Villain Retirement

Chapter 1169: Chapter 1169: Spot

"He’s back."

"How long was he gone?"

"Has anyone lasted that long with an audience with Her?"

An entire hour had passed inside the church, everyone tried to keep their silence, yet when Riley returned, they could not restrain themselves and quickly looked at each other in disbelief.

Even the bishop who had been praying the entire time while Riley was gone, was completely stunned. The bishop was already thinking that Riley had been extinguished by the goddess for being an anomaly.

After all, it was the goddess herself who told the Church of Fate that no Hero would be born on Camrose in a hundred years. This could only mean that the goddess was allowing Riley Ross to live and fulfill his role as a hero.

But this also meant something else, something the bishop had been dreading ever since he came upon the existence of a rogue Hero that the goddess hadn’t accounted for.

"Does... that mean She was wrong?"

"The Goddess has never been wrong before."

"What is going on? Is this a test for us?"

One single mistake, and everyone’s faith in fate would start to crumble, little by little like a sand castle. He needed to do something, something to appease the apostles and disciples of the church.

He stepped forward to meet Riley, stretching his arms to the side as he thought to welcome him and make it seem like this was all the goddess’ plan. But before he could do any of that, before he could even fully stretch his arms to the side, Riley’s feet left the ground with his arms already stretched out—and white translucent wings protruding from his back. Wings that spanned across the entire church, veiling everyone with its immaculate brilliance.

"Everyone," he said. His voice was quiet, but it felt like he was whispering gently right in everyone’s ears as they heard each syllable clearer than anything they had heard before, "Hear my words for I have a message from Fate herself."

No.

The Goddess did not tell him to give any message at all, the two of them just spoke of his fate, and how uncertain it is—but of course, upon hearing the whispers of doubt and disbelief of her devout followers, Riley decided to do something.

After all, it wasn’t Fate’s fault that the fate of this world was changing, it was his. The least he could do...

...was to make it worse.

Everyone kneeled as they heard his words, led by the bishop who clasped his hands together in deep respect as he stared at Riley and the giant crucifix behind him. The bishop had never seen the goddess in person and had only heard her holy words, but right now, he felt closer to her than ever by being in the presence of Riley.

Unbeknownst to everyone in the church, however, Riley was only controlling the temperature and increasing the airflow to make everyone feel as light as possible.

He looked at each of them, scanning them one by one before he finally spoke again.

"A great tragedy is about to befall the lands of Camrose. A great tragedy that would kill billions of people."

"Billions!?"

"Let the Hero speak!"

The disciples all gasped, but the bishop quickly slammed his palm on the marbled floor, causing the entire church to tremble as he silenced the commotion before it could flourish. He then looked back up to Riley, nodding his head and gesturing him to continue.

"Yes, billions. A great enemy that could very well end all life. But fear not, the goddess has tasked me with a quest—a quest to unite Camrose so that I, no. So that we could save the world!"

"Unite..." The bishop narrowed his eyes and looked down, "...But there are many who have strayed from the path and no longer follow the word of Fate!"

"Indeed," Riley closed his eyes, "And it is our quest to unite them, whether by words... or by blood. Many of us would die and be considered evil by the world, but that is a light punishment for saving the world. Gather our people! It is time...

...for an inquisition."

The people of the church all looked up at Riley, their eyes filled with utmost reverence. And with a bow, their wings emerged from their backs as they all started flying away to do what Riley—no. To do what Fate had set out for them to do.

"When will we begin, Hero?" The bishop asked as he stood up.

"As soon as we have gathered our army," Riley closed his eyes as his wings started to fade away. Descending slowly back to the ground to join the bishop. He approached the bishop, causing the old man to stutter with his breaths when he placed his arm on his shoulders.

"Leave me for now, I wish to be alone with the goddess. But gather our people outside, and call for me once you have—I will personally lead this crusade and take in all of our sins. Now, say not another word and go, Bishop."

The bishop looked at Riley’s eyes for a few moments, bowing his head before doing as he told and flying away.

And now, with his breath echoing through the silence of the vast church, Riley sat beside the cross... and quietly, a chuckle slowly escaped his wide lips.

"Do not worry, Fate..." He then looked up at the cross, "...I will fulfill the prophecy and create a villain for you to prove that you have never been wrong to your people. I will bathe this planet in blood until one who opposes the hero rises from the river of red."

Riley rested his head on the feet of the cross, and he stayed like that for hours, not moving at all. The smile on his face didn’t fade at all until the giant door of the church that no one seemed to use opened up, and the bishop emerged from it.

"Hero..." The bishop kneeled, his shadow casting a large patch of darkness within the church, "...The Pope requests an audience before we set out."

Riley leaned away from the cross as he looked at the bishop’s silhouette and asked, "And what of the thing I asked of you?"

"It has been done, Hero..." The bishop stood up and turned around, his eyes reflecting the army he had gathered that spanned almost toward the horizon, "...You have your army."

"Well... that’s good."