Chapter 93: The God of Gluttony

“The God of Gluttony… is me.”

The moment those words fell, Peretti felt as if all strength had been drained from her body. Her feet seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move.

Her lips parted uncontrollably, the last trace of light in her pupils shattered by this shocking declaration. A loud ringing filled her mind—every calculation, every bit of caution, every faint hope she had clung to, all dissolved into a blank chaos.

She swallowed instinctively, her dry throat forcing out a broken question:

“Y-you… you’re the High Priestess of Gluttony?”

“Genuine, without a doubt.” Lirna’s voice remained calm, without the slightest hint of pride or threat.

Peretti’s thoughts creaked like rusted gears, struggling to turn:

“Then… isn’t a priest’s duty to pray to their god?”

“That is indeed the case.”

“Then who is the god you worship?”

Lirna lifted her gaze, a faint trace of a smile flickering in her eyes, though her tone was utterly solemn:

“Me.”

“Wait—hold on a second!” Peretti suddenly raised a hand, pressing against her throbbing temple. Her heart pounded wildly, as if it might shatter her ribs.

She staggered to the bed and sat down, carefully pulling the unconscious Feiye to her side. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she tried to force herself to think clearly.

What kind of absurd situation was this?

A god acting as her own priest?

Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady her voice, though the disbelief was impossible to hide:

“You mean… you’re both the God of Gluttony and the High Priestess of your own followers? And you normally operate as the priestess?”

“If that is how you wish to understand it, that is fine.” Lirna nodded slightly.

“…Alright, alright. That’s… quite something.” Peretti forced a smile and gave a half-hearted clap, though her palms felt ice-cold.

She was truly out of options.

Earlier, she had assumed Feiye could buy time based on the premise that the Gluttony Church members were all mortals. But the one standing before her now… was a genuine god.

The gap between a god and mortals wasn’t something that could be described as merely vast.

It was the difference between heaven and earth, an insurmountable chasm—greater even than the gap between humans and ants.

No matter how strong Feiye was, she was still just a top-tier mortal. How could she possibly stand against a god?

Peretti suddenly understood—everything that had happened before was likely just Lirna playing along.

This God of Gluttony had never taken them seriously. From beginning to end, she had simply been cooperating with Peretti’s plans, humoring Feiye.

If she had truly intended to kill, Feiye probably wouldn’t have even had time to react before being erased.

“No wonder… no wonder something always felt off,” Peretti murmured, a sudden clarity dawning on her.

So the Gluttony Church’s near-mythical victories all had a god behind them.

Even if their followers were completely incompetent, with a god backing them, winning wars would be effortless.

This kind of gap couldn’t be bridged by sheer determination. In front of a god, mortal struggle was nothing more than laughable futility.

“In truth, I have never intervened in any war,” Lirna said, interrupting her thoughts. “Everything that has happened today is the result of humanity’s own efforts.”

“You expect me to believe that?” Peretti pouted slightly, suspicion clear in her eyes.

She hadn’t forgotten how, back in the Illusory Garden, Lirna had brought her to those ruins and earnestly tried to persuade her to stay out of the church’s conflicts.

Looking back now, wasn’t that just a tactic to weaken the enemy from within?

“Miss Peretti, I am not deceiving you.” Lirna shook her head, her tone growing more serious. “The reason I sought you out and urged you to stay away from the war was not to dismantle any force—but because of your identity.”

“My identity?” Peretti raised an eyebrow, instinctively thinking of her status as a witch. “You mean… because I’m a witch?”

Lirna shook her head again. Her gaze rested on Peretti, filled with an indescribable complexity.

“You are a child chosen by Aming. I do not wish to oppose her. That is why I hoped you would stay away from this conflict.”

She paused before continuing:

“As for why the Gluttony Church continues to win…”

Lirna stepped aside near the doorway, her skirt swaying lightly. With a graceful motion, she gestured invitingly toward Peretti, her expression sincere.

“Consider it a humble request—stay here and rest for a few days. Time will give you the answers you seek.”

“What about Feiye?” Peretti immediately asked, her gaze snapping to the unconscious girl beside her, anxiety rising in her chest.

A trace of apology appeared on Lirna’s face.

“I’m truly sorry. This young lady was too persistent. To make her stop, I used a bit more force than intended, causing her to fall into a deep sleep.”

“Can you heal her?” Peretti’s fingers tightened around the bedsheet, her voice carrying a hint of pleading.

Lirna shook her head gently, a note of helplessness in her tone.

“I cannot. What I consume is completely erased into nothingness. She can only rely on her own strength to recover slowly. Fortunately, dark elements possess strong restorative properties—she should recover before long.”

She looked at Peretti, her gaze unwavering, her tone solemn beyond doubt:

“Until she awakens, I will personally take care of her. In the name of the God of Gluttony, I swear that she will not be harmed in the slightest.”

Peretti studied the sincerity in her eyes, then looked down at Feiye’s pale face.

“…Alright. I trust you.”

The words came out with difficulty. She had no other choice. Besides, she was in the enemy’s headquarters—refusing would mean nothing.

But to trust Lirna completely?

That, she could not do.

“Xiao Lü!” she called softly.

The crow in the cage slowly woke from its sleep. The moment it noticed the cage around it, it panicked.

“A cage?! Who dares lock me up like this?!”

It struggled frantically, but the cage had been enchanted with binding magic—far beyond its ability to escape.

Peretti looked at Lirna. Understanding immediately, Lirna raised her hand, and Xiao Lü dropped out of the cage.

“Finally out—hey, it’s you! You evil woman!” Xiao Lü crashed headfirst onto the ground, dazed, only to see the very person who had knocked it out standing right in front of it.

“Xiao Lü!” Peretti snapped sharply.

“Stay here and protect Feiye. I need to leave for a while.”

“Hey! What am I, your babysitter? It’s your sister—why aren’t you taking care of her?!” Xiao Lü complained angrily.

“Please.” Peretti frowned, looking at it with complete sincerity.

Xiao Lü’s expression stiffened. It turned its head away stubbornly, its tone full of irritation.

“Yeah, yeah, get lost already! And don’t come back if you’ve got the guts!”

Though it spoke harshly, it made no move to abandon Feiye.

“Thank you.”

After softly expressing her gratitude, Peretti followed Lirna out the door.

The door closed behind them, and their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.