"My heart aches with such intensity, I can barely breathe! The reputation of our Church of the Holy Light has been tarnished by that scoundrel Violanda!"
"The current Archbishop marrying the next Archbishop? This is a violation of our doctrines and sacred rules! If this becomes public, not only will Violanda’s name be ruined, but Eirik’s will be sullied as well!"
Anguish filled the air as these voices echoed. Eirik, the chosen heir of the Church of the Holy Light, had been the epitome of perfection in the eyes of many—a dream figure for countless women in this simulation game.
But now, that flawless image had been shattered.
Tainted by that shameless wretch, Violanda!
How could they not be furious?
How could they not feel betrayed?
"Wahhh! Violanda, that hypocritical scoundrel! How shameless! Archbishop of the Holy Light? More like a disgraceful bishop!"
"She talks so piously, yet look at her now! ‘Oh, we only share a mentor-student bond!’ Hmph! Am I really supposed to believe that nonsense?!"
The world channel was filled with outrage.
But then suddenly…
"Violanda, a true role model for us all!"
??
Who the hell wrote this?!
It nearly made several female players spit blood in fury.
At that moment, Violanda was fully aware that she was being vilified in the world channel.
But she couldn't care less.
Instead, she seized the opportunity to embrace Eirik, channeling the faith-driven power needed to break through to the next level!
Boom!
The barriers that had held her back shattered instantly under the overwhelming surge of power.
"Truly worthy of a +9 talent! So strong..."
Surprise flickered in Violanda’s eyes, nearly knocking her off balance.
However, she quickly regained her composure, focusing on accepting and directing the incredible power surging through her.
Suddenly, it felt as though a door had been flung wide open!
Violanda felt a familiar sensation, as though she was rising from a mere mortal to a master of magic.
The world around her sharpened into focus, revealing things that were once hidden.
She realized she had been lost in a fog before, unable to see clearly.
Now, she understood the very essence of existence.
She grasped the true laws of the world, and the power within her transformed into Grandmaster-level magic!
"This is it! The power of a Grandmaster! I’ve finally reached the Grandmaster stage again!"
Violanda’s voice trembled with joy.
She looked up toward the palace entrance, where the royal golden corpses were still relentlessly advancing.
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In that instant, her eyes sparkled with a tangible magical energy, surging outward.
"Today, I will send you royal bastards fleeing in disgrace!"
With a cold chuckle, Violanda’s body—like white jade—glowed with a brilliant golden light. Hundreds of magical sigils burst forth behind her, speeding toward the royal corpses!
A dazzling battle ensued.
Naturally, the royals were defeated.
Though these golden corpses were formidable, they consumed vast amounts of royal mana. The further they moved from the palace, the weaker they became.
Now that Violanda had attained the Grandmaster level, as long as she wasn’t defeated outright, victory was certain. Her strength was on par with the golden corpses!
In the end, the royal golden corpses were forced to retreat in disgrace.
【On that day, an unusual silence fell over the palace. Not a single whisper about Emperor Raedric’s rage or his execution of attendants and maidens was heard. Instead, word spread that after spending the entire afternoon in a daze, Raedric hosted a grand banquet, summoning many court maidens and dancers for a night of debauchery...】
【From that day on, Raedric ceased to involve himself in state affairs, seemingly prepared to abandon his throne.】
【At the suggestion of the ministers, the Dawnstar Dynasty established a divine office. The Archbishop of the Holy Light Church would now also serve as the High Priest, with the power to oversee and dismiss officials and titles.】
【Thus, the royal family weakened, barely clinging to power, while the Church of the Holy Light gained complete control of the realm. This event became known as the "V-E Transformation."】
【Congratulations! You have earned the title: King Without a Crown (Gold)】
【Effect: Power Broker: Your influence increases by 30%, order execution rate rises by 10%, and resource acquisition boosts by 50%.】
"The royal family has already conceded?! I haven’t even cleaned house yet?!"
Violanda was stunned for a moment.
Was it happening too quickly?
In her past lives, she had been slain by the royal family. To her, they had always felt like an insurmountable obstacle, a mountain she could never climb.
To defeat the royal family had been her ultimate goal—her deepest desire.
Yet now, after securing Eirik, everything had fallen into place so easily.
It felt surreal. Like a dream.
"Is this the power of my dear Eirik?!"
So powerful!
"But I can’t let my guard down! The royal family still has many golden corpses. Perhaps Emperor Raedric is just biding his time? I must seize this moment and push my magic to Grandmaster Lv3, obliterating those golden corpses once and for all. I want to see just how many of them there really are!"
Violanda furrowed her brow, excitement coursing through her veins.
This newfound power felt magnificent.
But with such power came an overwhelming amount of responsibility.
Especially overseeing an entire dynasty; the administrative tasks were exhausting and frustrating, and they kept getting in the way of her magical studies.
In the past, she hadn’t realized how much there was to manage when she was simply the Archbishop of the Holy Light Church.
Now, governing a whole kingdom, she saw just how much there was to handle—officials, dukes, and viscounts all reporting daily.
And the trivialities! Some even wrote letters about the weather—whether it rained or not, or that their dog had given birth.
Violanda found it infuriating. She had to reprimand them again and again to stop wasting her time, yet they stubbornly refused to change.
Meanwhile, Raedric spent his days in the palace indulging in food and revelry, living in excess.
Sometimes, Violanda felt as though she had been cheated out of the power she had worked so hard to gain…
She hadn’t fought for this authority just to serve him.
Wouldn’t it be nicer to wander the world, traveling mountains and rivers, with a handsome husband like Eirik at her side?
Putting down the endless stack of nonsensical letters, Violanda instinctively opened the world channel.
At that moment, the backlash against her had reached a fever pitch.
"This Archbishop of the Holy Light should hand over her position to Sister Pip!"
"Violanda, do you still stand by your words?!"
"A Grandmaster-level powerhouse—how can you go back on your word like this?!"
Voices continued to flood the chat, relentless and loud.
"..."
Violanda’s brow furrowed as she recalled that she had indeed promised something similar—that if she and Eirik were together, she would pass the Archbishop position on to Pixie.
Wait…
Hand over the position of Archbishop of the Holy Light to Pixie?!
Is this really happening?!
"Enough! I, Violanda, have always kept my word. Do you truly think I’m someone who clings to power?!"
Violanda snapped, her voice filled with indignation.
“Hah! Is that so?! Didn’t you once claim you’d never make a move on dear Eirik?!”
"Silence!"
Violanda chuckled bitterly. You don’t understand—I had no other choice!
She couldn’t be bothered to engage in the world channel anymore.
The mere title of Archbishop of the Holy Light? Did she truly care about it?
As the female players watched Violanda fall silent, their anger swelled, ready to unleash their fury. But just then, a system alert interrupted them.
【News: Archbishop of the Holy Light Violanda claims to be old and weak, unable to fulfill her duties. From now on, she will pass the position of Archbishop to Pixie. Pixie, a denizen of Aelsryel...】
???
She’s really handing over the Archbishop position to me?!
Pixie, who had been busy studying the Forgotten Grimoire, froze for a moment.