful boy, would naturally choose the officials without hesitation; he was not at all familiar with any Mother Goddess.

Securing a position within the church bureaucracy was the most important!

Moreover, An Su had another purpose in joining the Radiant Holy See.

"But..." Luojia started to speak, hesitating as if she was in doubt. She swallowed slightly, her voice bearing a hint of hesitance, "You're not suited for the path of the church."

This was a known fact to the entire Morningstar Family.

The Holy Light element within An Su's body was scarce, and to advance in Radiant Magic would require several times the effort of others.

Luojia had put it quite diplomatically; the low-empathy version was, we don't accept Child of the Curse.

Hmph...

She hesitated, her heart wavered.

Observing the girl's expression before him, An Su knew he had secured his ground.

He subconsciously clenched the prepared speech cheat sheet in his pocket, "Three Steps to Coax Luojia into Enlisting An Su."

He had already completed the first step, to reason with her.

Next was the second step, to move her emotionally!

"Luojia."

An Su gazed earnestly at the girl, his cyan-hued eyes downcast. The sunlight, filtered through the ivy, lost its scorching hues, casting a dark green filter on the light, which flickered with a bright yet sorrowful glow in the boy's pupils,

"I know I am a child who is not blessed. Ever since I was born, I have been imprisoned within this grey tower. People call me the Child of the Curse, say it was I who caused my mother's death, but despite being such, despite being born into darkness, deep inside I also yearn for the light."

"Even if the road ahead is tough, even if I was born without blessing, even if I am rejected, I still want to try stepping out of this grey tower, I still want to try walking into that sunlight."

An Su still hadn't lied; of course, he yearned for the benefits of the Radiant Holy See, who would want to be a dark rat in the underground right!

Luojia, on the other hand, looked somewhat distressed, the Little Holy Maiden naturally weak at heart and unable to stand when others played the emotional card.

This fellow in front of me is actually getting sentimental!

You're using all of my moves!

She feared that if she listened any longer, she wouldn't be able to resist agreeing.

After all, that person was still Luojia's lifesaver.

Returning the favor of saving a life with a single recommendation is not the least bit excessive.

Since stepping into the mansion, every scene she experienced was vivid in her memory.

The maidservant who feared An Su, that sense of avoidance, the magnificent castle and the dilapidated grey tower, as well as the fourteen-year-old boy reading alone by the window sill...

'This child of the house owner... he is a cursed monster.'

'From his very birth, he caused his mother's death. He came into this world with his mother's blood on his hands.'

'Don't deceive me, you're absolutely not his friend, no children want to befriend him——let alone a nun from the Radiant Holy See...'

Luojia gently bit her thin lips.

"And think about it,"

The last words of An Su broke the camel's back,

"If even the Child of the Curse could be influenced, if even the Child of the Curse could become a cleric of the Church, wouldn't that be the very testament to the greatness and inclusiveness of the Church? Isn't that the beacon of the world?"

The third step of the plan, the Church gained another tale of redemption!

It fits perfectly.

Tsk... Luojia finally nodded, "I can recommend you to the Church, but... you have to pass the Radiant Holy See's initiation test on your own."

"However," she swiftly changed her tone and stared at An Su expressionlessly. Luojia had long since seen through the latter's level as a junior magician, "With your current level, you simply cannot pass."

Being recommended only grants an opportunity for fair competition, but even just such an opportunity is enough to eliminate ninety percent of the citizens and nobility. God loves everyone equally——but God loves those who are recommended even more.

If not for a deep relationship with the Radiant Holy See and proper contributions made, it would be quite difficult to secure a slot.

Upon recommendation, one can become a provisional member of the congregation.

But it doesn't end there, to become an official cleric, you still have to undergo an initiation test.

And the Radiant Holy See's initiation exam is also among the most challenging in the seven Orthodox Churches of Nether. It's not just a matter of assessing one's magic level, but also a cultural test, the history of the Church, the understanding of Holy Light... thousands of young talents competing for a single slot in the small town of academics.

"All I lack is an opportunity," An Su said earnestly to Luojia.

An opportunity to cheat!

...

"There will be an initiation test in a month, don't forget it!"

After seeing off Luojia, An Su continued to read his book.

Not long after, a knocking sound suddenly came from the door.

"Master."

"It's Enya, come in," he said without looking up.

The door slowly opened, and to one's surprise, the visitor was the same maidservant who had received Luojia previously.

A pure white skirt paired with deer-leather boots, lips so thinly drawn they resembled early spring cherry blossoms.

Enya gracefully curtsied, her slender fingers lifting the edge of her skirt.

Previously, she clearly didn't even want to step in, didn't want to talk with An Su at all.

"The nun has already left."

Enya calmly told An Su, her face devoid of any hint of disgust or fear,

"As per your earlier instructions, I played the role of the 'malicious maidservant who speaks ill of her master behind his back' perfectly. Do you fancy this kind of special game? Is it time to punish the ignorant me now?"

"I am not that perverted," An Su said as he raised his head to look at her.

"So you wish to continue staying in this abandoned warehouse, do you enjoy playing the rough one?" she asked, tilting her head silently, "Although it's a bit dirty... I don't mind."

"...I said I am not a pervert."