The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 50

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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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Fire

The banquet ended.

The Young Lady gave me a glance and left, and each person gradually exited the banquet hall in order of their rank.

Just as I was about to leave, an attendant standing by the door blocked the exit with his arm.

“Someone has requested a private audience. Please return to your seat.”

A private audience request? The Young Lady? Or perhaps that other marquis who sat on my right, staring at me with burning eyes?

As I sat back down, post-dinner dessert and tea were served. They fed me very well, which was favorable as a Korean.

While eating and waiting, the hand holding my tea trembled. Ripples formed on the surface of the red tea.

As I set down the teacup, the door soon opened and the widow walked in, having removed her veil.

She let down her pinned-up red hair and sat down heavily, her green eyes gleaming.

Her green eyes were similar to Yelena’s but slightly lighter. Rather than Yelena’s deep forest-like eye color, hers were more like light green leaves.

“We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”

She pulled her chair closer and, unlike her dignified manner from earlier, sat in a relaxed posture with her legs crossed as she faced me.

“I’m not sure. Do you have something to discuss?”

“Did you really lose your memory? I thought it was a lie.”

She picked at the green grapes placed in front of her, eating them one by one. Her disheveled red hair flowed beautifully along her shoulders. She swept her hair back with her other hand.

“I don’t lie. How could I lie to a kind neighbor? That’s impossible.”

“I see… Then let me ask one last thing. Did you find out his name?”

‘His’?

So there was some connection with the widow, and she had secretly given me some errand? No wonder she believed that story so easily earlier.

She had already put a leash on me, so she felt secure and easily accepted that shocking proposal from before.

“…Unfortunately, that’s also a question I cannot answer.”

“Hmm…”

The widow made a brief contemplative sound, then immediately chewed on a grape.

“Fine. I’ll send a messenger bird for the saint announcement, so make sure to check it on time.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

“Best… didn’t you used to dislike that word?”

“I am Sernuan Lumiere, but I’m not the same person as before.”

“I’ll give you the status of an envoy under the pretext of ceasefire negotiations, so find the sacred relic and make Centa yours. If you can’t, don’t bother coming back.”

“All I own is this one body. So making it mine… guh-“

My throat was being strangled.

Some unknown thread was choking my neck.

I can’t breathe…

“Shouldn’t you watch who you’re being glib with?”

Some transparent thread was coming from her fingernails, strangling my neck.

I reflexively tried to suppress my hands from reaching for my throat as much as possible.

“I’d like you to remember this isn’t a suggestion. I really want to form a good relationship with you. So… if you ‘lie’ from now on, I’ll slice your flesh piece by piece with this thread. When people lie, not only their expressions change, but their heart rate differs too.”

The thread loosened slightly. Even so, my breathing was still labored.

Damn it. This is why I can’t read her thoughts because of the level difference…!

“I, guh… have never… lied.”

“Of course, I know you haven’t lied so far. That’s why I approved your proposal.”

The widow smiled as she rolled a grape between her fingers.

“But the fact that you’re alive… is only because I’ve allowed it. There won’t be a second time. This is just to remind you not to forget.”

Snap.

The transparent thread broke. She was definitely trying to treat me ‘well.’

“As I said before… I want to get along with you.”

She ate another grape. I felt the wound on my neck slowly healing.

The widow smiled brightly at the sight.

The blood flowing down my neck gradually turned into particles of light and scattered into the air.

“Don’t lie to me. If you behave well, I’ll give you rewards. It’s quite simple, isn’t it?”

I hid my trembling hands under the table. Then I put on a composed expression.

“May I also make a proposal?”

“Let’s hear it.”

“After the Centa matter is finished, I’d like you to send me to the Demon Realm. While maintaining my status as an envoy.”

“To the Demon Realm? If you want to die, just say so. After the Centa matter and our business are done, I’ll kill you as you wish.”

“I don’t want to die. As an ascetic, I must live until all the world’s suffering disappears.”

Her eyebrows twitched but were replaced by a deep sigh.

It’s okay to speak up to this point. Though if it accumulates, I’ll probably get strangled by the thread again.

“There must be people in the Demon Realm who need me too. And the Empire needs to reorganize rather than fight an unnecessary war with the Demon Realm right now. In that situation, I’ll attempt ceasefire negotiations with the Demon King.”

“That’s not wrong. But the Demon Race is currently viewed no differently from demons. If you attempt negotiations with such a race… the citizens’ anger would boil over.”

“That’s why we need a ‘pretext.’ If there’s a justification the citizens can accept… we’d gain support rather than resentment.”

“Tell me.”

“A prisoner exchange agreement.”

“The Empire has been at war with the Demon Realm for decades. It’s a story everyone hears at least once. News that the young man next door went to the Demon Realm subjugation war and died or was captured. If I step forward saying I’ll rescue such prisoners, people will think of someone who might still be alive rather than feel anger.”

The widow’s eyes lit up. She narrowed her eyes with interest and touched a grape with her finger.

“If we don’t say ‘making peace with the Demon Race’ but instead propagate that ‘we made a painful decision to rescue noble soldiers,’ entering the Demon Realm with envoy status would be natural. And based on that foothold, we could gradually expand to ceasefire negotiations.”

“Hmm…”

“Then, if we politically incite civil war in Centa and occupy it with the forces preserved through the ceasefire with the Demon Realm, we could gain additional benefits. For instance… reducing the Central Church’s power and expanding the Empire’s position.”

“Pushing forward with this plan based solely on your abilities… seems quite risky.”

“If trust is difficult, I can create opportunities to prove myself.”

“Never mind. I already figured out you have that level of ability.”

Hmm, Yelena? If she originally attached her as a surveillance role, she could have gotten information from her.

“I’m grateful for that.”

The widow’s light green eyes sparkled.

“You use your head better than before. For once, I’m glad you lost your memory.”

I just smiled silently.

“Go ahead and try it.”

A refreshing permission was granted.

I think I’ve gained as much as I could from this banquet hall. It would be hard to get more than this.

‘I’ve overcome the two biggest challenges. Of course, now I have to successfully complete everything from obtaining the sacred relic to making contact with the Demon King…’

The widow pushed her chair back and stood up.

The black top that completely covered her neckline and the black dress that moderately revealed her body line would probably remain in my memory.

“Let’s meet again next time. Ascetic.”

She left the banquet hall with clicking footsteps.

‘Ascetic… does she no longer recognize me as Sernuan Lumiere?’

Sernuan Lumiere, who was a mid-boss. What exactly had this bastard done?

I leaned back comfortably against the backrest. My body, which had been standing stiffly, finally found rest. As the tension completely released, I almost let out a groan.

‘I need to find out what Sernuan Lumiere was doing.’

And I also need to find out who that person the widow asked me to find the name of…

‘The widow is cooperating with me for now, but she’ll kill me as soon as my usefulness and value drop. I need to give some support to the Central Church to prevent being dragged around.’

The tea that had been served was already cold.

‘Central Church… how should I give power to the Central Church? They must really hate me.’

*

“It’s been a while, Yelena.”

“…It has been a while. Widow.”

“You’re being uncharacteristically stiff~”

“I’m an Inquisitor right now. It’s better than being inappropriately friendly.”

Yelena deliberately maintained a stiff tone.

“Well, that’s true too. When someone tries to get close and cross the line just to build affection, I want to cut them off completely.”

Yelena laughed silently at the Widow’s words.

“I’m not joking.”

Yelena just kept her mouth shut.

“So… we have quite a lot to talk about today, don’t we?”

The Widow’s bare hands fiddled with Yelena’s blonde hair. She would probably braid her hair as she pleased again, tie it up this way and that, then decorate it lavishly.

Whether it was her hobby or what, every time they met, she would play with her hair like this.

It felt like she was holding her leash, so Yelena didn’t particularly like it.

“About Sernuan Lumiere?”

“Yes. About the Ascetic. I met him for the first time today. He seemed extraordinary…”

Her hair was being braided. Yelena quietly offered her back and began her report.

“It was truly Divine Power on a different level. And he had talent for bewitching and manipulating people too.”

“Mm-hmm. That’s already known. And?”

“He seemed to feel no pain. From what I heard, even with both arms cut off, he moved like someone who couldn’t feel pain… and his Regeneration was so fast that even with his arms cut off, he called it creation. Regenerating both arms like that seemed like something even the Pope couldn’t accomplish.”

“Hmm… that’s information you heard from the Lion Heart Knight Commander?”

“Yes… I was assigned to the trial.”

“Any special characteristics? The Ascetic’s weaknesses, I mean. Do there seem to be any?”

“Weaknesses… Since he’s definitely focused only on Healing, he showed reduced attack power and agility. And his defense was also at ordinary human level. Other details… his eyes flash with a yellow light whenever he uses Holy Power.”

“Mm… And? Anything else useful?”

She had an excellent talent for distinguishing between what should be said, what didn’t need to be said, and what must be said. It was because she had grown up under someone for decades.

“So far, nothing in particular… Oh, he seemed to spit blood periodically.”

“Blood?”

“Very occasionally I saw him spit blood… I don’t know why, but, um. Would it be okay if I ask about it next time and tell you then?”

“Yes. I’d like you to tell me as soon as possible. It’s not Dark Magic, is it?”

“I’m not… sure. But since I didn’t sense any negative energy, it didn’t seem like Dark Magic.”

“I see… It’s braided well.”

The braided hair was neatly tied up with various Wildflowers tucked between the strands here and there.

‘It’ll be annoying to remove them when I wash later…’

The Widow reflected in the Mirror in front of her showed a satisfied expression.

The desaturated red hair and pale green eyes would normally give a gentle impression, but due to her always expressionless face and statue-like atmosphere, coldness approached first instead.

Using such soft features in such a frightening way was a talent, if it could be called that.

She gently touched Yelena’s shoulders. The Hand with slight pressure was easy enough to shake off, but somehow it was difficult to do so.

“Yes, thank you for growing up well. My Daughter. Please continue to do well.”

Only at times like this am I a daughter.

“Not at all, Mother.”

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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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