The High Priest Is Feeling a Little Tired

Lucia studied hard for eleven years, only to spectacularly fail at the last moment and get into the Imperial Royal School's College of Priests. An ancient, prestigious profession devoted to serving the gods through song and dance. The graduating class before them had taken their temple and been buried alongside the old empire hundreds of years ago. The requirements at this college were a little demanding. To graduate, you needed both talent and money. Lucia, who had neither: I'm done. I'm just going to lie down. So while everyone else sang and danced before the statues, forged golden idols, and prayed devoutly to win the gods' attention, Lucia skipped class. Her offering table became a stash for secondhand novels, and her temple became a training hall where she could dream of mastering both magic and martial arts. The good news: Though her temple was in a sorry state, the god she worshipped answered her. Her prayer success rate beat 99 percent of the other priests in her year. The bad news: The one who answered was an evil god. Smollet awoke from the deep sea. A wicked, fun-loving god hated by both gods and demons, Smollet was the first to wake up, but had no desire to join the divine war. He planned to lie low and muddle through. But his believer offered him a novel: The annoying No. 1, the God of Light, and the annoying No. 2, the God of Darkness, both fall in love with the Saintess of the God of Harvest, only to get NTR'd by their archenemy, the God of Chaos. Smollet: Isn't the God of Chaos me? What a ridiculous story. Smollet: ... Smollet: (Raises tentacles excitedly) While they're still asleep, I have to pull off something huge! Years later, Lucia, now a High Priestess, stood atop the altar, her splendid robes adorned with gold and gems. Commoners and nobles alike knelt at her feet. She was the most legendary High Priestess in the kingdom. She had led her believers to utterly defeat the evil creatures, protected two continents, and won the favor of three gods. It was an unprecedented feat. In her shadow, Smollet smiled smugly. [Well done, Lucia. Those three idiots are arguing over who gets you. Who could have guessed that you're the most devoted believer of the God of Chaos?] Lucia smiled silently, the rings given to her by the three gods glittering on her fingers. Smollet: [(His smile slowly fades) ...You're my most devoted believer, right?] Theme: Work hard with integrity, and become a god with dignity.