Chapter 2
Chapter 2: The Materialistic Paladin Erik (2)
‘Work isn’t something that just happens because you want it to.’
He had declared that he would collect tithes, but it wasn’t something that could be implemented right away.
To achieve this, groundwork was needed.
So Erik moved his body busily.
‘There are many places to go.’
He headed from Ruelle’s orphanage in District 3 to the shopping district located in District 2.
Unlike the seven-day market held in front of the Labyrinth, the shopping district in District 2 exuded a luxurious atmosphere.
It was reminiscent of the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Erik approached one of the stores.
[Jean’s Magical Tool Shop]
It was a rather unique store, prominently featuring a sculpture of six wings surrounding the long cross that was the symbol of the Astia Religious Order.
When he opened the elegant wood-toned store door, some lump approached with a wide grin.
“Welcome! Oh! Big brother, you’ve come?”
The store located in the upscale shopping district was operated under Erik’s assumed name.
It was such a prime location that the land price alone cost thousands per square meter.
Erik owned a store in such a place.
“What brings you to the store at this hour…”
The lump wearing a neat uniform was a thug he had reformed while touring outside the Imperial Capital with his master.
“Were there any problems?”
The muscular guy with a buzz cut scratching his head pathetically recited important matters in response to Erik’s question.
“Well, what was it? Some crazy bastard came, so I chased him away. He was saying something about a system store… From the strange words he used, I thought he might be one of those possessors I’d only heard about.”
“What?”
Erik, who had only planned to briefly inspect the store and discuss the groundwork for tithes.
His mind went blank at his employee’s single remark.
“…It’s the first time I’ve seen big brother surprised.”
“Shut up and explain.”
“Geez, even when I tell you…”
Seeing Erik’s rarely contorted face, the thug-like employee bowed his head.
Then he recounted what had happened.
“He was a strange bastard.”
A man in a black robe had come to the magical tool shop.
Then he suddenly asked what the reason was for making the system store’s items sold out every day.
“So what happened?”
“I beat him up like a dog and chased him away. Since I suspected he might be a possessor or something, I told him I’d call the Imperial Security Forces next time.”
“What did he look like?”
“Well, what was it? He must have used some kind of perception-interfering magical tool, because I couldn’t make him out at all.”
Erik put his hand to his temple.
His head was throbbing.
‘I haven’t met a possessor in five years and I encounter one here?’
When his master left, he gave Erik several pieces of advice.
Don’t get involved with possessors, don’t enter the Labyrinth, and so on.
Erik had followed that advice thoroughly.
He had only associated with groups that were clearly distant from possessors, like the Religious Order and the Empire.
“Phew.”
No, wait.
Let’s think positively.
It was definitely going to be a headache, but if he changed his thinking a little, it could become a good thing.
“Du-sik.”
“Yes?”
“How much is the reward for reporting a possessor?”
His crumpled face smoothed out and began to shine brightly.
His white skin, straight nose, and plum-colored lips were very vivid.
It was a face that could be called reminiscent of a god of beauty.
“Well, if only that vile mouth could be fixed somehow, you could be called the Empire’s greatest beauty. I heard it’s twenty thousand Gold.”
However, there was an unavoidable feeling that his lips looked somewhat cunning.
***
After entrusting the groundwork for tithes to Jang Du-sik, Erik headed to the checkpoint connecting District 2 and District 3.
A massive rectangular building connected to the castle walls came into view.
[Imperial Security Forces]
Since he had words to convey for the tithes and also needed to report the possessor, Erik had come here directly.
“Wh-who did you say you want to meet?”
“Security Bureau 2nd Knight Order, Vice-Commander. I’ve said this three times now. Do you have hearing problems?”
The Security Bureau’s 2nd Knight Order was a department that exclusively handled nobles.
In other words, all members were nobles, and the commander and vice-commander would be children from families with quite high titles.
“…Which family are you from?”
A big guy suddenly showed up saying he wanted to meet the knight order’s vice-commander.
The soldier guarding the entrance was simply flabbergasted.
‘Is he a noble?’
Even if he is a noble, still.
The 2nd Knight Order’s vice-commander is no less than a daughter of a ducal family.
“Just tell them Erik came. How long are you going to make me stand here for a simple message?”
Yet he had this kind of attitude.
No matter if the other party was a noble, it felt like crossing the line.
‘This is the first time someone has come barging in like this.’
The soldier didn’t know what to do about Erik’s high-handed behavior.
That’s when it happened.
“He’s from the Astia Religious Order.”
A man who appeared to be a superior showed up.
“What? The Religious Order?”
“I’ll guide you.”
A man in full mithril armor with a prominent long mustache pushed the soldier aside.
“You came to see the vice-commander?”
Then he extended his hand to Erik and asked.
“May Astia’s grace be with you.”
Erik made the sign of the cross while clasping his hand.
“Are there wanted criminals today too? I thought it would be quiet since the Labyrinth is closed…”
The eyes of the mustached soldier shaking hands wavered.
He looked like he detested working overtime.
“Today I didn’t come because of bounties, hmm, wanted criminals. I came to ask you to tell the vice-commander to attend evening prayers today.”
“Ah… I’ll convey the message. Is that all?”
“There’s one more thing. I’d like to report a possessor.”
“A possessor?”
It was a first.
The man known as a collaborator of the Religious Order was Erik.
His nickname was Bounty Hunter Erik.
It was too irreverent a term for one who served God, so it was never mentioned in his presence.
But suddenly, a possessor?
“I heard there’s a reward just for reporting.”
“Ah, haha. Th-that’s right. The reporting reward will disappear starting next month. There have been too many recently…”
“Ho. So until this month, rewards are given just for reporting.”
“Th-that’s right…?”
Erik conveyed the description of the person suspected to be a possessor.
Since perception-hindering magic was used, they would find the possessor through joint investigation with the Magic Tower.
“Astia will always watch over the Security Bureau.”
With the twenty thousand Gold reporting reward, Erik left the Security Bureau.
Watching Erik’s departing back, the soldier asked.
“Who exactly is he to be telling the knight order’s vice-commander to do this and that?”
“Bounty Hunter Erik.”
“What? That person was from the Religious Order?”
“That’s right.”
“He makes an enormous amount of money… Ahem, hmm.”
“That’s right. He’s crazy about money. Look at him now, reporting rewards? Hah, how much is he going to report? The Security Bureau Chief’s hair will fall out again…”
A Paladin who collected bounties and reporting rewards instead of properly selling holy water or receiving treatment fees.
“Is there a problem?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“The higher-ups just told me to cooperate with that guy as much as possible, so I don’t know.”
“What does that mean…”
“I can only guess he’s the illegitimate child of a great noble, or… the child of a bishop who was pushed out in power struggles within the Religious Order.”
“Hah, what’s the evidence?”
To the soldier, he seemed like a truly remarkable person.
But it seemed too absurd to just believe.
“Evidence? What crazy bastard would order around a duke’s daughter and Security Bureau vice-commander? Telling her to come to District 3 for prayers… What kind of prayer would she do where commoners live.”
“Ah…! I’m also a commoner so I didn’t think of that.”
The soldier gazed blankly out the window.
The passage connecting District 2 and District 3 was full of people.
Even among them, watching the clearly visible massive Erik, the soldier felt some inexplicable envy.
“I’d better hurry and deliver the message. Let’s have drinks after work.”
***
The Astia Religious Order that Erik belonged to was far too honest and only gave.
While other religious orders scraped together money by selling holy water or receiving treatment fees, this damn Astia Religious Order provided everything for free.
‘That’s why they’re dirt poor.’
A poor religious order that couldn’t even acquire a few sacred relics from the Labyrinth.
But Erik saw possibility here.
‘They have an overwhelmingly large congregation.’
So he thought of applying a tithe system while maintaining the existing free treatment services.
Though sanctions might be imposed at the Religious Order headquarters level, if he used his master’s name, it would be possible to smooth things over.
Riferoze Astia was treated as a kind of saint who had directly received God’s castle from the Pope.
Erik was the direct disciple and sole successor of such a saint.
‘By genealogy, I’m about God’s great-grandson.’
He had enough to rely on.
‘Well, I don’t like it much though…’
Since Erik had not yet officially registered with the Religious Order, he had no intention of revealing himself above the surface.
However, it was sufficient as insurance.
Considering even the possibility of his identity being discovered, the gains were clearly overwhelmingly greater than the losses.
All preparations were complete and prayer time was approaching.
“Well, big brother, is this thing called tithes really something done in God’s name?”
First, he prepared a shill.
“Du-sik, who am I?”
“…Well, you use so many names.”
“When we first met.”
“It’s Erik.”
“Who gave me that name?”
“Ri, Riferoze Astia… sir… Geez, I just remembered my big brother was a Paladin.”
“I’m still a Paladin.”
“Ahem. I’ve prepared everything as big brother ordered, so this Jang Du-sik will risk his life to be a shill.”
Park Ji-hun had gained many relationships while accepting Erik’s life.
If his master and Ruelle were the beginning, Jang Du-sik was a relationship met in the process.
It meant the number of people to take care of had increased.
‘Why did I play such a game?’
When the main story begins, disasters occur all over the world and the world gradually becomes desolate.
Whether to delay destruction by conquering the Labyrinth, or fail and face destruction.
A chicken game begins.
While it was a device that gave urgency in the game, in reality it became a life-or-death struggle.
“Do well, Du-sik.”
“Don’t worry!”
On the first day of every week, adventurers head to the Labyrinth, and on the last day of every week, the Labyrinth resets.
So most religious events begin on the last day, Sunday.
‘The first tithe.’
Erik prepared to receive customers with an excited heart.
First, he placed a huge collection box at the entrance of the chapel.
“Kids, here first! Clean it up!”
He mobilized all the orphanage children to clean and re-clean the chapel.
‘If you’re going to sell something, you have to do it properly.’
A kind of faith service?
Only after seeing the sparkling interior did Erik nod satisfactorily.
“Erik is being weird…”
“He always pretended not to see us, but now he calls us all to make us clean.”
The children wore puzzled expressions.
Still, they couldn’t quite say anything. Erik usually didn’t show the children kindness beyond necessity.
So there was a sense of distance.
“Specially, I’ll give you Divine Power lessons during next week.”
Such Erik readily offered a reward.
“What?”
“Divine Power? But you told us not to become priests! Because we’d become poor.”
The children were surprised.
“Not anymore. Priests of the Astia Religious Order will become wealthier than anyone.”
Children with talent in magic or who had awakened aura felt a bit disappointed.
Because Divine Power cannot coexist with other powers.
But then.
“I’ll also let you experience swordsmanship training and magical tools.”
Erik added.
It was truly a groundbreaking proposal.
When he lived as Park Ji-hun on Earth, he disliked children, thinking they were just noisy, but his feelings changed while living at the orphanage as Erik.
‘The kids also need to be able to protect themselves.’
While planning the children’s educational curriculum like this.
“Humming.”
Ruelle entered the prayer room humming.
She looked at the sparkling interior with a puzzled expression, and seeing Erik full of confidence, she let out a short “Phew.” sigh.
Then she asked.
“Did you call that thug in front? Do you think tithes will work by bringing such an ignorant guy?”
She was displeased with Erik’s action of using his position to pressure others.
“Well, still, since it’s already done, I hope it goes well. Heh.”
Even if Erik was exceptional, fifteen was still a young age. Though she felt bad, she still understood.
If he experienced failure, that too would become enlightenment.
That was her mindset.
“We’ll see.”
Just then, the bell announcing prayer time rang out.
Dong-dong-dong-dong.
Customers, no, believers began to pour in right on time.
“Hah, even in God’s poverty, He has looked after us.”
“When I’ve received so much, how could I begrudge such small money?”
About the same number of people as usual visited the chapel.
Commoners dressed in decent clothes put money in the donation box without hesitation.
“We, we…”
The poor hesitated.
They seemed to feel guilty somehow.
“Well, God said poor people shouldn’t give donations.”
They felt relieved at Jang Du-sik’s words and tried to enter the chapel.
But then.
“Is that really so?”
A massive man appeared at the chapel entrance, scattering faint radiance.
“Brother Jang Du-sik is saying the wrong thing.”
His neat ceremonial robes had the long cross representing the god Astia drawn on them, and his garment hem fluttered in golden waves.
Beyond that, his bright and handsome face sparkled.
He looked reminiscent of a saint.
Such Erik recited:
“However, God said that if you consider yourself poor, you will not escape from poverty.
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