Chapter 70
Chapter 70: Preparation (2)
The Astia Religious Order was generous.
Yet even in such a generous order, there were things that were forbidden.
No matter how loose the rules might be, as long as it was a collective, there had to be at least some basic lines that should not be crossed.
And Erik's words had clearly crossed that line.
"Ugh! What did you just—"
Ruelle grabbed the back of her neck and staggered backward.
Erik quickly caught her waist to steady her, but even after that, Ruelle continued to sway unsteadily.
Her head was spinning.
'To call that an explanation'
Along with the demand to convert, Erik had explained the reason behind it.
'He's become a god who can save the possessed, obtained some divine temple, and blah blah blah'
There was a lot of talk, but the point was simple.
'So he's saying I should convert so he can earn that GP thing?'
How much longer was this guy going to keep wasting money?
She had filled chests with tithes by singing "Gold, gold" all day, and now he was demanding cooperation to earn a new currency?
"Wait, what are you asking me to do right now?"
When Ruelle barely regained her composure and asked again.
"Convert, ma'am."
Erik answered with brazen nonchalance, spouting the same nonsense.
"Are you actually saying that?"
And for good reason.
One of the Astia Religious Order's greatest taboos was none other than apostasy.
Conversion meant abandoning the faith.
And he was saying such a thing while knowing that.
"—Argh! Erik!"
Crack!
Joy at their reunion was overwhelmed by anger.
Along with a forceful back smash, Ruelle was sent sliding backward with a shriek.
Somehow, that guy's body felt increasingly solid.
"—Ah, how did I end up like this…"
Normally, if she heard such nonsense, she could just ignore it. But Ruelle couldn't do that.
That was simply how it was with requests from a special person.
'If she's angry, it means—'
Erik knew her well.
Eventually, Ruelle would listen to what he had to say.
That's why she was so angry right now.
Erik stepped closer to Ruelle and asked.
"Haven't I already finished explaining?"
The explanation about conversion was already complete.
Now all that remained was the time for a decision.
Given the changing world order that lay ahead, this was something that needed to be resolved urgently.
"Sigh! You're really doing whatever you want!"
Ruelle placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward, glaring at Erik.
Her eyes were turned up fiercely, making her look like she might devour him.
On the surface, she was angry, but inwardly, Ruelle's feelings were complicated.
'The reason I couldn't hear God Astia's voice anymore was…'
Not long after Erik had entered the labyrinth, she had stopped hearing the voice of the Astia Deity.
【Now leave my embrace and roam the wider world—.】
Just when she thought she heard that final, meaningful words…
It turned out there was such a reason.
'He knew this would happen and sent me away.'
A god was indeed a god.
Yet Ruelle still felt fear about the conversion.
Even if God Astia had sent her, how could she explain this?
"If the Pope finds out, wouldn't all hell break loose?"
After all, it was a religious order that was particularly strict with apostates.
Wasn't there a village of apostates that Holy War Knight Commander Julius had razed with the Holy Spear?
Moreover, even if the Divine had permitted this, it would be difficult for the order to openly announce it.
"Erik, you should understand as well—our positions are different."
Furthermore, Ruelle and Erik held rather unique positions within the order.
"…I became a priest thanks to Riferoze, and you're in a similar situation, aren't you?"
The bond between the two had begun as they followed Riferoze through conflict zones.
Originally, there were procedures to become a priest or holy knight, and it required time to study theology.
"I don't particularly wish to live on that distant cliff."
However, because Erik had strongly opposed it, they had made the Empire their first settlement.
"If you won't accept them, the Papal See will dance with swords?"
The two of them had become religious members while ignoring the order's enrollment procedures and various tests.
It was thanks to Riferoze's threats.
"Didn't things still work out well?"
"Yes, I became a priest and you even became a pilgrim and then a saint."
The trouble came afterward.
It wasn't like Erik had any problems being a saint now.
"—I already faced a lot of criticism when I became a priest, and do you think conversion is even possible?"
Ruelle was unmistakably a mid-rank priest.
Her only promotion was from low-rank to mid-rank after the Pope's visit.
In terms of rank, there was an enormous gap between her and a saint.
"Who am I?"
A madman.
The words nearly escaped her lips, but Ruelle exercised sublime patience and held them back.
"—A saint."
And the very first saint at that.
What could she do about it?
"But it doesn't make sense, does it?"
If she changed religions, the titles of saint or pilgrim would all become meaningless.
In such a situation, Erik proposed a very simple solution.
"You can convert without anyone finding out."
***
Seeing is believing, as they say.
Ruelle decided to first see and then judge.
Thus, she came to visit what Erik called his divine temple.
'Is Erik really a god?'
Recalling the mischievous Erik she knew, Ruelle had half-jokingly thought it was a joke, but her eyes widened at the sight that unfolded before her.
"Please come in. You are the first guest to be invited to my divine temple, Priestess."
Erik waved his hand, and the air before them split apart with a crack! revealing a different space.
"W-what is this…"
At that sight, Ruelle was stunned speechless.
Whoooosh!
A serene divine temple built above clouds where sacred winds blew.
Golden bridges were laid between white clouds, extending toward Erik's temple.
"…No, what is this—"
Erik extended his hand as if escorting her.
At his innocent expression, Ruelle found herself at a loss for words.
"Shall we go?"
He looked at her intently and said this, and Ruelle had no choice but to take his hand and follow.
The moment the two of them stepped onto the clouds, the rift connected to the prayer hall disappeared.
"This is my first time entering here in physical form as well."
Erik continued naturally, leading Ruelle across the bridge created between the clouds.
'A warm space.'
Ruelle felt an indescribable sense of emotion.
Warm divine power welcomed her, yet somehow, that power felt different from what she usually experienced.
As she was savoring such impressions—
"This is my divine temple."
At last, a massive temple built at the edge of the clouds was revealed.
"Wow…um?"
Ruelle examined the temple.
The first impression was magnificent beyond compare, but upon closer inspection, there were many lacking aspects.
Between the massive golden pillars was emptily vacant.
The walls were smooth without a single sculpture, and the towering throne at the far end also lacked detail in its form.
'I should fill the furniture with Ronier brand items, and get custom-made silver candelabras even if they're expensive—'
As Ruelle unconsciously thought about interior design, she discovered a massive stone statue placed on the golden throne.
"Wait, that's not me, is it?"
A very familiar figure.
But the details were terrible.
"…There's a stone statue of me in your temple, and while that part is fine—"
The face was just a blob, and it was draped in some weird scraps of cloth.
"—How could you make me look like that!"
"It wasn't my intention. Such things just appeared on their own."
Erik hurriedly made excuses.
Everything—the temple's exterior, the statues, and all of it—had appeared as he gained power.
He had only recently realized he could enter here with his physical body rather than just his soul.
"—I don't have confidence managing this vast space alone."
As the explanation continued to this point, Ruelle's eyes grew calmer.
"Well, it's true you lack detail, Erik."
He was good at understanding people's hearts but fell short in details.
That's how Erik had solved such details—by using people as consumables.
Ruelle recalled the luxury bag Erik had first given her.
"More embossing! No, I mean, embossing means the pattern protrudes outward."
In the shabby orphanage of District 4, the young Erik had gathered children and made them do things.
At that time, Ruelle knew nothing of luxury brands, so she thought the children were just playing house.
"The chain can't be cheap iron! A luxury brand is made with good materials and a craftsman's touch"
The smallest Erik led the larger children around and gathered various materials.
Ruelle, thinking it was merely a child's play, discovered something strange one day.
"Isn't that dragon leather?"
"Yes, the food cart business was doing quite well, so I made a big purchase."
After that, mithril chains and buckles made of silver were added, along with blessed logos infused with divine power.
"Ruelle, I am always grateful."
The tiny Erik presented a box containing the bag alongside a bouquet of flowers.
That was the first time Ruelle had encountered a luxury brand.
It was a very beautiful bag filled with the finest materials and utmost sincerity.
The problem was that the other children had become severely gaunt, but what did it matter?
Her hand naturally reached out toward the beautiful bouquet and gorgeous bag.
It was one of Ruelle's happiest memories.
'Come to think of it, all his other ventures were like that too—'
Erik had the qualities of a leader, but he was somewhat lacking in details.
"Hmm… The taste is subtly different. It might be better to add a bit more spice."
It was the same when creating the food cart.
"For the Imperial Daily News to be adopted as an official newspaper, you absolutely must include praises of the Empire and His Majesty on the front page. The content? Do I have to worry about that too?"
It was the same when creating the newspaper company.
All of this was accomplished by mobilizing the first generation of orphans who had grown up alongside Erik.
Having thought that far, Ruelle realized that she needed to fill in the details of this temple.
'Without me, it won't work—'
However, she was still anxious.
She was being asked to convert without being discovered, but how could she endure that?
If it were just her, it might be manageable, but there was a high chance Erik would be put in danger as well.
That's when Erik whispered near her ear.
"If this grand divine temple were filled with believers on the clouds above, and beautiful worship were conducted under your leadership—"
At those words, Ruelle's heart, which had been wavering like a reed, firmly planted itself.
A fantastical scene emerged in her mind.
'…Tens of thousands of believers in a heavenly temple—'
Erik was planning to fully reveal Ruelle's star quality that he had hidden until now.
Once she became a star, she could never return to an ordinary life.
Originally, that was simply the law of the life of the famous.
'And she wouldn't want to anyway.'
So he had uttered words that she couldn't refuse.
"What do you think?"
Ruelle erased her hesitation.
"You're all bulk and no substance! Erik, you really can't do this without me, can you?"
She said this somewhat bashfully, hitting Erik's arm with a slap.
'Good'
Erik was about to smile happily at that moment.
"In exchange, can you set up a time for me to meet the possessed?"
The words that followed made him feel slightly uneasy.
"This isn't the Empire, and it's isolated land, right? I want to do whatever I want without worrying about being watched!"
Rather, he felt a chill run down his spine.
***
At the deepest underground of the Possessor Management Bureau.
The circular walls were filled with iron cages of about 20 square meters each.
Inside, captured possessed individuals rolled their eyeballs, staring at the massive holy knight standing in the center of the detention camp.
Drrrr!
Heavy iron cages opened simultaneously, and the possessed filed out in orderly fashion, lining up before the central platform.
The eyes of the possessed were mysterious.
They trembled with fear, yet tears welled up with anticipation.
'Is it really…'
The clear boundary line of divine power drawn before the platform.
"Hehe—"
Nishida Ryo, a man with a heavy build, crossed back and forth over that line, looking at the other inmates.
'So we won't suffer from divine power anymore?'
Even amid such anticipation, fear remained.
The pain of drinking holy water.
The burning sensation of being scorched by divine power.
These had been etched into the souls of the possessed.
'That gaze…'
Thump, thump!
Walking on the platform, Erik looked down at the possessed.
That gaze made the possessed tremble even more with fear.
Park Chang-ho, Nishida Ryo, Kang Pung-ho.
These three had come to realize that Erik was a good person by moving through the labyrinth, but the rest were different.
'—He'll burn us all.'
A holy knight of the order who burned even an imperial prince for being a possessed.
A holy knight was, in every sense, an existence that fought for the divine.
Possessed beings, who were rejected by that divine, were clearly enemies of the holy knights.
'He said he's a saint and will forgive our sins—'
Yet they couldn't abandon hope for this first salvation that had come.
In such tension, the man who held the fate of the possessed spoke.
"—If there was something you were exceptionally good at in your original world, raise your hand."
In silence, several people raised their hands.
The possessed confined in the detention camp were roughly divided into two groups.
One was those with high levels or extensive game knowledge.
The other was those who had worked in specialized fields on Earth or possessed special skills.
"What kind of work did you do?"
Erik, the Director of the Possessor Management Bureau, conducted detailed interviews, pointing at each person who raised their hand.
"I, I did computer programming—"
"No."
Developers, architectural designers, vehicle engineers, semiconductor researchers, and countless other professions appeared.
Yet Erik rejected all of them without exception.
'Utterly useless skills.'
Such things were completely unnecessary in this world right now.
A world with magic and aura.
Even a car running at 200 km/h was slower than a well-trained knight.
When teleportation magic was a daily occurrence in this world to begin with.
That's when it happened.
"—Here!"
Kang Pung-ho beside the platform suddenly jumped up and down, raising her hand high—
Erik narrowed his eyes and ignored it.
"I, I'm a woman too!"
Kang Pung-ho wanted to prove her usefulness.
She had the right to live as the gender she desired.
She had a very principled side to her.
On Earth, gender transition had been impossible for health reasons, but in this world, it was different.
'Ugh, why is he ignoring me!!!'
Thus, after realizing that all the people Erik had selected were women, she raised her hand.
"—Is there anyone else?"
Erik frowned.
'Why are there nuclear researchers and aerospace development teams like that… And how did they even find such high-tech professions in the first place?'
Because the Empire's intelligence agency had been moderately competent, only utterly useless professions had been gathered.
Erik reluctantly looked at Kang Pung-ho.
"I, I!"
Before he could even ask, Kang Pung-ho quickly shouted.
The following words made Erik unable to help but accept.
"—I was a webtoon artist, and I also worked as a 3D graphic designer as a side job!"
Wasn't that the perfect profession to recreate Earth's culture and artifacts that Ruelle wanted to see?