She had realized very early on that it was impossible to revive their kind alongside this bunch of insects; the entire God King Sect was thoroughly corrupt to the core, a complete lost cause beyond any cure.
Only by breaking it down and erecting something new from the ruins of the old could the Angel Witches have a future, could they qualify to stand again among the ranks of the Dragon Kingdom and the Demon Realm.
However, no matter how clearly she saw things, it was all for naught, since Maria was also painfully aware that she lacked the capacity to implement the reforms she desired.
After all, the reason the three great kingdoms held such a transcendent status in the Witch World wasn't because they were evolved from the three great calamities, making them stronger than their fellow witches of other templates; it was simply because they had the backing of The Third King and were considered to be of the Witch World's Royal Family.
It was The Third King that others respected and feared, not these members of the Royal Family, who were merely Lucky Ones basking in a sliver of glory out of The Third King's generosity.
Therefore, even though Maria, as the Young City Lord of the City of Glory, was a Talent with wealth and people at her disposal, fully capable of overpowering the weakened Ancestral Court with a thorough purge and total upheaval, it was still fruitless.
After all, the foundation of the Angel Kingdom was the faith in God King, and unless you gained His approval, even if you ascended to power, your position would be illegitimate, absolutely incapable of commanding respect, and people would simply ignore you.
And no matter how worthless the insects of the Ancestral Court were, they were indeed the direct lineage and rightful holders of the Divine King's throne.
If she, an offshoot branch, truly attempted to assault the Ancestral Court, she might be beaten to a pulp by the other Angel Commanders within minutes.
Of course, she could take a gamble to see if ascending to power might lead to the Divine King appearing to bless her as the rebel. If that succeeded, then everything would fall into place.
Unfortunately, Maria ultimately didn't have the courage to take that bet. She, who worshipped the God King just as fervently, dared not presume to know His will, and didn't have the audacity to pull her entire family into such a risky gamble.
So, for the last hundred years, she remained in a state of cynical dissatisfaction, yearning for change and wanting to do something for the revival of her country, but due to various concerns, she resigned herself to compromise, her ambitions stifled and unfulfilled.
It's ironic that Maria, who during her school days was known as one of the brightest twin stars of the Angel Kingdom alongside Agnes, fell into decadence right after graduating, having spent recent years indulging in hedonism and playing the role of the City of Glory's profligate Young City Lord.
She actually despised her old classmate who bore the title "Second Divine King," because although this classmate truly deserved the title with her strength and Talent, her ideas were too weak.
Maria once tried to reach out to Agnes, hoping to persuade this rightful heir to the Divine King, who was almost certain to lead the God King Sect in the future, to join their reformist faction.
Regrettably, her classmate's personality was beyond saving; she had been completely brainwashed by her insect-like kinsfolk, with her mind occupied solely by faith in the God King, only wondering how to please Him and get even closer to Him.
Even as the future Pope of the Angel Kingdom and the Saintess of the God King Sect, this person couldn't care less about national affairs. More than a ruler, she was like a devout Nun Believer.
Faced with Maria's pleas, Agnes only responded with empty gibberish like, "Everything is under the God King's watch; when it's truly time for change, He Himself will provide guidance."
This infuriated Maria so much that she felt like punching someone—if she were the God King, seeing such incompetence in her own descendants, why would she offer guidance? She'd just rain down divine punishment and strike them all dead. They were all grown-ups incapable of making their own decisions, waiting for others to teach and guide them—what colossal infants they were.
She knew if such individuals eventually came to power, it might be the end of the Angel Kingdom.
Thus, after that discordant meeting, Maria had almost entirely given up hope. She accepted her fate and no longer thought about change, returning to her wealthy life as the Young City Lord.
After all, what else could she do? She didn't have the means to ask the God King for an oracle, nor did she have the right to even meet the God King, who had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs.
Forget it, if the God King Herself didn't care, why should I fret? It's not my home that is in decline. My City of Glory thrives day by day. Even if the Angel Kingdom falls, my family will still reign among the top echelons of the Witch World.
So, just let it all go to ruin.
And so, Maria lived like a wastrel for over a hundred years until she met the intriguing Sophia while playing games.
Initially, she merely wanted to flirt with the pretty young girl, chatting casually with this new peer.
After all, this young witch's command skills were truly formidable; she had managed, at such a young age, to win against Maria herself, a truly fearsome junior.