Chapter 23
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 23
"...Ordel says she'll properly fulfill her duties as a Holy Maiden from now on."
At the Count's voice, heard for the first time after all the discussion ended, William Gale nodded frantically.
"Yes, yes! From what I've actually observed, not only the High Priest but the Holy Knight Commander as well have become much gentler in their attitude toward her compared to before."
The High Priest, Airic Dert, had reluctantly accepted it but subtly showed resistance to her conduct that was hardly befitting a Holy Maiden.
The Holy Knight Commander, Seth Noel, knowing her to be a true Holy Maiden, treated her respectfully but showed no inclination to grow personally close to her.
Yet their attitudes had completely reversed within mere months.
As if Ordel had truly earned their trust.
This was precisely why William Gale had come to believe Ordel's claim that she would become a spy.
"Given how far she went to capture my attention in the past, it's difficult to trust her completely this time as well."
However, unlike William Gale, Count Kiris had not witnessed this situation firsthand and believed none of it.
William Gale felt regretful but did not push harder to convince him.
It was only natural that the Count couldn't trust Ordel immediately, given her past theatrics including a fake suicide incident.
"But the real problem now isn't her. Did the Duke of Sierry truly find the Sun God's Temple?"
At the Count's following question, William Gale's expression hardened.
That's right—Ordel wasn't the only problem now.
He himself had been equally shocked to see the Duke of Sierry at the Sun God's Temple.
"Yes. He was with Yuri Polton."
"And you don't know what he came for?"
"I only heard it was urgent business. I hid outside the Temple and waited for the Duke to emerge, but I noticed nothing unusual."
Neither the Duke nor Count Polton exchanged a single word until they boarded the carriage, so I couldn't eavesdrop.
"Should we ask Ordel what the Duke's business was? If she truly intends to become a spy as she claimed, she'll send word."
"...Yes. Though it's unclear how much information the High Priest will permit a fake Holy Maiden to access, there's nothing to lose—send a letter."
"Understood. I'll send it immediately."
"Ah, and one more thing. What expression did the Duke have when he left the Temple?"
At the Count's question, William Gale tilted his head.
Though I didn't understand why he was asking this, I answered readily.
"He was smiling. That usual unpleasant smile of his. Or rather, it seemed a bit brighter than usual...?"
Though there was a slight difference in warmth, the smile that always looked unsettling and disagreeable remained the same.
At William Gale's answer, Count Kiris waved his hand as if satisfied.
William Gale immediately bowed his head and left the Count's office.
Grateful that the Count hadn't scolded him harshly.
"So Lute Sheary visited the Sun God's Temple."
Alone after William Gale's departure, Count Kiris tapped his desk rhythmically.
A big catch like Lute Sheary had been hooked at the very place where he'd inserted a fake Holy Maiden for the family's benefit.
He would have preferred if Ordel gained that man's trust and brought back all sorts of information, but...that might be asking too much.
For now, he should be satisfied that Lute Sheary had established a connection with the Sun God's Temple.
Count Kiris set down his pen and rose from his seat. There was still much work remaining, but these documents weren't what mattered now.
What came first was reporting on Lute Sheary's movements.
To my master, who takes such keen interest in that man's every move and gesture.
* * *
Airic Dert fainted upon belatedly discovering that what had been given to Lute Sheary was not merely a sacred artifact, but a divine treasure.
A startled Seth Noel hastily carried him to the Bedroom, and I trailed behind the two of them.
"I expected you'd be surprised, but I never imagined you'd actually faint. How do you intend to lead the Temple of the Sun God if you're this delicate?"
I placed a cold cloth dampened with water against Airic Dert's forehead.
The sight of Airic Dert groaning on the bed was truly pitiful.
"Well, since it is a divine treasure, the shock must have been considerable."
Seth Noel laughed awkwardly, taking Airic Dert's side.
"Still, he seems far too fragile. Once the meat arrives today, I must make sure the High Priest eats plenty."
"Agreed."
"It's all because of insufficient protein. People must eat protein to survive."
I glanced around Airic Dert's Bedroom.
It was my first time seeing another person's private chambers within the Temple of the Sun God. How to describe it—it was quite shocking.
Despite holding the second-highest position after the Holy Maiden, the Bedroom was remarkably cramped and dilapidated.
The only furnishings were a single bed and a single wardrobe.
His office was decent enough, but no amount of meticulous cleaning could conceal the worn appearance of this chamber.
"Sigh."
Living in such a place would surely invite illness even where none existed.
So today, it absolutely must be a meat feast. I'll feed everyone until they all cry out that they cannot possibly eat another bite.
"Mm."
Then Airic Dert awoke. The moment our eyes met, he immediately heaved a deep sigh.
Sighing upon seeing someone's face—how inauspicious.
"Holy Maiden, why on earth did you give him a divine treasure...."
"It seemed the Duke needed it far more than some artifact of light."
"But Holy Maiden, a divine treasure is something bestowed directly by the Sun God himself, making it extremely precious. Especially in our difficult circumstances...."
I cut off Airic Dert's words.
He knows only one side of the matter, not the other.
"High Priest. Does the Temple of the Sun God's name spread of its own accord if a divine treasure merely sits quietly in the Underground Holy Ground?"
"...."
"Does gold rain down from heaven simply because we preserve it carefully?"
Quite the opposite—the Sun God converts every coin I earn into divine power. Yet no one but the Sun God will ever know this truth.
Somehow, that feels rather melancholy.
I once held two hundred million won in my hands, yet all that remains is divine power.
As a modern person, I find cash far more valuable.
"Rather than that, it's far better to lend it to those who need it and receive the money that matters to us right now. Besides, our congregation has already grown, hasn't it?"
An SS-rank believer worth three hundred million won, no less.
Moreover, considering just the cash he's provided amounts to three hundred million, combining everything reaches a substantial six hundred million—a most precious patron indeed!
I absolutely cannot afford to lose him.
I absolutely can't miss this.
"If word spreads that the Duke has become a devotee of the Sun God's Temple, others might seek us out as well. He promised to visit at least once a month."
"Once a month?"
Airic Dert, who had been at a loss for words, widened his eyes in surprise.
Seth Noel, who had heard nothing about this, was equally taken aback.
"Duke Sheary's time is said to be worth its weight in gold, yet you're telling me he visits the Cathedral once a month?"
"Yes. He said he would come to have the sacred artifact's condition checked regularly."
I offered a vague deflection since I couldn't exactly say he was coming for blessing recharges.
"By the way, the Duke doesn't know it's a sacred artifact. Since he didn't know what a light sacred artifact looked like, I simply told him Aurora was the light sacred artifact."
"That was... well done. It's best to keep the existence of sacred artifacts hidden. The Duke might harbor other intentions, after all."
Airic Dert, having calmed down somewhat, gripped the cloth covering his forehead and sat up.
"Then the real light sacred artifact remains in the Sacred Grounds?"
"Ah, I was actually meaning to tell you about that."
I withdrew the jewelry box containing the light sacred artifact from my sleeve.
In novels and comics, I'd always found it fascinating when characters retrieved items this way, but now that I'd possessed this body, I realized it truly was designed for convenient storage.
It felt somewhat like becoming a martial arts master from a wuxia novel.
"No matter how I look at it, this seems fake."
I set the box on the bed and opened the lid. When the shattered necklace appeared, Airic Dert looked flustered.
"I only applied slight pressure and it broke. A sacred artifact shouldn't shatter so easily. It seems someone must have switched it out, or it was never a sacred artifact to begin with."
I added an explanation for why I had no choice but to give the Duke a sacred artifact instead.
"To be honest, I agree with what you're saying, Holy Maiden. How should I put it... when I've seen sacred artifacts or other holy relics, they felt different. This one felt deeply unsettling. I'd call it a sense of rejection."
Seth Noel, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, expressed his agreement with me for the first time.
"...You both felt that way?"
"Huh? Did the High Priest feel it too?"
Airic Dert nodded with an odd expression.
"I first saw this shortly after I inherited the position of High Priest. But the feeling was so wrong that I never sought it out again after that. So honestly, when the Duke wanted this, I felt relieved."
"So... you were actually planning to pass this unsettling thing to the Duke. Wow..."
"No, that wasn't my intention...!"
"If the Duke took this and something went wrong, our Sun God's Temple, which was barely maintaining its existence, would be completely destroyed..."
Could it be that in the original story, the Duke's particular hostility toward the Sun God's Temple wasn't because of the final mastermind who exploited him like a slave, but because of this...?
Even if he had requested it first, I'd given him a problematic sacred artifact without so much as a warning...?
It's possible.
"Ahem! So what do we do about this? It's a bit awkward to take it back to the Sacred Grounds..."
"I have a method in mind. I'll handle it properly."
I glanced at Airic Dert and closed the jewelry box lid firmly, hugging it tightly.
How many times had I wanted to smash this wretched little jewel box that had caused me endless frustration throughout the novel?
I had no intention whatsoever of letting anyone else have the opportunity to completely destroy it.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org