The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 187

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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 187

Austin Gerard couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the Young Lady’s plan.

Those who fought bloody battles with monsters daily, traversed enemy lines, and swung their blades covered in blood-soaked dust, and those who wielded sharp tongues over fragrant tea time to make opponents submit and obtained what they wanted through fierce strategic battles, were fundamentally like different species.

“So if I negotiate with the Widow…”

This was different from the plan that ended with: cooperate with Lord Alderion to figure out the Widow’s plan through deduction and capture and eliminate the Widow!

Meticulous strategic warfare. This was their world. Even knights were just those who lived by the sword. Austin Gerard could now truly understand why capable strategists and commanders received such good treatment.

‘This is on a different level from commanders on the battlefield who desperately try to give soldiers one less potato.’

The Young Lady explained the entire operation. Since Austin Gerard wasn’t completely stupid either, he could understand the Young Lady’s kind explanation at once.

Nevertheless, Austin Gerard continued the conversation as if confirming.

“So what I need to do is act exactly as usual… but cut off all the Widow’s limbs. Is that correct?”

“Yes. Kill all eight legs. We need to limit the cards the Widow can use.”

“And you said you would provide that information, Young Lady.”

“Yes. As long as the eight legs are human, there’s nowhere in this Empire they can hide from my eyes.”

The Young Lady’s vast information network encompassed the entire Empire and could even reach other countries. Austin Gerard asked a question that came to mind during his confirmation.

“Won’t the Widow notice if I go around eliminating them?”

“Hiding that would be my role. And make sure to retrieve the bodies or dispose of them with the medicine I’ll give you separately.”

“Medicine?”

When the Young Lady gestured to the person behind her, the middle-aged man briefly went outside and brought back a box. The Young Lady opened the box and pushed it onto the table.

They were medicine bottles filled with sloshing green liquid.

“There are plenty of spares, so don’t worry.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a medicine that melts away everything it touches. Since it makes it impossible to determine the cause of death, it should be able to hide your sword marks too.”

Austin Gerard carefully tucked them into his chest.

“This probably won’t happen, but… what happens if the Widow discovers this operation, Young Lady?”

“I’ll die. I’ll work hard to prevent that.”

“…”

“Though I probably won’t die since I’m with the Savior anyway.”

“Is it really okay to leave Lord Alderion like that?”

“Since the assassination failed, what choice is there? When I become the new queen and relay the gaju’s affairs to the Widow, she’ll realize that Lord Antonio is no pushover, so the Widow’s available cards are already limited… and if you eliminate those cards one by one, she’ll have no choice but to leave Lord Antonio alone.”

The Young Lady smiled with her eyes from within the pure white veil like a bride. Austin Gerard, with his good eyesight, caught the smile beneath the veil.

“Or she’ll take direct action.”

How do smart people come up with such thoughts? Austin Gerard, unaware that his swordsmanship appeared that way to others, was busy marveling at the Young Lady’s plan.

“If she takes direct action, that would be even better for us.”

The Young Lady stood up.

“Are you leaving?”

“Time is of the essence. I must go. The gaju seems like he’ll wake up soon.”

The Young Lady added as if mentioning a fact she had almost forgotten.

“Since the Savior has returned, it would be good to go meet him too.”

Click.

The door closed.

‘The Savior has returned?’

*

I set aside all urgent matters and came to find Kalebrin.

This was the most urgent matter for me.

If the fact that something like my little sister had run away while I was gone wasn’t urgent, then what kind of incident could be most urgent?

I came to the forest alone, leaving behind everyone except Yelena. Since becoming a god, moving through darkness had become comfortable without side effects, so coming alone was actually faster.

Well… actually, those were all excuses. Since this was definitely my fault, I felt it was right to go find Kalebrin alone.

I could see the entrance to the forest that was gloomy, dark, and spewing toxic fumes.

If Kalebrin had gone somewhere, where else could it be?

At most, it would be this forest…

As if proving my thoughts, familiar ether flickered in the center of the forest.

The pitch-black dead vegetation regained life in step with my footsteps. It was like color being added to a black and white film.

The rotten black bark peeled away and fresh brown stems sprouted from within. The purple mist filled with toxic fumes transformed into clear morning dew with one breath from me, forming droplets on the leaf tips.

As the purple toxic mist cleared, blue sky entered and showed sunlight.

The ruins of homes where Kalebrin’s friends and relatives had lived in life, which had been crumbling and piling up in the dirt, also returned like magic when I waved my hand.

I lit a fire at the hearth. Fire rose from a house where no one lived in the now-verdant forest.

I also neatly tended to the gravesite where Kalebrin would have buried them. It was a grave that had always been personally cared for by Kalebrin, but was utterly shabby due to poor materials and harsh environment.

Now I erected proper tombstones and made fresh grass sprout on the mounds.

And I made flowers grow and moved the grown trees aside so sunlight would shine down well.

I couldn’t have done this before. Because it wasn’t divine power that humans could wield.

The dead forest gradually returns. The familiar ether that had been flickering also gradually approaches me.

Rustle-

Rustle rustle.

Hurried human footsteps tear through the grown grass field.

“Huff- hah, huff-“

Dark circles around the eyes and tear stains drawn like tattoos below the cheeks. Wearing a completely tattered robe… my faithful servant…

The one who had been sweating profusely raised their head. Apple-red eyes showed through the disheveled grown hair.

Rough and dry lips, sunken cheeks. They looked like a wreck.

The mouth that had been shut for a while opened.

“…Ascetic?”

The wide-open eyes shook incessantly.

As if seeing a mirage, they rubbed their eyes, then looked once more at the scenery spread behind me.

The place that had been a land of death had changed to be as vibrant as before.

The collapsed houses stood again, and warm sunlight and blooming flowers filled the once-cold gravesite. And at the center of it all, the one they had missed so much, been disappointed in, grieved for, and felt guilty about…

“This can’t be…”

Kalebrin stepped backward.

“This, this is a dr, dream… I’ve go, gone crazy and… seeing hallucinations. Right, I’m too, too tormented by guilt…”

Kalebrin tried to slap their own cheek. I instantly emerged from the tree shadow they were leaning against and gently caught their hand.

I really wished there was no filtering just this once. But perhaps my current physical status was higher than my soul’s status. My words mixed with joy, sorry feelings, and guilt were once again refined as they came out.

“Did I not say I would keep my promise?”

Kalebrin, who had been trying to look under my robe while having their hand held in a daze, suddenly turned their head and shook off the held hand.

“…Liar!”

My good Kalebrin…!?

“Just stay, stay forgotten, li, live while forgotten, why…!”

Kalebrin, who had shouted while hanging their head low, breathed heavily. Red pupils wavered with resentment and moisture through the disheveled hair.

“The forgotten promise, me too… just forget everything and leave! Why remember, why come back!”

She screamed and stepped backward. What was she angry about? Was it because I forgot my promise and forgot Kalebrin too? That was definitely my fault, but…

I had nothing to make excuses with, so I just wanted to kneel and beg for forgiveness.

“I’m the one who, Ascetic, who destroyed you, erased your memory, made you like a beast! You should rather not remember… just think of someone like me as a discarded tool, forget forever…!”

Kalebrin poured out words while gasping. The stammering words also began to be spat out rapidly, swept up in excitement.

Kalebrin wasn’t angry. It was bone-deep self-hatred.

“Please… just, just forget me… why, why did you come…”

Kalebrin sat down, held their head, and banged it against the ground.

“I ruined you!”

That was the true feeling that finally came out.

“I shouldn’t have, shouldn’t do it, I knew that…”

I bent my knees to match their eye level. And I cupped Kalebrin’s dirt-covered cheeks with both hands.

“My innocent and wounded little lamb…”

That sight was so pitiful…

“You did not defile me, but rather you saved me.”

I lifted Kalebrin’s face.

I channeled divine power into my fingertips and erased the scratches on Kalebrin’s cheek.

“Do not call saving a life a sin. If not for you, I would have returned to dust long ago.”

Kalebrin remained prostrate, only lifting her head to look at me. I hesitated for a moment, then grasped my robe’s hood.

And I removed the hood. I don’t know what I look like myself, but…

I can only hope it’s not a hideous sight.

“Look closely. Is this the appearance of someone broken? The face of someone you ruined?”

The wind blew.

In the corner of my vision, I saw familiar long silver hair.

I see. My current appearance is…

“You saved me. So don’t blame yourself so much… It troubles my heart.”

It was the appearance of Sernuan Lumiere. The one Kalebrin had most wanted to see.

I lowered my eyebrows and smiled slightly, lifting the corners of my mouth.

Light was shining down from behind me. A shadow fell across Kalebrin.

“I came to keep my promise. I’m sorry I’m late. Kalebrin.”

Sernuan Lumiere’s face was now overlaid on mine.

No, perhaps this was the form of my soul now, or maybe Kalebrin’s desperate wish was making me appear this way.

Kalebrin’s pupils shook as if struck by an earthquake. Tears poured endlessly from her red eyes, washing down her cheeks.

“Ah… aah…”

She gasped like someone who had forgotten how to breathe. Though she was within arm’s reach, she didn’t dare touch me, only trembling her fingers in the air.

I hugged Kalebrin tightly. And patted her back. Only then did Kalebrin burst into wailing tears like a child who had lost their parents and found them again.

Even so, there was still something that bothered me about keeping my promise…

I confessed while embracing and stroking Kalebrin.

“Your family and friends… I couldn’t bring them back…”

Kalebrin tried to swallow her tears and continued speaking through her subsiding sobs.

“It’s okay… You already, you already made me a new one…”

Ah. I see…

I realized another fact. It wasn’t just me who thought of them as family, but they also thought of me as family.

“Then shall we go back? Everyone is waiting.”

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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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