Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon

"We are from Thistlefort... So, could you introduce us to the glorious history of the Paradise Sect?" Chaoyang considered his words before speaking.

"Of course, would you like to come inside and sit down?" The other made a welcoming gesture.

The furnishings inside the building were simple; the first floor was essentially a small chapel with many rows of seats and a podium, and hanging behind the podium was a large painting of the "Goddess" amid thunder and lightning.

The moment Ailuodi saw the painting, she let out a sob.

Chaoyang noticed that the young girl who received them also had a thin thread on her head, indicating she was a faithful follower of the Paradise Sect as well.

"My name is Amy," the girl said as she ushered the three guests to sit down and casually handed them a booklet, "Have you ever seen real divinities?"

Chaoyang glanced subconsciously at Kokomoqi and found that she was looking at him as well...

"No," he said decisively.

"I thought so," Amy nodded, "In the history of the Old Continent, nearly a hundred divinities have appeared, but the vast majority of people can only hear about them and are never able to meet even one in their lifetime, let alone receive their blessings. The Paradise Sect is different; it was born from the personal redemption of divinities and developed thanks to their approachability... Its history isn’t long, only fifteen years to this day, yet the great Paradise Master has never been far from us. She cares for every believer equally, and to this day, we can listen to her oracles at any time, even dine with the great Goddess. It is truly an honor to be a part of the Paradise Sect."

"Ah?"

"To this day?"

"She?"

Chaoyang, Ailuodi, and Kokomoqi simultaneously showed three distinctly different expressions on their faces.

Amy slightly frowned, though she was pleased to see the shocked expressions of those from distant lands, shock should not override manners, especially when discussing such a sacred and serious topic.

If this had been the Mechanical Sect or the Goddess of Abundance Sect, the priests probably would have already shown them the door.

However, the great Paradise Master is the kindest divinity in history, so let’s forgive them for this small mistake.

Amy coughed twice, "Any questions?"

"Uh, no... please continue," Chaoyang urged.

"The source of it all can be traced back to a battlefield fifteen years ago..." Amy began to speak at length about the great "Battle of Independence," the Fishermen’s Army, the Ransu Company, and Franwick Yuss, who was deluded by the Evil God. The general direction of the story was similar to the version they had experienced, although there were some discrepancies in the details... For instance, Bariff, who was the central commander in their version, naturally didn’t appear in the story, and the Fishermen’s Army, for another, had been transformed into the Paradise Sect’s guard after the war. As for the key catalysts of the conflict—the underground relics and the new energy sources—these were not mentioned at all.

"The war ended with the capture of the evil Governor Haiboman in the company building. Since he was directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of nearly three thousand residents of the City of Defense, he was personally executed by the divinity, and all the company’s funds were confiscated and used to build our new City of Defense. Those damned gangsters and smugglers also couldn’t escape their crimes, either they ran or they died. As it turned out, the world still functioned without them maintaining order, and in fact, it functioned even better." Amy brought her hands together and spoke sincerely, "Thank the divinity, for it is because of her redemption and guidance that we are able to live such happy lives today."

The three of them exchanged glances.

"So now the one managing this city is..."

"Paradise Sect, of course!" the girl declared emphatically. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Chaoyang immediately asked, "And who is in charge of the sect?"

"Lord High Priest Enkui, Commander Potland of the guard, and Lady Jia Ya, the Holy Maiden... Currently, these three are jointly managing it."

Well, well... the first two were names well-known to all, but the third was a new character.

"Why do I feel... that the Paradise Sect they operate seems more lively and colorful than what we’ve managed?" Ailuodi glanced sidelong at Chaoyang.

"How could that be, I just haven’t been running Magnificent Castle, Thistlefort is as it should be, isn’t it?"

"So, have you all more or less understood? Why not consider joining the Paradise Sect and become followers of our lord?" Amy said with a smile, "The divinities will protect you."

"How do we join?"

"Hmm... You need to fill out an application and pay a joining fee of ten Serirs, and then you have to pay it again every year," the other party smoothly replied. "Don’t think ten is a lot, many nobles want to get in but can’t. Of course... there are other ways to join without paying, such as those who have made significant contributions to the cause of the Paradise Sect could be invited to join..."

"Wait, that fee is way too high!" Chaoyang couldn’t help but interrupt, Angels and the Magic Goddess might not have any concept of mundane prices, but he started from scratch and was particularly sensitive about money. Ten silver coins were roughly equivalent to an ordinary person’s annual income, not to mention that it had to be paid every year!

He would not allow the Paradise Sect to become a tool for some to amass wealth.

"It is high, but the income of the followers of the Paradise Sect is even higher," Amy said nonchalantly. "The sect hands out a basic salary every month, regardless of the work you do, and that alone is twelve silver coins a year. Plus, with the extra pay from your job, affording this amount is no problem at all!"

Ailuodi couldn’t help but feel it strange, "Collecting so much and then distributing even more, what’s the point of that? Are there people who just join the sect but don’t do any work?"

"Exactly, especially those from wealthy households, joining the sect is just for securing a piece of protection, after all, opportunities to meet with the divinities are not easy to come by." Talking about these people, the girl clearly showed displeasure, "But I have to admit, these people have made financial contributions to the growth of the sect, you guys wouldn’t be such people, right?"

Chaoyang didn’t plan to beat around the bush any longer, "I would like to meet the Paradise Master, how can I do that?"

"Eh? Meeting the divinity is not something you can just do because you want to. Although she appears quite frequently, but..."

"Grant him his request."

Chaoyang followed that thread of wishing power, directly transmitting his words into her mind.

Amy immediately stood still, mouth agape!

What just happened!? Was the Paradise Master speaking to her? Although the voice seemed to drift from a faraway place, vague and holy, it sounded like a man’s voice?

"Do not speculate about the divinities."

The voice appeared once more, causing Amy to shiver on the spot.

That’s right, she had only caught a glimpse of the divinity’s figure from a distance and had never personally heard her sacred decrees; who said the Paradise Master must belong to either gender? She was the most inexplicable existence in this world, naturally beyond the measure of mortal norms.

Yes, as you wish.

The young girl took a deep breath, pressing one hand to her chest as she bowed to Chaoyang, "Please wait here, I will go make contact for you now."

After she left, Ailuodi finally asked in confusion, "How come after not seeing each other for fifteen years, there’s now a Paradise Master here? I can understand fishermen becoming city managers, but divinities, is it also possible to just pretend to be one?"

Chaoyang shook his head, "It might not necessarily be a pretense."

"What?"

He looked toward Kokomoqi who was yawning on the side, "Perhaps this divinity is also an old friend of ours."