Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 148

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 148

The face visible hazily through the sparse veil was still pure and beautiful, like a lily by a misty lakeside.

However, I couldn’t help but tense up as if I had encountered poison ivy on a familiar walking path.

Because the last time we met, my relationship with this person hadn’t been particularly good.

‘To think someone who’s the High Priest would hide his identity and mingle among ordinary priests to give blessings to people.’

Giuseppe Aria Sernandel.

It was behavior befitting him, someone who didn’t discriminate against people based on their social status, but couldn’t he at least give me a heads up about this kind of thing?

Just then, Giuseppe, who seemed not to have recognized me, naturally averted his gaze from me and inclined his head toward Leo.

“Shh.”

When he raised his index finger in a gesture indicating secrecy, Leo brought both hands to his mouth to cover it and nodded with a face that said to trust only him.

Beyond the veil, Giuseppe’s lips curved into a smile so gentle it couldn’t be more tender.

“What a good child.”

The moment his fingertips, whispering thus, touched Leo’s forehead.

The divine power of ‘Hero’s Star’ has increased by +10.

The divine power of ‘Hero’s Star’ has broken through its limit. The total amount of divine power will improve.

9th-rank divine power has been bestowed upon ‘Hero’s Star’. Please check the ‘God’s Kiss’ Quest to use divine power.

It was still an incredible doping-like blessing, enough to raise my stagnant divine power all at once.

It was when Ian and Asillia had also obediently received Giuseppe’s blessing and were about to turn around.

“You must be Marquess Blanche.”

Giuseppe’s tone, as if addressing someone he was meeting for the first time, caught hold of my sleeve.

“And you are…?”

“The newly appointed High Priest has been eagerly looking forward to meeting you to express gratitude for the sincerity the Blanche Family has shown to the Temple. Would it be alright if we escort you to the Temple?”

“…”

He treated us as if he were merely an ordinary priest, while simultaneously conveying his intentions as the High Priest.

Could he still be suspecting me of being a dark mage? If so, there would be knots between him and me that needed untying.

While I was organizing my thoughts for a moment, Asillia, who had been bored throughout, suddenly sparkled her eyes and poked Leo and Ian’s sides repeatedly, saying:

“I like it! I totally like it! I’m actually a very devout believer, so I really wanted to see the Grand Temple!”

“I, I like it too!”

“Yes, yes. Do as you wish.”

Pretending to be unable to resist the children’s pestering, I raised my eyebrows and asked if they could also visit as guests.

“We’ll prepare a carriage to accommodate everyone.”

Giuseppe was ready to welcome the guests gladly.

* * *

Though it was an unexpected encounter, I had something prepared for times like this.

“Cash Shop.”

Avoiding people’s gazes, I called up the Cash Shop, and a list of brilliant cash items appeared before me.

From the Spring of All Things to Leo’s very fancy and luxurious clothing, to magical tools with effects so absurd I couldn’t even guess what they were used for.

The problem was that purchasing cash items required a currency called coins, and unlike the game where coins could be bought with real money, the only way to obtain coins in reality was through Quest rewards.

‘At least I’m fortunate that I’ve been clearing sub-quests here and there.’

[Quest] ‘What is Hardy Restaurant’s Secret Ingredient?’ Complete

[Quest] ‘Rescue the Old Lady’s Bread from the Tree’ Complete

[Quest] ‘Four-Leaf Clover’s Luck’ Complete

From finding the secret ingredient in the previous head chef’s special stew to save a failing restaurant, to rescuing an old lady’s calico cat that had climbed up a tree.

Thanks to clearing various small quests and accumulating quite a few coins, I could easily purchase the item I wanted.

[Item] Necklace of Trust

There was an honest merchant who accumulated wealth by pursuing only trust throughout his life. That merchant’s conviction was imbued in the necklace he wore during his lifetime.

When wearing this necklace during conversation, you can give infinite trust to the other party.

*However, it cannot make lies into truth.

*The effect is lost on those whose trust has been broken.

The so-called swindler’s necklace!

I put it around my neck, hid it under my clothes, then faced Giuseppe.

Giuseppe had changed from his grayish ordinary priest robes into high-ranking priest robes that were pure white with delicate silver embroidery.

That was all, yet somehow I felt an undeniable sense of intimidation.

‘No, maybe it’s not because of the clothes.’

Unlike when he was giving blessings to people and smiling particularly kindly at young children, Giuseppe’s expression facing me was quiet.

I looked out the window at Leo and his friends huddled together in front of the temple wall, then calmly opened the conversation.

“I accepted the High Priest’s invitation to have the conversation we couldn’t finish before.”

I continued speaking formally, treating him as the High Priest.

“I don’t know if you’ve withdrawn your suspicions from that day, but I am not a dark mage. This has been concluded by the Temple’s Sacred Tribunal. So…”

“I didn’t invite you here to ask about that, Marquess.”

Giuseppe’s gaze turned to Terry standing behind me. It probably meant for me to send her away, but I firmly shook my head.

“She is someone trustworthy.”

“If you say so.”

Giuseppe showed signs of choosing his words for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Sometimes, people are born into this world who are not bound by the fate God has determined. Because they can go against fate, they are free from all constraints and are said to be able to know future events, or even destroy fate.”

At this unexpected topic, my grip tightened on the teacup I was holding.

Because it seemed like…

“Marquess Blanche, do you perhaps have memories of, or know of, a world different from this one?”

It sounded like words pointing to my situation.

“I would like to ask as God’s representative, but some foolish person used all three powers of truth on you, Marquess, making even that impossible.”

I fell into thought for a moment, conscious of Terry’s presence.

Chaser had said my possession was related to dark magic.

However, despite inheriting all of Belinda’s memories, I hadn’t found any signs or conditions that would warrant my possession.

Perhaps if I told Giuseppe the truth, I might get hints about the reason for my possession.

But…

‘I don’t know if he’s someone I can trust.’

I couldn’t predict his actions if I told him the truth. So instead of answering, I voiced a question.

“Is finding someone not bound by God’s fate an important matter for the High Priest?”

“Yes, it’s very important.”

“Since they’re someone who goes against God’s ordained fate, how would I know if you’re looking for them to execute them?”

“I promise in God’s name that I will definitely protect them.”

Perhaps it was a meaningless statement. Maybe it was even a nasty trap.

But strangely, Giuseppe’s voice sounded so desperate that it made me want to believe his words without realizing it, even though I was the one holding the Necklace of Trust.

“I am…”

It was when I had finally made up my mind and was opening my mouth.

Knock knock.

With urgent knocking sounds, the door to the private room where Giuseppe and I were opened, and a familiar face entered.

“I heard that Marquess Blanche came as a guest… My goodness, it really is the Marquess!”

Neat silver hair and spring flower-like pink eyes.

I confirmed the person’s face and asked in surprise.

“Ophelia?”

Rather than wondering why she was at the temple, my eyes were first drawn to the white priest robes she was wearing.

Why was she, who should have been traveling through the North, at the temple? And wearing high-ranking priest robes at that.

Ophelia even teared up a little as she grabbed my hand firmly to express her joy.

“I thought Priest Mac had made a mistake, but I’m so happy to see you like this! Oh, where should I start? If you heard what happened to me, you wouldn’t believe it! Marquess, I…!”

“Isn’t it time for you to be reading your prayers, Saint?”

“That’s right! I somehow became a saint! Oh, High Priest. I didn’t deliberately skip prayer time, it’s just that a welcome guest arrived…”

Ophelia rambled on with excuses to Giuseppe, but I still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

“Saint?”

Then I was able to notice the brooch attached to the chest of her white priest robes.

A simple brooch in the shape of rosemary.

It was none other than the sacred relic of the White-Robed Saint that was kept in the temple of the village where I had experienced the landslide.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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