The Villain Saint is my secondary account

However, after learning from Ella that Prince Kane was having an affair with the Institute of Engineering, he would probably face even greater pressure.

After all, they have captured Prince Ken directly. According to speculation, there is a high probability that they will not let me off easily.

"You may be too tired." The pink-haired maid suddenly said, and took out a small cake from somewhere, "Eat something, sir."

"Thank you." Ye Xiao took the cake. Why did this little maid suddenly work so hard? Was it because she felt guilty for slacking off all day because it was almost time to get off work? "By the way, I haven't asked your name yet. What's your name?"

"Sir, just call me Gratia." The pink-haired maid smiled sweetly.

Ye Xiao nodded, "Okay, Miss Gladia."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the lounge suddenly opened.

The person who came in was a maid wearing the same clothes as Gratia. She walked straight to Ye Xiao and bowed slightly. "Hello, sir. The society sent me to invite you."

To be honest, Freya's inexplicable disappearance and some information revealed by the prince had already shown some signs of risk in Ye Xiao's trip.

But there is no risk without gaining the tiger cub. After knowing that the Institute of Industrial Design had connections with the royal family, this line of business was inevitable for him.

God knows if we don’t catch the opponent’s tail this time, will we have another chance in the future?

So Ye Xiao nodded and stood up.

Then, he saw Gretia, who was sitting next to him, also stood up, and hurriedly stopped her, saying, "Wait, wait, you don't have to go."

"Ah, sir, are you going to fire me?" Gretia said with eyes wide open, somewhat incredulous.

"No, I can just go here by myself." Ye Xiao's mouth twitched, "You can go home now."

"Then you're just going to fire me." Gratia sighed slightly, "It turns out that the master doesn't love me anymore."

"What a mess." Ye Xiao was speechless.

"Sir, it's okay to bring a servant with you." The maid from the Institute of Craftsmanship suddenly spoke up.

"No need." Ye Xiao refused without hesitation.

He couldn't bring an innocent ordinary person to visit the Institute of Industrial Design. If a conflict occurred, it would be very troublesome for him to escape with a burden.

"But...if you go to the Colosseum and insist on not letting me follow you, I will be considered to have neglected my duties and my wages will be deducted." Gratia said pitifully.

"Ah? Is there such a saying?" Ye Xiao was surprised and looked at another maid.

However, the other maid nodded subtly, seeming to agree.

Chapter 35: Gentleman Roll

Finally, Ye Xiao stuffed two silver coins into the pink-haired maid's arms in front of her shocked eyes and drove her away.

Such an inexplicable reason as deducting wages is certainly not enough to support Ye Xiao to take ordinary people on an adventure.

At least Ye Xiao thinks so.

As the games after sunset were cancelled, the empty Colosseum was unusually deserted.

They said the competition was stopped because of a celebration, but it actually looked more like closing time.

However, Ye Xiao estimated that it was most likely because of the time conflict with the aristocratic dinner at the Pilgrimage Festival - the big moneybags had to participate in other activities together, so they naturally would not bother here.

Walking through the vast Colosseum with only sporadic lights on is like walking in the wilderness under the night sky. Countless chairs in the auditorium are quietly surrounding it, like rows of tombstones.

Ye Xiao followed the maid sent by the Institute of Engineering to the other end of the Colosseum, and went up the stairs until they reached the highest point of the Colosseum.

When you open the door, you can see the wide stands that overlook the entire Colosseum.

The interior is a luxuriously decorated hall with two shiny leather sofas surrounding a mahogany table. On the table, near the door, a cup of tea is smoking, as if it was prepared for the guests.

The walls around the hall were lined with many brass-colored metal armors, holding a variety of weapons, engraved with intricate carvings, but they did not look like magic arrays or any special effects, just fancy decorations.

The maid stopped outside the door and made an inviting gesture to Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao stepped in and immediately heard a slight muffled sound from the door behind him.

He looked around; the decoration of the room seemed oddly familiar.

There are some square metal pieces embedded in the walls everywhere. I don't know if they are ventilation ducts that need to be opened manually or something else.

An elegant, quiet and magnetic baritone voice sounded from the side, "Welcome to the celebration, Mr. Ye, please feel free to take a seat."

"Hehe, you are..." Ye Xiao turned his head, but before he could finish his words, he was stunned when he saw the person who heard the voice.

Because the other party was not a person at all, but a "mechanical puppet" made of brass metal plates and gear chains.

This "mechanical puppet" was wearing a slim black dress, a gentleman's tall hat, and holding a thin cane in his hand.

It looks like a complete steampunk robot, but Ye Xiao, who has modern scientific knowledge, can't figure out how this black technology thing works at all. Maybe there is a magic crystal stuffed in the metal forehead to provide power?

"You can call me Rawl," the "mechanical puppet" in a formal dress took off his hat and bowed gracefully.

"Is Luo Er referring to you, or the person who is manipulating you?"

"I don't quite understand what Mr. Ye means," the "mechanical puppet" put his hat back on his head and stood up straight. "But if Mr. Ye is asking me if I am a remotely controlled metal puppet, then the answer is no. I am just an individual."

"Are you kidding me, artificial intelligence from another world?" Ye Xiao frowned. This was too abstract.

"If life made purely of elements can exist in this world, why is it so strange that metal components can think?"

Well, that makes sense. The world itself is weird.

"From what Mr. Ye said, it seems that you are also one of those alien world travelers who have appeared recently and call themselves 'players'?"

"You know a lot." Ye Xiao sat on the sofa. The soft but elastic leather was quite comfortable, but he couldn't tell what animal the leather was from.

"I've only heard a little bit about it." Luo Er sat down opposite Ye Xiao and waved towards the teacup on the table, "Sir, please have some tea."

"I prefer freshly brewed tea." Ye Xiao didn't even look at the teacup. "I'm a little uncomfortable with taking something that has been there for who knows how long."

"Sorry, it seems I still have some things to learn about the etiquette of human entertaining." Luo Er patted his iron head. Then, a round sphere also assembled from metal parts flapped its wings and flew out from the hole in the wall that Ye Xiao thought was a ventilation duct.

The iron sheet on the spherical puppet's belly slowly opened to both sides, and a new cup of hot tea appeared inside its belly.

"Um... okay, I admit that I was afraid that you put drugs in it." Ye Xiao was a little speechless. There was such a job. "And I dare not drink this kind of tea that comes out of my stomach."

"No problem, I understand Mr. Ye's caution." Luo Er waved his hand, and the round mechanical puppet with its big belly flew back to the pipe. A brass door extended from the gap next to it and sealed the pipe opening.

Ye Xiao immediately scanned the entire room with his peripheral vision, counted the number of these metal pipes and memorized their locations.

This way he at least has a mental expectation of where monsters might spawn in the near future.

"I remember the letter said it was a celebration, but after chatting for so long why does it seem like it's just the two of us?"

"Considering that this is Mr. Ye's first visit, he may have a lot of questions to ask, so let's talk in the reception room first." Luo Er's voice, "The other invitees have already left for the celebration site."

"Okay, why don't we just chat here?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Ye, we have plenty of time before the celebration begins." Luo Er put his fingers together and held his cane in front of him. "You can ask any questions you have."

"Okay." Ye Xiao leaned back on the sofa, "What does the Institute of Engineering do?"

"I'm glad you're being direct," Rawl responded politely. "The Society is a group of scholars organized to explore the direction of life's evolution."

“It sounds like a cult.”

"I think this view is closer to the world you come from, a society that focuses on technological and academic development."

“…You know a lot.”

"We have also recruited some members from your hometown."

“But I’m afraid that doesn’t quite fit in with the philosophy here.”

“Advanced ideas always transcend the mainstream of society.”

"But your Colosseum, and those alchemical machines and puppets assembled from flesh and blood, I only see evil and barbarism, not the advancement you mentioned." Ye Xiao said in a deep voice.

"Progress is always accompanied by experiments and sacrifices. The evolution of life cannot be separated from blood and cruelty if it is to be down-to-earth." Luo Er shook his head. "The warriors who died also chose this path themselves. We never forced anyone to enter the Colosseum. The same goes for the spectators who placed bets. We provide a channel for transactions and explain the rewards and costs. It is their own choice whether to participate or not."

"Okay." Ye Xiao couldn't think of a reason to refute it. But since they have become such a big sect, it would be strange to find loopholes in their doctrines in just a few words. "Are you the leader of the Institute of Engineering?"

"No, I'm just a humble servant." Luo Er shook his head again, and a glimmer of light seemed to appear in his sophisticated eyeballs made up of tiny gears and lenses. "We have no leader, only a great being that we all serve."

"You still have gods to worship?" Ye Xiao was a little curious. "I thought that according to your teachings, there would be no gods."

"Of course there will be. When thoughts and goals are consistent, it becomes faith. With faith, gods will be born." Luo Er's voice seemed to be a little excited. "Mr. Ye, you are very lucky to be able to witness the birth of gods with us in this celebration."

Chapter 36: The Land Where God Descends

Before sunset, deep underground in the Colosseum.

A figure wearing a dark blue cloak was walking slowly in the pitch-black corridor, and the lonely figure looked a little frail.

Until a wide door appeared in front of him, the figure stopped and raised his head, revealing long light golden hair and a delicate face like a doll.

This was Freya who suddenly left Ye Xiao.

There was some nervousness and confusion in her green eyes, and she was holding a rolled-up letter tightly in her hand.

She took a deep breath, and finally raised her hand and knocked gently on the door a few times.

The door was a metal door with a strange mechanical structure. Gears of different sizes were embedded in the door panel and slowly began to turn as Freya knocked.

With a dull sound, the thick metal door slowly opened to both sides.

Unlike the dark and deep corridor outside, inside is a spacious and magnificent hall with plenty of light.

The walls on all four sides of the hall seemed to be cast in brass, reflecting a pale yellow halo under the pyroxene lamp embedded in the ceiling.

On the innermost tall wall, there is a tall oil painting hanging on it. The content of the painting is a naked girl, only wrapped in metal chains.

Some mechanical parts-like objects such as gears and screws surround the girl, and there is a pair of huge golden wings made of brass on her back.

The girl's face was not yet finished, but many spherical mechanical puppets were extending spray-gun-like metal tubes from her belly, flying around and drawing on it.

If Ye Xiao saw this painting, he would definitely remember that this was the painting that Ella had seen in the dream derived from the dream crystal in Lilia's hand.

Below the portrait, an old man with a white beard stands with his back to the gate, seemingly quietly admiring the unfinished oil painting.

When Freya saw the old man, her throat moved and she swallowed.

She had never been so nervous before, but the familiar figure in front of her couldn't calm her down.

Even though she had only known Ye Xiao for two days, with Freya's stubborn personality, she would not easily go against her promise to protect Ye Xiao.

Unless there was someone she had to meet who invited her.

"High Priest...Your Excellency?" Freya's voice trembled slightly, and her firm faith of sixteen years began to waver for the first time.

"Freya, you are here." The old man turned around, his face kind yet dignified, it was the high priest of the Loren Temple, Evans.

"Why...are you here?" Even though the letter in her hand was indeed signed by High Priest Evans, Freya still found the scene in front of her unbelievable, "Why...?"

"Freya, do you think Ella Seavel is really the Holy Maiden of Light?" The high priest did not answer Freya, but asked in a gentle voice.

"She..." Faced with this question, Freya didn't know how to answer for a moment, "She is very suspicious... She is hiding a lot of things... She also has an unclear connection with the ritual of the birth of the evil god..."

"But... she is indeed the Holy Maiden of Light, and the stigmata on her hands are real."

"Based on your observations during this period, how is her level of holy light spells?" the high priest continued to ask.

"Talent... average."

"What is her faith in the God of Light?"

"It doesn't feel particularly firm either."

“Her understanding and interpretation of the teachings of the Temple?”

"Very shallow..." Freya stammered.

"How does she compare to you in these aspects?" The high priest still maintained a kind smile and slowly approached.

"Neither... are very good." Freya was not a conceited person, but Ella was indeed not as good as her in terms of holy light spell level and firmness of faith.

"Then why is she the Holy Maiden of Light?" High Priest Evans had come to Freya and looked down at the thin and lovely girl. "Why aren't you?"

"She...she is the chosen one crowned by angels. She has holy marks." As Freya answered each sentence, she felt as if her heart was being grabbed and began to ache gradually.

Indeed...why?

Why is Ella Hywel the Chosen One?

Sixteen years of hard work, training to become a saint. She recited prayers in the wind and sun, studied holy light spells day after day for ten years, and copied and annotated every volume of the densely packed lecture notes on the countless bookshelves in the library.

She devoted everything to her faith and didn't even have close friends. She was always alone on the way to the church.