Chapter 106
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 106
"That's no excuse. You already knew those wretches—the ones we wouldn't mind beating to death—were in the Southern Region, didn't you?"
"My apologies."
"What happened to the target?"
"...It appears the target was also taken by them."
Crash!
A clenched fist came down hard against the armrest.
The stone armrest crumbled with a sickening crunch.
The force emanating from such a delicate fist was almost unbelievable.
"Not only did you fail despite the direct command from the 'God,' but you also lost the target."
An overwhelming aura, utterly at odds with the weary voice, pressed down upon the subordinate's entire body.
The prostrate subordinate let out a stifled groan.
"And to none other than those Sun God wretches?"
The figure seated upon the throne spoke quietly, not sparing a glance at the subordinate.
"How did they possibly know to be there?"
This mission had been a direct command from the 'God' they served.
In other words, it was a revelation—a secret no mere human could uncover.
How did those cursed Sun God followers happen to appear at that exact moment?
The Sun God couldn't have granted a revelation.
Granting revelations to humans consumed immense power—something even their own 'God' rarely did. A dying Sun God couldn't possibly manage it.
And there was one more thing.
The Sun God's High Priestess is a fake.
The Sun God Grand Temple possesses no ears capable of hearing the God's revelations.
'...Still, caution never hurts.'
The woman looked down at her subordinate, who could barely breathe.
"Surveil the Sun God Grand Temple. And the moment an opportunity arises, secure the target. I will not tolerate failure."
"Cough! Y-yes, I shall obey your command."
As the pressure lifted, the subordinate coughed violently and nodded frantically.
"And stop sending demons now. Since we've lost the target, we'll have to plan for another day."
"Yes!"
The subordinate bowed once more and hurried out of the cave.
Left alone, the woman clasped her hands as if in prayer.
"All things for our 'God.'"
A sinister voice echoed through the dark cave.
* * *
The journey from the Southern Region back to the Western Region proved remarkably smooth.
Perhaps Duke Kali had mentioned it beforehand, for the station master in the Southern Region provided an entire VIP cabin.
Thanks to this, despite our luggage increasing and our numbers decreasing, we arrived in the Western Region quite comfortably.
I had planned to use a rental carriage waiting in front of the station to reach Count Kiris Estate, but....
"Duke Kali, why are you here?"
The moment I stepped off the train, my entire plan evaporated.
Remarkably, Lute Sheary had come to greet me with a radiant expression.
"I wanted to see the High Priestess. It's been over ten days since I last saw her, and I've missed her terribly."
Oh... with that handsome face and melancholic expression, it really did sound convincing.
I pretended not to notice Yuri Polton, who was visibly recoiling behind Lute's back.
"But why does our High Priestess seem so indifferent?"
"Pardon?"
"It seems the High Priestess didn't want to see me."
Lute pouted his lips, deliberately filling my entire field of vision with his chest as if to say I shouldn't look anywhere else.
This narrow-minded man was sulking again.
"What are you saying? I thought about you quite a lot too."
To be honest, I hadn't actually wanted to see him, but I had thought about him constantly.
When I saw the wounded covered in black stains all over their bodies, Lute came to mind. When I acquired the sacred artifact crafting skill, I thought I should make one for Lute. When anxiety gripped me about needing to secure a billion won quickly, only Lute's name crossed my mind.
In the Southern Region, Lute was what I thought about most.
"Hmm, I like that."
My sincerity must have come through, as his sullen expression softened into a smile.
"Then shall we head out? You must be exhausted from the long journey, so I'll make sure to treat you comfortably."
"Wait, but I haven't gone to the Temple of the Sun God yet."
I had returned from the Southern Region, but my journey wasn't over.
"I need to go to House of Count Kiris."
"I know. That's why I came to greet you."
Huh? He came because of that?
"With me there, the Count won't dare treat the High Priestess carelessly."
I widened my eyes at his unexpected words.
So what he's saying now is...
"You're going to come with me to the Count's Residence?"
It wasn't just an offer to take me there.
If I had to negotiate, I'd inevitably need to stay there for several days, and he was saying he'd be there with me the whole time.
"Of course. I can't just leave it alone if that bastard treats the High Priestess disrespectfully."
His gray eyes behind the silver-rimmed glasses gleamed coldly.
It was such an unexpected kindness that...
"Oh, thank you."
This is actually perfect.
I'd been slightly uneasy because the Count was suspected to be under Evil's command. If Lute comes with me, that's ideal.
Moreover, if the Count's Residence has been infiltrated by Evil, it might be an opportunity to verify whether the black stains on Lute's body truly belong to Evil.
Even if problems arise, my divine power has now increased to 30%, so I can handle it sufficiently.
This is the perfect opportunity.
* * *
With Lute's addition, the group heading to Kiris changed slightly.
I sent everyone except Seth and Victoria back to the Sun God Grand Temple along with carts laden with gifts.
It felt awkward to flaunt carts overflowing with expensive gifts while heading out to extract money....
More than anything, I didn't want to bring Idella to the Count's Residence, which I suspected was a den of Evil.
Jeremy also carried divine power within him, so he couldn't come along.
The problem was that the two of them had an absolutely terrible relationship.
Worried that an angry Idella might run away, I asked Monica to return with them as well.
I just hoped nothing would happen on the way back....
"...So you're saying the High Priestess resolved most of the problems scattered throughout the Southern Region?"
As I rode in the carriage toward the Count's Residence, I informed Lute Sheary of what had happened in the Southern Region.
I naturally thought Jun would have reported everything, but apparently Lute Sheary wanted to hear it directly from me and refused his report.
Jun's report would surely be more professional than mine.
"Since I couldn't solve the fundamental problem of the demonic beasts, it's a bit of an overstatement to say I resolved everything."
"But increasing the Sea God's potion supply and collaborating with the Eternal Death God Temple isn't something ordinary, is it?"
Well, I suppose that's true.
"Moreover, you prevented kidnappings and arranged for the victims to be taken in by the Temple.... High Priestess, is saving people really your hobby?"
"It's not a hobby—it's just a specialty."
Why does she look so incredulous? I'm being serious.
"In any case, since the High Priestess resolved these troublesome matters, Duke Kali must have been pleased."
"Yes, that's right. She seemed like a truly wonderful person."
"A wonderful person?"
It was sincere praise, but Lute Sheary let out a loud snort. What's with that sullen expression?
"The family's been notorious for generations for having terrible temperaments. How could she be wonderful?"
And here's someone known for being as capricious as they come criticizing someone else's personality?
"Did Duke Kali perhaps become another of the High Priestess's wallets?"
"Not yet."
"Not yet?"
"Yes. She's still contemplating becoming a Sun God Follower."
Lute Sheary's jaw dropped.
"That woman becoming a Follower...? That's impossible.... High Priestess, what exactly did you do in the Southern Region?"
"I've told you everything."
Of course, it's not like she's seriously considering it! She did waver for just a moment, so it's not a lie.
"With that level of skill from just one trip to the Southern Region, won't you captivate His Majesty the Emperor and Empress when you go to the Imperial Capital?"
That's impossible no matter how you look at it.
The Imperial Capital is slowly being infiltrated by the minions of Evil.
The Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince will be safe thanks to the protective abilities passed down through the imperial bloodline....
A fake High Priestess with only 30% divine power would be devoured in an instant if she went there.
I need to grow stronger before going there.
"Ah, I can see it coming into view now."
It had been roughly half a day since we departed from the Western Station.
The Count Kiris Estate was slowly beginning to appear in the distance.
The place where I first possessed a body and was shamefully driven out.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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