The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 49

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

Fire

Hmm, even after being pressured like that earlier, they’re sending me to the dueling ground again.

The trembling in my hands was controllable now. I had also adapted to the abnormal pounding of my heart.

Even the slight tremors in my body could be managed without showing.

I pondered for a moment.

‘Should I appeal that I can bare my fangs here… or act submissively. Normally, I would have maintained a submissive attitude throughout. Since what I want is the position of Saint. But…’

Would acting submissively really benefit me in this situation…

‘The situation isn’t good enough to maintain a purely submissive attitude.’

Establish discipline first, then retract my claws to show jelly and soft punches?

Those who don’t forget fear will think I’ve let my guard down and try to kill me somehow.

Then there’s only one choice.

“Of course. I was the one who punished that heretic.”

Make myself an even more attractive product.

When I said that, the audience stirred.

The widow’s hand in black lace gloves, which had been caressing her lips, suddenly hesitated.

“I can see the sins of sinners and have the ability to punish them according to their crimes. But unfortunately… I haven’t been granted the right to take a sinner’s life. Even the punishment varies according to the severity of their sins—”

“Then Sernuan Lumiere, are you saying you used black magic just now? That you wielded the forbidden power of heretics?”

Perhaps relieved by the veil covering his burden, the man sitting on the right spoke up eagerly.

He was probably trying to brand me as a heretic and kill me somehow, since his position would be threatened.

I spoke in a voice inflated as if putting on a show.

“A heretic? Such absurd words. To call me, who beheaded the demon of Astrapolis and killed another demon summoned by heretics in less than a week, a heretic. Haha… Lumensia would laugh in disbelief.”

“Now, you who don’t even have a title—”

Ding.

The widow rang a bell.

“That’s enough, Marquis. He is someone who received an invitation to this banquet hall. He didn’t come here to argue, so please restrain your personal feelings.”

The widow looked at the man with cold eyes.

Though her gaze was hidden by the veil, a subtle chill swept through the audience.

“The reports said that Yelena the Inquisitor defeated the demon. Won’t you tell us Sernuan Lumiere’s brave epic?”

I leisurely tasted the wine and answered calmly. The veil I wore fluttered with my movements.

“Of course. But since Yelena the Inquisitor, Cardil, and the Sister under me did everything, it’s embarrassing to speak grandly about it.”

Just then, another dish appeared. Attendants rushed in to set up the meal.

“This is red potage slowly simmered over a wood fire, with the deep flavors of roasted peppers and tomatoes. The saffron added at the end provides a subtle fragrance.”

Everyone formally picked up their utensils. I continued speaking.

“To explain how I killed the demon, I’ll need to explain events from quite some time ago. I headed to Marquis Alderion’s castle to treat the Marquis…”

What followed were stories with quite a bit of embellishment. This was the moment my experience as a sales representative shone. As the story progressed, several course dishes passed by.

“—And that’s how we defeated the demon.”

“Ooh…! Indeed, it would be unreasonable to call that the actions of a heretic.”

“Well, if he killed demons to that extent, the name Demon Hunter would be more fitting than Ascetic.”

Everyone was flattering me.

More than that, these bastards knew the name Ascetic but were deliberately calling me Sernuan Lumiere.

I felt slightly annoyed but quickly accepted it. What matters isn’t the name, but what I can gain here.

“Really, without Yelena the Inquisitor, who knows what trouble I would have faced… I’m always grateful to Sister.”

“How fortunate that you came safely to the banquet hall. But now, don’t you think it’s time to talk about it?”

She drank her wine and brought up the topic. Here it comes.

I activated Weakness Detection. The target is… the widow.

[system : Cannot access due to target’s high level.]

High level? That woman who seems to have only done administrative work?

My eyes widened slightly under the veil, but I quickly regained my composure.

No… maybe it’s because I’m more of a noob than I thought.

First, I’ll pass on the widow… Since Young-ae is just a temporary alliance anyway, rather than checking her true feelings, it’d be better to peek into someone else’s thoughts-

“Sernuan Lumière, why did you betray the banquet hall and steal the Empire’s sacred relic?”

While I was discreetly fiddling around, trying to find a weakness, a razor-sharp remark was pressed against my throat.

A thick sense of pressure settled in. No, it was only I who felt it. This body was afraid of her.

And from what I heard, ‘Sernuan Lumière’ from the original game’s story was someone who met with her regularly.

If I act awkwardly in this situation, I’ll end up revealing that I’m actually a different “Sernuan Lumière.”

I was thinking about using Weakness Policy on anyone, but it was distracting me so I just closed all the windows.

Now was the time to rely on words rather than the busy assistance of various skills.

He was confident. At cutting people down with words. He had even set the mood just right.

I’ll be able to do it even without the divine aura effect.

I remained silent for a moment, then smiled wryly.

“Ah, that’s right. I was dragged away by heretics and offered as a sacrifice! Through blood and pain, I was reborn anew…!”

Reveal it before getting caught. Very boldly and convincingly! That’s my survival strategy!

My eyes flashed as I leaned my upper body closer to the table. The two people sitting next to me flinched.

“That’s when! I finally realized it. A glorious mission had been bestowed upon me! Lady Lumencia herself had carved away my flesh and raised up my soul so that she could manifest within my body!”

People were left speechless by my wild, frenzied appearance.

I shot my hand up high. My white sleeve fluttered.

“It was… a blessing! The greatest birth there ever was! I am no longer the old Sernuan Lumière! I am a being reborn as an ascetic!”

Honestly, it was so suspicious that I wouldn’t have minded being dragged away as a heretic on the spot.

But it was okay.

This Sernuan Lumière is acquainted with the widow who’s the top dog of the banquet hall. The young lady also seemed to be cooperating with me for now.

The widow was even welcoming this situation. I wouldn’t be dragged to the basement right away. In that case, I had a chance.

“In that process, the human Sernuan Lumière disappeared. So to be honest, whatever you’re talking about doesn’t resonate with me at all. I’m no longer that person.”

People now stood with their mouths agape, having forgotten all the proper etiquette befitting nobility.

“Betrayal, stealing sacred relics… none of that has anything to do with who I am now.”

People each wore bewildered expressions, then burst into shouts as soon as I finished speaking.

“So you’re going to act so arrogantly after betraying us and stealing the sacred relic!”

“Do you think you can avoid this situation by saying you don’t know? How utterly lacking in common sense…!”

“Well… if you put it that way, I apologize. But how can I sincerely apologize for something that isn’t my fault?”

“Does that even make sense! You’ve just lost the Empire’s legacy!”

I leaned back in my chair and laughed.

When he spoke so shamelessly and nonchalantly, the people at the banquet nearly had strokes from high blood pressure.

Also known as cutting open the belly. I was in a situation where I wouldn’t die even if I came out this brazenly. The question was how much more I could squeeze out of this.

“However… at that moment of rebirth, the light whispered to me. It said that beyond there, in the Center, would be what I desired. I suspect it was something like a sacred relic.”

By mixing lies and truth appropriately, they had expressions on their faces like “Should we believe this or not? Should we kill him or not…?”

People murmured in confusion, each lost in their own bewilderment.

“You received an oracle?”

“It must be a lie. You’re lying to survive!”

“Even if it goes to the Center, that place is a vast country, though it can’t compare to the Empire… How are we supposed to find the sacred relic there?”

“The Empire’s only sacred relic, like this…”

“It can’t be a lie, that overwhelming pressure from before…”

“It may be neither a lie nor the truth.”

I don’t think I need to bother using Weakness Detection on these guys. They’re all panicking similarly anyway, so they’ll probably just reveal useless inner thoughts.

I let the brief murmuring continue for a moment, then quietly observed the widow’s expression.

I can only see the lower half of his face, but he doesn’t seem to be having murderous thoughts anyway. It’s not the same oppressive feeling as before.

“However… I have a way. I have been reborn with a new mission. And what has been bestowed upon me is the power to embrace people and liberate them from suffering. With that power, I should be able to cross the Center as an envoy and retrieve the sacred relic.”

They just stared at me in a daze.

“The qualifications of an envoy…?”

“Certainly… if there’s such a justification, crossing over to the disputed Centa would be possible…”

“We don’t even know where that bastard crawled out from! He even revealed himself as a heretic like that! Have you all lost your minds?!”

“Your mouth sure is lively!”

“Still, we can’t just sit here having lost the Sacred Relic, can we? Especially now that the Pope is dead, we need to reveal the Sacred Relic to achieve unity of church and state…”

I sat quietly listening, then dropped another bomb.

“And I heard one more voice.”

Instantly, people stopped their chatter and turned their attention to me.

“The light whispered something else. That it would soon send down a Saint. In my humble opinion, now that the Pope has left this world seems like the perfect moment to seize power in place of the Central Church… but if a Saint appears at this very time, it would certainly be quite a spectacle to behold.”

I gently grasped my wine glass.

“Of course, it’s fine if you don’t believe my words. Perfectly fine. I simply wish to carefully offer one proposal.”

“A… proposal?”

Everyone turned their heads toward the widow. The expressionless widow, chin resting on one hand, waved her other hand dismissively. It was permission.

“Give me the position of Saint.”

The gathering fell silent.

“If I were to take the position of Saint, the Empire would soon regain stability… and above all, receiving invitations to banquet halls would become… much easier.”

“What if the Saint appears later?”

“Brand her a heretic and kill her.”

“…”

“I healed those who suffered and slayed a demon the moment I set foot in this place. Perhaps… someone with such a calling should stand in this position?”

At that moment, the door opened with a clatter and various dishes emerged.

“Lamb slowly roasted with spices and herbs. Accompanied by gravy sauce brewed from dawn grass and round bread baked with black wheat.”

The main course. As the silver cover was removed from the attendant’s hands, a steaming steak was revealed.

Around the meat, sauce that looked like blood formed puddles, and splattered sauce decorated the large plate.

Thunk.

The widow cut into the food with somewhat violent gestures that didn’t match proper etiquette. Sauce and blood could be seen splattering here and there.

I didn’t even touch the meat, waiting for an answer with a gentle smile.

The widow licked her red lips with her tongue. Then she tilted her head slightly. The draped black veil shifted, revealing the bridge of her nose.

“Indeed, these days the Empire is nothing but noisy inside and out with war, famine, and domestic issues. Moreover, a Saint at this time when we must achieve unity of church and state… how ridiculous. The Empire would instantly fall into the whirlpool of civil war. At times like this, as Lumiere says, we need a reliable and solid focal point… I think so too.”

“Do you believe my words?”

“Is there anything not to believe? Of course, I don’t trust you completely either… but in this situation where we have no other alternatives, there’s no reason to bear great losses. If we don’t accept this proposal, we’d need to gain equal or greater benefits—”

She gripped her fork again.

“Unfortunately, I don’t see any such path.”

The gathering fell silent. She chewed and swallowed another piece of meat, then lightly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

“Good. It seems we’ve reached a conclusion.”

I gripped my fork.

“I’ll give you the position of Saint. Your conduct… you’ll handle it well, won’t you?”

She was asking if I would behave well as a puppet.

I smiled brightly.

“Of course.”

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