The Villainess's Reputation [Kingdom Building]

Alice's expression hardened instantly. "We can't have Kim City become that battlefield."

"Exactly," Ravenna agreed, her voice low but firm. "And don't forget: the Cult of Absolution is real, active, and far from idle. They will stop at nothing to eliminate the Saintess."

Marie fidgeted at the words, her voice trembling. "S-So… what are we going to do?"

Alice's concern deepened. "The ancient records say the Cult still preserves fragments of forbidden magic formulas, forgotten rituals, dominion spells that bend the mind, soul-binding pacts…" Her hands tightened on the arms of her ledger. "If any of that is true—"

Ravenna cut in sharply, shaking her head. "Legends. Exaggerations. It's impossible for those formulas to have survived intact for thousands of years. More likely, the cult is scrambling, trying to rebuild connections now that they've resurfaced. And besides…" She narrowed her eyes, pacing across the study. "There's been no whisper of the Witch yet."

"That's… true," Alice admitted reluctantly, though her features remained troubled.

"What we need," Ravenna declared, straightening with sudden purpose, "is greater capability to defend ourselves, from every kind of interference. Political, religious, or otherwise."

Alice frowned. "You mean increasing manpower? I thought you were already pushing reforms to boost our population and train new guards. But you're planning to close the island off even more?"

"Not exactly," Ravenna countered, lips curling into a knowing smirk. "Isolation will kill us just as quickly as exposure. What I want is control. I want to know exactly who comes and goes from this dukedom, citizen, visitor, or enemy."

"So… a more refined tracking system?" Marie asked hesitantly. "Like registering the movements of every person who enters the island?"

"That's part of it," Ravenna admitted. "But that's not what I'm interested in testing right now."

She pulled a chair from the corner of the study and set it firmly in the middle of the room. The sound of the wooden legs dragging across the stone floor echoed sharply in the silence. Then, with a sly glimmer in her eye, Ravenna gestured to Alice.

"Sit."

Alice gave her a suspicious look but complied, lowering herself onto the chair with a frown. "Alright. What sort of test is this?"

Ravenna clasped her hands behind her back, circling like a predator. "A blessing," she answered at last. "Something I gained from the Divine Light illuminated the island."

Alice arched a brow. "A blessing?"

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"Lie detection." Ravenna's lips curled into a dangerous smile. Alice blinked. "Wait—you mean you can tell now? Truth from lies?"

"That's what i think," Ravenna said, pacing back a step. "I don't know the full extent yet. That's what we're here to find out."

Marie, wide-eyed, stepped closer to Ravenna's side as if she were just as eager.

Alice crossed her arms over her chest, still eyeing Ravenna with wary suspicion. "…And you want me to help you test it?"

"Precisely." Ravenna's smirk widened. "Speak statements, truths and lies, whichever you choose. I'll answer honestly what I detect~"

The air in the room thickened instantly, the tension almost palpable. Of course, Ravenna wasn't telling the entire truth. This so-called "blessing" was nothing more than an excuse: something she conjured to cover the fact she was testing the limits of the reputation system's lie detection skill. Still, with the divine light incident as her alibi, it was an easy enough story to sell.

Alice looked tense at first, her brows knit together as if weighing the seriousness of this. Then, slowly, a smirk of her own tugged at her lips. Adjusting her spectacles with one finger, she leaned back in the chair like a cat about to pounce. Ravenna, noting the shift, raised her brows and opened the reputation system interface.

[ Spend Reputation Points ]

Access to the Internet: 100 Points per Hour

Access to Magic Spell Library: 100 Points per Hour

Geographical Scans: 5 Points per 1 Kilometer

Nullify Minor Poison Damage (Self): 250 Points

Nullify Minor Poison Damage (Others): 350 Points per Entity

Major Heal: 1,500 Points per Entity

Lie Detector: 2,000 Points per Use

Copy Skill – Locked

Enter Celestial Realm – Locked

With a flick of her finger, Ravenna selected the Lie Detector. The system pulsed faintly, and she felt the drain, 2,000 points neatly stripped from her balance.

That was when Alice struck. "You and I," she said smoothly, eyes glinting behind her spectacles, "have slept together. Properly. Did the deed."

Marie, standing nearby, nearly jumped. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson as heat bloomed all the way to her ears. She pressed her hands against her face, peeking through her fingers with wide eyes.

[ Statement is False]

The neat text popped up before Ravenna's eyes. She rolled them dramatically and shot Alice a look that was half amusement, half annoyance. "You and I both know that's not true, Alice."

Alice's lips curved into a sly grin. "Which is why it's perfect as a test, isn't it?"

Ravenna exhaled through her nose, half-laughing, half-irritated. "Of course you'd start with something like that."

"Fine then," Alice, leaning forward as her smirk sharpened. "You want something different? Alright." Her voice dropped low, deliberately provocative. "However… you did try to sleep with me."

[ Statement is True]

The words glowed in front of Ravenna's eyes like a merciless spotlight.

Her jaw tightened. She didn't need the system to confirm it; she already knew it was true. Alice, however, wanted her to say it out loud. To acknowledge it.

Ravenna exhaled, shoulders squaring. "It's true," she admitted evenly, though her tone carried not even a hint of shame. "Are you satisfied now?"

Alice let out a laugh, swinging her legs over the side of the chair with a playful kick. "When it comes to lust, you really don't have an ounce of shame, do you? Saying that so casually, in front of your own disciple no less."

Marie squeaked behind her hands, her blush deepening to the color of a ripe apple. "M-Master!" she protested, peeking between her fingers in disbelief.

Ravenna, unfazed, merely smirked. "What's the point in pretending otherwise? Truth is truth, I am a Herptian Apostle. Shame doesn't change it."