I Will Buy Divine Power With Money! - Chapter 30
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
“Right now, what did you say…?”
Rute’s voice trembled finely.
It was exactly the same voice he had when he first escaped from pain thanks to the holy relic.
“I said I’ll look for a way to completely cure you. Actually, continuously carrying a holy relic is dangerous, isn’t it? If it gets lost or destroyed, the pain will start again.”
“…”
“And you have to receive my blessing every month, but what if circumstances prevent you from receiving it?”
As if Rute had also worried about this, his hand trembled slightly.
“That’s why we must completely cure the disease. You’ll gain complete freedom from pain.”
“Is treatment possible? Is there a way to completely cure it?”
Rute was trembling more now than when he had grasped the lifeline of the holy relic.
Well, it was just recently that he barely obtained a method to erase the pain.
His face showed he hadn’t held even a little expectation that the disease could be completely cured, which was truly pitiful.
“After you left the temple, I kept thinking about it. First, those stains on your body that only I, as the Sun God’s Holy Maiden, can see.”
The momentum of the black stains had definitely decreased compared to when I last saw them.
However, the number of stains hadn’t greatly decreased.
It was just as if they were being suppressed.
If he removed the holy relic, those stains would immediately reactivate.
“And the pain that disappeared as if washed away the moment you wore the holy relic containing my blessing.”
“…Ah.”
“Perhaps with the Sun God’s divine power, especially my power as the Holy Maiden, I might be able to completely cure your disease.”
Having said that much, I hastily added a word, worried he might become too dependent on my divine power alone.
“Of course, it might fail, but given the current situation, this has the highest possibility.”
Actually, in the original work, there’s Idella’s monologue that the Sun God’s divine power might have been able to cure his disease.
However, at that time, Rute’s body was too contaminated to be treated in the end.
But now?
As long as he wore the healing holy relic containing my blessing around his neck, the possibility of him transforming into a villain was very low.
Since this world had become completely different from the world of 【Holy Idella】, I believed his treatment was sufficiently possible.
“Immediate treatment is impossible. If that were possible, I would have cured you right away and become your definite benefactor to extract everything I could…”
In that case, I would have demanded 10 billion, that is, 100,000 gold as treatment fee. With just that, everything would be solved.
But what if I received money first using disease treatment as an excuse?
If it failed, the aftermath would be frightening.
I didn’t want to make such a gamble.
“Actually, I’m quite lacking in ability for a Holy Maiden. That’s why I have to recharge blessings every month.”
Since things had come to this, I just laid all my cards on the table.
Anyway, Rute couldn’t betray me even because of the blessing recharging, so I could trust him.
“Nevertheless, the reason I’m a Holy Maiden is because my divine power grows stronger over time.”
Of course, I’d add a little seasoning, but it wasn’t a lie anyway, right?
“It grows stronger?”
“Yes. Right now I’m at a level that can’t even compare to the Sea God’s Holy Maiden and Holy Figures, but this is only for now. Someday I’ll definitely surpass both of them.”
Actually, Idella in the original work was also stronger than the Sea God’s Holy Maiden and Holy Figures.
If I achieved 100% divine power, I would also gain strength that would never fall behind.
Of course, unless 10 billion fell from the sky, I would never achieve 100%.
“At that time, I can definitely treat your disease.”
If I fail, I’ll ask Idella for help, well.
“By the way, as my power grows stronger, my blessings will gradually become stronger too, so later I’ll be able to give you two-month or three-month blessings instead of one-month ones. That means you won’t have to come to the temple as often as now.”
“…”
Rute, who had been looking at me as if enchanted, suddenly frowned.
His face looked full of dissatisfaction.
Why again. Does he not believe me?
“…If you’re suspicious, there’s nothing I can do. I can only explain with words, I have no evidence to present.”
If he really can’t believe it, let’s just go with a 7:3 ratio… 6:4 is absolutely not acceptable.
Since it would be troublesome for both him and us if things went wrong with Rute now, I mumbled and proposed a compromise.
Right, I can’t cut open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs just to earn a bit more right now.
“…If I insist on 6:4, would you just leave my disease untreated even if you found a way to cure it?”
Rute, who had been silent for a while, asked.
How can he ask this so directly?
I looked at Rute, then at the ceiling, then at the floor, turning my gaze here and there for a long time.
Finally, I clenched my fist tightly and spoke as if spitting out the words.
“…I wouldn’t do that.”
If Rute were a hopeless villain at this point, I wouldn’t care whether he lived or died and would have sucked everything out of him.
What I learned from living as a detective was that there’s no need to give opportunities to those who deliberately commit the worst crimes.
When given opportunities, they think of it as permission to commit crimes again.
But the current Rute is different.
Rather, thanks to his help, everyone in the Daesinjeon was able to feast for the first time in a long while.
They could eat quality food and be happy.
When you think about it, I’m not just his salvation, he’s also our salvation, so how could I turn away from him?
Sigh, right. The attempt to raise the ratio by using his life as collateral was a bit excessive.
“I was wrong to use treatment as a bargaining chip. I apologize.”
Since we’d likely continue as business partners anyway, and there was nothing good about hurting each other’s feelings, I decided to back down.
“…Even with a definite weapon in hand, you don’t think of wielding it.”
Rute, who had been staring at me for a while with an unreadable look, muttered.
Why is he saying such strange things again?
“Well, weapons depend on the weapon. This kind of thing can’t be a weapon, so I don’t wield it.”
Am I crazy to wield a treatment method involving someone’s life as a weapon?
When I looked bewildered, Rute burst into a small laugh.
He seemed both incredulous and angry, and somehow also pleased.
I couldn’t figure out his emotions.
Indeed, he’s no longer just a simple character from a novel, but a living, breathing person moving before me.
“…I understand. Then let’s compromise and proceed with 7:3 conditions. And this is a small contract fee I prepared.”
Rute took out a pouch from his chest.
“My goodness. You really are the perfect business partner.”
A contract fee, I never even thought of that.
There was no reason to refuse, so I quickly accepted the pouch.
How much could be in it?
【It’s 3,000 gold.】
“…”
I had only hoped for about 100 million since he’s generous, but what fell to me was none other than a whopping 300 million, 3,000 gold.
Such a good person, and I tried to bargain with just his life as stakes.
Sigh, reflect on yourself. Me.
“…Even if I get a weapon to wield, I’ll quietly put it away. Thank you, Duke. I love you, Duke.”
“Love me to your heart’s content. I’m a person whose generosity is as handsome as my face.”
Of course, how could there be any question? Anyway, everything you say is right.
As I grinned and rubbed my face against the pouch containing 3,000 gold, Rute burst into laughter.
Somehow it seemed like the most pleased smile I’d seen on his face so far.
* * *
A few days later, two alchemists that Rute and Monica had each found arrived at the Daesinjeon.
But this is really interesting.
Facing the two alchemists in the reception room, I rolled my eyes around.
One was a man with curly brown hair and mischievous orange eyes.
The other was a man with jet-black straight hair and stubborn green eyes hidden behind glasses.
The former was found by Monica, and the latter by Rute—their images were so completely opposite that I wondered if they had planned it together.
“Could you tell me your names first?”
At my question, the brown-haired man shouted as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“Jenric Ruang. I’m a twenty-nine-year-old genius alchemist, recognized by myself and others. When it comes to creativity, the foundation of alchemy, that’s me!”
…He certainly seems overflowing with confidence. Whether he’s a real genius or a self-proclaimed one, I’ll have to wait and see.
“Creativity?”
“Shortening commonly used manufacturing methods, or discovering new alchemical production techniques that didn’t exist before. That sort of thing is my specialty!”
So he’s good at applications, I see.
If it’s true, he was indeed the kind of talent Monica would bring.
After all, our goal is to develop new potions that combine divine power and alchemy.
Next, it was the black-haired man’s turn to introduce himself.
“I’m Wolfgang Schmidt. My specialty is creating alchemical manufacturing formulas. I heard you were making new potions that combine divine power and alchemy, so I became interested and applied.”
Oh, so Wolfgang specializes in establishing formulas, and Jenric specializes in applying them.
Wow, how did they manage to find people whose specialties are as opposite as their appearances?
If things go well, the synergy effect could be incredible—I was already getting excited.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————