Chapter 37
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 37
"Now that we can begin mass production, we should be able to start selling immediately. I'm counting on you for distribution."
"I'll secure the materials for mass production right away. And of course, I'll handle distribution well."
This is why people with business acumen are so valuable.
We concluded the necessary discussion in a flash and shook hands with satisfaction.
"Ah, and this is this month's donation and charging fee."
Lute Sheary then set down two pouches.
I drew a sharp breath and immediately reached for the pouch containing money.
That my hand went first to the charging fee for offerings rather than the donation for the Temple of the Sun God's finances—that was my true nature.
【500 Gold.】
This magnificent—no, this insane human, offering 50 million won as a charging fee.
"You know I always love you, don't you?"
"My money, that is. I worry that when my funds run dry, your love for the Saint might cool as well."
I rubbed my cheek against the pouch, basking in happiness, when Lute Sheary muttered something absurd.
"The Duke's funds could never run dry."
Unless his fate flows as the original story dictated—but since I've twisted it, that will never happen.
"So my love won't cool either."
As divine power increases, blessings will grow stronger, and naturally the potion's effects will improve.
And that will become money that returns to me.
For this perfect cycle to continue, I absolutely need Lute Sheary, so I was determined to protect him thoroughly from any harm.
"What sweet words."
But what's this? Why is he suddenly smiling like that? As if he's displeased...
Ah, it must be my imagination. There's no reason for it.
* * *
After Lute Sheary left, I immediately summoned Airic Dert and Seth Noel to the Reception Room.
Both of them seemed excited, having heard the news of the Potion Production Team's successful prototype completion.
"It's incomparably superior to the initial sample we received. Personally, I'm also pleased that it contains Hyacinth flowers."
Hyacinth flowers are the symbol of the Sun God Grand Temple.
They were perfect as the main ingredient for our primary business.
Airic Dert also expressed his agreement with my words.
"Exactly. Moreover, since Hyacinth flowers grow naturally only in the Grand Temple, no other potion company could ever replicate it."
"And since Hyacinth flowers will never disappear, that's even better."
Seth Noel also smiled with joy.
As he said, even when all the other flowers in the Garden died, only the Hyacinth flowers survived.
Unlike the other flowers, Hyacinth requires only sunlight and the Sun God's divine power.
Of course, as the number of priests decreased, the amount of divine power also diminished, so it no longer covers the entire Garden as it once did, but that's only temporary.
Soon beautiful flowers will luxuriantly blanket the Grand Temple.
I looked forward to that day.
"However, there is one problem. The efficacy is still slightly inferior to alchemical potions."
I let Airic Dert and Seth Noel celebrate to their hearts' content while I began laying the groundwork for what I truly needed.
Calling them here was actually for this very purpose.
"So I've been thinking—what if we infuse the power of our sacred relics or divine artifacts into potions?"
This was the excuse I'd devised to conceal my use of the Blessing skill.
"The power of sacred relics or divine artifacts...? Do we really need to go that far?"
Unlike Seth Noel, who fell into contemplation, Airic Dert immediately expressed his reluctance.
"We absolutely must. If we don't establish dominance from the very beginning, we'll lose our footing."
This wasn't an excuse—it was the truth.
"These are potions from the Sun God Grand Temple, renowned as the pinnacle of healing power. But if they turn out to be mediocre? What will everyone think?"
They say the Sun God Grand Temple has lost its touch. Perhaps it's really true. Maybe we're truly doomed to fail.
Everyone will whisper such things and turn their backs on us completely.
"Absolutely not. From the start, we must elicit the reaction: 'Ah, the Sun God Grand Temple truly is different!' First impressions in business are absolutely critical factors."
Do you understand? You pure souls with not the slightest sense for commerce.
"Of course, I'm not saying we'll continue this indefinitely. Once the Potion Production Team develops superior potions, we'll stop using this method."
Sacred relics and divine artifacts don't possess infinite power.
Sacred relics especially have quite limited lifespans.
So I had to make it clear that we'd be setting limits.
Though in reality, we'd likely never actually use them.
"...Understood. Then we shall proceed accordingly."
Fortunately, my persuasion worked. After much deliberation, Airic Dert agreed without significant objection.
Seth Noel, who possessed even less business sense than Airic Dert, had given up voicing his opinion, so everyone was essentially in agreement.
With the decision made, we put our heads together and selected a sacred relic to use.
As it happened, we had exactly the right one.
Everything that followed proceeded at lightning speed.
Airic Dert did suggest the absurd idea of casting the blessing on the sacred relic himself...
But since he had the crucial duty of serving as part of the Healing Power Shuttle Team, I was able to claim that task without issue.
With Lute Sheary supplying materials and the Potion Production Team along with the Healing Power Shuttle Team grinding away for several days, the result was finally achieved.
Five hundred bottles of the initial prototype potions for sale were complete.
"My, what a magnificent sight this is."
Standing before five hundred bottles brimming with deep orange liquid, I felt an inexplicable sense of pressure.
The blessing had to work as planned—I could only hope it would succeed.
After taking slow, deep breaths alone in an empty room, I extended my hand toward the potions.
【Activating the skill 'Blessing'.】
Golden divine power slowly seeped into the potions.
The moment all five hundred bottles simultaneously began to glow, relief washed over me—but only briefly.
Then came an unexpected side effect.
"Cough!"
Along with a metallic taste, I coughed up blood.
"I hope nothing's been stained...?"
Alarmed by the blood trickling down my hand, I quickly rolled up my sleeves to check.
If Monica or Victoria Lawrence caught even a glimpse of blood, it would be catastrophic.
【The skill 'Blessing' has been overused. Excessive strain is being placed on the user's body.】
A sigh escaped me as the glimmering System Message appeared before my eyes.
Coughing up blood over a mere few hundred potion bottles infused with blessings—what a mess.
I'd have to do this countless more times. This was going to be a real problem.
"What exactly is this strain? My lifespan isn't being shortened or anything like that, right?"
【Fatigue accumulates in the user's body. Physical capabilities are temporarily weakened. However, there is no effect on lifespan, and side effects diminish as divine power strengthens.】
Ah, that's manageable enough.
All I do at the Temple of the Sun God is morning exercises and idle chatter, with the occasional blessing cast here and there.
A bit of weakened physique wouldn't pose any real problem.
After dismissing the System Message, I gazed contentedly at the potion bottles, now tinted in a beautiful flame-like hue.
...Perhaps from coughing up blood, but the reddish glow somehow resembled my own blood. I decided to ignore such trivial details.
I washed the blood from my hands in the bathroom and meticulously checked whether any had stained my clothes.
Only after opening the window for ventilation did I call for Monica and Victoria Lawrence, who had been waiting outside the door.
"Wow! The color changed! It's so beautiful. This is the effect of a sacred relic, isn't it?"
At Monica's exclamation, I nodded and showed her the sacred relic I'd been holding.
A sacred relic shaped like a golden censer—'Bright Gold.'
It was perfect for further enhancing inherent abilities.
Unfortunately, it couldn't match the effect of a blessing cast directly by me, the Sun God's priestess.
If it had been even comparable, I would have used the sacred relic instead of my blessing, but since its effectiveness was significantly inferior, I'd have to keep using it merely as an excuse.
"It looks truly mystical and special. I think it will sell very well, Priestess!"
"Right? So hurry and move them. The faster we work, the faster we can sell."
"Yes!"
Monica called out energetically and began loading the potions onto a trolley she'd prepared in advance.
But for some reason, Victoria Lawrence wasn't moving—she was looking around instead.
"Victoria Lawrence? What's wrong?"
"Well, it seems like I'm catching the scent of blood."
Her remarkably sharp observation nearly made me bite my tongue.
Even with ventilation, that terrifying sense of smell was something else....
My years as a detective had made me fairly perceptive, but I couldn't compare to knights who endured monstrous training regimens.
"Is that so? I don't notice anything."
"Neither do I. There's no reason for there to be blood."
Fortunately, Monica—whose only exceptional trait was divine power, with senses identical to an ordinary person—came to my aid.
I quickly seized the opportunity to play ignorant alongside her.
"...I see."
Thanks to that, Victoria Lawrence quickly gave up and began helping Monica move the potion bottles.
Though I noticed she continued glancing around, suggesting her suspicion hadn't entirely vanished.
Next time, I'd need to ventilate thoroughly before calling them. If this kept happening, I might actually get caught.
After loading hundreds of potion bottles onto the trolley, we headed toward the entrance of the Temple of the Sun God.
Airic Dert, who had been conversing with a woman I'd never seen before, greeted us.
"Is the work complete?"
"Yes, it was successful."
I held up the potion, its color noticeably transformed.
The woman accompanying Airic Dert let out an exclamation even more enthusiastic than his.
"Oh, is this it? Wow, look at that color. I've seen countless potions throughout my life, but never one with such luminous, mystical hues. Even someone with no interest would find themselves drawn to it!"
The woman, lavishing praise with unbridled enthusiasm, broke into a bright, uninhibited laugh.
With her sturdy build, violet hair, and cyan eyes, she was a figure that commanded attention in every way.
No matter how I looked at her, she didn't seem like an ordinary person... How strange.
Had someone like this appeared in the original story?
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org