"Your Highness, the whole city's buzzing about it—people say the Axis Church has a goddess's agent walking the earth!"
In a lavish audience hall dominated by red, Priscilla sat reclined on her luxurious crimson throne, scarlet dress flowing around her.
In front of her, helmeted, one-armed Al was gesturing wildly as he reported what he'd seen.
"Your Highness, you've seen her too—that blue-haired lady next to Hayashi Maki the other day, that's the so-called goddess's representative.
"They're saying, as long as you believe in the Axis Church, the goddess will bestow blessings—broken arms and legs can be healed good as new!"
"Even a ruined face can be fixed with just a wave of her hand…"
"Silence, you idiot, Al!"
Priscilla finally snapped. Her face went cold as she cut him off harshly.
"Uh… Your Highness, I'm only telling the truth. That Hayashi Maki kid is still siding with Emilia's camp, which means the Axis Church is going to be a really strong opponent for us!"
Al scratched his head and muttered that last part under his breath.
Getting him to shut up was impossible.
After all… if he had the chance, who wouldn't want to stop being a one-armed, messed-up wreck?
Seeing him still dare to talk back, Priscilla shot him a vicious glare.
"When I tell you to shut up, you shut up, you fool.
"You hear a bit of cheap bargain and suddenly you're panicking like this? What, just because you heard they can fix that crippled body of yours and that ugly face, you're ready to betray me and defect to the enemy?
"In that case, before you defect, why don't you offer that head of yours to me first—to prove your loyalty?"
There was clear killing intent in her voice.
Al shrank his neck and laughed weakly. "Spare me, Your Highness. You're such a merciful master. I haven't betrayed you at all—and besides, I'm just reporting threats on the horizon. That's loyalty, isn't it?"
Priscilla was far from impressed.
"Hmph. If you want to prove your loyalty, then get rid of that ridiculous look on your face."
"Let's go. We're going to see what that so-called goddess is really about."
She might be annoyed that Al dangled that story just to pique her curiosity, but she had to admit it:
If the Axis Church really can heal anything, they'll be a fearsome force down the line.
This world is brutal.
There's no end of soldiers missing limbs and faces. If the Axis Church can fix all that, and they do it for free, they'll gather followers in droves.
If even someone like Al is tempted, what about all the other ordinary soldiers?
By the time Priscilla arrived at the Axis Church's new chapel, someone else was already there:
Anastasia.
As a top-tier merchant, Anastasia hadn't built up the entire Hoshin Company without a razor-sharp sense for business.
Born in the slums of the western nation Kararagi, she'd grown up steeped in poverty. That upbringing left her greedily reaching for more wealth—not just to change her own life, but to lift up those around her.
No surprise, then, that Duke Crusch Karsten had approached her long ago, striking deals and buying weapons and supplies ahead of the Royal Selection.
Whatever happens, Anastasia makes sure she doesn't lose.
As for why she'd come to the Axis Church? Obviously, to do business with Hayashi Maki.
Hayashi Maki had already traded jewels for a pile of gold coins at the Hoshin Company, and now he was bringing out all sorts of novelty items as giveaways to new Axis believers.
There were even goods supposedly blessed by the goddess—charms that could block harm, functioning like high-grade magic tools.
That was a massive money-making opportunity in Anastasia's eyes, so she'd hurried over to check things personally.
To her questions, Hayashi Maki didn't hide much.
He explained that those protective charms were imbued with divine power by the goddess, hence their defensive effects.
As for all the strange novelty products—those were items from "another world" that didn't exist here.
He also made it clear he could supply those items in bulk to the Hoshin Company—in other words, he was offering a partnership.
Of course, Anastasia could decline.
But if she did, Hayashi Maki would simply hand the goods to their rival, the Muse Company, which would hammer Hoshin's business instead.
Backed into a corner, they ended up haggling viciously over profit splits.
Anastasia even played her trump card: the Iron Fangs mercenary corps.
With her beastman mercenaries guarding shipments, she argued, Hoshin could guarantee unparalleled safety and delivery speed.
Then Hayashi Maki casually knocked the entire Iron Fangs unit flat with a single finger.
After that, Anastasia's face changed completely.
Hayashi Maki eyed her darkening expression with a faint, teasing smile.
"Anastasia-sama, you didn't seriously think the Axis Church was just starting out and short on manpower, did you? The truth is, warriors like your Captain Ricardo? I can produce them by the dozen whenever I like."
Anastasia remained skeptical—but she couldn't deny Hayashi Maki's power had shaken her.
And once she got a good look at Beatrice, the great spirit at his side, she took his capabilities even more seriously.
In the end, the Axis Church and the Hoshin Company struck a deal with a 60/40 split in the Church's favor.
Anastasia agreed through clenched teeth. She had to admit that Hayashi Maki had the strength to justify that share.
She wasn't walking away empty-handed either.
For example, from now on, her mercenaries could get discounted treatment at the Axis chapel.
Once negotiations were done, Hayashi Maki and Anastasia sealed the deal with a handshake.
Anastasia's face froze the moment he squeezed her hand.
Because she'd just been thoroughly flirted with.
When their hands met, Hayashi Maki deliberately pressed into her palm, fingers lightly scratching, like a brazen scoundrel.
She was speechless.
But she quickly pretended nothing happened—deal done, she turned on her heel and briskly left the chapel, fox-girl guard Mimi trotting behind her.
Hayashi Maki watched her retreating back with a lazy smile.
Sooner or later, Anastasia would end up in his arms too. As a demon, he had full confidence in that.
The Axis Church's growth was explosive.
Hayashi Maki had bought this building, renovated it into a temple, and started recruiting followers—most of them commoners.
And many of those were demi-humans. That was part of why Anastasia wanted in: her Iron Fangs were all beastmen, and her military power came largely from demi-human fighters that mainstream society shunned.
Of course, Hayashi Maki wasn't taking just anyone—his focus was beast-eared girls.
Then he "borrowed" the head maid Frederica from Roswaal to train them, teaching those beast-eared girls household work and passing on healing techniques.
And so, the Axis Church's order of beast-eared healing priestesses was born.