The Life of a Wise Cult Leader - Chapter 90

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

Fire

Suddenly we began our march. Since it was a march through snow, our pace was slow.

Only Yelena, who could be considered a regularly trained soldier, was walking steadily through the snowy path, while the mercenaries and Kalebrin were struggling.

Still, the mercenaries were weak at marching but had decent stamina and strength, so they were keeping up with the pace well, and Kalebrin… she’ll probably collapse on Yelena’s back soon.

Fortunately, the frost storm had calmed down as I said, so the cold had lessened considerably.

“Let’s camp here for today.”

I thrust my staff deep into the ground. The staff, which held some heat, slowly melted the nearby snow.

The mercenaries began setting up tents for the night in an orderly fashion.

While they were digging the surrounding ground and setting up supports, Yelena approached with a smile.

“We’re making good time, so we should arrive in about 2 days.”

“So tired…”

Kalebrin looked ready to collapse if this place wasn’t just a snowy ground.

“Should I carry you tomorrow?”

Yelena had once carried three headless Pugrus. She could easily carry both Kalebrin and me.

Kalebrin thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“Just let me know anytime you’re having trouble!”

Yelena said that and disappeared to help the mercenaries. I quietly looked beyond the horizon.

Ife, who had been sleeping in my arms as if hibernating, stirred. Ife crawled from my wrist up to my shoulder and shouted.

-{Something’s coming!}

I drew out the staff I had put away. It’s a weapon that only works on amorphous monsters anyway, but it’s better than nothing.

“What’s coming?”

-{Hot… burning! Fire is coming!}

Fire?

Ife flicked its tongue. Light green scales writhed.

-{Pure fire is coming! Prepare so you won’t be devoured!}

Pure fire. Hearing those words, I had a guess. It was referring to a fire spirit, an Ifrit.

Ifrits don’t inhabit this place. This is the north with frost storms and snow deep enough to sink your feet.

Then a Spiritmaster who has that proud high-ranking spirit that doesn’t submit to just anyone.

Could it be Erendor?

‘Why? Did I create another variable?’

Erendor is coming all the way to the Northern Plains of Senta, not even the Empire?

-{Fire is coming! At this rate, you’ll be devoured by flames! Run away!}

Ife warned frantically. Soon I too could feel the blazing flames.

‘He’s coming.’

He who holds no goodwill toward me is coming to this place.

After standing dazed for a moment, I quickly entered the temporary tent and called Kalebrin.

“Kalebrin, prepare for battle.”

“Huh…?”

With defense relics, we can withstand some degree of heat.

However, as Ife said, spirit fire.

And if it’s the ‘fire of an Ifrit,’ a high-ranking spirit, the level of defense relics I’ve set up would only result in being roasted alive, let alone providing defense.

‘The Ifrit’s fire is a problem to begin with, but Erendor’s combat power is also an issue.’

Usually when someone uses a greatsword, people fear its characteristic destructive power and strength. But greatswords have the disadvantages of being very difficult to handle and slow.

Those disadvantages cease to be disadvantages the moment Erendor grips his sword.

The most frightening thing about Erendor isn’t the spirit, but that despite wielding a greatsword, his speed is fast.

He was even good at handling mana like an elf, able to cast small-scale buff magic on himself, making him truly troublesome.

‘This is why I wanted to recruit him as an ally.’

What on earth is he targeting me for?

“Um, battle… with whom…?”

I went looking for Yelena. Beside me, Kalebrin was gathering ominous mana.

“Probably… Brother Erendor. I plan to try talking if we meet, but just in case.”

The mercenaries won’t be much help in this fight. Most of them are below level 10. It would just increase casualties or deaths needlessly.

It would be better to send them to a nearby village first. And request support…

‘But it takes 3 days on foot. Even with someone who knows the geography fairly well, would they be able to make it safely?’

It was a completely unexpected situation, so I had no contingency plan. I thought there was enough ‘understanding’ that he wouldn’t attack me.

‘Did I misunderstand something?’

Wasn’t the magic sword that important? Or maybe he found something to replace the magic sword?

Would he be in a state where we can talk? If so, how do we negotiate? I was planning to ask him to cooperate with the ‘Prometheus’ plan later, but is that out of the question now?

Am I overthinking that he wants to beat me up based on one word from Ife? But the flames feel so ominous that I can sense them—

Kugugung—

In the distance, about three pillars of fire shot up vertically.

It seemed like he was telling us to come find him.

‘Right. I thought Erendor wouldn’t ambush us…’

I broke out in cold sweat and forced a smile. I felt like a solo player facing a final raid boss.

“Yelena.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s send the Brothers and Sisters… ahead first. I don’t know how he’ll react. If there are casualties in my battle with him—”

“I’ve already prepared them. I told them a bandit group was coming, but I’m not sure if anyone believes it.”

That’s Yelena for you. At this point, she seems less like personnel sent to monitor me and more like someone sent to help me.

Yelena naturally equipped her halberd on her back and tied her shoelaces.

Erendor is coming from the west. The mercenaries will go south, so they won’t overlap.

Still, the mercenaries who had become somewhat familiar after spending several days together each threw me a word with worried expressions.

“You must stay safe…!”

“We’ll go to the village first. Don’t worry about us…!”

They smell like freshly baked bread. These worries warm my heart.

The snowfall is getting heavier. I’m worried if they can make it to the village safely.

If the believers I worked so hard to save freeze to death on the road, I wouldn’t feel comfortable.

They’re not even named NPCs but regular NPCs. So weak they could die from tripping over a stone…

“I trust you. Please stay safe as well. Just keep going straight south and you’ll reach a village.”

I spoke with a bitter smile.

Despite their rough appearances, the mercenaries seemed quite sensitive, with some even showing tears.

To show tears over just those words. I don’t know how they can make a living by the sword in this harsh world being so soft.

Bang— Kwang—

Flames shot up as if urging us to hurry. Ife, who had been wrapped around my neck with its head poking out, was startled by the sound and hid in my chest.

‘A spirit directly under God…? So why is it scared of the Ifrit?’

Ife muttered from inside my shirt.

-{Sc-scared? I’m not frightened. That destructive aura just doesn’t suit me, so what’s with spreading such rumors.}

Ife insisted it wasn’t scared and chattered earnestly, but every time a pillar of fire roared up, its body trembled violently. The tiny thing was so pitiful, shaking in fear.

“Let’s go.”

We headed west where the fire pillars had risen.

*

“It was hard waiting, friend.”

Erendor was waiting, leaning on his greatsword with an Ifrit perched on his shoulder.

“I even kindly marked the way so you wouldn’t get lost, but you were late.”

“Well, it’s hard to climb up when you’re on a hill.”

At least he’s someone I can talk to. He didn’t try to slice my neck with his greatsword from the start.

“So, what’s the reason you called me out?”

“Just. To deliver a small gift for my friend who became friends with a spirit?”

Erendor quickly threw something from his pouch. Since he said it was a gift, it probably wasn’t dangerous.

I caught the object Erendor had thrown in midair.

‘A gem?’

It was a transparent, round gem. It seemed to be some kind of opal.

“What is this?”

“Hmm… I suppose you could call it a Spirit’s house. It’s a stone where spirits can dwell. Make it into jewelry or whatever you want with it. I can give at least this much for my friend.”

“…Thank you.”

He gave me a gift, treated me kindly, and used the word ‘friend,’ so it seemed he wasn’t planning to kill me immediately.

“But our friend… well, seems like you’ve been stirring things up here and there. The people around are quite interested in you.”

“…Is that so?”

“I hate complicated things. I also hate using my brain. So I’ll speak straight to the point.”

The snowfall grew heavier. Erendor’s figure was momentarily obscured in the blurred vision before appearing again.

He took a few steps closer. It was probably because the snowfall had grown heavier. Yelena quickly stepped in front of me.

“Won’t you cooperate in bringing down the Empire?”

“…!”

Yelena gripped her halberd shaft tightly. Her posture looked as if she would leap out at any moment to take Erendor’s head.

“To suddenly make such a proposal… It’s bewildering.”

“A proposal…? Well, it is a proposal. But for the guy behind your precious Sorceress, it won’t be a proposal.”

I turned around. A dagger was pressed against Kalebrin’s throat.

‘When…!?’

He was positioned just outside the 20-meter range, so I hadn’t noticed.

“Kuk…”

“Don’t resist. I don’t want to spill unnecessary blood.”

It was a face I’d seen before. Despite his large build, he was quite agile.

But soon his face began to squirm and change. What appeared was an androgynous man with silver-blue hair.

“Hah… To ruin my scenario, Erendor. Do you even think? Well, if you had thought, you wouldn’t have pulled this stunt either. If you had followed my scenario, there would have been no problems.”

I quietly took a step toward Kalebrin. As soon as I entered the 20-meter range, the guy took Kalebrin and increased the distance.

“Don’t get too angry. Why don’t you get mad at the Boss who assigned me to this mission instead?”

He was a sensitive guy. He might know about my 20-meter range. I don’t know how he knows, but… provoking him further would be dangerous.

“I was planning to do that anyway. I should have asked for Violin to be assigned instead.”

Violin.

‘He’s a member of Harmony. As expected, that guy was Viola.’

Erendor in front of me wouldn’t attack me first. But he also wouldn’t stop a fellow organization member who wanted to harm me.

“She’s weak though. In the end, the Boss trusts me when it comes to combat power.”

Erendor said nonchalantly.

Tension was rising. Kalebrin was drawing up sinister mana without Viola noticing.

Then, Viola took out a scroll from his chest with his other hand that wasn’t holding the dagger.

Riiip.

There was a sound of something tearing.

‘Could it be, a scroll?’

As soon as the scroll was torn, Kalebrin’s mana that seemed ready to fire scattered.

‘Binding Magic… or a scroll with something equivalent to it?’

Scrolls weren’t used much anyway, unlike artifact stones. I didn’t have the skill to identify what it was without examining it closely.

Thud.

Viola pushed Kalebrin down into the snow field. Like she had been petrified, Kalebrin fell into the snow without any resistance.

Seeing this, veins bulged at Yelena’s temples. I stepped in front of her.

“Ascetic.”

“You want me, don’t you? Just take me alone.”

“Hmm? Right now, Mr. Sernuan Lumiere isn’t in a position to make proposals. This is a threat, Scholar. We’re doing a hostage situation here, you know?”

I drew out my staff made of light. And I aimed the curved part of the staff at Viola.

At my sudden action, Viola quickly brought the dagger to Kalebrin’s carotid artery.

But no matter how fast, he wasn’t faster than light.

The light beam I deliberately shot past his ear grazed through his hair and soared far into the sky.

It was just a light beam that wouldn’t harm even a hair on a human. But to someone who didn’t know that fact, it would look quite threatening.

Especially since I was in a state with Divine Aura.

If he was extremely sensitive and wary of my 20-meter range, there was a good chance my ‘threat’ would work.

“…”

“I’ll show you what happens if you lay a hand on her. Now, it would be best to follow when I make a ‘proposal,’ don’t you think?”

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