I Will Buy Divine Power With Money! - Chapter 14

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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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“Please punish me for failing to protect the safety of the Grand Temple. I will gladly accept any punishment.”

Seth, gloomily confessing his sins, looked as pious as a clergyman receiving God’s grace.

However, to be fooled by his outward appearance… it was after seeing him ruthlessly punish the spies he had rooted out.

The scenes of those merciless male leads brutally executing the original Ordel kept flashing through my mind, making my heart tremble.

“This is an unforgivable sin, so if you give the order, I will step down from my position as Order Commander at any time.”

But this won’t do! Where do you think you’re going!

“Please don’t say such things. If not you, Order Commander, who else can I trust? I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“But I failed to protect the safety of the Grand Temple…”

“If we’re going to think like that, isn’t it all my fault? The spies were planted by Count Kiris. If I had paid just a little more attention, I would have noticed sooner.”

Honestly, the reason the spies could operate so freely was all because Ordel had secretly helped them embezzle money.

So how could Seth have noticed?

Moreover, he often went on mercenary missions for the poor Grand Temple, making it even harder for him to know.

“Holy Maiden, you did nothing wrong!”

Our utterly innocent Holy Knight had no idea about this and shouted with a pale face.

“If I’m not at fault, then neither are you, Order Commander. And in this unstable situation, it would be more worrying if our strongest Order Commander stepped down. So don’t go anywhere and continue to keep this place safe.”

That’s right, where do you think you’re going?

In this harsh world, a weakling with only 5% divine power desperately needs the existence of this male lead candidate and Sword Master to survive.

“…I understand. I swear to risk my life to protect the Holy Maiden and the Grand Temple’s safety.”

You don’t need to risk your life… Looking at his determined face, he doesn’t seem like he’ll listen anyway. Let’s just leave him be.

“Now is not the time to assign blame, but to prepare for what’s to come. When Count Kiris loses contact with his spies, he’ll notice immediately. He’ll probably try to threaten us using the donations he gives us as leverage.”

Currently, the Sun God’s Grand Temple barely manages to operate by relying on the meager donations from Count Kiris.

If even that support disappears, the Grand Temple will surely collapse.

“We have absolutely no income, so we can’t become enemies with the Count right now. So we can’t even protest about the spies.”

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“The Grand Temple just needs to stay put. I’ll handle Count Kiris alone.”

“That’s!”

I firmly shook my head at the two who were about to object.

“When the Count’s people come later, you two must absolutely insist that you can’t leave us alone together, then reluctantly step aside as if you have no choice.”

We need to put on quite a show, and it absolutely won’t work if you two are there.

Don’t worry and just trust me. I’ll solve everything!

* * *

A dim interior filled with hazy smoke.

A man with a sturdy build was slouched in a large chair, his entire body sunk into it.

His roughly tied hair that had half fallen down and loosely worn glasses revealed the man’s boredom, but he was scowling so fiercely that it wasn’t even noticeable.

Each time he inhaled from his cigarette and exhaled deeply, his furrowed brow gradually relaxed.

The harsh smell from the cigarette tip was nauseating, but the man simply couldn’t give this up.

He could only survive with this.

“My lord!”

Just then, someone burst through the door.

The unwelcome visitor, who got covered in thick smoke, kept coughing violently.

“Ugh, I just can’t get used to this smell.”

“…Shut up. My head hurts, so speak quietly.”

When the man showed irritation at the loud noise, the unwelcome visitor quickly stopped coughing.

“I’ve discovered the whereabouts of what you’ve been desperately searching for, my lord!”

At that shout, the man who had been heavily slouched bolted upright.

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes! I’ve found where the ‘Sacred Relic of Light’ is!”

“Where?”

“A temple located in the northwestern part of the Empire.”

“Northwest? Was there a temple there?”

The man’s urgent questions continued. The unwelcome visitor, his subordinate, continued speaking rapidly without pause.

“It’s almost on the verge of collapse, so it’s not well known. I don’t even know which god they worship. I only learned of its existence while investigating this time.”

Damn it. No wonder I couldn’t find it despite searching so hard. It was buried in such a place, of course I couldn’t find it.

“Prepare. We leave immediately.”

“Yes!”

After his subordinate left, the man sighed and rubbed his face.

This was his last hope. If this failed too, he would have nothing left.

So by any means necessary, at any cost, he would definitely get his hands on the ‘Sacred Relic of Light.’

He was sick of cigarettes now.

* * *

“Huff, gasp! When will this body ever, gasp, build up some stamina?!”

7 AM.

Having finished my walking exercise, I collapsed onto the bench that had completely become my personal property, soaked in sweat as usual.

In my previous life, exercise wasn’t this painful – I was actually happy as I sweated!

Now I just wanted to give up everything due to the dizziness that made my vision spin.

“The day I can run 50 meters without any problems, I think I’ll really cry…”

“Good work, Holy Maiden.”

Just then, a female knight with red hair tied back handed me water.

I gratefully accepted the water bottle with my trembling arms.

“Thank you, Sir Victoria. I somehow survived another day without dying…”

“You do seem to have built up some stamina though. When I first met you a week ago, I thought it was really serious.”

I should be happy, I should be proud that even an expert could see improvement, but the brutally honest assessment almost made me cry.

“I’ll improve if I keep at it… right? Somehow I don’t see any hope.”

“…You’ll probably need more effort than others.”

Damn it! I swallowed my tears along with the water.

Victoria Lorens.

She was the Holy Knight that Seth had assigned to me, characterized by her red hair that shone brilliantly in sunlight.

After a Holy Knight was discovered during the spy investigation, Seth felt deeply responsible and proceeded with a major reorganization of the Order of Holy Knights.

What was newly created was the Second Order, the Holy Maiden’s guard unit.

Victoria was the finest talent selected through Seth’s rigorous verification and became the commander of the Second Order.

In other words, she was my direct bodyguard.

Due to my notorious reputation, Victoria also treated me formally at first.

No, it was worse than that.

‘…You want to exercise every morning?’

You?

She didn’t openly mock me, but her eyes conveyed her thoughts very intensely.

Instead of explaining at length, I silently exercised without missing a day for a week.

I also ate with everyone daily and got along more warmly with Airic and Seth than usual for several days.

‘…Take it easy. You’ll die at this rate.’

I wasn’t sure if she was joking or serious, but anyway, we became more comfortable with each other than before.

I almost shed tears for the first time that day at this remarkable progress.

…Though everyone else except Victoria still had fits and avoided me whenever they saw me.

I still have a long way to go.

“Someone’s coming.”

At Victoria’s words as she handed me a towel, I turned my head.

A maid with a pale face was running toward us.

“H-Holy Maiden. I’m truly sorry for disturbing you.”

And as soon as she arrived, she prostrated herself on the ground.

I really do have a long way to go…

“Please get up and tell me slowly what’s wrong.”

I asked as gently as possible so she wouldn’t be startled.

Then Victoria quickly helped the maid up and brushed the dirt and dust off her knees.

The maid’s face turned even paler, but since there seemed to be urgent business, she stammered out her message.

“Th-there’s someone outside looking for the Holy Maiden. He says he’s brought a message from Count Kiris.”

Ah, he’s finally here!

“Are you really sure it’s alright to meet him alone?”

Since she heard about the current situation from Seth, she seems worried.

Sorry, Victoria. The one who should be worried isn’t me, but him.

Because I’m planning to fleece that bastard from now on.

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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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