The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 122

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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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Chapter 122

 

“Sernuan Lumiere!”

 

If you’re going to imitate someone, at least copy their speech patterns properly.

 

‘Alderion calls me Ascetic. He would never just call me by my name.’

 

Tap tap.

 

Alderion, who had approached at some point, tapped my shoulder as he greeted me.

 

‘Alderion doesn’t treat me casually. He acts restless as if I’m more noble than him, so he wouldn’t touch me carelessly.’

 

When I stiffened up, Alderion tilted his head while wearing his mask.

 

“Is there some problem?”

 

Though it was a mask that didn’t cover the lower face, I couldn’t smile.

 

I removed Teacher’s hand that was resting on my shoulder.

 

“Teacher. This kind of prank isn’t funny.”

 

“….”

 

Alderion smiled, his pink eyes crinkling.

 

“How did you figure it out?”

 

“Get out of that body.”

 

Perhaps reflecting my emotions, an invisible energy rippled around me. The knights serving as escorts for the nobles flinched.

 

“Shh, you’re causing a disturbance.”

 

“….”

 

I shouldn’t have been worrying about Antonio. Antonio had many people around him and plenty of available manpower.

 

Kalebrin too… she’s at Harmony, so she’s fine.

 

Cardil is still a Bishop of the Central Church. He has many acquaintances.

 

Celestia is making a name for herself as the material to become the next Archmage. If such a person changed overnight, it would surely cause an uproar.

 

But what about Alderion?

 

My connection with him would appear no different from other noble houses, but Teacher wouldn’t see it that way.

 

Alderion doesn’t keep attendants and has an extremely narrow circle of relationships. Yet being a marquis, he has plenty of power, land, and wealth to utilize.

 

Just as I found him convenient to use, Teacher must have found him convenient too.

 

Since I’m Teacher’s student… our ways of thinking are bound to be similar.

 

I even failed to pay attention to Alderion.

 

I was busy with various matters, and Alderion was getting by well on his own.

 

Even though he spent time bedridden and contracted an incurable disease where demonization progressed and he couldn’t go out under sunlight, he’s still the marquis of a marquis house over 40 years old.

 

Since he possessed all the qualities a marquis should have, I just paid a little less attention to him.

 

Teacher slipped through that gap and took Alderion away.

 

‘Why didn’t I think of that sooner…’

 

As I stood still with Alderion in the middle of the ballroom, various gazes gathered on us.

 

“If you have something to discuss with me, how about we do it later? Ascetic? Many eyes are on us. I suppose this is inevitable for the popular stars of the ballroom.”

 

Despite it being a masquerade ball, there were quite a few who recognized me, the Empire’s Saint, and Marquis Alderion, who hadn’t shown himself for a while.

 

“What do you think those two are talking about?”

 

“Something about the atmosphere over there seems different.”

 

“They might be discussing national policy, so let’s gather some information…”

 

“That mask’s insignia… isn’t that the Marquis House that’s been focusing on social gatherings lately?”

 

Smile. I need to smile for now… if I want to survive.

 

I put on my usual smile.

 

“I see. Since there are many people around, it would be better to talk a little later.”

 

“How about we each handle our roles and then watch the fireworks together?”

 

“Let’s do that then.”

 

We parted ways to fulfill our respective ‘roles’.

 

Alderion went to actively engage in social activities to elevate the Marquis House’s name once again.

 

I too harbored the ambition of establishing a new religion, and disappeared into the crowd to lay the foundation for it.

 

While I held champagne in one hand and conversed with people, my thoughts continued endlessly.

 

Why did Teacher take over Alderion’s body?

 

Since when had Teacher taken over Alderion’s body?

 

First, when I saw him before, I didn’t sense Teacher’s aura, so it must have been him originally.

 

When I was in Centa, Teacher was also wearing Austin Gerard’s body.

 

‘Teacher came to me in Austin Gerard’s body to give memories to me who had lost my memory, or more precisely, to me who had no memories of Sernuan Lumiere… But that was only brief.’

 

“Ascetic.”

 

‘Since Austin Gerard was in Centa, to use that… How does Teacher use such abilities in the first place?’

 

“…Ascetic?”

 

‘Why didn’t I think I would suffer the same fate when I saw Teacher using Austin Gerard’s body? Was I being complacent?’

 

“Ascetic…!”

 

“Ah.”

 

I blinked my eyes. The Young Lady had been standing in front of me calling my name for who knows how long.

 

“What were you thinking about so deeply?”

 

“Haha… I was thinking about how splendid this ball is. The food is delicious too. I got distracted by that for a moment. I apologize.”

 

The Young Lady wearing a pink frilled mask adorned with flowers and gems looked like a doll.

 

An old-fashioned doll with large eyes and curly blonde hair.

 

Since she was wearing a voluminous dress for the ballroom, it made her look even more like one.

 

“You look tired, so would you like to take a garden stroll with me? You’ve been with people continuously since earlier, so you look exhausted.”

 

The Young Lady requested to have a brief conversation.

 

“Do I? How embarrassing. The truth is, I’m not used to occasions like this.”

 

“Befitting your title as Ascetic, you’re always out caring for the injured and sick, so that’s understandable. The exit is over there.”

 

I went outside with the Young Lady’s escort.

 

The garden behind the mansion was lit with colorful lanterns. The well-landscaped garden was beautiful.

 

Unlike Centa, there were perfectly trimmed and sculpted trees and flowers that bloomed without error… We walked through them for a while.

 

“So what did you want to talk about, Young Lady?”

 

“It’s about the Widow. I think I’ve caught her tail. It’s a small token of gratitude for healing my father.”

 

“I believe the information fee was already paid when you told me that Harmony was trying to attack me last time…”

 

The Young Lady spoke while looking at the garden flowers.

 

“I want to get along well with you. That’s why. And the person who would make the best use of this information… seems like you, Ascetic.”

 

The Young Lady walked ahead of me, then turned around after removing her mask. Moonlight illuminated her.

 

“Hmm… Should I call you Sernos instead of Ascetic?”

 

“How do you know that name…”

 

“An information broker should at least know the name you had before becoming Sernuan Lumiere.”

 

I knew the Young Lady’s information network was remarkably good, but I didn’t expect it to be this extensive.

 

“I’m the most successful information broker in the Underworld, after all.”

 

“…I see.”

 

“You don’t seem that surprised?”

 

“I thought everyone would need at least one exceptional skill to claim a seat at the Banquet Hall’s table.”

 

And it was something I had suspected from the beginning.

 

“Is that so? As expected, you’re quite clever, Ascetic.”

 

“You flatter me. So what’s this information about the Widow?”

 

“You’re in a hurry. Like someone being chased.”

 

“Something has come up.”

 

“Shall I try to guess?”

 

“You probably already know without guessing.”

 

“Hehe… I know to some extent.”

 

The Young Lady plucked a flower from the garden and twirled it between her fingers. The round flower spun around and around.

 

“The Saint’s performance was staged, and you’re building a cooperative relationship with Harmony. You have a special relationship with the Widow, and Kalebrin, your precious Believer, was attacked? And the Widow steals other people’s bodies to move around…?”

 

Spin, spin.

 

Watching the spinning flower, I asked.

 

“How did you know the last part?”

 

“How rude of you to ask about trade secrets.”

 

“…I apologize.”

 

“I’m quite good at solving puzzles. That’s how.”

 

“I see.”

 

As an Underworld information broker, she must have pieced together the information she gathered like a puzzle…

 

“I wondered what the criteria for stealing bodies might be. After all, I can’t let myself be taken, right? Having an unidentified Monster that could steal bodies at any time controlling the Empire – that won’t do.”

 

“Monster…?”

 

“Oops, you said you had a special relationship, so maybe that was too strong a word choice?”

 

“No, I was just curious why you thought of her as a Monster…”

 

“What else would you call someone who steals people’s bodies, slaughters multiple Nobles, and even offers their own family to God?”

 

Thinking about it that way, she certainly wasn’t human. But multiple Nobles were slaughtered?

 

“Nobles died?”

 

“All the people in the Banquet Hall were replaced because the Widow killed them. Officially it’s health deterioration or reassignment and such… but it’s been happening periodically. The Banquet Hall.”

 

“You survived, Young Lady.”

 

“I have a special method.”

 

“Wasn’t it because you wanted to be friends with me?”

 

“I know you have a special relationship with the Widow, but since I don’t know what kind of relationship it is, I’m still playing a bit coy for now.”

 

I calmly revealed my information first.

 

“Teacher and disciple.”

 

When I flipped over my card to show it, the Young Lady’s lips curved into a faint smile. It seemed she had anticipated even this.

 

The Young Lady flipped over her own card as well.

 

“I am the last bloodline of the Empire’s Emperor. But I was born as an illegitimate child.”

 

Then the father I treated back then wasn’t her actual father. I had known that. There was no way an attendant could be her father.

 

“Imperial blood is known to be special, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

It was in the game’s behind-the-scenes setting collection.

 

The first Emperor founded the Empire by making a contract with Lumensia, so as proof of that contract, the blood passed down through generations was said to have some kind of ability.

 

I didn’t know what kind of ability it was since it wasn’t explained.

 

“I actually have special blood, so that’s why. I don’t know what it’s used for either, but… Imperial children are generally sturdy and skilled in magic or divine power.”

 

“So that’s why you’re trying to become the Empire’s Emperor?”

 

Tap tap.

 

The Young Lady brushed off the hem of her dress. Leaves that had stuck to the bottom of her dress fell away.

 

“For the Empire to be controlled by such a monster. That simply cannot be allowed, so shouldn’t I, who has legitimacy as well, become queen?”

 

“You want me to cooperate with that.”

 

“If the Saint were to certify it, my plan would become much easier.”

 

Considering everything, it wasn’t a bad deal.

 

But there was something I needed to address.

 

“Then why hasn’t the Widow killed you? Does the last bloodline of the Imperial family have special meaning to the Widow?”

 

“It seems so. Seeing as she hasn’t replaced me yet, there must be something that only Imperial blood can do… something like that.”

 

“You could easily ascend to the throne by cooperating with the Widow.”

 

“If I don’t obey, I’ll be disposed of immediately.”

 

“Isn’t that the same as the current situation?”

 

“I just chose the side with a slightly higher possibility of survival.”

 

The Young Lady said that and closed her mouth.

 

‘Possibility of survival.’

 

Did she judge that cooperating with me to overthrow the Widow and claim the Emperor’s position had a higher possibility of survival than cooperating with Teacher?

 

I couldn’t understand it. But how could people always move in understandable directions?

 

“I’ll cooperate. There doesn’t seem to be any other way.”

 

“You made a good decision. We’ll be good partners.”

 

We lightly clasped hands and then let go. Two emotionless eyes met in the air.

 

“As a commemoration of becoming business partners, may I ask one thing?”

 

“Yes, go ahead.”

 

We headed back toward the ballroom while continuing our conversation.

 

“Why does the Ascetic dislike Teacher so much?”

 

“I don’t… dislike her.”

 

The Young Lady put on her mask.

 

“Ah, yes. Let me correct that. Why don’t you cooperate with Teacher? If it’s Teacher… she must want something from you, Ascetic.”

 

Click.

 

I opened the glass door leading to the ballroom and garden to escort the Young Lady.

 

I spoke while looking inside the ballroom, not looking down at the Young Lady.

 

“Because the methods are different.”

 

When we returned to the ballroom, Erendor waved his hand at me gently.

 

I escorted the Young Lady cleanly and greeted her.

 

“Teacher is trying to take something precious from me. I don’t like that.”

 

She smiled slightly.

 

“…The conversation was enjoyable.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that. See you later, Young Lady.”

 

That was the end of it.

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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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