Chapter 54
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 54
* * *
The Sword Master effect is absolutely incredible.
I swallowed my laughter internally as I watched the frozen Sembus and the Sea God's Holy Knight before me.
Those two fools see me as some great saint, but truthfully, I've done nothing remarkable.
I simply laid my divine power lightly atop the momentum that Seth was unleashing. They'll never know that I'm merely a half-baked saint with only 10% of my divine power.
"We needn't be on good terms, but sending an assassin after me, a saint? I must confess, I'm quite taken aback."
"...There appears to be a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
I laughed as though I'd heard something truly amusing.
"Someone invaded my bedroom with a blade, and I personally subdued them. Yet you call this a misunderstanding?"
"It's true that I came to retrieve someone currently held by the Sun God Grand Temple. However, we ourselves have no idea why that person came here! Naturally, we never issued any assassination order!"
Ah, so they're denying everything outright.
Well, if the kidnapping incident itself were exposed, feigning ignorance would be the only answer. According to Jeremy's account, they genuinely didn't order the assassination anyway.
"We issue commands to that person through divine power, but it seems confusion arose and they acted on a misunderstanding. It was an unforeseen accident...."
"An accident?"
At that moment, Seth's aura behind me sharpened to twice its intensity.
"So the saint of the Sea God Temple considers it merely an accident when an armed criminal happens to break into one's bedroom?"
Goodness....
That rigid, principled Seth is being sarcastic like this. This incident must have angered him considerably.
"...I misspoke. My apologies."
Sembus apologized with surprising sincerity.
Well, even he must realize that the Sea God's saint is absolutely not that sort of person.
Rather, she's the type to extract information through every conceivable torture, then tear the victim's limbs from their living body.
"But we truly never issued such an order. To assassinate a saint—it's unthinkable!"
The assassination was certainly not planned by the Sea God Temple, nor was I their intended kidnapping target.
According to Jeremy, their goal was simply some ordinary priest.
Yet Jeremy targeted me.
'I don't know why. But somehow, the impulse to approach the saint became overwhelmingly intense. No matter how much I was manipulated, some instinct warned me never to touch the saint.'
Why my target changed—neither I nor Jeremy knows, and neither do those who gave the orders. I'll think about it later.
What matters now is that I'm the one who suffered, and I'm absolutely brimming with ideas on how to exploit this.
"If this is merely an unfortunate accident...then to whom should I lodge my complaint about the injuries I sustained?"
At my words, Sembus's expression hardened visibly.
"...Injuries, you say?"
"That assassin was no ordinary fighter. Do you truly believe I, who has never engaged in combat before, subdued them without a single wound?"
Jeremy, who was cloaked in divine power?
It's only because of my peculiar constitution that this isn't absurd by any reasonable standard.
Naturally, this man would think the same.
"It was nothing short of a bloodbath. I swear by the Sun God—I've never bled so profusely in my entire life."
It's not a lie, is it? After all, this is genuinely my first time in this life.
Sure, I coughed up blood trying to break the curse, but there was indeed a bloodshed incident.
They skillfully dodged the truth, so I simply returned the favor.
"Had the High Priest not treated me promptly, or had the Sun God's abilities not specialized in healing, I wouldn't be standing before you right now."
"Ah, well...."
"Therefore, regardless of what the Sea God's faction claims, I intend to extract substantial compensation for this matter."
Sembus squeezed his eyes shut. Fury radiated from his clenched fists.
"Understood. We shall compensate you. Would money suffice?"
Tch. What an insufferable tone.
His words dripped with contempt—the implication that whatever sum I named would be trivial.
"However! The one who made the mistake shall be taken by us. We cannot afford to expose our shame, so please maintain your silence."
Calling Jeremy, who bore divine power, a "shame"? His desperation to reclaim him was palpable.
I should satisfy that desperation, shouldn't I?
"Captain."
Seth nodded at my call and approached the door, pushing it open.
"You...!"
Sembus jolted to his feet, startled by the figure revealed in the doorway.
Jeremy stood before the door in pristine black garments, replacing the clothes I had shredded, with High Priest Airic Dert holding him firmly by the side.
"I never imagined you'd call someone brimming with the Sea God's divine power a 'shame.' Though I must say, he's perfectly suited to be sent as a saintly assassin."
It's not shame—you absolutely must reclaim him because of that divine power, isn't it?
Sembus's cheeks trembled as he grasped my meaning.
He had clearly realized they were in no position to make demands.
"I'll return him to you. I won't kill him, won't wound his body, and certainly won't torture him for information."
"...."
"Furthermore, I won't publicize this matter."
Even these sweet words failed to bring joy to Sembus's face.
Because doing favors for them meant extracting a hefty price in return.
I smiled brightly and spread both hands.
"Ransom: one hundred thousand gold."
"One hun...!"
Sembus gasped in shock.
One hundred thousand gold—equivalent to ten billion won.
Did he really not expect me to demand such an astronomical sum? There are limits to treating someone as a fool.
"What? I'm offering to quietly hand over someone brimming with the Sea God's divine power. Are you really begrudging the price?"
I asked coldly, dropping all formality from my speech.
Sembus bit his lip hard and glanced at Jeremy standing in the doorway. He looked ready to order him to flee this instant.
"The person holding that assassin is our High Priest. If you want to try something, go ahead."
"...."
Sembus's face drained of color. Like a cornered rat.
"Will you quietly hand over the ransom, or shall you be detained here as well?"
I graciously offered him two choices.
"...100,000 gold is far too much. Even the Sea God Temple cannot produce such an enormous sum on short notice."
A lie. I knew all too well how money overflowed within the Sea God Temple's coffers.
If they scraped together every last coin with effort, they could easily gather it—but his reluctance stemmed from fear of consequences upon returning to the Sea God Temple.
"So you cannot pay?"
"W-we can provide 20,000 gold! But anything beyond that is truly impossible!"
At his desperate cry, I burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! 20,000 gold? So this wretch is indeed a shameful secret of the Sea God Temple! His worth amounts to nothing more than that."
Sembus's face flushed crimson with rage.
If he protested, he would have to pay more, so he had no choice but to endure it.
Whom should I blame? Only your own mouth, for calling Jeremy a shameful secret first.
"Well, fine. Since I want to end this troublesome affair here, I'll accept 20,000 gold."
Reduced from 1 billion to 200 million.
Ah, how merciful of me.
"...Truly?"
"Displeased? Then produce 100,000 gold instead."
"No! I am merely grateful for the Holy Maiden's profound compassion."
Sembus bit his lip until blood drew, bowing his head before me.
In truth, I knew 100,000 gold was impossible and merely threw out the number. The amount I actually had in mind was 10,000 gold.
Yet he was offering double that of his own accord—how thoughtful of him.
"Now that we've settled the ransom, shall we discuss compensation for damages?"
Since he's being so generous, I might as well extract more.
"...Pardon?"
At my words spoken with a smile, Sembus went rigid.
Why the shock?
"What we negotiated thus far was the assassin's ransom, not damage compensation. These are entirely separate matters."
"Th-that is.... Well...."
"What, you refuse to pay?"
Then I have no choice.
"I shall spread word that the Holy Maiden was gravely injured in an attack orchestrated by the Sea God's faction. Ah, do not worry. Since I've already received payment for the assassin, I won't reveal his appearance."
How merciful, wouldn't you say?
I smiled radiantly at Sembus's vacant expression.
This is what you deserve, you bastards. Blame yourselves for attempting kidnapping.
"So, what will it be?"
In any case, there was only one choice available.
Watching Sembus's face sink into quiet despair was truly a pleasant sight.
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