The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 117

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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

Going back in time to the day before the festival on the 2nd day of the Dawn Festival.

Wolf dragged his unhealthy body along, pulling the Smiling Man behind him.

The destination was the secret shelter of the ‘Widow’, his employer and master.

The Smiling Man still hadn’t awakened. Perhaps recovery would take time.

Even though the Widow had given him an extra ‘life’, he still hadn’t opened his eyes.

‘We failed.’

An absurd situation had occurred where they failed in their mission to assassinate the Sorceress, Kalebrin.

‘I made a mistake….’

That Sorceress looked like she would die with one more hit after being revived, but the two comrades who came after her were troublesome.

He could tell without even crossing hands with them. Those two were no easy opponents.

They were strong enough that even if he and the Smiling Man fought together in perfect condition, victory couldn’t be guaranteed.

He didn’t know how such strong fighters knew about this attack and came at just the right time, but what mattered was that they had ‘failed’ the mission.

They had received a mission and failed at it. That was all. The process didn’t matter. Only the fact that they had failed was important.

Whether variables interfered or the target was stronger than expected…. Combat was about dealing with ever-changing variables.

Whether that response was successful or not ultimately depended on the assassins’ skills.

When he opened the door, there was a man he’d never seen before. But he knew it was the Widow.

Because he was connected to her.

Step.

The Widow, who had been sitting at the dark table, stood up and approached.

Unlike the small-framed Widow, this was a tall, well-built figure who looked like a refined noble.

A middle-aged man with dignified features. His slightly pinkish eyes looked out of place.

“My lovely spiders returning defeated like toothless guard dogs after such a beating. How very disappointing.”

Until they approached the target, he had thought it would be a trivial fight.

Though that was a grave miscalculation.

“I have nothing to say.”

Wolf spoke cleanly and threw the Smiling Man into the shelter.

“You said she was a Sorceress, but he stupidly took the hit and still can’t get up. He’s covered in curses….”

He knelt down. Then he turned the Smiling Man’s face this way and that as he lay sprawled on the floor.

Wavy ebony hair fell over his bowed head.

“Coming back unable to handle even one young Sorceress between the two of you, how ashamed you must have been? You probably don’t want to live. You’ve lived as assassins for half the Empire’s history.”

She was definitely neither a Sorceress nor a Mage. Yet she wielded strange power and could give or take life like a God.

“So it would be merciful to let you go here.”

The Smiling Man was nothing more or less than a partner to him.

The tactic of providing mid-range cover and neutralizing opponents with poison.

Honestly, it wasn’t a method he particularly liked, but there was no one else suitable to accompany him.

Whether he lived or died didn’t matter.

Wolf prostrated himself before him and couldn’t lift his head.

At some point, he had risen and approached, kneeling again in front of him and grasping his face with his hands.

“What do you think? You and he were long-time partners, so I’m asking. How about it, should I kill him like this…. or give him one more chance? Choose.”

I thought briefly and answered him.

“One more time…. Please give him a chance. It’s been nearly a hundred years since we first encountered the Sorceress kind, so our response was delayed.”

“No excuses needed. What was the cause of defeat?”

“The Sorceress…. used some trick to draw out power greater than her own.”

“Sorcery has great irregularity. And accordingly great risks. It would have been good to know how a Sorceress on the brink of death might change.”

“I’m sorry. It’s a lack of skill.”

“I’m personally fond of you. You listen well and don’t say useless things. Unlike this one sprawled here….”

There was the sound of rustling clothes. He had stood up and was looking down at the Smiling Man.

“Since it’s your request, shall I let him live one more time? He’s just a 70-year-old Eighth Leg, but…. right now every bit of strength is precious.”

He stroked his hair. It was the usual stroking, but it always felt unpleasant.

He had no loyalty to the Widow. But she gave him life and let him live, and would kill him if he disobeyed orders, so he simply followed.

He looked down at the Smiling Man with cold eyes.

“Kheureok!”

The man’s chest, which had been motionless with a broken neck, swelled greatly.

As his stopped breathing burst out roughly, violent coughing followed.

“Cough, kek, keheok…. Kek, cough!”

Dark red blood that had flowed back from inside his body dirtied the floor.

As if the shelter’s darkness was meaningless, beast eyes gazed indifferently at that gruesome scene.

There was always a proper price to pay for a life to return.

Probably right now somewhere in the Empire, one of Lumensia’s Believers had died without knowing why.

“Widow….”

“Good evening, Eighth Leg. You failed spectacularly.”

“I have no excuse….”

“After 70 years of killing people, to be defeated by a Sorceress just beginning to know her own power, how humiliating it must have been.”

The Smiling Man slowly raised his body. Broken bones mended and muscles reassembled with ominous cracking sounds.

“I’ll give you a chance to repay that humiliation with your own hands.”

“Merciful Widow, thank you. Then should I now hunt the Sorceress, Kalebrin?”

He shook his head.

“Kill Erendor. Something seems off about him.”

“Erendor, you mean….”

“One of the mercenaries who contracted with me…. For some reason, the contract doesn’t seem to be working well. It would be good if you could also retrieve the precious thing I gave as advance payment.”

He took out a paper from inside his coat and handed it over. It was an information sheet similar to a wanted poster with a description.

“What precious thing do you mean…?”

“The Philosopher’s Stone. I gave that as advance payment. Thanks to that, I thought I was safe with a strong contract…. but he seems to use quite clever tricks.”

The Widow handed over another paper. Information about the Philosopher’s Stone.

“I thought he was a battle maniac with muscles for brains, but he’s smarter than expected.”

The Widow said this and that. Anyway, he couldn’t reveal it to others, and if he tried anything foolish, she could take our lives with just the thought ‘I’ll kill you.’ There was no need to be careful with words.

To us, she was God. It would be strange for God to be careful with words to her creations.

“Of course, Erendor is different from a novice Sorceress…. I’ll attach one more Seventh Leg. Go to this place and make contact.”

The Smiling Man couldn’t break his habit and started being cheeky again.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen a Seventh Leg~! Has it been 32 years?”

The middle-aged man who had been smiling gently listened quietly to that sound, then gave a deadly warning.

“If you make a mistake this time too…. there won’t be a second chance.”

“Yes, yes! Of course~! I’ll definitely succeed!”

Wolf just nodded silently.

Kill the guy called Erendor. That was the only way to survive.

*

Alderion opened his eyes.

He had been diligently attending social gatherings to build relationships, and since there would be work at the ballroom after the Dawn Festival, he was staying at a hotel in the capital on purpose.

So even if the room’s structure changed slightly, he thought the Servant would have taken care of it.

But….

“Did I…. sleep in my coat?”

Since changing to his special constitution, his physical condition had never gotten that bad, but somehow his body felt stiff and sore as if he hadn’t slept well.

What had I done the night before? But no matter how much he thought about it, nothing came to mind.

“…I must have had some nightmare I don’t remember.”

Alderion decided to just think of it that way and let it pass.

*

The citizens of this fantasy new nation, who had risen early in the morning, were eagerly awaiting only the Sacred Fire Relay Ceremony that would take place during today’s solar eclipse.

During the time of the solar eclipse. People make wishes for each other, or for themselves, and conclude with the words ‘May Lumensia’s blessing accompany us to Paradise!’

Originally, I know that solar eclipses don’t happen every year and take roughly 18 years, but this is truly fitting for a fantasy world.

Ever since learning there’s a sun god who’s trying to destroy the world, I gave up trying to understand the physical laws of this world. It’s not like I’m a science major anyway.

If an astronomer had been possessed into this other world, they would have fainted, but unfortunately I’m a sociology major. Though I did minor in social work…

Kalebrin still hadn’t woken up. I was anxious about leaving her at the lodging like this, so I assigned Yelena to stay with her before coming out.

Anyway, I probably won’t need my escort anymore.

Most things can’t get through because they’re blocked by Defense, and I have decent fire resistance too. I can even partially resurrect even if my head gets blown off.

‘Though I do have to sacrifice memories and various other things as payment… but being alive is something.’

I received more thorough grooming than usual and appeared before the public in the appearance of a benevolent Saint.

“Good morning, on this blessed morning as the sun rises, may God’s Divine Grace reach all of our Paradise.”

Applause filled the air.

I can sense Teacher’s presence from far away. More turbulent, sticky, and dark than usual… a disturbed aura.

Could there be some change of heart happening?

“I hope that all of you will engrave God’s light in your hearts during today’s glorious Sacred Fire Relay Ceremony. The Sacred Fire is not simply God’s flame, but a symbol of the Divine Mercy, patience, and unwavering faith that God has bestowed upon us.”

Teacher in the distance, veiled and sitting cross-legged, watching me with boredom.

“When that flame crosses the streets, let it burn away the greed and fear within us, and instead embrace God’s love for one another.”

Let’s not be conscious of it. Teacher won’t be able to handle this situation.

“When the Sacred Fire reaches its destination, it will not merely be the end of a ritual, but the beginning of new faith. Today, I pray that God’s fire will illuminate your steps and purify your hearts.”

Applause erupted once again. I stepped back. Then the Cardinal came forward and led the people.

“Now! Welcome the honorable Sacred Fire! This flame is God’s Divine Grace, and the lantern that illuminates all of our faith. Let the chosen one step forward without fear and carry the Sacred Fire. Today, this relay will prove all of our faith!”

From far away, a carriage carrying a large flame circled the plaza once as if performing.

It was like Phaethon’s solar carriage from Greek mythology. The carriage was luminous and three pure White Horses were powerfully pulling the carriage.

The surroundings buzz with murmurs.

“Hm? What’s happening over there.”

I, who had stepped back, asked as if nothing was wrong.

“Has there been some accident with the carriage?”

The Cardinal answered with displeasure.

“The horses won’t move, you see. Hmm, perhaps they’re excited because of the large crowd…”

Originally, if you’re going to cause an incident, it’s only meaningful to do it where there are many people.

Crash-!

The Clock Tower beside the plaza collapsed with flames.

The culprit who destroyed the Clock Tower fell from the air and shouted with a booming voice as if amplified by something.

“I’ve come to steal the Sacred Fire! Damn Empire bastards!”

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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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