The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 109

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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

I tensed up. Generally, when someone starts with words like that, what follows isn’t good.

“I received an invitation to a place called… the Banquet Hall.”

What?

‘There’s no particular reason for Teacher to invite Alderion….’

Alderion calmly began his story.

“They said that having served as a family close to the Ascetic was sufficient qualification to enter the Banquet Hall…. However, since my qualifications were ambiguous, wouldn’t it be better to stay as a guest for now and later earn a proper seat in the Banquet Hall once I achieve something definitive.”

Alderion going to the Banquet Hall…. Of course, it would be good to plant my limbs there, but as Teacher knows, Alderion is my believer.

There’s no reason to specifically invite such a person to the Banquet Hall.

‘Unless the benefits gained from inviting him are significant.’

The Banquet Hall holds high prestige among noble families. There are those who would do anything to get into the Banquet Hall.

If a marquis house enters the Banquet Hall, their prestige would grow even more….

I naturally thought Alderion was going to tell me he was sorry for entering the Banquet Hall without seeking my permission.

“But I declined.”

“Hm?”

I blinked. Alderion tried not to look at my empty sleeve and continued speaking.

“There was no reason for the Banquet Hall to specifically call me there. If they called me because of the Ascetic’s influence, then they must have called me to use me to undermine the Ascetic.”

Though Alderion was like a figurehead who couldn’t properly utilize his marquis title and rarely attended social gatherings, making him a voluntary outcast in noble circles, he was surprisingly well-versed in such political games.

“No matter how I thought about it, I believed they intended to use me to pierce through the Ascetic. So I declined… but if the Ascetic needs it, I’ll request to enter again.”

“It’s fine. In the Banquet Hall… I have someone whose face I know.”

Only then did Alderion seem relieved and smiled.

“Is that so? Then that’s fortunate.”

The status the Banquet Hall holds in the Empire is tremendous.

It’s like the high-end social clubs of American universities…. Once you enter, you pull and push each other up.

Families that can’t enter are left behind. Naturally.

Where national policies are decided, national projects also happen actively, and if you can’t get a spoon in there, you just remain a mediocre family and get discarded as an unnecessary card during the next conquest war.

But according to the Young Lady this time, the Banquet Hall’s arrangement has changed significantly, so most families can’t even set foot in there.

Alderion’s guts were reevaluated for kicking away the opportunity to enter such a place because it ‘might harm me.’

Alderion, who used to whine about monsters, surprisingly had talent in this area.

“I think Alderion is doing well now and will continue to do well. Please, for everyone’s sake. For a world without suffering, I hope you’ll keep up your strength.”

I extended my only remaining arm to pat his shoulder.

“For a world without suffering, I will dedicate this body.”

Alderion showed noble-like resolute determination. I smiled and nodded.

‘He’ll handle things on his own anyway. I don’t have time to worry more about Alderion. He’s not a unit that becomes more useful just by taking him around….’

Though he became a sturdy tanker and dealer through monsterization, his basic magic and combat skills were mediocre.

He can’t even go out under sunlight and takes more damage from divine power, so he’s not that useful as a combat unit.

Rather, it might be different if I use his family’s prestige for social gatherings or politics like this.

Since I have tier 1 dealers like Yelena, Kalebrin, Cardil, and Celestia, there’s no need to drag around this delicately raised Marquis too.

“I hope Brother Alderion will do his best in Alderion’s position. I will also do my best in my position.”

*

After stopping by House Alderion, the place I went to was the Healing Center in Astrapolis.

“Brother Cardil, it’s been a long time. Have you been well?”

Cardil first blinked, then looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

“Ascetic…?”

“Yes, the Empire’s Ascetic has returned.”

“No. What, what.”

Cardil hesitated in confusion, then walked toward me with quick steps. Then he quickly felt around the missing arm area.

“This can’t be…. The rumors were true?”

“Hmm…. Brother Cardil?”

“Someone like you lost an arm?”

“The circumstances were unfavorable, so it happened.”

“Someone who sends back even dying corpses and those who lost limbs completely healed….”

Since Cardil combined doctor duties with his priest role, he seemed unable to believe that I had lost an arm so easily.

That’s why he probably treated the story about me losing an arm and saving Centa as mere rumor.

Cardil was even the first person to witness a miracle, wasn’t he? It would be hard to believe that someone who could save a half-dead person spilling their guts with a single touch suddenly lost an arm.

“After all, calculating one’s own suffering and others’ suffering is different.”

He’s a healing mage versed in magic. Though he’s a priest class, he doesn’t handle divine power.

The way he operates power is completely different from me, who truly gains the authority of holy relics and saves people’s lives through God’s miracles.

He tilted his head as if he didn’t understand, but didn’t ask further.

Rather than believing that I deliberately can’t regenerate my arm, it would be more plausible to believe that I can’t regenerate such major losses on myself.

“I was concerned that I couldn’t visit the Healing Center after entering the Empire.”

“It’s running well. I don’t know why, but support has increased a lot too.”

Hmm. Support increased. That’s good news.

Since it’s a healing center made under my name, those who receive treatment here and leave will trust me more.

Cardil rubbed his tired face several times. For performance purposes, I deliberately approached him and lightly touched him with one hand to boost his condition.

The deeply set dark circles didn’t disappear with just that, but his complexion looked somewhat better.

“I heard you’re operating while also studying magic, so that’s why you look so tired. I hope you don’t overwork yourself.”

“Yes…. Well. I’m managing moderately on my own.”

“How is your magic study with Sister Celestia going?”

“Yes. I’m… learning well, they say, but I get scolded more often.”

Given Celestia’s personality, she probably scratched at Cardil’s temper by saying ‘Why can’t you do this?’ so I could guess what happened without needing to hear it.

“She said I’m above average, but that brat of a teacher isn’t satisfied, so the tutoring seems endless.”

Cardil spoke with an annoyed expression.

“What’s more, they say I have no magical affinity…. That’s the current problem.”

“…?”

No affinity?

As I blinked, Cardil briefly explained.

“So magic has… simply put, fire, water, lightning, darkness, light…. roughly these affinities. You find the affinity that suits you best and delve deeply into just that.”

I see. As a player, magic just came out with a click, so I didn’t know.

‘It’s similar to college majors.’

Cardil continued explaining while organizing bandages.

“Everyone has affinities. At least one, at most several…. That damn brat hasn’t been learning magic long but has five affinities. Annoying.”

Since Celestia was born with Archmage qualities. Not feeling inferior to someone younger than himself rather proved his character.

“But I don’t have a matching affinity. I’m… non-attribute.”

“What should you do in that case?”

Cardil, who could become a tier 1 dealer, can’t stop at tier 1.5 here…!

I asked with such earnest feelings, but Cardil just stared blankly with a stupid face and shrugged.

“Who knows?”

Who knows? Whooo knoooows???

‘What do I do if the healing mage can’t grow when I need to fight God!’

Should I do some experience farming? No, isn’t this the type where you need to receive a job quest to acquire skills?

Now that it’s reality, I don’t know what to do. Generally in mobile games, you use breakthrough or awakening systems to raise grades.

“The brat said she’d try to find a method, but seeing nothing’s come up so far, I might just be a special case.”

Just calling Celestia ‘the brat’ showed not a grain of respect for his teacher.

No, maybe he just has a bad personality and talks like this on purpose.

Cardil organized the box of collected bandages and clapped his hands together to dust them off.

“Still, I can handle healing arts, offense, and defense without problems, so it’s fine.”

Cardil currently lacked ambition.

So he’s satisfied with that current state.

‘That won’t do.’

A tier 1 dealer, someone I need to take to Ragnarok, the world-ending final Quest, can’t be satisfied staying there.

You must grow more.

My head rang with a throbbing sound. It wasn’t me. But it was ‘my’…

‘I think this is the first time I’ve agreed with those things inside me.’

I didn’t go against their opinion and aligned with it.

“Do you know how Lord Austin Gerard is doing?”

“Austin…? Why are you suddenly asking about Austin?”

“I asked because Cardil seemed close to Lord Austin.”

Cardil made a suspicious expression before gently shaking his head. His grayish-blue hair, grown longer than when I last saw him, swayed gracefully.

“It’s been a while since I heard any news. We weren’t really the type to keep in touch asking after each other anyway. If something happened, he’d contact me on his own.”

“What if he’s in a state where he can’t contact you?”

“…What?”

Cardil’s expression, which always looked drowsy and tired throughout the seasons, hardened stiffly.

“What is it? What kind of situation are you talking about?”

Seeing him react like this, that guy must be quite precious to him? That’s fortunate…

At least I should be able to use Austin Gerard to restore his motivation for improvement.

‘This is all for Cardil’s sake.’

I covered my lower jaw with my remaining hand.

“Lord Austin Gerard seems to be in great trouble. However… since it’s the kind of matter I can’t handle myself, I thought to inform Brother Cardil.”

“Great trouble, what do you mean… How much trouble could the Lion Heart Knight Commander be in?”

“He’s being controlled.”

“What did you say?”

Cardil’s stiffly hardened expression became distorted.

Yes, they were comrades, so it’s natural he’d cherish that bond.

Cardil growled.

“What kind of bastard is it?”

“But if I tell you, Cardil will be in danger.”

How disgusting. The very fact that I’m saying such things is utterly revolting. As Yelena said, those without power, the weak, have no choice but to resort to such cunning and petty tricks.

If only I could cheerfully smash all enemies’ heads with a single swing of an axe.

Just as I was missing Erendor and Yelena’s martial arts, Cardil stepped closer to me.

A desperate expression. A scent like bitter licorice brushed past my nose. Along with it, the sweet emotion of ‘earnestness’ that God desires most wafted gently.

“If Cardil develops his martial arts further here, he might be able to save Sir Gerard. However, if he goes to save Sir Gerard in his current state, it will only result in a dog’s death.”

“Ascetic!”

Cardil shouted angrily. But I wasn’t intimidated either. If my spirit could be crushed by something like this, it would have been buried in a grave long ago.

I erased my smile and sternly rebuked him with a stern expression.

“I will not tell you Sir Gerard’s information.”

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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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