I Will Buy Divine Power With Money! - Chapter 27

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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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Just write that one line and send it, why write ten unnecessary lines to send it.

“So you’re testing me with this.”

That guy who was either Gail or some ant must have conveyed my words about gaining Airic’s trust and bringing benefits to the Count’s family.

The Count will decide whether to believe my words or not based on the answer to this question.

I snorted and wrote a reply.

I heard the Duke came looking for something very important, but the High Priest didn’t tell me so I don’t know exactly what it was. However, judging by the circumstances, it somehow seemed like a holy relic.

And he said he would visit the temple once a month from now on.

I mixed truth and lies appropriately.

I had to reveal at least the holy relic part for it to be convincing that I didn’t know properly.

Anyway, since I don’t know what Rute took, the Count won’t be able to find out more than this either.

“Monica, and Sir Victoria.”

After sealing the letter, I called the two of them.

“Since you two have now become my close associates, I’ll tell you. Count Kiris is trash.”

“…What?”

“I knew it!”

Unlike the flustered Victoria, Monica clenched both fists tightly.

This reaction is quite refreshing.

“The reason I came to reflect on my past was also because I realized the Count was trash. Right now it’s difficult to turn my back on him, but someday I will completely leave the Count’s family. The Grand Temple will also break free from the Count’s family’s support.”

Monica nodded vigorously, and Victoria looked puzzled but seemed to understand for now.

“But since we need money, we’ll pretend to grovel while extorting money from the Count’s family. So even if I spread lies to the Count, just go along with it. Got it?”

“Yes, understood!”

“I will follow your orders.”

Victoria also didn’t object to this and immediately agreed.

A Holy Knight not objecting to extorting money from others. Looking closely, it seemed she had a lot of pent-up feelings too.

“Good. Then Sir Victoria, could you go send this letter? Monica, stay since I have something to ask you.”

“Yes, then I’ll be back.”

After Victoria left with the letter, I asked Monica.

“Monica, do you happen to know well about the Empire’s potion market?”

“The potion market?”

“Yeah. You lived outside the temple until six months ago. So I thought you might know well.”

Monica looked puzzled but obediently answered.

“Currently the potion market is divided between Sea God brand potions and alchemy potions. Well, it’s divided in name only – the Sea God side is overwhelmingly dominant.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The difference in having divine power or not is quite significant. Thanks to that, they’re acting like thugs.”

Monica’s lips suddenly twisted as she was explaining gently.

So even that lovely face can make such a mocking expression.

“They don’t hesitate to do bad things to monopolize the potion business. They’re originally cowardly anyway.”

It was an unexpectedly candid answer.

Actually in the original work, the Sea God’s people were also ill-mannered, but is it okay to say this so openly…?

What’s wrong with it anyway. This is the Sun God’s temple. The Sun God will take care of fighting the Sea God.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean alchemy potions don’t sell. The effects are inferior, but they’re much cheaper so commoners seek them out a lot.”

Potions that heal wounds just by drinking them aren’t only sought after by nobles.

Rather, commoners who do more rough and dirty work than nobles need them more.

But since the Temple of the Sea God prefers wealthy nobles over poor commoners, they only make high-quality expensive potions to sell to them.

As a result, alchemists naturally targeted the commoner market.

Especially since the Sun God’s Main Temple’s potions, which were unmatched in healing power, had dried up.

“The Temple of the Sea God has no interest in commoners’ circumstances, so no matter what trashy things they do, the alchemists’ potion business won’t collapse, right?”

Monica, I really like it when you speak so boldly like this.

“But why suddenly ask about the potion business? Gasp, Holy Maiden, could it be…?”

Monica, who was setting down tea in front of me, opened her eyes wide.

Instead of answering, I grinned.

That’s right. Now that we have funds, we should naturally start a business.

We can’t keep leeching off Rute and the Kiris family forever.

Above all, the potion business is the business that the Sun God’s Main Temple should prioritize most.

When it comes to healing power, no one can match the Sun God.

That’s why the potion business was the Sun God’s Main Temple’s main source of income.

But when the Sun God’s power wavered and potion quality declined, the Sea God side snatched the business away as if they’d been waiting for it.

It wasn’t even illegal, and since the Grand Temples originally competed with each other, the Sun God’s Main Temple couldn’t protest about it.

But the reverse is also true.

Even if we reclaim the potion market and punch some holes in the Temple of the Sea God’s coffers, they won’t be able to say anything either.

“I’m thinking of restarting the potion business.”

Having gained confidence from Monica, I called Airic and Seth to the reception room.

And without beating around the bush, I got straight to the point.

“Potions…”

As if he hadn’t thought of it, Airic’s eyes wavered.

I could feel excitement and desire in his green eyes.

“…That would be difficult.”

However, the moment he closed his eyes tightly once and opened them, the desire had completely disappeared.

What remained was resignation more familiar than hope.

“Thanks to Duke Sieri, our budget has become a bit more comfortable, but not enough to restart the potion business. Moreover, we’re severely lacking in top-tier priests who can use strong healing power.”

The latter is a bigger problem than the former.

Even in the original work, the Sun God’s Main Temple’s potion business could shine again only thanks to the female protagonist Idella’s powerful abilities.

But now?

There’s only one novice Holy Maiden with a mere 10% divine power.

Moreover, since Airic doesn’t know I’ve become a real Holy Maiden, he has no choice but to oppose it even more.

“How many priests can actually make potions?”

“Probably less than ten. Among them, only three or four including myself can use significant power.”

It was just the right number for everyone to die from overwork if we started a business right away.

“How about starting after the Grand Temple finds stability first?”

“No. If we keep postponing like that, we’ll never do it. And I don’t plan to fight the Sea God side from the start. We’ll steadily target commoners first.”

“That market is dominated by alchemists, so how do you plan to do it? With so many alchemists, it won’t be easy to target.”

This time Seth asked.

He too seemed excited at the thought that they might achieve the Grand Temple’s long-cherished wish, as his voice was trembling.

At this point, I played my trump card.

“How about collaborating with alchemists?”

The Temple of the Sea God side has an aggressive nature and are the type who are only satisfied when they’re the best, so they can never coexist with us.

But alchemists? There’s no reason we can’t join hands with them, right?

“There’s no law saying alchemists can’t become believers, right? If our believers want to make potions together with us, who would complain?”

What currently dominates the potion market isn’t individual alchemists but a group of many gathered together.

But there must be individuals among them who have the desire to become mainstream, right?

“Let’s recruit a small number of alchemists who were being pushed around by the alchemist guild and couldn’t shine.”

We can fill our shortage of priests, and alchemists can overcome the limitations of alchemy that fall short of divine power.

“On top of this, we’ll even be able to research fusing divine power and alchemy, so wouldn’t that be perfect?”

It was truly a win-win strategy.

“I think it’s a good method.”

Seth expressed his opinion while glancing at Airic.

Since he still seemed to be pondering, I added an explanation.

“There are two main problems. Finding alchemists who are skilled but non-mainstream, and at the same time willing to become Sun God believers. And distribution.”

“That’s right.”

As if this part had been bothering him, Airic immediately nodded.

Then I should smash that worry to pieces.

“So I’m thinking of bringing Duke Seary into this business.”

“What? The Duke is joining us?”

“Did you discuss the potion business with the Duke when he came last time?”

Surprised Airic and Seth asked in turns. Everyone’s asking strange things.

“No? The Duke doesn’t know about this.”

I was already dying from the complexity of the holy relics and divine artifacts, so where would I have had time to talk business?

“But if we’re offering to include him, there’s no way the Duke would refuse, right?”

I declared confidently.

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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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