I Will Buy Divine Power With Money! - Chapter 64

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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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“When he first arrived at the Grand Temple, he was following the Holy Maiden around, but at some point he started hovering above Count Kiris’s head.”

The only presence that could be following me around from the ceiling would be Jeremy.

And he’s currently monitoring Count Kiris at my request.

…But Rute sensed his presence? And this accurately at that?

“He’s my close protection guard. A kid I recently took in a few days ago… Can you really sense his presence?”

“He was the faintest among all the people I’ve met so far. But not to the point where I couldn’t notice him.”

“…”

“I might not know if he’s far away, but I can definitely tell when he’s close.”

Is this even possible?

Jeremy has almost no presence due to the Sea God’s divine power clinging to him like a curse.

Even now with only half the curse remaining, Airic and Seth can’t detect his presence unless they can see him.

But how does Rute know?

“Duke, you’re a Sword Master, right?”

“More precisely, I’m a Magic Swordsman.”

When Rute was being controlled by the mastermind, he was a disaster incarnate that even all the protagonists combined would struggle to defeat.

I thought that was due to the mastermind’s power that had taken over his body, but could he have had that level of ability even before? Is that why he can sense it?

No, this doesn’t make sense either.

“Is it really that surprising that I noticed his existence?”

“It’s very surprising. That kid is someone with abilities I stole from the Temple of the Sea God.”

Since there was no chance Rute would betray me and side with the Sea God’s faction, I told him the truth.

Except for the part about the curse-like divine power clinging to Jeremy.

“He has special abilities that the Sea God’s side put effort into nurturing, so it’s usually hard to detect his presence…”

“If the Holy Maiden is that confident, he must be quite special. No wonder his presence felt so faint, as if he could disappear like dust at any moment.”

Rute, who had been staring at me intently, let go of the hand he was holding.

Only then realizing we were still pressed together, I stepped back.

His muscular body was so firm and soft that I hadn’t even noticed the discomfort.

“Hmm, maybe only I sensed his presence because my abilities are exceptional?”

“That can’t be.”

No matter how excellent Rute’s abilities are, how could an ordinary human catch divine power? That doesn’t make sense.

“…Aren’t you being too certain when you haven’t even seen my abilities yet?”

Rute puffed out his lips. At this rate, he’ll sulk again.

Was he always such a man who sulked easily?

“It’s because he’s that special of a kid. …Ah.”

Right. Come to think of it, there was one thing different about Rute compared to others.

Even though it was the middle of the night with only moonlight and starlight shining down, Rute was glowing softly.

It wasn’t because he was handsome and self-luminous.

The mysterious golden light circling around him, visible only to my eyes.

It was because of that golden aura where the black stains had diminished slightly over the past two months.

I’ve seen many people since possessing this body, but Rute was the only one carrying around something unknown like this.

Perhaps this was exactly why only he could sense Jeremy.

‘I should investigate this too.’

Come to think of it, even in the original work, there was only mention of Rute suffering from an illness of unknown cause, but not a single line explaining that he carried around such mottled light.

Just how many things do I need to investigate?

Will things get better once the heavenly secret restriction is lifted?

“But how did you end up stealing someone with abilities from the Sea God’s side?”

At Rute’s question, I pondered briefly before confessing the truth.

“Those Sea God bastards sent a spy, so I caught him by smashing his head with a sacred artifact.”

“…With a sacred artifact, his head?”

“But when I caught him, I found out he was being controlled, so I freed him and recruited him as an ally. He really hated the Sea God.”

I still can’t forget Jeremy cheerfully hurling insults at the Sea God, calling him a tyrant and a thug.

He seemed to have a lot of accumulated resentment.

“He needs my healing power as the Sun God’s Holy Maiden to regain complete freedom, so he’s living here as both guard and resident.”

“That’s almost the same situation as mine.”

Oh, now that I think about it, that’s true?

“Do you like saving people?”

Rather than liking it, this is almost like an occupational hazard…

Beating up bad guys who torment good people was my job.

I even died while catching a bad guy.

At least I managed to catch him and hand him over to my colleagues, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to rest in peace.

“Well, it’s not a bad thing, right? And thanks to going around saving people, I got to taste such precious wine.”

I lightly shook the wine bottle Rute had given me.

There’s still quite a bit of wine left. I sneakily poured all the remaining alcohol into my glass.

Like a generous man, Rute watched me do this and instead of stopping me, asked one question.

“Can that wine substitute for this month’s charging fee?”

“Not a chance.”

Where do you think you’re pulling a fast one?

I stopped drinking the wine and put on a serious expression.

Rute pulled out a subspace pouch containing money from his chest with a sad face and gave it to me.

Ha, expensive wine in one hand, gold coins in the other.

This is what you call true flowers in both hands.

“Is this acceptable?”

“Very acceptable.”

I grinned broadly and downed all the remaining wine.

When Rute pulled out yet another new wine from his mysterious pouch that was definitely a portable wine warehouse, my mouth nearly split from ear to ear.

The irritation I’d built up over Count Kiris’s affairs had long since vanished without a trace.

* * *

Fortunately, Ordel’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t too weak either, as even after I demolished about three bottles of wine by myself all night, I wasn’t even tipsy, let alone drunk.

I didn’t even have a hangover when I woke up this morning.

Considering that wine tends to cause pretty severe hangovers, Ordel’s alcohol tolerance must be considerable.

That’s fortunate. I can drink to my heart’s content without worry from now on.

After that night, it became an unspoken agreement between Rute and me to meet on the balcony at 10 PM and drink together.

Thanks to this, I could relieve the stress from busy days of cleaning up Count Kiris’s messes and preparing for the dedication ceremony with nighttime drinks.

New alcohol kept coming out of Rute’s secret wine warehouse pouch without pause.

And only expensive, delicious ones at that.

It was the first time in my life that I coveted an alcohol pouch more than a money pouch.

One day, while I was spending time without much stress thanks to Rute.

Three days before the dedication ceremony, the final guests, the Hindel couple, finally arrived at the Grand Temple.

“…Welcome, Count Hindel, Countess.”

And facing them, I couldn’t help but feel tense.

“I’m truly delighted to meet again so soon, Holy Maiden.”

Mrs. Hindel smiled brightly at me.

It was still the same elegant smile as when I saw her before, but I wasn’t fooled.

“So, the damned bastard who mercilessly and brutally slapped our precious daughter’s face is here right now?”

I could clearly see the blade hidden within her elegance.

Seeing her naturally spout profanity, this must be Mrs. Hindel’s true personality.

As expected, being the real power in the family isn’t something just anyone can do.

“What nerve. To do such barbaric things to our precious daughter and then shamelessly show his face again.”

At Mrs. Hindel’s words, Monica, who was with them, nodded vigorously.

Monica, who had gone to a nearby village a few hours ago to greet her parents quickly, had told them everything on the way here.

Of course, I had instructed her to. It seemed better for them to know in advance rather than finding out after arriving.

“I did call Count Kiris, but Gail didn’t even hint at his name. That bastard just barged in on his own.”

For now, I made sure to state this clearly.

I absolutely cannot lose our precious follower.

“Of course we don’t suspect the Holy Maiden. I’m just wondering how we should deal with that bastard we met sooner than expected… That’s the kind of dilemma I’m having.”

Scary. Really scary. She’s the scariest person I’ve met since coming here.

“Ah, don’t worry. I have no intention of ruining the dedication ceremony that will announce the revival of the Sun God’s Main Temple.”

Perhaps interpreting my tense expression differently, Mrs. Hindel reassured me.

“But the journey back would have nothing to do with the Sun God’s Main Temple, would it?”

I quietly observed the Hindel couple burning with vengeance and said just one thing.

“I didn’t hear anything.”

Silence was a sign of support.

The couple smiled with satisfaction.

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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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