Chapter 65
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 65
"Ah, and there's one piece of news I think you both would appreciate. Duke Sheary is currently at the Sun God Grand Temple."
As I quickly changed the subject, the anger vanished from the couple's faces in an instant.
"Is that truly so?"
"Yes. I invited him to the dedication ceremony as well. For your information, I haven't mentioned either of you to the Duke."
I could have served as a bridge for the couple who wished to build a connection with Lute Sheary, but I chose not to step forward.
They hadn't asked me for anything—so why should I?
"Thank you for that. After all, opportunities only hold meaning when seized by one's own hand."
Rather than expressing regret at my decision, the couple smiled with satisfaction.
I'd thought they would want more from me.
Well, Monica had hinted that I didn't need to mention it anyway.
"You must be exhausted from your long journey. Please rest and recover first. We have a banquet planned for this evening."
"We're grateful for your warm welcome."
"I'm the one who should thank you for attending the dedication ceremony. And Count Hindel, Countess Hindel."
At my solemn address, the two exchanged puzzled glances, and I bowed to them with sincerity.
"I wish to express my gratitude once more for sending the supplies and personnel that the Sun God Grand Temple needed."
Though I'd sent a letter of thanks, speaking it directly carried a different weight altogether.
"Thanks to both of you, we were able to hold this dedication ceremony for the first time in eleven years. Without your support, it would have taken far longer."
With their help in sending people to assist with the Temple's restoration, I could prepare a ceremony befitting our dignity.
The Sun God, who must have counted the days until this moment, was surely shedding tears of joy in the heavens.
"So please witness this dedication ceremony with care. You are, after all, standing as one of the pillars supporting the Sun God Grand Temple."
The couple exchanged bewildered glances with one another.
After a long moment of silent communication with his wife, Count Hindel spoke with a look of firm resolve.
"To be honest, we accepted your invitation simply to celebrate the revival of the Sun God Grand Temple. We came thinking of ourselves as outsiders, merely visiting as travelers."
"But hearing your words, I realize we were mistaken. You're right. We are clearly stakeholders of the Sun God Grand Temple. We are not outsiders."
Lady Hindel continued her husband's thought.
As believers of the Sun God, it should have been obvious, yet it seemed they hadn't truly felt it until now.
"We nearly attended the ceremony with an attitude that would have been disrespectful. Thank you for awakening us foolish believers."
At their sincere response, I laughed and shook my head.
"But you needn't approach the ceremony with such gravity. The dedication ceremony is a day to give thanks to the divine, and at the same time, it's a day to feel the divine's love."
The divine receives the believers' hearts conveyed through material offerings, and in return, bestows boundless love.
The shameless Sea God merely took and took, but the Sun God is different.
If anything, the Sun God would regret not being able to give more.
"So please enjoy the ceremony at your ease."
"Yes, we understand."
"I'm truly looking forward to it now."
Only then did the couple's smiles return.
I too found myself genuinely anticipating the dedication ceremony that would take place in three days.
* * *
'I can't believe the Sun God Grand Temple has changed this much in the time I've been away!'
In the guest room of the Sun God Grand Temple.
Count Kiris swept his hair back with an irritated gesture.
It was a temple he'd visited for the first time in nearly a year, having found it too distant and squalid to frequent.
Yet in that span, this place had transformed beyond all recognition.
Gardens overflowing with verdant life, marble pillars gleaming with pristine brilliance, faces radiating joy, and children singing in the halls.
The oppressive gloom that had saturated this place a year ago now seemed like a distant memory.
"Can a single addition of Lute Sheary truly bring about such a transformation?"
Certainly his wealth was formidable, yet there remained something utterly incomprehensible about it.
Lute Sheary, a duke and merchant both, never engaged in ventures that yielded no profit.
There were even rumors he refused transactions with the Imperial Court itself if they offered no advantage.
So why had he invested so lavishly in a Sun God Grand Temple that held nothing of value?
"Yet there's no conceivable way this place could resurrect like a miracle. It's like bailing out the ocean with a spoon."
I harbored no intention of dissuading him from squandering his fortune into the void.
But that perpetual smirk of his—it grated on me.
'Still, there's no helping this irritation.'
The Sun God Grand Temple, destined to wither away without a trace like an insect consumed by a Venus flytrap, thrashing about in this desperate struggle for survival—it displeased me.
So the potion business must be eliminated by any means before I depart this temple.
I cannot allow even the faintest glimmer of revival to take root.
"Pardon me, Count. The banquet preparations are complete. Shall I escort you to the Dining Hall?"
A servant announced this at that moment.
Count Kiris, who had been waiting, adjusted his attire one final time before stepping outside.
The Knight Commander and Baron Gale were waiting ahead.
"Let us proceed. Well, there's hardly anything to anticipate, I imagine."
Count Kiris spoke regardless of whether the guiding servant heard him.
Baron Gale burst into a derisive laugh in agreement.
"Upon your return to the estate, Count, you shall need to cleanse your palate posthaste. I anticipated as much, yet it proves even more revolting than expected...."
How could a poor, worthless temple possibly offer abundant provisions?
To be frank, there had been more than one occasion when I'd wanted to spit out the food served at meals right there at the table.
"A 'banquet' here amounts to little more than an extra loaf of bread, I'd wager."
At Baron Gale's excessive mockery, the Count expressed his agreement.
Yes, even their food matched their station perfectly.
Regardless of how pleasant their outward appearance had become, one must examine the minutiae to glimpse the truth.
Indeed, their revival remained a distant prospect.
Unaware that Ordel had deliberately served them garbage-quality food while others received better, the three men spent the entire walk to the Dining Hall trading insults.
And soon they were taken aback.
"Ah, welcome."
Behind Ordel, who greeted them, the Dining Hall stretched out in a vista utterly unlike the barren hall they had witnessed until now.
Where the original wooden table once stood—its grain so cracked that sawdust fell from it—now gleamed a pristine marble table, and the chairs that had creaked and groaned incessantly had been replaced entirely with brilliant new ones.
Antique candelabras illuminating the table, utensils unmarred by a single speck of rust, and the delectable aroma of exquisite cuisine filling the air.
The pristine window offering a clear view of the night sky and the neat curtains tied with golden ribbons adorned the Dining Hall to perfection.
"Are you surprised? This is merely standard for a banquet honoring our guests."
Ordel turned with a smile.
Those who had arrived earlier were already seated beside the head of the table where she was headed.
"Now that our final guest has arrived, allow me to introduce each of our distinguished visitors."
Standing at the seat prepared for the High Priestess at the end of the table, she began with Lute Sheary, who sat closest beside her.
"This is Duke Lute Sheary, our Sun God's Temple's most generous patron. We are also honored by the presence of Count Yuri Polton and Jun Ludmin, the Vice-Master of the Lumen Merchant Guild."
The Vice-Master of the Lumen Merchant Guild!
Count Kiris's eyes gleamed with interest.
That Vice-Master was even more difficult to encounter than Duke Sheary.
Yet even such a figure had been invited to this consecration ceremony.
"And beside them are Count Hindel and the Countess, who have recently become devoted believers. Thank you for traveling such a distance to join us."
Count Kiris, who had not yet heard that Hindel was coming, was taken aback.
Hindel—was that not a member of the Central Nobility who controlled the fertile Granary Region in the Eastern Region?
The lord of lands in the exact opposite direction from this place in the Northwestern Region, and both he and his wife had come all this way.
And they had become believers? What possible connection could they have with this place?
...What in the world was happening here?
"Finally, Count Kiris. Welcome."
At Ordel's introduction, all the guests who had been exchanging greetings turned their attention toward Count Kiris and his retainers.
And the Count realized something.
There were eight people in total attending this consecration ceremony.
Of these, the Knight Commander and Baron Gale were brought by his own decision, so truly only six had been invited.
And his seat was positioned at the very end of these six, the farthest point from the head of the table where his unremarkable adopted daughter sat.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org