The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 106

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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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Fire

Uh, uh-uh-uh-uh.

No matter how curious I was about the truth and how much I wanted to know, I never expected him to drop such a bomb.

Meanwhile, his hair seemed to be neatly combed as he diligently tried to tie it up with one hand somehow.

Since he’s someone with long hair, even a man would know how to tie hair…

Yelena tried her best to think of it as nothing unusual…

‘So… the god that I believe in to some extent, and that our country passionately believes in, wants to destroy the world.’

If I asked again, he would kindly give me the same answer once more.

If it were anyone else, I would have told them not to talk nonsense, calling them a heretic or a cult member, but since it was him who said this, I had nothing to say.

‘Is he… human?’

Lately, when we’ve been together, his presence doesn’t feel human…

‘So why? Why does Lumensia want to destroy the world? How does he know this? Through what circumstances? And the reason he revealed this to me is…?’

Her neat brow furrowed. It was an expression change that he, busy touching her hair behind her, couldn’t notice.

She pressed her throbbing head with two fingers in a daze, then began earnestly pulling out questions from her complicated mind.

“Why… does Lord Lumensia want to destroy this world?”

“It’s difficult to explain.”

If the Ascetic says that, he probably won’t tell me even if I press further.

“How do you know this, Ascetic?”

“It’s difficult to explain.”

Normally, I would think ‘Then either explain it properly or don’t say anything at all…!’ but the circumstances were different now.

Those words must be coming out because he truly cannot explain.

‘Restrictions, or information I shouldn’t know right now.’

Yelena quickly caught onto that fact and changed course with a different question.

“Why did you tell me this fact?”

“Because I hope you will cooperate in sealing… or killing Lumensia.”

This is probably information I would naturally learn in the process of cooperating with the Ascetic and moving forward.

‘Don’t be impatient. I’ve resolved to become his sword.’

She reaffirmed her determination once more.

I can’t accomplish anything if I’m shaken by just this much. If I’ve decided to follow, I should put aside any wandering thoughts.

“Cooperation, you say. I’ve already resolved to become your sword and cut down enemies, yet you only hope for cooperation? Aren’t you asking too little of me?”

She turned her upper body to look at the Ascetic. Then she touched her own hair.

Her hair, which had been disheveled and in complete disarray, was now tied up high as usual.

Since the Ascetic had tied it with one hand, it was somewhat messy, but she could still feel through her hands that he had tied it earnestly.

The Ascetic seemed slightly flustered. Though he wore his usual kind and gentle smiling face, the subtle gaps in his expression made it seem so.

“Is that so? But Yelena, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. People have the freedom to choose.”

“The weak don’t have the freedom to choose. If what you said about Lord Lumensia destroying this world really happens… as someone weak, I would have no choice but to simply accept that destruction.”

“That’s correct.”

“How many people know this fact?”

“Currently, none.”

“Hmm… Not even Erendor or Kalebrin?”

The Ascetic nodded.

“Why are you keeping it secret from them? Erendor seemed to know something…”

“Because it’s not time yet.”

“I see…”

Yelena didn’t ask more and stood up abruptly.

“Then what should we do now?”

He smiled.

“You said the weak don’t have the freedom to choose, right? Then, we have no choice but to build strength. To oppose a god… we must become strong enough to rival a god.”

It sounded like chasing clouds. Honestly, from Yelena’s perspective, she wondered if he said such things easily because he wasn’t human.

‘Is he joking?’

But the Ascetic had rarely ever joked or made offhand remarks.

To kill a god, become strong enough to kill a god.

How…?

Just as Yelena was about to question this, the Ascetic spoke first.

“However, if we do that, even after several centuries pass, even until the moment of death, we wouldn’t reach Lumensia.”

It seemed he also knew that it was difficult for humans to rival gods.

“Then we just need to drag the god down.”

Becoming strong enough to rival a god. This did seem easier than that… but.

Even that seemed impossibly distant.

“How?”

“The first thing to do would be to interfere with this year’s Sunrise Festival and prevent future festivals from happening. We must stop anything that makes Lumensia stronger.”

However, the Ascetic explained that distant plan as if it were nothing.

Since Yelena had been present when he explained plans with people called Erendor and Tuba, she could understand. The Sunrise Festival currently being held in the Empire was a grand offering ceremony to Lumensia.

‘Actually… I had roughly guessed even without hearing it.’

During the Sunrise Festival, there were suspiciously many heretic reports, and they caught many heretics.

‘Human sacrifice.’

It would be the most certain act that gives the most divine power to a god.

That’s what heretics always did when you looked at them. They would try to sacrifice innocents to summon something…

“Yelena, there’s something separate for you to do.”

Something separate for me to do?

“Detain the Widow. During the festival period, please prevent her from being able to stop our unexpected actions. And please spread false information to shake her even a little.”

“Mother won’t listen to me or believe me anyway… but I’ll try once. Honestly, I’m probably the most suitable person for that job here.”

Yelena swept back the long hair that had fallen forward over her shoulder with her hand.

“Please, Yelena. If we don’t stop this festival… something terrible will happen.”

“…What do you think will happen?”

I expected him to say ‘it’s difficult to explain,’ but the Ascetic answered calmly.

“We’ll end up like Centa. We’ll incur the god’s wrath.”

“Not incur the god’s wrath by ruining the festival?”

“He’s currently conserving as much power as possible and wants to eliminate me. If we ruin the festival, he’ll certainly be angry. But since he won’t have power to use, there won’t be direct damage.”

The Ascetic’s calm gaze was strangely like gentle ripples on water.

“Rather, if the festival ends successfully, using the power gained from the festival, what people commonly call natural disasters will occur.”

Floods, earthquakes, waterspouts and such. Disasters that people commonly cannot prevent.

Disasters that easily take human lives.

“Not only natural disasters, but monster claws and demon fangs will tear people’s skin. The Human World will quickly become the Asura Realm.”

“How did a festival we should enjoy end up like this~”

Yelena sighed deeply. But she didn’t think this plan would fail. Because the Ascetic was here.

“Then I’ll go. Your assigned person has changed this time.”

Mother, who no longer trusted me, assigned another priest to him besides me.

Of course, when traveling outside the Empire, she assigned me, but when in the Empire, she assigned a 1st Grade Priest other than me.

‘Well, even if we can’t meet, the Ascetic will probably contact me through that telepathy-like thing.’

The assigned priest’s presence grows stronger. Since I came to the Ascetic’s room secretly, I should leave soon.

“See you later, then.”

Yelena left the room. Pondering how to handle the task she’d been given well.

*

I awakened a Tier 1 dealer and even gave her a Quest. It couldn’t end better than this.

“Phew.”

I flopped down on the bed. I hadn’t rested on such a soft bed recently.

I’d been constantly running around outside, eating some rancid-smelling lamb meat and living like that…

‘It’s true that I need to kill Lumensia, but it’s still good if my body is comfortable during the process!’

If I don’t take advantage like this, I won’t be able to stand it because my stomach will twist with frustration!

Right after possessing this body, I was destined to die, entered a body with no special abilities, and now I even have to kill a god.

“Life isn’t easy in either case….”

Just because I enjoyed playing games on hard content didn’t mean I wanted to live life on hard content mode.

Life should be on easy mode, story mode, or beginner mode.

Knock knock knock.

A polite knocking sound came from outside the door.

It’s probably a new priest to monitor me.

‘Manipulating one priest is nothing special.’

Actually, it’s harder to manipulate someone without faith. With those who have faith, I can redirect that devotion to me… but if they have no faith at all or believe in folk religions like Cardil, it becomes difficult.

Even when the new priest came, I showed no fear or discomfort and greeted him neatly.

“Hello, I’ve brought your meal.”

The priest who brought the meal tray was an elegant and neat-looking man. With short hair and very ordinary features, he looked like the epitome of a priest.

“Thank you, Brother.”

He’s definitely different from Cardil. I didn’t know priests of the same profession could be so different.

He really looked like a priest of the sun who would serve the sun.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Of course. Thanks to the concern of my Brothers and Sisters and Neighbors, I feel more energetic than before.”

“That’s fortunate to hear. Today’s meal is lamb stew and wheat bread. I apologize for the modest meal.”

What? Lamb and wheat bread is modest? If you’ve never had to hunt monsters and make stew from monster meat because you had no food, you can’t call this modest!

‘High positions really are nice~ This kind of thing comes out as a regular meal.’

I smiled and started wagging my silver tongue again.

“Modest? How could I call a meal blessed by the sun modest? I’m simply grateful to have food to eat today.”

I wonder if he’s ever eaten lamb that was so smelly and tough he could die, just because there was no rice. He doesn’t know how grateful this almost modern-style meal is.

‘Indeed, what’s needed to enjoy this life isn’t justice or anything like that, but fame, wealth, and power…!’

If someone asked if I wasn’t ashamed after spouting off to Yelena for so long….

Yes! I’m not ashamed!

Yelena’s pursuit is the middle path of helping the weak! Mine is the selfishness of taking care of my own safety and life!

‘If there’s Yelena, there should be selfish people like me too~’

I thought this while eating deliciously.

“When you finish eating, please ring the bell here.”

Pointing to the bell he brought with the meal tray, the priest left the room. He probably went out so I could have a comfortable meal….

Yelena, who was assigned as my monitor, ate meals with me though. Was there really a need to go out like that? His expression seemed somewhat uncomfortable too…. Ah.

‘I forgot to control the pressure….’

I was so happy from wagging my tongue at Yelena and the meal that I forgot about Divine Aura Control.

It felt like continuously holding down the shift key, so sometimes I’d lift my finger, and the priest must have felt uncomfortable being around me during that timing.

‘Wait, my control wasn’t that bad though?’

I pondered while chewing the stew.

‘There are many roots connected to me. The amount of nutrients coming in, that is, the amount of faith, has also increased. Just like Lumensia becomes stronger the more people believe in him…. I’ve become stronger too.’

Clatter.

I put down my utensils.

‘Unlike handling skills or sacred relics, my body and abilities themselves are just…. like a god.’

I’m becoming non-human.

‘Then does that mean it’s possible to live forever young, handsome, excellent, and healthy…!?’

Good things are good things. Since there are no particularly bad changes other than good physical changes, it’s fine.

After the meal was rest time. It had been so long since I had rest that I thought I’d take some sweet sleep….

Clunk.

There was a clanking sound from the window right next to me. If it were the old me, I would have passed it off with ‘Oh my, the wind is really blowing hard hahaha,’ but I don’t have such careless thoughts anymore.

‘This feeling is….’

It was one of those most closely connected to me with very solid roots.

Clunk.

Abundant blonde hair came down from the ceiling. I thought it was a ghost.

“My God…!”

A familiar presence.

It was Celestia Evergrace’s surprise visit.

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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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