Chapter 42
Chapter 42: The Saint (1)
"Since there is a Magic Tower in the eastern part of the Empire, I plan to enter the southern region through the west."
These were the words of the representative, Makia Jangchen, as she took out and unfolded a Continental Map.
As befitted the representative of Black Mage Group, she had made a choice that minimized risk.
"Representative, is the southern part of the Empire not dangerously close to the Elven Autonomous Territory?"
"With Dark Elves, we don't need to worry about the regular Elves."
"As expected, Representative! Your connections are remarkable!"
Representative Makia began discussions with the practical staff regarding a full-scale Empire Harvest Operation.
With location and objectives set, what remained to prepare was the execution plan.
"I heard you made contact with some Possessors?"
"Yes, we conducted conversations using as much slang as possible to avoid Community Inspection."
"What about authentication?"
"I was just confirming authentication shots using black magic."
Makia Jangchen was not a Possessor.
Yet she had maintained her position as representative of Black Mage Group.
"Indeed, my Thomas. Your work is flawless, and that's good."
It was thanks to her most loyal subordinate, the Possessor Thomas, that she could accomplish this.
As Thomas bowed his head, Makia Jangchen brought the back of her hand to below his mouth. Kiss.
"Representative, it is my honor."
As Thomas kissed the back of her hand, he trembled.
Field Boss Makia.
A world where she lived in the form of a person, not a monster.
Thomas felt a sense of mission.
"Humanity must all disappear!"
A Field Boss with an absolutely beautiful face that transcended humanity, yet with a massive and grotesque spider torso, stood before his eyes in the complete form of a person.
'I have much to be grateful for.'
Hair as black as pitch and skin as transparent as glass.
"I am always grateful for Thomas's help."
And a bright voice with a refreshing quality.
Moreover, she gave him such praise in that voice.
"I will devote myself to loyalty."
A beautiful face was only one of Makia's charms.
For Thomas, Makia Jangchen was a perfect woman in all aspects.
"The Black Mage Union held a protest demanding work, didn't they?"
"Yes."
"Let's direct some work their way. Even if their abilities are somewhat lacking, they need something to live on."
What stood out most was Makia Jangchen's character.
She was the representative of Black Mage Group, yet possessed a compassionate heart.
"Shouldn't we terminate those with insufficient abilities?"
Thomas had repeatedly raised objections to her words, seeking to test such character.
This time was no different.
"Hah, Thomas, you really do this every time. Since they all belong to Black Mage Group, if they have even some company loyalty, it's right to give them work."
"Then I will assign the Black Mages from the union to Summoning-related tasks in the Empire."
"Good. Before the Empire becomes more entrenched in religion, let's hurry as much as possible."
Next to her character was her business acumen.
A representative who even looked after incompetent employees possessed outstanding talent in business.
'If only it hadn't been for the Labyrinth of the Empire that the Board chose...surely the previous operation would have succeeded.'
Thomas held her planning ability in very high regard.
Thomas was originally a consultant at a famous consulting company on Earth.
With his discerning eye, it wouldn't be wrong.
"The Almanism Church has several temples in the western part of the Empire."
Just as Thomas thought, Makia's planning was already complete in her mind.
"I plan to receive their cooperation, bring in Possessor Black Mages into the western Empire, move to the southern Viscounty, and install a Portal."
"Wouldn't a Portal risk being detected through Mana sensing?"
"This time, in the budget allocated by the board, the cooperation of our stockholders is included."
Stockholders of a company.
These were monsters that had been living before Black Mage Group was even born.
A Black Mage accumulates harvested souls for as long as they have lived.
Therefore, the strength of long-lived Black Mages was well known.
"This is the first time in roughly ten years that the stockholders are stepping into worldly affairs."
They had hidden themselves from the world.
However, this opportunity meant the stockholders would reveal themselves.
'As expected of Madam Makia.'
It meant that the representative, Makia Jangchen, received that much recognition.
For stockholders who had been in hiding for ten years to come forward was extraordinary.
"You've moved the stockholders! You're truly remarkable! As expected, Representative!"
At Thomas's praise, Makia Jangchen extended the back of her hand. As he kissed it, Thomas trembled.
To such a Thomas, Makia said:
"As long as some Saint doesn't suddenly pop up, there's no way this plan can fail."
***
Every choice bears consequences.
A Baptism taking place before the Pope, high-ranking members of the religious order, and thirty thousand believers.
Despite receiving the Baptism and drinking from the Holy Grail, there were no visible effects.
Just before being branded a heretic.
Erik used a sum exceeding 500 million to escape the crisis.
[Wings of Radiance]
Among the many skills he could purchase, he chose the most impressive one.
'Visual appeal is really important, isn't it.'
Named Wings of Radiance.
Creation was a skill he had been keeping an eye on ever since purchasing it.
Wouldn't a skill with such a name and effect be spectacularly flashy?
But...
'This is a bit too much.'
Erik endured the countless gazes and slowly surveyed his surroundings.
Everyone was looking at him.
Whooooooosh!
The golden pillar disappeared.
Yet from Erik, Divine Power poured out like a torrent.
The reason was the wings attached to his back.
"God has descended to this place..."
Looking at those wings, the Pope bowed his head.
His fingertips trembled faintly, a feeling of not knowing what to do, overwhelmed by emotion.
And the Pope himself was kneeling before him, wasn't he?
'Could it be...?'
The Pope never kneels except before the Lord, Astia.
He is the representative of God and the supreme master of the religious order.
Why did such a Pope kneel before Erik?
"An Incarnation of God!"
"Ahhh. Astia, oh Lord."
At this strange phenomenon, both the elders of the religious order and the Bishops overseeing the Baptism ceremony bowed their heads toward Erik.
According to the Scripture of the Astia Religious Order:
God descended to the earth encircled by six wings.
It was such a famous passage that even Erik, who read the Scripture carelessly, knew it.
And Erik:
Flap!
"Ahhhhh!!!"
He moved the [Wings of Radiance].
Six wings felt on his back.
Flap!
"Oooooh!!!"
Like they were his own body, the wings moved as he willed.
Every time Erik fluttered his wings, the believers gasped in admiration.
Moreover:
Flap!
"Ah, to behold thus the will of the great and sublime Father—"
The Pope threw his head back as if his spirit was departing, calling out to God.
Thud!
The elders fainted from emotion, and the Bishops were prostrating their entire bodies before Erik.
'Hmm.'
At first, Erik was taken aback.
But he soon faced reality.
Flap!
"O Astia, my Lord!!!"
With a single flap of his wings, tens of thousands of people were weeping openly.
'This is fun.'
Hiding his slightly rising smile, Erik examined the form of his wings.
Wings curled inward.
They resembled enormous angel wings, and like the symbol of the Astia Religious Order, three pairs were attached.
'Is this truly the power of the God Astia?'
The skill Creation had the same name as the sacred relics of the religious order.
And Wings of Radiance, which borrowed wings from the Empire's symbol of a cross encircled by six wings.
Even without divine words, Erik had never felt any divine presence.
'I'm not sure.'
Some intuition came to him, but there was nothing he could understand.
Erik thought that as he earned more money, this would be resolved.
Therefore:
"Your Holiness."
He decided to end this Baptism ceremony where everyone was mesmerized and praising him.
"Ahhh. Father."
The Pope's eyes, continuously calling out to Father, were unfocused.
Erik gently moved his wings.
Flap!
Focus returned to the Pope's pupils.
"Your Holiness."
"Ahhh."
The Pope then staggered to his feet.
'The symbol of God...'
The Divine Power emanating from Erik was intense, but not enough to make the Pope's mind slip away.
The reason the Pope's mind had gone astray was:
'He has sent down the saint to us.'
Because of the existence of 'The Saint' that appeared for the first time in the Astia Religious Order.
Each religion referred to those who displayed the symbol of God as Saints or Holy Daughters.
As the Pope fell into thought:
Flap!
Erik's wings moved.
Again, the Pope's gaze grew hazy.
Throughout thousands of years of history, the sorrow of the Astia Religious Order was:
The absence of Saints and Holy Daughters.
"Ahhh."
As the Pope staggered again:
"Your Holiness."
With lips that formed a refreshing arc, Erik called the Pope to order.
Steady.
The wavering Pope soon regained his composure.
The Pope, who just moments before had the appearance of an unfocused elderly man, transformed entirely into the appearance of a grave middle-aged man.
Rumble!
As the Pope stamped his foot, all the energy in the hall gathered toward the platform of the worship hall.
The assembly was overwhelmed.
"In that the Father has sent his true son down to this land—"
Receiving the gazes of tens of thousands of believers, the Pope concluded this Baptism ceremony.
This came to be called:
"We shall call the Pilgrim Erik the first Saint of the Astia Religious Order."
In the truest sense:
The first son of God had been born.
***
'I'm a Saint now...'
After the Baptism ceremony ended.
Erik had a quiet tea time in the Pope's office.
'Me, a Saint?'
The effect of the wings disappeared immediately after the Pope's declaration of Saint status.
Naturally, since it was a Skill, it had cooldown and duration limits.
Actually, such things were secondary concerns.
"Saint."
The biggest problem was that the Pope had begun using extreme formal language toward him.
Click.
"It is tea made from herb leaves cultivated directly in the Sanctuary."
The Pope himself handed the tea to Erik courteously.
With treatment that went beyond excessive to overwhelming, Erik felt a throbbing in his head.
"Your Holiness, please speak to me as you did before."
From Erik's perspective, it was genuinely burdensome.
His teacher Riferoze was over 100 years old, so the Pope before him was likely of similar age.
The remnants of the Confucian boy Park Ji-hun emphasized proper hierarchical order.
The Pope, not to be outdone, recited doctrine as he explained to Erik the validity of using formal language toward him.
"The Pope is merely the representative of the Lord Astia, the Father. A believer who has received baptism is likewise a proxy speaking for God's will. The same applies to a Pilgrim. However—"
But the Saint was different.
"The Saint to whom God has directly given a sign, this is equivalent to God's will itself, so how could I—"
Erik's brow grew increasingly furrowed.
What he needed was only authority and position.
'These tedious formalities and empty rituals are exhausting.'
He disliked lengthy speeches.
Erik thought of a trick to make the Pope comply well.
Thus, he cut off the Pope's words.
And said:
"This is, Father. The will of Astia."
"...Ahem."
"It means you should respect the Pope, the representative of God."
"Did you hear?"
"Yes."
Since a Saint could communicate freely with God:
The Pope recalled a passage from Scripture.
Of course, this was Erik's lie.
His mind was not hearing God's voice, but occupied entirely with other matters.
But what did a lie matter?
'My words will be God's will.'
The title of Saint came with that much worth.
Almanism Church, Lu-Solace Church.
Didn't both boast their power by producing Saints and Holy Daughters?
Furthermore, wasn't this the first Saint to appear in the Astia Religious Order?
"Right, that's how it should be. How could one disobey the Father's will?"
As expected.
The Pope's tone changed.
He could only believe the words of the Saint, who spoke of the solemn will of God.
"Saint Erik."
The Pope's gaze toward Erik became deep.
A look that seemed to say he didn't know what to do with his delight.
"How would you feel about staying at the Pope's Palace? I will clear the largest room that Riferoze used."
He was even offering the room that had never been emptied since her disappearance.
"How could I take the place meant for my teacher's return?"
Erik bowed his head.
The Pope was moved by his thoughtfulness.
"And my home will always be Priest Ruelle's Church."
"If that is your will, then that is right."
The treatment as a Saint was excellent.
Whatever he said, they rejoiced that it was equivalent to God's will.
After the turbulent situation caused by the appearance of Black Mage Group, something very good had happened.
'We've gained great power from the religious order.'
After spending over 500 million on Wings of Radiance, he was short on funds.
The Emperor's 10 billion was planned for use in advancing to the 4th Tier.
"Your Holiness."
Erik opened his mouth.
With a grave tone and steady eyes.
'God's will was revealed.'
The Pope straightened his resolve looking at Erik.
What will had the Lord Astia imparted when sending down the Saint?
'Perhaps to purify the Demon Realms...'
Demon Realms abundant throughout the continent.
Places teeming with powerful monsters.
And lands where humanity's tragic prayers were hidden.
This was also the mission of the Astia Religious Order.
The Pope firmly made up his mind.
Then:
"The Church must collect Tithes from all churches across the continent."
As Erik recited his will:
"Purification of Demon Realms...? No, Tithes?"
The Pope asked back in confusion.
"All believers who visit the Astia Religious Order must offer 10% of their weekly wages as Tithes."
Erik recited his will once more.
The Pope nodded.
'This too must have a purpose.'
The 'Almanism Church' which collected membership fees from believers, and furthermore demanded payment for all sacred acts including prayer and healing.
What of the 'Lu-Solace' Church?
To become their priest, one must shed the stains of the secular world, so they accept one's entire fortune.
Compared to that, Tithes seemed trivial.
"Tithes, then. To implement this in all churches, there will be much work."
Erik had already made plans for this as well.
However, the timing was not yet right.
"We will establish concrete implementation plans after visiting the Imperial Palace."
'The Imperial Palace party will soon begin.'
He had stood up the Imperial Princess, but standing up the Emperor would be dangerous.
"Where are you going...?"
"This too is the will of God."
With a natural expression, he spoke with composed confidence.
'You're going to the Empire right after becoming Saint?'
The Pope felt a headache coming on.
And as Erik added:
"I will certainly establish a State Religion in the Empire for myself."