Chapter 14
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 14
"I have failed to protect the safety of the Temple of the Sun God, so please punish me. I will accept any punishment without complaint."
Sess confessed his guilt with such melancholy that he appeared as devout as a priest receiving divine grace.
However, I couldn't be fooled by his appearance—not after witnessing how ruthlessly he punished the spies he'd uncovered.
The memories of those merciless male leads brutally executing Ordel Kiris in the original story kept flashing through my mind, making my heart tremble uncontrollably.
"This is a sin I cannot overlook, so if you command it, I will relinquish my position as Holy Knight Commander whenever you wish."
But this won't do! Where could he possibly go?
"Please don't say such things. Who else would I trust if not you, Holy Knight Commander? I'll pretend I never heard anything."
"But I failed to protect the safety of the Temple of the Sun God..."
"If we're assigning blame that way, wouldn't it all be my fault? The spies were planted by Count Kiris, after all. If I'd paid even a little more attention, I would have noticed them sooner."
The truth was, the spies were able to operate so brazenly only because I had subtly helped Ordel Kiris embezzle the funds.
So how could Sess have possibly noticed?
Besides, he had been frequently dispatched on mercenary work to support the impoverished Temple of the Sun God, making it even more difficult for him to discover anything.
"The Holy Maiden has done nothing wrong!"
Our hopelessly innocent Holy Knight cried out with a pale face, completely oblivious to the truth.
"If there's no sin on my part, then there's none on yours either. And in such an unstable situation, it would be even more unsettling if the strongest Holy Knight Commander were to step down. So please don't go anywhere and continue protecting this place safely."
Right, where could he go?
For a weakling with only 5% divine power to survive in this harsh world, I desperately needed his existence as a male lead candidate and Sword Master.
"...Understood. I will swear an oath to protect the Holy Maiden and the Temple of the Sun God with my very life."
I didn't need him to risk his life... but seeing his solemn expression, he wouldn't listen anyway. I'll just leave it be.
"Now is not the time to assign blame. We must prepare for what comes next. Once Count Kiris realizes the spies have gone silent, he'll know immediately. He'll likely use the donations he gives us as leverage to blackmail us."
Currently, the Sun God's Temple was barely surviving on the meager donations provided by Count Kiris.
If even that support disappeared, the temple would certainly collapse.
"We have no other income, so we can't afford to become enemies with the Count right now. That means we can't even protest about the spies."
"Then what do you intend to do?"
"The temple should remain quiet. I'll handle Count Kiris alone."
"That's—"
I shook my head firmly at the two who were about to object.
"When the Count's man comes later, both of you should threaten that we can't possibly be left alone together, then reluctantly back away as if you have no choice."
I needed to put on quite a show, and having both of them present would ruin everything.
Trust me and don't worry. I'll handle everything!
* * *
A dim interior filled with hazy smoke.
A man with a sturdy build sprawled across a large chair, his entire body sinking into it.
His hastily tied hair hung half-loose, and his loosely worn spectacles betrayed his ennui, yet his face was twisted into such a menacing grimace that none of it mattered.
Each time he inhaled from the tobacco and exhaled deeply, the wrinkles between his brows gradually smoothed.
The acrid stench wafting from the cigarette end was unbearable, yet the man couldn't possibly abandon it.
It was the only way he could survive.
"My Lord!"
Someone suddenly burst through the door.
The uninvited guest, drenched in thick smoke, coughed incessantly.
"Goodness, I'll never get used to this smell."
"...Quiet. My head's pounding—keep your voice down."
At the man's irritated tone, the intruder quickly stifled his coughing.
"My lord, I've discovered the whereabouts of what you've been desperately seeking!"
At that cry, the man who had been sprawled heavily suddenly bolted upright.
"Surely not...."
"Yes! I've found where the 'Sacred Relic of Light' is located!"
"Where?"
"A temple in the Northwestern Region of the Empire."
"The Northwestern Region? There's a temple there?"
The man's urgent question hung in the air. His subordinate, the uninvited guest, pressed on without pause.
"It's on the verge of ruin, so it's not widely known. I'm not even certain which deity it serves. I only discovered its existence during this investigation."
Damn it. No wonder I couldn't find it no matter how hard I searched. Buried in such a place—of course it's impossible to locate.
"Prepare everything. We depart immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
After his subordinate left, the man sighed and rubbed his face.
This is my last hope. If this fails, there's nothing left for me.
So by any means necessary, whatever the cost, I must obtain the 'Sacred Relic of Light'.
I'm utterly sick of this waiting.
* * *
"Huff, gasp! When will this wretched body finally build stamina?!"
7 AM.
After finishing my morning walk, I collapsed onto the bench that had become exclusively mine, drenched in sweat once again.
In my past life, exercise was never this agonizing—in fact, the more I sweated, the happier I felt!
Now, with the world spinning before my eyes, I just wanted to give up entirely.
"The day I can run fifty meters without any problems... I think I'll actually cry tears of joy...."
"You've worked hard, Holy Maiden."
At that moment, a female knight with her red hair tied back offered me water.
I gratefully accepted the waterskin with trembling arms.
"Thank you, Commander Lawrence. I can't believe I survived another day...."
"Still, it seems your stamina has improved slightly. When I first saw you a week ago, I thought your condition was truly dire."
I should be proud that even an expert noticed the improvement, but her blunt assessment nearly brought tears to my eyes.
"If I keep at it, I'll improve, right...? Somehow I can't see any hope."
"...It seems you'll need considerably more effort than most."
Damn it! I swallowed both water and tears.
Victoria Lawrence.
She's the Holy Knight assigned to me by Sess, distinguished by her vivid red hair that gleams brilliantly in sunlight.
After a Holy Knight was discovered during the spy purge, Sess took responsibility and conducted a sweeping reorganization of the Holy Knight Order.
And what emerged as a result was the 2nd Holy Knight Division, the Holy Maiden's personal escort unit.
Victoria Lawrence was selected as the finest talent through Sess's rigorous vetting process and became the commander of the 2nd Holy Knight Division.
In other words, she was my direct bodyguard.
My reputation was so notorious that Victoria treated me with cold professionalism at first.
Actually, it was worse than that.
"...You intend to exercise every morning?"
You?
She didn't laugh outright, but her eyes conveyed her skepticism with remarkable intensity.
Rather than explain myself endlessly, I simply exercised without fail for an entire week.
I ate with everyone daily and spent a few days being warmer toward Airic Dert and Sess than usual.
"...Please take it easy. You'll work yourself to death."
Whether it was a joke or serious, in any case, we had become more comfortable with each other than before.
At this remarkable progress, I nearly shed tears for the first time that day.
...Though everyone except Victoria still convulses and avoids me whenever they see me.
The road ahead remains long.
"Someone is approaching."
At Victoria Lawrence's words as she handed me a towel, I turned my head.
A Maid with a deathly pale face was rushing toward us.
"I-I'm terribly sorry for the intrusion, Holy Maiden."
And immediately upon arrival, she prostrated herself on the ground.
The road ahead truly is nine thousand leagues long...
"Please, stand up and tell me slowly what has happened."
I asked as gently as possible so as not to startle her further.
Victoria Lawrence quickly helped the Maid to her feet and brushed the dust from her soiled knees.
The Maid's face grew even paler, but she seemed to have urgent business as she stammered out her message.
"There is...there is someone outside looking for you, Holy Maiden. They say they have come with a message from Count Kiris."
Ah, he's finally arrived!
"Are you certain it would be safe to meet him alone?"
Having heard from Sess about the current situation, she seemed concerned.
I'm sorry, Victoria. The one who should be worried is him, not me.
Because I'm about to fleece him for everything he's worth.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org