The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 10

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

Fire

I put on my robe, pulling it up over my head, and revisited Cardil’s cabin in what anyone would consider suspicious attire.

As I approached the cabin, I could see Cardil outside.

He appeared to be smoking. I wondered if it was okay for someone who was both a doctor and a priest to smoke.

“…You came?”

Cardil didn’t lash out or get angry like when I first arrived, but simply greeted me in a very foul mood.

When he saw my face, he crushed out his cigarette with his hand. His skin didn’t look particularly thick, so I wondered how he could do such a thing. That seemed more mysterious than magic.

I thought we might go in together, but he wasn’t the type to enter while reeking of smoke around patients, so it seemed he would air out the smell before coming in.

Since it would take a while, I gave him a slight greeting and entered the cabin first.

“Let us see the Ascetic!”

“My child is sick!”

“Please, please look at the pregnant woman… I beg you…!”

Despite having treated everyone in the cabin yesterday and sent them home, Cardil’s cabin was once again overflowing with patients and trauma patients.

There were so many people, including guardians who came with the patients, that it was no different from a market street.

Cardil’s foul mood was probably due to the difficult patients.

‘Word must have gotten out.’

Roughly… a saint had appeared who could heal just by touching with mysterious power.

But that person was an ascetic… and a god… anyway, praising him completely cured incurable diseases!

It seemed rumors had spread with that kind of feeling.

‘I should start controlling their tongues soon.’

Originally, I had planned to watch the situation a bit more and spread rumors enough to attract all the patients in Astrapolis.

‘More people came than I expected.’

If the rumors spread further, citizens who heard this would report it to the Central Church, and I would immediately be dragged to the Central Church for heresy trials.

Then the guillotine would be certain.

I didn’t want to experience having my head separated with a guillotine set up in the plaza.

‘I need to control their tongues.’

As if the purpose was to show me this scene, Cardil entered the cabin and rubbed his tired face several times before speaking.

“Please do something… They refuse my treatment, saying the Ascetic must heal them.”

His voice had a slight mix of irritation and annoyance, but this time it was within an understandable range.

“I apologize. Those who suffer sometimes act impatiently. I apologize on their behalf.”

When I bowed in apology, the pure white hair hidden in my hood cascaded down like a waterfall. When I raised my head, Cardil made a strange expression and waved his hands dismissively.

“The apology is unnecessary… I don’t know where they heard the rumors, but even people who can’t walk came here in the middle of the night. Honestly, it’s beyond what I can handle…”

Cardil’s voice carried deep helplessness.

It was a natural feeling, if you think about it.

With his abilities, he could have made considerable money and received much better treatment, but he was wandering around the Empire treating patients alone to heal people.

Cardil had a bad personality, but he was still a young man with good character. He was a genuine doctor whose feelings for patients were real.

“Oh my… I understand. Brother, you’ve worked hard.”

Cardil made a disgusted expression as if he really didn’t like my behavior, but I couldn’t stop acting like a cult leader.

I had no choice but to survive! Do you think I want to do this kind of thing!

[system: If believers remain at ’12’ after 00:30 minutes, gradual physical collapse will begin.]

It seemed one more person believed during the rumor-spreading process, so I could skip one penalty since then…

But in 30 minutes, another self-harm threat show would unfold.

But it was okay. My future believers were here!

I moved toward the inside of the cabin.

I had only walked slowly while wearing a deep robe hood, but I could feel the gazes of those writhing in pain and even the guardians making a fuss all focusing on me.

“If the living writhe in pain, I cannot help but listen to those pitiful souls.”

I removed my robe hood. My white hair flowed down over my shoulders with good texture.

A kind smile and composure. That alone was enough.

[system: If believers remain at ’13’ after 01:30 minutes, gradual physical collapse will begin.]

Oh, it seems someone else believed in the meantime.

“Ascetic! I brought the sick! Then, then I can receive the sun’s grace in the afterlife, right…?”

A woman prostrated herself and spoke.

‘Who is this…?’

Ah, she was a patient I treated yesterday.

I gently placed my hand on her bowed head.

“Yes, thank you. My abilities are still humble, so I cannot yet walk to all people in the Empire.”

The woman seemed moved by my touch, clasping her hands together and bowing her head. Performance is important.

Incitement and brainwashing require appropriate performance.

I slowly moved toward the sickbed.

Someone lying sick without even groaning was clearly here due to illness, so it seemed I could do something about it.

“Now… it’s time to awaken.”

I drew upon the Sacred Relic Power.

Golden light burst through the gaps between my fingers touching the forehead. Warm heat swept past everyone.

“Ugh…”

The person under my hand trembled and opened green eyes. The gaunt black-haired woman’s lips twitched.

“She, she’s awake!”

“I thought she would die…”

The people in the cabin who were watching this scene murmured.

Cardil, perhaps having gotten used to it since seeing it yesterday, was helping treat the woman who had just awakened.

‘Huh… this feels like I’m treating Cardil as a lackey…?’

I’d have to fix this later too. It would be troublesome if Cardil got upset, and if he couldn’t find his usefulness here, he might just leave.

I knelt, clasped my hands once, then spoke to those who bowed their heads.

“I am a being who has descended to this earth again, given the mission to bestow mercy upon the living. Everyone here today will be able to walk on their own legs and cross that threshold.”

“Ooh… Ascetic…”

“However, to bestow this mercy, I need your help.”

I slightly erased my smile and spoke pleadingly with a serious expression.

“Yes, the help of all of you here.”

A divine being. Someone absolute enough to solve everything.

Someone who is always relaxed and smiling desperately asks for ‘your’ help with a hardened expression?

This is unavoidable… human psychology, you see.

Someone who didn’t need my help saved me. They rescued me from the River of Death without taking any payment.

But now that person asks for help.

Then how many people would refuse to help?

Especially when it’s not just anyone saying this.

‘Probably… most will follow me.’

Like the merchant who shed tears yesterday.

[system: If believers remain at ’15’ after 02:20 minutes, gradual physical collapse will begin.]

Looking at the system window, I could see that believers had increased since earlier.

“Please keep this miracle secret from the Central Church Members. It may be shameless after saying that yesterday, but… the day it’s discovered that I’m performing such miracles, I’ll be branded a heretic.”

I could see people’s expressions.

Faces showing their individual desires and emotions looked at me.

“The Brothers in the Central Church won’t listen to me. Already… if that happens, more people will suffer, and I will return to the light…”

I could hear the sound of people inhaling among the crowd.

“That cannot happen…! My holy mission is to save the living from suffering…! To fulfill that will, I need your help!”

“I’ll help you!”

“I’ll help! I can do it!”

“Waaah!!!”

The highly excited atmosphere showed no signs of cooling down.

I put on that familiar smile of mine.

“Thank you, everyone. However, even if they’re from the Central Church, please bring the sick to me. If they experience a miracle firsthand, they too can become our brothers.”

“Understood!”

The fact that I, who appeared just yesterday, was receiving more fanatical support than Cardil, who had devotedly maintained this hut, was truly…

It gave me a subtle feeling.

“And please also give thanks to Brother Cardil here. Brother Cardil devoted himself wholeheartedly to caring for everyone here and tending to the sick even before I arrived.”

“…What?”

Cardil asked back with a reluctant tone. But even his voice was drowned out by countless applause and cheers.

“Oh, no…”

“Thank you!”

“Thank you, Brother!”

Things are flowing according to plan.

Cardil reluctantly received the thanks. But he didn’t look too displeased, which made me feel pleased as well.

I slowly walked again and used the Sacred Relic on another person lying on a sickbed.

Like the person from before, like the one who had risen from the sickbed yesterday, the patient opened their eyes.

I spoke to them in a kind voice.

“Brother, good morning.”

“Ah… are… are you… an… an angel…?”

Hmm, an angel.

It was such an unexpected answer that I was momentarily speechless.

“Haha… An angel, you say.”

Before I could answer, someone nearby spoke with overwhelming emotion.

“No! He’s an Ascetic and a God! How dare you speak such blasphemy!”

“…?”

“….”

I had deliberately set things up this way, but… I didn’t expect their loyalty to be this high.

The person who had just awakened and couldn’t even grasp the situation continued speaking haltingly.

“Then… is this the… the Underworld…?”

Cardil interjected.

“No. This is a Temporary Relief Center. That person over there brought you here last night after hearing that diseases could be cured.”

The person who had interrupted my words seemed to be this patient’s Guardian.

When I gave Cardil a look, he began treating those who had awakened on his own.

In fact, even though I had purified the disease, their bodies that had been consumed by illness hadn’t recovered, so Cardil’s treatment was necessary.

Yesterday too, Cardil was truly a useful Assistant.

External injuries and aftercare to him, patients I purify and convert into believers.

Isn’t this an absolutely sweet deal? At this rate, rather than visiting Noble Estates for healing, just checking in at Cardil’s Cabin for 2 weeks would be sufficient.

‘Of course, treating these worthless people won’t even serve as a shield.’

Still, early believers were important.

[Believers: 19 people]

I had already gathered 19 people.

With a proud heart, I placed my hand on the patient’s forehead and drew out the Sacred Relic Power, and seeing this scene, one more believer was added.

Then a fanfare sounded and a system window filled my vision.

[system: If believers remain at ’20 people’ after 12:20 minutes, physical collapse will begin in stages.]

[20 believers achieved!]

[Additional believer reward: 10 Points]

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