While My Mage Wife Grinds, I Power Up Idly

"Bah!"

Antikythera spat on the ground, as if the carpet were the Queen’s face.

"This kind of major matter must be brought back to Bishop for review. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to expand the cult’s scale during this campaign."

Saying so, he tucked the letter into his pocket.

Atras Empire.

Gorn Village.

A few hours earlier.

Ashu, along with Anna and Ymir, quickly retreated from the border and returned to their homeland.

The first stop along the way was near Gorn Village, so they decided to visit the village.

"This is our hometown, Ymir," Anna explained to Ymir.

"This place?"

"Yes. Ashu and I grew up playing here. Over there..."

Anna pointed to a spot in the village and began telling Ymir stories.

Ashu’s mindset this time was different.

His gaze felt like a god’s vantage point, looking down as if he could take in the entire village.

Originally,

Gorn Village was very poor, constantly exploited by the Kidopriests, and didn’t even have a Church in the village.

But not long ago, the wasteland near the big locust tree had been cleared, and a delicate little Church had been built.

Seeing this, Ashu couldn’t help but feel helpless.

It was easy to guess this was the doing of someone from the town of Riven.

Ashu was from Gorn Village and had now become a branch Bishop. Naturally, someone was working hard behind the scenes to curry favor.

"Whoa! Ashu! No, Bishop Ashu! You’re back!"

Following the voice, fat Laus was holding a roasted sweet potato. When he saw Ashu, he immediately came over and handed it to him.

It was an expression Ashu had never seen before.

As a peer who had grown up in the same village, Laus’s look right now was like he was seeing a powerful official.

But that expression was different from the one he wore toward the Kidopriests.

Ashu sighed, knowing there was a thick barrier between him and this village. He had always been an outsider. When others believed, he did not; he only kept to himself.

"Ashu Bishop, would you like some?" Fat Laus offered the roasted sweet potato with both hands.

Ashu shook his head and replied, "No, thank you. I plan to just go home and rest."

"Hey! The village chief organized everyone and took great care of your vegetable garden. All those ripe vegetables have been sold at the market in Riven Town, just the way you taught. The money earned has been saved for you." Fat Laus was talking to himself, acting as a guide.

Ashu was just coming back to the village; he didn’t need a guide.

But somehow, word had spread to all the villagers. When Ashu arrived in front of his own home, the main road at the entrance was already crowded with the entire village.

He looked at the vegetable garden he had tended since childhood. Because of some technical shortcomings, many of the supports weren’t maintained well.

But thanks to the villagers who helped take care of it, otherwise, wild dogs would have already destroyed the garden long ago.

Ashu looked up at his house. The yard was swept clean, not a single weed in sight.

"Everyone," Ashu knew what he had to say or else these people wouldn’t leave, "thank you all for your care. I’m willing to share these vegetables with you and split the proceeds from their sale, although I know it isn’t much money."

"Oh, no, no, we can’t take money from Bishop Ashu!"

"Ashu, you haven’t been back for a long time. The kitchen must be unusable. Come eat at my house!"

"Brother Ashu, did you have that Church built? It’s so bright inside and looks even nicer than my house!"

"Brother Ashu, can you teach me how to become a cultivator?"

The villagers, men, women, young and old, all started chattering excitedly.

As the branch Bishop of Riven Town, this parish was under his charge, and he was expected to respond to the people’s hopes and questions.

He made a small gesture with one hand and then answered, "Now that we have a Church, it’s easier for everyone to hear the Doctrine passed down by the Divine Mother Goddess, guiding us onto a higher spiritual path. I think the new priest has been doing well, right? Has he been taking money and doing nothing like the Kidopriests?"

"No, no." Everyone shook their heads vigorously, their expressions far more attentive than when they just listened to sermons.

"As for cultivation, young Cressen reminded me that once I return, I’ll compile the basic cultivation knowledge I’ve learned into a book, and the priest will teach it weekly along with the Doctrine."

The cultivation basics from the system’s Critical Return were not some secret scripture.

If taught this way, ordinary people could indeed begin the path of cultivation, but without spiritual perception to assist them, they would never reach the higher realms in their lifetime.

At best, it was a kind of health and fitness training method.

So offering free lessons within the parish was completely fine.

If the Kidopriests or Midaldas and the like found out about this, they would probably be so furious they’d spit blood.

All the things they had schemed and failed to get were now being given away for free!

The moment these words were spoken, the crowd immediately erupted with cheers and excitement.

"Every week?! Oh my god, Ashu, you really take care of all of us. You’re truly the man of our village!"

"Ashu, long live Ashu!"

"I heard from people in the city that Ashu is certified by the Divine Mother Goddess as a ’luminous saint.’ No wonder he was chosen by the Divine Mother Goddess. What a good official he is!"

"Mom, Brother Ashu is a Bishop, not the Town Mayor."

...

"In any case, everyone." Ashu spoke up for the final summary, which also served as a polite dismissal, "As long as I’m here, the parish of Riven Town will remain clear and just. May the radiance of the Divine Mother Goddess protect you all."

The crowd responded with joyful expressions, replied with one voice, then reluctantly began to leave.

Ymir quietly watched Ashu from behind.

She found it hard to imagine that this man, who glowed with reverence whenever the Divine Mother Goddess was mentioned, had just recently been fighting bloody battles with Bounty Hunters inside the Kingdom of Ankgarde, all for the sake of helping a cult expand.

This way of blending both righteous and dark methods made her feel... instinctively afraid.

Although her fear of Ashu had begun the moment he killed her once, this time the fear was completely different.

One was fear on the level of combat and life-or-death—a straightforward fear of getting hurt.

The other was a fear on a spiritual and soul level. This kind of fear was about being toyed with, manipulated, schemed against, or even betrayed.

This ruthless and far more powerful man—if you crossed him, the outcome for you would likely be too terrible to bear.

"All right, they’ve left." Ashu turned around. Ymir quickly looked away. He said, "Let’s stay here tonight. Tomorrow morning, we’ll head back to Riven Church."

Anna nodded happily, "Okay, I’ll tidy up and clean first."

"Mm."

"Ymir, come help me."

...

That night.

The soundproofing in a farmer’s house was, at best, average.

In the master bedroom, Anna’s moans of pleasure spread through the air. Ymir, in the next room, blushed and her heart pounded.

For some reason, she even wished that the one Ashu was loving at this moment was herself.

Uncontrollably, she twisted her slender waist. Her long right-hand fingers involuntarily slid along the rippling lines of her abs down toward that secret place.

A wave of pleasure instantly swept through her heart.

She listened to Anna’s voice and matched it to the rhythm of Ashu’s movements, as if she herself were Anna. Before long, the sheets were soaked through.

"Ah, what am I doing? This is so embarrassing! That’s Sister Anna, what am I doing?!"

In just three seconds, Ymir convulsed with a shudder. Afterward, regret washed over her in waves.

Anna, by seniority, was her master uncle. Moreover, Anna had accepted her—a death god Devotee who was barely welcomed. freёwebnoѵel.com

She could only show the utmost respect. How could she have such fantasies?

And Ashu—the man who killed her the very first time they met and continued to suppress her endlessly afterward—her heart was full of fear for him. How could she possibly imagine him as her sexual partner?

She didn’t understand what was happening to herself.

But the sounds next door lasted much longer than hers. Anna was still moaning with ecstasy, and Ashu was still thrusting powerfully.

"Damn it, damn it!"

...

The next day.

The three of them were ready to depart for Riven Town.

Anna was full of energy, her face bright and cheerful. In contrast, Ymir’s once delicate features looked as if frost had touched them, showing a withered appearance.

"Ymir, didn’t sleep well last night?" Anna asked with concern.

Ymir gave a helpless expression and replied, "Sister Anna, I did fall asleep, but I had a very long dream. In the dream, you kept saying things like ’more, more,’ over and over."

Anna covered her mouth to laugh softly, "No wonder you didn’t sleep well. Since you haven’t been back for a long time, last night I just let myself go a little."

"No, Sister Anna, you didn’t even try to hide it?" Ymir said in disbelief.

"Hide it?" Anna leaned close to Ymir’s ear and whispered, "I called out on purpose because you were next door. Ashu was in great form. It was exciting for me too."

"Ah?!" Ymir startled and took three steps back.

What kind of senior was this? How could she be so...

Basically using juniors as mood boosters?

As the three walked on, suddenly, a swift figure came rushing from a distance.

Anna was the first to stop in her tracks. Ashu instinctively activated his "Reaper’s Eye." The familiar pulse of life energy told him who it was.

"Antikythera?"

"Bishop, I have urgent news." Antikythera steadied himself and knelt down.

"What is it?"

"Please take a look."

Antikythera handed the letter to Ashu.

Ashu looked it over but showed no emotional reaction. He only said calmly, "I understand."

"Bishop, they are plotting to assassinate the Holy Cultivator Guild’s ’luminous saint.’ Once the ’luminous saint’ is dead, the Holy Cultivator Guild will launch a fierce counterattack. At that time, the God of Deceit cult will suffer severe losses. That will be the perfect opportunity for our cult to expand rapidly!" Antikythera said excitedly.