The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 21

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Fire

Hmm…

She rejected me without even 3 seconds of consideration, which was quite awkward.

Hahaha, since possessing this body, I’ve rarely been rejected like this, so it’s embarrassing.

“May I ask the reason, if you don’t mind?”

“Uh, um… I, I have to stay in this forest…”

Ah~ so that’s where the problem starts.

That’s nothing!

I prepared to run my mouth like a major corporation sales representative to somehow recruit Red Witch Kalebrin.

“I see. But Kalebrin, what was Sister’s reason for staying in this forest? Wasn’t it to purify this place so they could return?”

“Uh… yeah. I, I have to purify this place… and wait for everyone to, to come back. They, they told me to wait.”

“But to help with purification, you must follow me.”

“Th, that’s…”

Between her fluffy black hair, I could see her troubled expression as she wavered back and forth.

“Didn’t Sister confess your faith? Then follow my will. I promise you this. After my power grows stronger with Sister’s help, I will surely purify this forest. So don’t hesitate. Since God’s will is with me, shouldn’t Sister also move forward together?”

“….”

Kalebrin pondered.

Hmm… I think a very flashy performance is needed at this point.

I rummaged through my status window. Neither of us was injured enough to need healing, and there wasn’t anything to purify to show off…

[Believers: 41]

One more person increased in the meantime, but I don’t know if this is Kalebrin or someone else. It seems too early for baptism, so I can’t do anything about it.

I don’t have faith points to level up healing relics… I used them all yesterday leveling up purification relics and earlier leveling up healing relics…

Trying to win with pure persuasion without flashy performances is killing me.

Usually when making one believer, one healing purification beam did everything… without cheats, it became difficult.

I quietly looked down at her head, then opened my mouth.

“Do you believe in God?”

“God… do you mean Lu, Lumensia?”

“Anything. It could be Lumensia… or it could be the legendary Forgotten Gods.”

The Demon King seemed to believe in one of those Forgotten Gods too.

Kalebrin scratched at a hangnail on her index finger, then spoke in a shrinking voice.

“I… don’t be, believe in gods. Gods are co, conceptual beings in sorcery and faith… interferes with sp, spell formulas.”

“Conceptual beings. I see. That’s possible. I understand. After all, gods have never revealed themselves. It’s natural not to believe. Aren’t humans beings who only believe what they see with their own eyes?”

I thought Kalebrin would easily become a believer, but this is quite difficult.

I briefly erased my smile, then showed it again. Various mysterious sorcerous accessories hung throughout Kalebrin’s hair.

“But Sister. If I purify this vast and terribly corrupted forest and return those you so long for… what would that be if not God’s miracle? I can accomplish that, and I need your help to perform that miracle.”

I extended my hand.

“Let me ask once more. Do you believe in me?”

Kalebrin’s expression seemed to fall into fear for a moment. She briefly looked down at the ground.

Only the area where I stood was tinged with green in a circle and sprouts were beginning to emerge. Meanwhile, the place where Kalebrin stood was still covered with rotting grass and corpses.

She tightened her grip on her staff. Dark red nails stood out on her pale hands. I worried for a moment that she might hit me with her staff.

“Re, really…?”

“Yes. That’s what faith is originally like. If Sister truly believes in me, purifying this vast and corrupted forest wouldn’t be impossible either.”

Who treats believing like a transaction?

The same thought occurred to me, but I quickly brushed it away.

Originally, a sales representative’s skill was to get swept up in the atmosphere and make them sign and pay all at once.

Memories of working as a sales representative at a black company for 13 months, then getting transferred without promotion, flickered back… but I quickly erased them.

Kalebrin looked unstable. Her bright red berry-like eyes moved here and there, and her body was tensely alert.

There’s no need to use weakness analysis.

She was frightened.

I don’t know the reason… but that’s not important.

Whether to believe or not. That was the only important thing.

“…I’ll, I’ll believe. Red Sorceress of the Forest Kalebrin will fo, follow you.”

Rather than believing, it felt more like a knight following a lord, but the count had still gone up.

[Believers: 42]

“You’ve made a wise decision. I will surely respond to that faith. Before that, just a moment… would it be alright if I perform ‘baptism’ to see if Sister truly follows me?”

“Ba, baptism…?”

“It will be comfortable without pain.”

*

Kalebrin swallowed.

He’s going to check whether I truly believe or not.

‘I don’t even know what truly believing means…’

That distinctive intimidating presence.

It was something she could sensitively detect as a sorceress. It must be because he possessed a fragment of God.

Since what was before her eyes was only a part but contained divinity, the weight of the soul was heavy, creating dissonance when facing ordinary souls.

The subtle discomfort and heavy oppressive air, difficulty breathing, and heart palpitations it created were because of that.

It probably had an effect similar to Dragon Fear.

The sorceress’s instincts easily analyzed that distinctive oppressive feeling.

I truly didn’t want to antagonize him.

Setting aside his talk of purifying the forest… there was nothing to gain from antagonizing something like that.

‘If it’s determined that I don’t truly believe… what if he punishes me…?’

The words about being comfortable without pain…

Does that ‘baptism’ mean he’ll kill me without letting me utter a single death cry…?!

She was engulfed in terror.

It was because the mental barrier she maintained as a sorceress was being worn away the longer she continued to face him.

Fear arose instinctively.

A pure white, elongated hand blocked her vision.

Through his rough, winding hair, she could see his eyes emitting bright yellow light.

His Adam’s apple moved. He swallowed. Only small water sounds and the sound of grass brushing in the wind reached her ears.

It was a forest with no one else…

-Ahahaha!

-Lina! Come here!

Beloved faces. Now I can’t even remember where the scars were on their faces.

-If I return those you so long for…

The forest engulfed in flames. Now I don’t know what flowers bloomed in which season.

-Lina! Wait!

-You must wait here…

-I’m waiting.

That time when I promised to wait. Even that voice…

– If Sister truly believes in me, purifying this vast and corrupted forest wouldn’t be impossible either.

-Kalebrin! Kalebrin!

-We’ll definitely go back…

He’ll return that?

-That’s what faith is like…

Tap.

His hand reached out.

Even though he must have used warmth-giving magic, an ice-cold hand touched her.

“Good, Kalebrin.”

Kalebrin raised her head.

“Shall we go to your new home now? It will be quite comfortable.”

She believed.

Not in ‘him’ standing before her eyes…

But in her ‘future’ that he would return to her.

The excellent sorceress Kalebrin, as her mental barrier was worn away, could see more precisely and in detail what he was capable of.

‘It’s possible. Not just this forest… he can purify an even wider range…’

Truly a miracle that only God could perform.

“If you wish, I can prepare a new sanctuary for you. But don’t worry. The choice is entirely yours, so decide as your heart desires.”

“C-can I stay w-with the Ascetic…? I, I might be… h-helpful.”

To her hastily added words, he answered with a smile.

“Of course.”

The smoothly curved lips and gentle tone would appear as favorable and comfortable to the person before him, but the sorceress Kalebrin could see what lay within.

‘He’s not human.’

The countless somethings trapped within human form.

That thing was never truly smiling at her.

Seeing all sorts of things writhing together in that narrow body brought fear, but knowing that it no longer bared its teeth at her brought peace to her heart.

As the Ascetic walked forward, Kalebrin followed behind him.

The grass that had turned green from purification by his steps rotted and crumbled as soon as he lifted his feet.

Truly a miracle.

Though just tiny grass, the power to create life while erasing the impure and wicked, returning them to natural order.

If the one wielding that power wasn’t God, then what could he possibly be?

“H-how will you p-proceed with the purification…? N-not that I’m rushing you…”

Crack. He stopped walking and placed his hand on a withered tree branch.

“Purification is something I can do quickly.”

His white eyes turned golden, and as gold and green swirled around the branch, new buds sprouted.

“However… I’ve realized that attempting purification bit by bit like this is meaningless. I must gather more power first, then achieve purification all at once.”

When he removed his hand, the buds shriveled and rotted away. The branch also lost its vitality, turning ashen and oozing pus as it died.

The Ascetic still wore that smooth smile.

“R-right… um, then how do you gather that power…?”

“It’s simple. When there are more believers like Sister, the miracles I can perform also increase.”

Seeing her nod in understanding, he began walking again.

“I intend to work toward that goal.”

“What should I… d-do?”

“Don’t be too hasty. Everything… has its time, doesn’t it?”

“Y-yes…”

Everything has its time.

Their return to the forest also had its proper time. Kalebrin was a capable sorceress and could well judge when the appropriate moment would be.

Until then, she could endure well and could leave.

-Lina! Wait!

-You must wait here…

-I’m waiting.

She now knew well that just waiting wasn’t enough.

As she walked, rather than rotten branches, merely dried branches and grass were trampled underfoot.

The forest entrance. The boundary line where the distinction between green grass and the black, rotting forest was clearly revealed.

How many years had it been since she’d escaped the forest?

She could see the fresh air and pitch-black sky. Even the stars floating above looked different.

Looking down, she saw various weeds and flowers. Green. How longed-for and long-unseen that color was.

The sound of birds chirping was amazing. It was a sound she’d almost forgotten. True to being a forest full of death, even birds that flew over it would fall and rot away in an instant.

The sound of horses snorting could be heard. The Ascetic opened the carriage door and smiled.

“Let’s take the carriage.”

Kalebrin tried to board the carriage but fell twice, and she could glimpse the flustered Ascetic’s inner thoughts.

Gold and light green colors bloomed, and the scrapes on her knees, wrists, and hands quickly healed…

“If you’re hurt anywhere, please let me know.”

“Y-yes…”

*

Did Kalebrin have clumsy attributes?

She looked embarrassed, so I didn’t say anything… but she might be surprisingly clumsy.

Usually mages are clumsy anyway.

I reasoned it out that way and looked at the scenery through the small window attached to the carriage while thinking about various things.

Earlier when walking through the forest, a sacred relic reward appeared, and it was another random skill ticket. Since Kalebrin is here now, I should roll the gacha before sleeping.

Kalebrin, despite her initial nervousness about riding the carriage, had long since succumbed to motion sickness and fallen asleep.

Should I just roll the random gacha now?

While staring blankly at the window like that, a translucent window appeared.

[ – 1.0.1 Update Complete – ]

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————