He stood before the door.
For a few seconds, only the sound of turning papers and the quiet movement of a pen could be heard from behind the door.
Daniel placed his hand on the handle and opened the door.
The office was large, but contrary to what one might expect from the office of the saint of the fastest-growing religion in the world, there was little luxury to be seen.
Bookshelves stretched to the ceiling, several large maps were mounted on the walls, dozens of files were piled on the main desk.
The golden light of the setting sun streamed in through the tall windows, bathing part of the room in a gentle halo of light.
But what stopped Daniel’s gaze for a few seconds was not the books or the files.
It was Evangelin.
For the first time, she was without a veil covering her face. She was sitting at her desk, reading a thick report.
Her hair had fallen over her shoulders, and the evening light made it look like strands of molten gold.
Her face was calm, and her beautiful golden eyes were as emotionless as ever.
Yet the smile on her face seemed more genuine than ever, as if she no longer had to hide behind the position of saint.
She no longer needed to hide from the world, and could finally show her true identity as the saint of Eternity to the world.
The religion that meant more to her than anything else had finally returned, had been rebuilt, and was regaining its place in this world.
Even though many responsibilities and tasks had been created for her, she was not upset or angry. Rather, she had finally become happy.
For a few moments, it was just Evangelin.
Evangelin sensed his presence, raised her head, and their golden eyes locked for a few seconds.
"You’re finally back." And then Evangelin gave a faint smile.
Daniel also smiled slightly and walked toward the sofa opposite the desk.
"Yeah."
His gaze fell on the mountain of files.
"The tower took longer than I expected."
"How was the conquest?" The Saint of Eternity put down her pen.
Daniel sat on the sofa.
"Easy but troublesome."
"Troublesome?" Evangelin raised an eyebrow, then noticed the change in Daniel’s power. He was now much stronger than a few months ago.
The aura and presence she felt from him were no less than a Heavenly King’s.
Daniel leaned back, then began to explain. Not all the details, just the parts that were necessary.
About a world that no longer existed, about a civilization that had been destroyed. About the cursed tree, and about that beast of corruption. The more he explained, the less Evangelin spoke.
At first, she asked a few questions, but gradually, she just listened. Even for her, this information was too strange.
When Daniel finished, a brief silence formed between them.
"I’ve probably encountered something beyond most people’s imagination." Daniel finally shrugged.
Evangelin looked at him for a few seconds. If his words were true, then their world might also face a very great threat sooner or later.
"Don’t worry. I doubt that monster will come here. And even if it does, our world is much stronger than that world."
"How was the situation with the religion during my absence?" A few moments later, Daniel’s gaze became more serious.
Evangelin’s eyes lit up slightly. This was a topic she could talk about for hours.
Because this religion was the greatest and only way for her to become stronger. And only by expanding and developing this religion could she become powerful enough to protect herself and her loved ones if that monster truly came to this world.
"The official structure of the church is almost complete. The training of priests has begun. Religious schools have been established."
"Basic educational books are also being compiled." Then she placed one of the sheets in front of him.
"The current structure has also been defined."
Her finger went to the top of the diagram.
"Prophet."
Then lower.
"Saint."
"Cardinals."
"Priests."
She paused for a few moments.
"And probably bishops will be added in the future as well."
Daniel examined the diagram. The more he looked, the more he realized that Evangelin hadn’t just managed a religion these past few months.
She had practically built a small government. Of course, this woman had previously witnessed the management of a religion and had considerable experience.
So it was natural that she could form some structure in such a short time.
"I don’t see any problems. It’s great." And then he nodded.
"I’m glad you approve." Evangelin smiled faintly.
"What about in other cities?" Daniel then asked another question.
"So far, twenty-three small churches have been established. Eight other cities have sent formal requests. New followers are added every week."
"So there are problems too?" Daniel asked.
"Manpower." The answer was almost immediate.
"We have churches, we have followers, we even have endless financial resources. But we don’t have enough priests."
"So the most important problem is manpower." Daniel nodded quietly.
This was not a problem that could be solved instantly. Manpower, especially for a religion, takes time. To cultivate human resources.
And the most important part of human resources are the priests, and training priests can be time-consuming.
"Exactly."
They were silent for a few moments, then Daniel raised the next question.
"How did the talent rescue project go?"
"Much better than I expected."
"We gathered the people who were saved from demon attacks."
"The talents were identified, trained, and now many of them are local leaders."
She began flipping through the files.
"Some became commanders, some became heads of churches, some became managers of new settlements."
Daniel quietly looked at the reports. For a moment, he felt satisfied. This part of his plan had worked. Those people had not just been saved; they had become pillars of the new society.
"Good."
Evangelin nodded.
"Not just good. It’s been beyond expectations."
"How about the Eternity People’s Army?" Then Daniel asked the next question.
One of the most important parts of the entire Eternity religion was this people’s army. An army that would protect this religion, that would defend it in his absence or Evangelin’s.
This time, Evangelin paused briefly.
"As of today, about fifty thousand people have joined." Then she answered.
Daniel was silent for a moment. This number was not small, and in such a short time, it was actually very large. At this rate, it might not be long before it reached millions.
"Most of them lost their families. Some of their villages were destroyed, some of their cities fell." Evangelin continued.
"And now they fight to protect others."
Her gaze fell on one of the reports.
"A large portion of the forces are currently under the supervision of your Fallen or the dragons, sent to the war fronts, or are liberating captured cities."
"After the priests are ready and sent to control the cities, send those talents to the war fronts as well. I want them to gain real experience." Daniel said quietly.
"I had the same plan." Evangelin added.
"And it’s not like they’re idle right now. My clones are stationed in various cities." Then she added.
"Clones?" Daniel raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. They’re teaching everything I know about combat to those people."
"Good. This way, they learn both city management and become skilled in combat simultaneously. Then by sending them to war, they gain real experience as well." He grinned.
This way, the geniuses he was cultivating would sooner or later become very famous warrior figures, becoming the nightmare of the future enemies of him and the Eternity religion.
Moreover, in his absence or Evangelin’s, they could protect the religion well.
"How about the intelligence organization?" After a few moments, Daniel changed the subject.
"It’s taking shape. All the important merchants who joined the religion have become members. Several noble families as well. Even some officials from neighboring countries."
"Some of them truly believe in the religion and think we were sent by the gods, and some are here because of their obsession with eternal life. In fact, all the officials from neighboring countries are the latter."
"Faith is faith. At least as long as they don’t betray, there’s no problem." Daniel laughed, but he didn’t trust anyone that easily.
Especially when it comes to an intelligence organization. So he needed to establish a mechanism to ensure they would never betray.
"Besides that, I also found suitable individuals among the most fanatical followers." Evangelin then continued.
"They’re currently being trained. For now, most of them are considered informants, but in the future, we will have real, professional spies."
Daniel nodded quietly. He was satisfied with the progress. More than he had expected.
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. A servant entered, placed a small silver tray on the table with two cups of tea, and then silently left.
Neither spoke immediately. For a few minutes, there was only silence.
The distant bells of the church echoed through the city. The quiet sound of the wind could be heard through the towers of the holy city.
They drank tea in silence, and the strangest part was that this silence was not uncomfortable.
As if both of them needed such peace for a long time.
Daniel glanced at Evangelin from the corner of his eye. She was also staring at the view outside. For the first time all day, she seemed calm.
Not like a saint, not like the leader of a religion. Just like Evangelin. As if she no longer had any worries.
For a moment, Daniel was captivated by that beautiful face, a face that truly seemed to belong to a goddess. He now understood why Evangelin always covered her face with a veil.
She is so beautiful that she could even make the sun and stars lose their light.
He sighed and then placed his cup on the table. Now was not the time to think about such things.
"How is the war against the demons going?" He then asked.