Originally, Agreus was a devout priest who faithfully served the goddess.

Born as the third son of a fallen noble family, like Luciena, he turned to religion to reduce the mouths to feed in his household, and he found that studying theology and performing good deeds suited him well.

He dedicated himself to helping and educating people, leading them to enlightenment, and before he realized it, he had become a cardinal at a young age.

"You are almost guaranteed to be the next pope."

"How could someone with such lowly origins…!"

But rapid success is always accompanied by jealousy and envy.

Dirty rumors began to circulate about the young and handsome cardinal.

"They say Cardinal Agreus seduces female believers with his looks and indulges in reckless pleasure. That's why he always goes to the remote areas for his missionary work—there’s less risk of consequences."

"No, I heard he's into men."

"They even say he likes being on the bottom."@@novelbin@@

Even though Agreus tearfully pleaded that these were lies, the rumors wouldn’t die down.

Thanks to the protection of the pope and Casti, who was a new member of the knights at the time and understood Agreus' sincerity, he was able to keep his position. But Agreus gradually became more and more conscious of others' opinions and began to shrink inward.

That was when it started.

When he began to obsess over divine power.

“If the goddess acknowledges my faith and purity and grants me divine power, people will recognize me too.”

But no matter how hard he worked and served the goddess, divine power never came.

The rumors multiplied, and as the disappointing days continued, he grew weary.

“I am... a sinner who abandoned my hometown just to live.”

He once heard the confession of a female priest.

She told him she left her crime-ridden hometown to survive.

“I too am a selfish man who gave my body to the goddess just to escape my own hunger.”

The words he meant to comfort her gradually turned into his own laments of loneliness and sorrow.

Before he knew it, Agreus found himself not listening to a confession, but sobbing in the arms of the priestess.

“We are alike, aren't we? Both alone.”

The girl with the beautiful brown hair was named Diane. She too had been a devout priestess, but soon, the two of them crossed the line.

The morning after they comforted each other through the night, Agreus felt a powerful energy stirring within him during the early morning mass and manifested divine power.

"Oh, heavens!"

"It's divine power! The divine power the goddess has bestowed upon him!"

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