The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 174

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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 174

 

Cleaning up the collapsed sanctuary, sorting the living from the dead, and caring for the remaining injured.

 

It took a full five days just to organize that chaos.

 

Though Celestia, who appeared fine on the outside thanks to the Savior’s miracle healing her external wounds, took charge of the command, her insides were rotting away.

 

It was the aftermath of mana depletion from scraping together even her life force. With fatigue filling her to the tips of her hair, not only she but all the survivors had reached their limits from exhaustion.

 

But stranger than anyone else was the Savior standing in the middle of the plaza.

 

He hadn’t slept a wink for five straight days.

 

He didn’t eat, didn’t drink, and didn’t even show signs of fatigue.

 

He simply observed indifferently, like a preserved statue, the believers he had healed packing up to leave and the scenes of debris from broken buildings being moved.

 

This gave people a sense of awe while simultaneously etching deep into their bones the fact that he was no longer ‘human.’

 

‘…We can’t keep him standing there like that.’

 

Celestia, having received reports that all field cleanup was complete, rubbed her tired face with dry hands and approached everyone.

 

“Ascetic… Oh, no. We’ll move the Savior to the Magic Tower now.”

 

They knew that the one here now was someone different from the ‘Ascetic,’ so they changed his title. Naturally, as if someone in their heads had said ‘call him that,’ the title came to mind naturally.

 

Savior.

 

There was no name more fitting to describe him. Not a dogmatic god who handled only one authority, but a god who existed solely for humans, fusing and wielding multiple authorities.

 

So that was much closer to the true form of ‘salvation’ that this era craved, far more than the Sun God Lumensia.

 

Instead of the Widow who had caused the trouble but left without even cleaning up, telling them to handle the aftermath themselves, Celestia, who held the highest position and power here, ended up taking charge of all command and explanations.

 

Though it was awkward to face someone who had nearly killed her and actually tried to kill her, since the Widow had also nearly been split vertically by Yelena’s halberd, she decided to call it even.

 

Of course, for it to be truly even by Celestia’s standards—since she was the type to return ten blows for one, a hundred for a hundred—she was planning to someday land about a hundred punches or spells on that unlucky face. Only then would it be truly even in her mind.

 

She began explaining with the knowledge the Widow had stumblingly provided.

 

“Uh… The Asc-, Savior should originally ascend to the divine realm to live, but if he goes up to the divine realm right now, he’d have to confront Lumensia… And once he goes up, it won’t be easy to come back down to earth, so we’ve decided to serve him at the Magic Tower.”

 

They decided not to announce the fact that the Savior was still unstable. It was enough for only a few to know that fact.

 

“Then, where to…?”

 

“To the Cradle of Stars.”

 

The ‘Cradle of Stars’ located at the top floor of the Magic Tower.

 

Ironically, that place was closest to the sky, but at the same time, it was also the space most cut off from the sky.

 

“Everyone, we’re moving.”

 

Normally, Celestia would have moved everyone with a teleportation circle, but she was a seriously injured person, even if she didn’t look it.

 

Having scraped together even her life force for mana, she had nearly crossed the threshold of death the moment she showed signs of recovery. No matter how much the Savior had cared for her, using magic was still dangerous.

 

“But, who are these people…?”

 

So the Commander, seeing how this situation was unfolding, judged it to be a temporarily exceptional circumstance.

 

With his permission and Magic Tower Master Celestia’s permission.

 

“Violin from Harmony. Don’t talk to me, it’s disgusting, you imperialists.”

 

“That’s right~ Once this job is over, we’ll disappear in a flash. Let’s not get friendly for no reason. We’re just in a business relationship.”

 

Viola and Violin.

 

The dispatch of these two was decided.

 

“Magic Tower? Magic Tower sounds good. It’d be nice if there were some amazing weapons there. Artifacts would be even better.”

 

“Sorry, but we don’t have those anymore.”

 

“That’s too bad. Anyway, come on. Let’s go. We need to finish quickly and go to the after-party.”

 

Erendor urged Violin and tried to step onto the teleportation circle Violin had created.

 

However.

 

Thud.

 

The large man who had been standing silently behind, Tuba, grabbed Erendor’s shoulder with his big hand.

 

“Crotal… You’re on standby now…”

 

Erendor turned around looking bewildered.

 

“What? Why! Wasn’t I supposed to go together too?”

 

“Harmony’s Commander… The Commander said that only Violin and Viola could go on this support mission.”

 

“Crotal probably didn’t listen to the Commander again~”

 

Viola shrugged her shoulders and mocked him.

 

Erendor didn’t even glance at Viola and argued his usefulness to Celestia, thumping his chest.

 

“No, so you’re not going to use this spirit-friendly me? I’ll be really, really necessary, you know?”

 

“The Commander must think you’re really, really unnecessary.”

 

Celestia said sarcastically. Yelena joined their conversation.

 

“Why is the really, really necessary Mr. Erendor trying to join us here?”

 

“Well~ I’m so~ worried about our most friend-like Ascetic~”

 

“Right, we can leave him out. Celestia.”

 

“Yeah, I thought so too.”

 

Erendor looked at the two heartless women and cried out mournfully.

 

“Ife! You don’t know Ife, right? The spirit that the Ascetic kept with him.”

 

“…Ife?”

 

“Right. To find out about him, you’ll have no choice but to work with me, who has this super rare talent for handling spirits. With the situation like this, shouldn’t we find out where that spirit serpent went?”

 

“Certainly… that does make sense.”

 

“Oh, and I’m closest to Kalebrin. Kalebrin will only come back if this big brother steps up.”

 

“Kalebrin is closest to me! Don’t act like you know when you don’t!”

 

“Oh my. She says no.”

 

Yelena shouted loudly.

 

The two began bickering again like before. Celestia approached the Commander and asked.

 

“Excuse me, Commander. Could Crotal join us for this Magic Tower matter?”

 

“There’s nothing wrong with it, but excluding him from this mission was a decision made for your sake.”

 

“Uh… Why?”

 

The Erendor that Celestia knew was someone who didn’t listen well but was trustworthy and responsible enough to be assigned as Kalebrin’s guard. He had indeed protected Kalebrin well.

 

“He lacks delicacy. I was worried he might cause an accident at the Magic Tower.”

 

“Well, I’ll manage him well. Though I’m not sure if ‘manage’ is the right expression…”

 

“I wish that guy was the type who could be managed. Well, try taking him. He won’t go anyway if he doesn’t like it.”

 

The information about Erendor in Celestia’s head was updated.

 

‘A burdensome existence in Harmony… Maybe less responsible than I thought…?’

 

When the situation was roughly wrapped up and Violin’s large temporary teleportation circle was almost ready, Wolfgang, a pillar of the Magic Tower, spoke up.

 

“What capacity are these two joining us in? I know the mercenary group Harmony as anti-imperialists, so might they try to harm the Savior?”

 

“Hm? If that were the case, we wouldn’t have helped earlier when the god you believe in tried to crush us like ants with his palm~ I really don’t know if you have eyes or not.”

 

Viola casually brushed off Wolfgang’s suspicion.

 

“Now… both of you stop fighting. This isn’t the time for people who’ve decided to be in the same boat to fight each other. Compared to the god who tried to kill us back then, we’re completely like ants.”

 

Celestia smiled brightly.

 

“But ants know how to cooperate. That’s our greatest weapon, so let’s try to get along well, just this once.”

 

“Movement ready.”

 

Violin called out from afar. Celestia approached Violin and examined the large teleportation circle drawn on the ground.

 

“This is… magic? No, it’s not. How interesting. What is this?”

 

“It’s none of your business, right? There’s not a single piece of information to give to the Empire.”

 

“How prickly.”

 

Celestia let Violin’s wariness and attitude go in one ear and out the other. Then she stepped into the teleportation circle centered around the quietly standing Savior.

 

“Everyone gather inside this circle. We’re going to the Magic Tower!”

 

*

 

Whoooosh―!

 

Along with the dizziness of space twisting, the acrid smell of blood from the execution ground disappeared as if washed away. Instead, the fragrant scent of wild flowers tickling their noses and cool, pleasant night air greeted them.

 

“This place is…”

 

The group that had teleported let out gasps of admiration. An unbelievable sight spread before their eyes.

 

The ceiling was made of glass in a huge dome shape, but beyond it, the midday sun ruled by Lumensia was not visible.

 

Instead, an ‘artificial night sky’ flowed gracefully through the pitch-black darkness, with hundreds of millions of magic stones embedded within, shining brilliantly.

 

The floor was carpeted with softly glowing blue luminescent moss and moonlight grass, and in the center sat a pond where pure mana bubbled forth like a spring.

 

The Magic Tower’s highest floor, the ‘Cradle of Stars’.

 

A place that blocked out external time, dominated only by a false sky manifested through mana.

 

It was a necessary place for conducting research while holed up for long periods or when working on studies that required feeling less of time’s passage.

 

“Good heavens! How can this be! Oh, my goodness!”

 

And there, Professor Ellara was waiting—one of the four pillars of the Magic Tower. The mages were puzzled by the appearance of Professor Ellara, who had been unable to participate in this battle due to unavoidable work.

 

“Wait, Professor Ellara?!”

 

The mages who recognized her were bewildered. Normally, she should have apologized for not participating in the battle or asked about the situation. But Ellara didn’t even glance at them.

 

“Move aside, everyone move aside! There’s a ‘living god’ before my eyes—are greetings really the issue here?!”

 

Thud thud thud thud!

 

Ellara charged toward the Savior without even thinking to adjust her crooked glasses. And then, daringly, she embraced the body of the god that no one else had dared approach.

 

“Whoa!”

 

“This crazy woman!”

 

Cries of shock erupted from those around. However, Ellara paid no heed and pressed her ear against the Savior’s chest.

 

“What’s the heart rate? Blood flow? No, does blood even flow in the first place? Ah, quickly! I want to take him to the laboratory and study him right away!”

 

“What, what are you doing! Professor Ellara! Are you in your right mind!”

 

Professor Wolfgang tried to pry her away in horror, but she clung on like a cicada on an old tree.

 

“Let go! Do you think this is the time for such things? First, Savior. Yes, Savior! May I take a blood sample? There’s no hair… but at least this smoke-like veil on your arm!”

 

“Argh! Professor Ellara! Stop it! Aren’t you embarrassed in front of outsiders!”

 

“Not at all! Not! At! All! Hehehe!”

 

Ellara’s eyes gleamed with madness as she spat while speaking. And amidst all that chaos, the Savior remained motionless like a preserved specimen.

 

It was their first meeting in the ‘Cradle of Stars’—a mixture of holiness and madness…

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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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