I Will Buy Divine Power With Money! - Chapter 202

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

* * *

“….”

Lute slowly opened his eyes and frowned at the ceiling that was both familiar and strange.

That ornate gold-leafed ceiling was indeed from his house, but it wasn’t the room he usually stayed in.

To be precise, it was the room that had been used by the Duke’s companions for generations….

“Ah.”

At the belated realization, Lute hurriedly sat up.

Beside the bed.

Ordel was sleeping half-sprawled on a large single-person sofa.

The intense determination not to sleep uncomfortably was so palpable that Lute couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“…Dream.”

He quietly gazed at the deeply sleeping Ordel.

Just by looking at her with her eyes closed, he could tell for certain.

The fact that ‘Ortel Kiris’ he had seen in his dream and the Ordel in front of him now were truly different people.

Why were the two Ordels different?

The other characters, even himself in the dream, were exactly the same as in reality.

Why was only Ordel uniquely different?

“Mm.”

At that moment, Ordel, who had been moving her lips slightly, woke up from her sleep.

Her gaze, surprisingly clear for someone who had just woken up, turned precisely toward Lute.

“Ah, you’re awake?”

And the moment their eyes met, her wariness completely disappeared.

As if she could feel at ease.

“….”

That sight made his chest tighten.

“How’s your body?”

“…I’m fine. Both my body and head feel very refreshed.”

“You must have slept well. That’s a relief.”

Ordel rubbed her eyes and smiled brightly at him.

Her golden eyes filled with affection were clearly different from the yellow eyes in his dream that held only anger and regret.

“I’m going to do my morning exercise. Want to come with me?”

“That sounds good.”

“Then I’ll go wash up first. My body feels stiff from sleeping in the chair. I need to loosen up quickly with some exercise.”

Ordel stretched and went into the dressing room.

Lute quietly watched her retreating figure before turning his head toward the window.

Brilliant morning sunlight was streaming in through the large window that took up one entire wall.

Though he had seen many things in his dream, there was one scene he could never forget.

The words that ‘Ortel Kiris,’ who had vowed revenge against the ‘Evil’ that had made him a slave, had left him with.

‘Who knows? Maybe in the next life, a savior will appear to rescue us wretches.’

Savior.

Surprisingly, those words had come true.

Because the real Ordel had saved his life when he was about to fall into despair.

Could it be the same for ‘Ortel Kiris’ as well?

Could her disappearance and becoming someone else have been salvation for her?

Thump thump. Thump thump.

His heart began to beat strongly.

As if he had learned a secret of the world, a thrilling sensation spread from his heart to his fingertips and toes.

At that moment, a subtle golden light briefly spread across his entire body before disappearing.

No one saw that sight.

* * *

After exercising refreshingly with Lute and even finishing a shower.

A surprising invitation arrived from the Imperial Capital.

“A party to conclude the Harvest Festival. They really intend to hold it.”

In the Duke’s Mansion restaurant.

Not only Trisha and Mikhail, but all the members from the Sun God’s Main Temple were gathered together.

I clicked my tongue as I received the imperial invitation from Trisha.

Originally, three parties are held during the Harvest Festival period.

I had made good use of the first party as a business venue.

The second party should have been held last night after the temple ceremony ended, but it was canceled due to the demon attack.

With the need to calm the anxious public sentiment and investigate the fake Bes Lunata who had been switched, it wasn’t a situation where they could hold a party.

But to think they would hold the final party tomorrow night as scheduled.

“They want to show the Imperial family’s strength. The fact that they sent invitations even though it’s a party you can attend without one proves that.”

Trisha said while eating a piece of steak that Mikhail had neatly cut for her.

“Invitations will go to all the nobles as well as anyone with a decent reputation. To show everyone that the Empire doesn’t yield to demon attacks.”

“So everyone who received invitations is basically like hostages. Having to forcibly fill seats to symbolize the Empire’s peace.”

Honestly, it doesn’t look good.

I understand the sentiment, but people who received invitations absolutely can’t go against the Imperial family’s mood, so they have to attend even if they’re scared.

This isn’t the only way to stabilize public sentiment, so this is too much.

“Won’t people forced to attend the party actually develop resentment toward the Imperial family? That seems like it would backfire.”

Actually, other people are a problem too, but the biggest problem is me.

It’s like walking straight into an alligator’s mouth.

“Hahahaha! Ah, this is why I really like you. You scratch exactly where it itches.”

Trisha burst into hearty laughter at my blunt statement.

“But what choice do we have? We can’t not go.”

“That’s true.”

I nodded glumly.

Even if this is Feliks’s trap, I can’t run away.

If I did that, innocent people would be in danger.

What choice do I have? I’ll just have to prepare thoroughly.

I let out a deep sigh.

“Ah, Lady Ordel. The potion making team will be coming here soon.”

At Airic’s words, I quickly raised my head.

Calling the potion making team was something I had asked Airic to do last night.

“We recruited three more alchemists in total. They’re skilled practitioners that both Zenrik and Wolfgang acknowledge, so you can rest assured.”

Oh, I was just curious about that.

They brought in three people. That’s fortunate.

“…Are those three also obsessed with research like Zenrik and Wolfgang?”

Are those three also slave-minded?

“They said it would be faster to find an alchemist who isn’t like that.”

I could sense a lot from Airic’s smile.

The new members will also grind their bodies to make potions….

Still, with double the personnel, it should be better than before.

‘Come to think of it, I hadn’t mentioned that I need to put blessings in the potions.’

If using the sacred relic bright gold doesn’t produce the same effect as before, Idella would use blessings on her own, so I left the Grand Temple without saying anything.

If I mentioned that, they would find out that I had been doing it all along.

So they had no choice but to sell potions of slightly lower quality than before.

But now that I’m back, that’s over too.

I’m curious.

How much more powerful will potions infused with divine favor rather than blessings be?

I was already looking forward to it.

* * *

“The knights who helped Bes Lunata escape have all been expelled and executed. I handled it personally, so you need not worry.”

The Emperor’s Study.

Feliks reported to the Emperor and Empress sitting side by side.

Though he wore a calm expression, his insides were churning.

To fill the numbers, he had deliberately killed some innocent ones, but he also had to kill subordinates who truly received divine power.

Only by showing their loyalty to their god in death would the Emperor and Empress believe him.

With the losses already great from the Lunata twins’ deaths, things had become troublesome.

“Hmm. That’s fortunate, but since we cannot properly identify them, there may still be hidden enemies.”

At the Emperor’s words, Feliks’s eyes twitched.

“You mean…”

“The Holy Maiden of the Sun God. We must ask for her help.”

Idella or the High Priest’s power could never find them, so calling them wouldn’t matter.

But.

“While we’re at it, Ortel Kiris should come as well.”

Not Ordel.

If that bastard comes, the problem will grow.

That damned thing is definitely the true Holy Maiden of the Sun God!

“Shall I summon them right now?”

However, Feliks suppressed such inner thoughts and asked calmly.

As the Emperor pondered, the Empress, who had been silent, spoke up.

“I think it would be appropriate to summon them after tomorrow night’s banquet concludes. Even if she’s the Holy Maiden of the Sun God, she won’t be able to catch them all at once. It would be better not to cause a big commotion before the banquet.”

Unexpectedly, the Empress had helped him.

Seeing the Emperor nod as if he shared the same thought, Feliks felt inwardly relieved.

This bought him a few days’ reprieve.

If he could just kill Ordel in the meantime, there would be no more obstacles.

“You must ensure the banquet proceeds without incident.”

“I will do my best for the peace of the Imperial Palace and the Empire.”

At Feliks’s princely attitude, the Emperor and Empress wore pleased expressions.

But they wouldn’t know.

‘For our god to safely descend into this world, I must maintain the Crown Prince position at all costs.’

What thoughts their son harbored inside.

Leaving the reception room, Feliks headed straight for the Crown Prince’s Palace.

Then his steps stopped abruptly in the garden.

The garden that had been damaged by the demon attack and was under restoration.

Bizra Karneus was there.

“Bizra?”

If Ordel was the person he most wanted to kill, Bizra was the person he most needed to be wary of.

“What, how annoying.”

The moment he met those teal eyes filled with irritation and annoyance, Feliks had to suppress the murderous intent that surged up as always.

The blessed eyes.

The imperial blessing he could not possess.

Because that Bizra had those very eyes.

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