The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 80

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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

I quietly stared at Yelena, who had fallen into a light sleep with her eyes closed in the swaying carriage.

‘She barely slept in front of me before. Hasn’t she let her guard down too much around me since returning from Centa?’

I can’t quite figure out why Yelena has lowered her guard around me so much…

But it must mean that in Yelena’s eyes, I appeared harmless, right? Let’s think positively!

I closed the carriage curtains. Then I thought about Erendor.

‘I do need to find Erendor.’

The reason I must find Erendor is simple in a way. It’s because I don’t know what he’ll do after obtaining the magic sword.

He pursues power. And where that blade of power will be directed… only Erendor would know.

I could ask him directly where he is through voice transmission, but… there are many side effects.

First, there’s an 80% chance he won’t properly tell me his location.

Second, when we last met and talked, he clearly showed he wanted to avoid me, so even if I force a meeting, there’s a 90% chance it’ll only create displeasure.

‘Once he learned that the magic sword is in my possession, he definitely would have crossed over to the Empire on his own.’

I want to maintain the most friendly and good relationship with him. It would be even better if I could hand over the magic sword and promise future cooperation.

Seeing that he left my vicinity, he must have either pressured Austin Gerard or found some other way to cross over to the Empire by now.

I needed to meet him naturally, give him the magic sword, and create a lasting friendly relationship.

‘Making him a believer would probably be too much.’

From what I’ve observed, ‘Divine Aura’ itself doesn’t work well on those with high levels, deep faith, or those who don’t believe in gods at all.

Erendor seems to be non-religious and high-level, so Divine Aura has no effect, and he doesn’t listen to me that well either…

Making him a believer to secure future cooperation is definitely unrealistic.

That’s why I previously coaxed him gently with the material reward of the magic sword…

‘But if not the magic sword, there’s really no way to coax Erendor. This is troublesome.’

Even if I find Erendor, this will be difficult…

The only thing I know about Erendor is that he values power and respects anyone’s intense desires.

Hmm? Wait a minute…

‘Why did I naturally assume I should hide the story about the Forgotten Gods? He’s not an Imperial, he’s non-religious, and he doesn’t belong anywhere.’

Perhaps… if I ‘persuade’ Erendor most truthfully.

He might be the most cooperative in the future task of killing Lumensia.

Among the people I know who I have contact with, Erendor is the only one I can reasonably try to win over right now.

‘Good. Let’s tell Erendor, who’s currently leisurely wandering around the Empire trying to get the magic sword, the secrets of the world.’

Originally, when you share secrets, the burden gets divided by n! I can’t be the only one knowing such momentous world secrets and struggling alone.

[Target Search: Austin Gerard]

[Connect?]

[Connecting…]

[Connected!]

-Current thoughts are being transmitted to the target.

‘Sir Gerard, this is the Ascetic. Have you seen Erendor?’

*

Austin Gerard decided to return to the Empire using that precious long-distance teleportation artifact, as told by a certain Imperial figure.

It was even a long-distance teleportation artifact with interference protection that could penetrate barriers, so aside from its price, one should be more amazed that it could be obtained at all.

Even considering his entire life, he would never get his hands on such an artifact again.

Austin Gerard finished his brief reflection and was about to crush the stone.

At that moment, he heard someone’s presence.

“Hello, friend.”

What emerged from the rustling grass was a somewhat familiar figure.

“Mr. Erendor.”

“What are you doing? Weren’t you going back with the Ascetic?”

Erendor probably didn’t quite understand why he was here. Or maybe he had listened carelessly to the Ascetic’s explanation.

Austin Gerard lowered his guard and answered faithfully.

“The Ascetic entered the country as an envoy, but I was dispatched to help him, so I will return separately.”

“Ah~ So what you’re holding is that return tool?”

“Yes.”

“It looks like an artifact… Wasn’t it impossible to use teleportation artifacts because there’s a barrier between the Empire and Centa?”

“Yes. But I received a special artifact from the Empire, so it’s fine.”

“Aha. The Empire has such things too. How interesting…”

He said that and just stood there blankly. Austin Gerard was slightly flustered.

“Are you not going back?”

In the end, it was Austin Gerard who spoke first. Erendor shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I want to go to the Empire too, but I was wondering how to get there.”

He reflexively raised his guard, but there was no particular killing intent. That person was simply asking out of pure curiosity.

“Unfortunately, this artifact is for one person only.”

Setting aside wanting to just move on, he answered like this because the man didn’t seem particularly dangerous.

“I figured as much, right? Since it’s a teleportation artifact that can ignore barriers and cross to the Empire, it would be difficult to make it multi-person.”

“Do you have knowledge of magic?”

“A little, picked up here and there.”

Erendor answered nonchalantly as if it was really nothing.

“Then may I ask you one thing, friend?”

He didn’t know who decided they were friends, but anyway, if he was going back, this would be someone he’d never see again.

“Yes. If it’s not a difficult question, I’ll answer.”

“The person who gave you that artifact… was he perhaps wearing a veil?”

Austin Gerard searched his memory. Hmm, that was right. But if I say this, the person who gave me orders might be troubled.

“I cannot answer that.”

“I see.”

Erendor backed down obediently. Austin Gerard hesitated, then bowed politely.

“Then I’ll be going now. Please keep my presence here to yourself.”

“What if I tell someone somewhere?”

“The Empire won’t leave you and your relatives alone. Regardless of my personal wishes.”

“That’s brutal. As expected, the Empire is merciless in this regard.”

“I agree. Then stay healthy.”

Austin Gerard crushed and broke the soft stone in his hand.

Austin Gerard’s figure disappeared from the forest. Erendor crossed his arms and watched with his partner, the Ifrit.

“I guess to get the magic sword, I need to visit ‘Harmony’ again? It would take too much time to go to the Empire through official routes…”

Erendor walked back into the forest.

He was thinking of returning to the organization that had told him to leave if he was going to keep not going and not doing the errands the boss assigned.

*

In the carriage returning to the mansion, I heard from Austin Gerard that he had encountered Erendor in the Empire.

He even said he met him together with someone from the banquet hall.

It seemed the Widow had brought in the ‘Harmony’ Mercenary Group that the Young Lady had mentioned, and somehow drew Erendor in with them.

Suddenly I have an ominous feeling.

‘Surely Erendor isn’t a member of the Harmony Mercenary Group?’

Oh well. Let’s stop thinking like this now. Anyway, making guesses with so few clues will only lead to wrong assumptions.

I just hope Erendor has favorable feelings toward me. That would make things much easier.

Basically, his personality isn’t twisted, has no dark sides, he’s a cheerful man who respects others’ desires… With that kind of personality, he probably doesn’t have any major grudge against me.

At least when we meet, we won’t be starting negotiations with negative favorability. Well, that’s fortunate in this misfortune.

Today’s task is just to stop by the healing center and pick up the clothes I had tailored for when I go to the banquet hall. If I have time, I should also visit the Central Church temple.

‘I could have someone else pick up the clothes… but I need to check on the situation with Astrapolis’s citizens anyway. It’s more efficient to check while I’m out.’

I roughly threw on some clothes.

Normally I’d check my appearance in a mirror before going out, but there was no mirror in my room.

I had removed them all last time.

I just didn’t want to see myself lately.

When I came out of my room, Yelena was there. She was dressed simply, having left behind the newly tailored halberd somewhere.

Well, we’re going to a healing center inside Astrapolis, so there probably won’t be any targets requiring a halberd.

“We’re going to the healing center?”

“Yes. I haven’t visited once since its completion, so I should go now.”

Since it wasn’t far enough to warrant taking a carriage, we walked through Astrapolis’s city center and observed the changed downtown area.

“The city was heavily damaged after the last attack, so there are many new shops and many places that disappeared.”

“Did you know Astrapolis well?”

“Not extremely well, but I knew it fairly well. To work as an inquisitor, you need to know the city inside and out.”

“Is that so? That’s interesting.”

“Nothing too interesting about it. Bad guys hide all over the city, so to catch them, there’s no choice.”

Astrapolis looked quite similar to the Astrapolis I knew from the game.

I could see famous shops and stores run by NPCs that players frequently used. I felt internally pleased and stared at those places more intently as we walked.

“…Do you like flowers?”

Huh? Flowers?

I was just looking fondly at a place that happened to be a flower shop, so Yelena seems to have misunderstood.

“They’re not bad. Don’t you feel good when you unexpectedly receive flowers?”

Of course, I’ve never received flowers from anyone. I’ve never done anything worth celebrating, and there’s no one to celebrate with me.

But ordinary people like flowers and enjoy receiving them during events…

“Hmm. That’s right. Ordinary people…”

Yelena trailed off. She looked quite uncertain. I had nothing particular to say, so I just kept walking.

As we got closer to the healing center, people’s voices grew louder and louder.

“Ascetic!”

As soon as we arrived near the healing center, a red-haired woman came running out barefoot.

“I’ve been waiting every day, wondering when you’d come.”

“Have you? There are many people calling for me here and there, so I couldn’t visit. The sick people inside must be waiting for me…”

“It’s okay. There aren’t that many seriously ill people.”

“Really?”

When we opened the fine wooden door and entered, people were packed everywhere.

Among those packed people was Cardil, holding the staff I gave him and treating people.

“Yes! A bishop directly dispatched from the Central Church arrived. He’s extremely skilled too, so there’s hardly anyone he can’t save! Though of course, not as much as you, Ascetic.”

Hmm… I suppose that would be the case? I rely on item effects, while he’s devoted entirely to saving people…

Cardil looked up with a tired expression.

Going straight to work after returning from Centa without even resting – he’s really something.

“Brother Cardil.”

Confirming that I had arrived, Cardil looked at me.

“Ah, Ascetic… sir.”

He really seems to hate adding the honorific.

“It’s been a while, Cardil. Have you been well?”

Has my original believer supplier arrived?

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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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