The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 180

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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 180

“No, that can’t be, that can’t be…”

“You must have known too, so why are you acting like this now?”

The long-haired man who had been nonchalantly stabbing everyone with verbal daggers from before stuck another dagger in.

“…I’m, I’m sorry. I, well, but even if I hadn’t…”

“If you’re going to make a belated apology, then stop. You won’t remember it anyway.”

“What…?”

“All human memories disappeared when you became a god. And you have the method to retrieve them.”

Only then could I understand. I had lived a somewhat oblivious and comfortable life, but my head wasn’t beyond salvation.

“I see, I see. My heart… It’s for such a purpose…”

“I’m asking now, but didn’t the Ascetic leave any words behind while alive? Something to say when handing over the heart…”

“The situation was urgent… And I didn’t even know it was a heart. That… Though it’s called a heart, it just looked like a serpent.”

“A serpent?”

Their eyes widened at the sudden mention of the spirit’s whereabouts. I wanted to do as much good and beneficial work for the world as possible before they finally dug into my heart.

Even if that couldn’t serve as atonement…

I tried my best to tell them the memories of the past in as much detail as possible. It wasn’t too difficult since those memories came to me every day without even trying to recall them.

What happened then, how it went. As if telling me not to forget even in death, they appeared in my dreams every time.

When there was a moment of silence in daily life, memories would surge up as if shaking me, or when I saw certain objects, vivid memories of stabbing myself would come back…

I licked my dry, parched lips several times with my tongue.

“Yes… He told me to swallow a bright red serpent that seemed to contain blood.”

“Could you see it?”

“…Well, I wouldn’t be talking about it if I couldn’t see it, right?”

I said that and then hurriedly added more explanation as if I had been rude.

“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just… Um. Well… Yes. He placed a red serpent in my hands. Ruby-colored… serpent. It looked very gentle and cute. The Ascetic even talked to it.”

“That’s Ife.”

“What?”

“That serpent’s name. It’s the Ascetic’s spirit. Its name is Ife.”

“Oh, then I… ate, ate the Ascetic’s companion spirit…?”

“That’s right.”

The person who had only been stabbing with daggers muttered ‘What’s a companion spirit?’ from the side, but no one paid attention. I quietly averted my gaze.

“Anyway, is there a way to… get it back out?”

I shook my head. After all, wasn’t there only one way to remove a heart? To cut through flesh, break bones, expose my heart, and offer it to the Ascetic, to the Savior.

Yelena spoke up.

“They said to cut open the heart and take it out, but if you swallowed a spirit, do we really need to do that?”

Professor Ellara stopped the hesitating Yelena.

“Oh, Inquisitor. How uncharacteristically sentimental! Or were you always sentimental?”

“I’m not being sentimental, I’m saying it’s unnecessary pain and sacrifice.”

Yelena said curtly. Professor Ellara chuckled at the firm voice.

“Look, this person is a sinner. He hurt and killed as many as 90,000 people. Why do you think receiving punishment for that sin is unnecessary pain and sacrifice? Why does the most fair God want to give Gretchin pain?”

“….”

Even if someone who had just passed twenty years of age fell for the demon’s words due to that enormous malice and the demon’s cunning in deceiving tens of thousands of people, it would definitely not be the fault of the one who was deceived.

However, this reasoning only applied within the scope where that ‘deceived person’ had not committed a grave wrong.

Words that would only apply within the range of not taking human lives were tolerance that didn’t apply at all to someone who had killed and injured 90,000 people.

90,000 people.

It was too great a sin to simply say it was committed by falling for a demon’s temptation.

“But still.”

Yelena hesitated but had to close her mouth at Professor Ellara’s explanation.

“And why did the Ascetic tell you, Inquisitor, in such detail? It must be because that method is the only way. Offering one’s heart, offering a martyr’s heart carries quite significant meaning.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm my trembling body. I was terrified of them talking about removing hearts right in front of me.

‘I’m repaying it now. I’m not being punished, I’m being liberated. That’s what it is.’

While I was inwardly reciting even doctrines, Professor Ellara continued.

“Anyway, to remove the heart we need to return to Nebria, and we should think about how to get back there well with the Savior.”

“Wouldn’t the Widow know more details than the Young Lady?”

“Can’t we just ask both of them?”

“That makes sense. Anyway, let’s go ask while discussing how to move the Savior. Yelena, you go to the Widow, and the Young Lady…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to contact Antonio?”

“Hmm, should we?”

“Since Celestia and Professor Ellara need to stay here.”

“Erendor… just stick next to Gretchin and observe the spirit or whatever. Now that we’ve found the spirit, we won’t need a spirit expert anymore.”

“Aren’t you all being too harsh to me? What did I do wrong? I’m cooperating a lot!”

“So you attacked Kalebrin and Yelena? Should I applaud you for that?”

“Past matters should be left in the past.”

Erendor, who couldn’t even break even, said that and closed his mouth. If he kept talking, Yelena, who interfered in all matters concerning Kalebrin, would have something to say.

“Now, we don’t have time! Let’s hurry!”

I wondered whether I should feel relieved that my life was extended a little longer, or feel like I was receiving additional punishment from the prolonged anxious time until receiving this punishment.

“Then, what should I do?”

Professor Ellara said decisively.

“Get a physical examination!”

For some reason it sounded like human experimentation rather than a physical examination, but that must be prejudice against the Magic Tower…

For now, what I can do is cooperate with these people as much as possible! I must help with sincerity!

So I enthusiastically pumped myself up.

*

Alderion and Austin Gerard faced an unexpected three-way meeting.

How often would the Lion Heart Knight Commander and the head of the prestigious Alderion family face each other, but they were in a state of having one major thing in common.

Knowing the Ascetic?

That wasn’t it.

People who had experienced being controlled by the Widow.

Austin Gerard was a knight. That didn’t mean he only used strength without thinking.

After being controlled by the Widow, he noticed his own changes with excellent mental strength and intuition. He could also figure out who had controlled him. The position of Lion Heart Knight Commander allowed him to uncover quite a few of the Empire’s secrets.

Thus, while the ‘Banquet Master’ was turning attention to the Ascetic, he carefully gathered information.

Who the Banquet Master was established thanks to.

What the Banquet Master did with the Empire’s backing.

With what intention it was established.

And what kind of person the ‘Widow’ who established the Banquet Master was…

He was able to find out in detail.

And as a result of what he found out.

“Greetings.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

He found someone in a similar situation to himself, who had been and still was in that position.

‘Actually, if I had asked the Ascetic, it might have come out quickly, but…’

He didn’t want to burden him with more worries or concerns, so he deliberately conducted quiet investigations.

In that process, he also learned about the shocking things the Empire had done.

So among the noble families he could seek cooperation from, he asked for help from the Alderion family, which was pro-Saint and seemed to have the most interaction with the Ascetic.

That was why these two were having an awkward private meeting.

“You’re saying we need to… eliminate the Widow?”

“Yes, she’s someone who will bring turmoil not only to the Empire but to this entire world.”

I placed the organized materials on the table. The head of the Alderion family calmly read through the materials. I quietly sipped the tea that was served and waited for him to finish reading the materials.

As the lord’s expression grew increasingly stern and he nearly finished reading through all the materials, I opened my mouth.

“We must stop her.”

With the characteristically rigid manner of speech typical of noble houses, Lord Alderion began his explanation.

“There is nothing I can do. Unlike the Knight Commander, I am merely the head of one among many noble houses… Unlike those who occupy seats in the Banquet Hall and wield absolute power, I hold no real authority.”

“That’s not the kind of help I came to ask for.”

“Then what is it you want that brings you to see me at such a critical time?”

“You’ve been poisoned by demonic energy and gained inhuman power, haven’t you?”

“…How did you know that?”

If it had been the previous Knight Commander, he would have been sufficiently angered by the noble’s natural condescending tone, but Austin Gerard was genuinely unbothered.

“I am the Knight Commander, so there are reports I receive about what happens in the Empire.”

“…I see. However, I am not one who has learned martial arts beyond the basic skills of a noble house. If you came seeking a noble strong warrior, you’ve come to the wrong person.”

I shook my head.

“If I needed a noble strong warrior, I would have sought someone else. Lord, I also know the situation you’re in. You may not be aware of this… but occasionally the Widow borrows your body to go to the Demon Realm and cause trouble.”

“…”

The lord seemed quite shocked. I spoke bluntly.

“We’re going to the Demon Realm.”

“The Demon Realm? You do know that the border has become brutal due to recent events, don’t you?”

He didn’t say he wouldn’t accompany us. It seemed he had roughly suspected that the Widow had been controlling him.

“I am the Knight Commander. I can handle that much.”

“What do you plan to do by taking me to the Demon Realm? I’m not as capable as you think. That’s why… I couldn’t earn the Ascetic’s trust. Unlike the others.”

“If you want to repay your debt to the Ascetic, this may be the only way.”

Then I organized the materials for easy explanation and showed them in order.

“The Widow always goes out to the Demon Realm using your body to do something before returning, and evidence has been detected that this appears to be sacrificial rituals for Lumensia and sorcery to conquer the Demon Realm.”

Austin Gerard was a devout believer of Lumensia and the Empire’s sword who had never doubted his faith in Lumensia.

That was, until he began to seriously investigate matters concerning the Empire and Lumensia.

Especially since he himself had been a party to the events that occurred in the past.

I now wanted to bring Lumensia to ruin more than anyone else.

I would not dance to the tune of the Widow who had ordered the massacre of my village.

When I knew nothing, I was foolishly manipulated this way and that, but not anymore.

“Until now, the only place beyond the reach of the god called Lumensia was the Demon Realm. In other words, if she’s trying to devour a place where her territorial expansion failed, there must be sufficient elements there to interfere with the Ascetic. And the reason one cannot freely enter and exit the Demon Realm is not only due to strict surveillance, but because non-demons become contaminated by demonic energy and go mad. Since even the Widow cannot avoid this, she used your body. So…”

“You want me to learn the Widow’s detailed plans and thwart them. Since right now it’s all just speculation and imagination.”

“Yes. That’s correct. Will you lend us your strength?”

After a moment’s consideration, the lord gave an unexpected answer.

“I cannot do that.”

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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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