Chapter 28
“I never thought the third financial sector would look kind.”
They’re taking a whopping 49% withdrawal fee.
‘This is just a roundabout way of telling us to use items and engage in creation economy, isn’t it?’
*Ding-a-ling*
[1:1 Inquiry has been received.]
[Answer: That is…… not correct. The Florin offered is currency, but it is also a ‘divine object,’ so a cost is required to offset its influence when withdrawn.]
[Additional Answer: The 49% fee is also the maximum amount we could adjust it to. We…… valued customer. (Ｔ▽Ｔ)]
‘Were you about to call me a sucker just now?’
*Ding-a-ling*
[Answer: No.]
‘The fact that you deny it so firmly is still kinda suspicious.’
But since they insist it’s not, what more can I do?
Moreover, with the Arte sect right in front of me, I couldn’t press further.
I decided to set aside the matter of withdrawing Florin for now and got off the carriage.
Tete tried to come along but was fast asleep, so I entered the sect alone.
Just as I was going down the now-familiar basement stairs—
*Creeeak—*
The sect door opened and a familiar figure, holding a bundle of something, rushed out.
“Archpriest!”
Greeting him with an unconsciously raised voice out of joy, he turned his head sharply and made a tearful face.
“Saintneeeeeess!!!”
His gaze looking at me was full of delight, as if asking why I only came now.
“I’m sorry. I was too late, wasn’t I?”
Even I thought the attendance rate of this so-called Saint was far too low.
I gave an awkward smile, filled with apology, and the Archpriest shook his head vigorously.
“Just the fact that you came is thanks enough! Actually… I thought you might not come back.”
They brought an elf as an offering, and on top of that, the sect funds were completely cleaned out by a scammer.
If I were ‘just’ a Saint, I would have run away without looking back.
But I was……
“How could I leave the sect? Don’t worry, Archpriest. I’m not going anywhere.”
No, I ‘can’t’ go anywhere.
‘My life is tied to this sect…’
“*Sob*, Saintneeeeeess!!!!”
The Archpriest, having no way of knowing my circumstances, looked genuinely moved.
Especially when I explained I was late because I was proselytizing, he looked like he was about to burst into tears.
I pretended to be considerate and comforted him, but something strange caught my eye.
“But what are you holding, Archpriest?”
It looked vaguely like flyers, but they didn’t seem ordinary.
‘What are those strange drawings?’
There was little text, just tons of drawings that looked like symbols.
Just as I was furrowing my brow, unable to figure out what these mysterious flyers were, the Archpriest rolled his eyes like a scolded puppy and spoke.
“T-that’s… Healing talismans. To put up in every house……”
“Aha?”
“Ahem. For proselytizing, there’s nothing better than these. A-and it’s not a lie!”
The Archpriest neatly put his hands together and pleaded towards me.
“Right. I don’t think it’s a lie either.”
After all, the Archpriest isn’t the type to brazenly lie while proselytizing.
What I was curious about was,
‘Why didn’t I know about such an important matter?’
The answer was somewhat evident just by looking at the healing talismans.
The paper seemed to be whatever was on hand, torn here and there, giving the feeling it was mistakenly taken from somewhere.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
‘If they’re healing talismans, why do the patterns and colors look like this?’
The patterns were dark red, as if written in blood.
They looked more like curse talismans than healing ones.
If I had received one of these, I would have been creeped out and wouldn’t have gone anywhere near the ‘A’ of the Arte sect.
‘No wonder he hid it.’
He wasn’t planning to do this behind my back, was he?
“Archpriest.”
Really, really! I had no intention of scolding him, but my arms folded on their own.
*Ding*
[Arte has offered 10 Florin!]
[You know our Archpriest isn’t a bad person, Ciela! He just did it out of a pure desire to help too!]
[Of course, for it to be called ‘healing,’ it’s more like slightly less hair falls out or the pain of an ingrown toenail reduces a bit……]
The explanation came from Arte, not the Archpriest.
When I tried to withdraw Florin, you only sent weird system messages, but you show up to coddle the Archpriest?
“Isn’t that too much, really?”
Without realizing it, a resentful remark popped out.
“How could that be! We always only think of you, Saintness!”
But, I didn’t expect the Archpriest to misunderstand my words.
“We’ll change everything exactly as the Saintness wants! This sect belongs to the Saintness!!!”
Ah, you don’t have to go that far.
Still, it was good that I could change even the strange proselytization methods without much issue.
*Ding*
[Arte has offered 52 Florin!]
[Aww, Cielaaaa. You know I only have you♡( ˘ ･𐩅･˘)♡]
But this irresponsible god, instead of apologizing, tries to brush it off with aegyo?
Hmph. You think sending heart-shaped Florin, a handsome face status window, and a kissy emoji will make me melt?!
‘I’m not that easy, you know?’
*Ding*
[Arte has offered 520 Florin!]
[My Ciela is the best! Always thrilling, always new! (b*ˊᗜˋ*)b]
……But in this world, there’s nothing money can’t do.
My jutting lips smoothed back in.
Actually, thinking about my future plans, I was short on budget.
‘Very good.’
Now the corners of my mouth were twitching upwards, but I tried not to show it, hardening my expression.
There was something I needed to push through using this opportunity.
But first.
“Archpriest, shall we go change the sect now?”
“Gasp, yes!”
I opened the prayer room door wide with the Archpriest.
*BANG!*
At the loud noise, the believers stopped praying and all looked at us simultaneously.
I scanned the believers, hidden by their robes, one by one, walked to the front, faced them from the podium.
“Ooh! The Saintness!”
“It’s the Saintness!!!”
The believers began shouting in unison. Multiple voices echoed chaotically in the narrow space.
The fanatical voices were a bit chilling, but I quickly steadied my heart.
‘I can’t back down here!’
The moment I back down, it won’t be the believers who get swept away—it’ll be me.
*Hup*, I took a deep breath and raised my trembling lips as high as possible.
“Hello, believers. I am Ciela, who has become the Saintness of Arte.”
Wooowaaa—!!!
As expected, an incredible fervor with just one greeting.
The believers’ robes were slightly pushed back as they looked up at me.
‘Phew, now I can see their eyes.’
As always, when you face the reality of a tense and fearful being, that feeling tends to subside.
“The first mission I, as Saintness, give to you all is—”
I glanced over the believers, whose eyes held a hint of innocence, and smiled brightly.
“It is! To take down all those gloomy curtains!”
—Woo-wa…… Huh?
*Tsk tsk*…… Isn’t it too early to be bewildered here?
Taking advantage of the brief silence, I formed numbers with my fingers and resumed my speech.
“Second! Eating three meals a day! The empire’s people run on rice! Ah, and you must chew your food thoroughly so you don’t get indigestion?”
Really, everyone was skinnier than me. They might collapse while praying.
“Third! Pray only twice a day, morning and evening, and keep it brief! And Arte says to pray quietly, to yourself? She says it’s hard to hear.”
*Ding*
[Arte spills the grape juice she was drinking.]
[Arte has offered 100 Florin!]
[When did I……? I don’t actually dislike those prayers thou—]
*Zap.*
‘So, you want to say that’s not true now?’
*Ding*
[Arte has offered 520 Florin!]
[Noooo. I’m just so happy you discovered my hidden tastes!^-^ Hehe,, hehehe,,,]
Well, would I try to make you do something weird, Arte?
I nodded slightly with a pleased face and looked at the silent believers.
Ah, I finished my speech.
“Believers? You can take down the curtains now.”
Huh? What are you all doing? Not moving?
I pointed to the windows and made motions of pulling down the curtains. Only then did the believers approach the windows with bewildered expressions.
But.
“Hey! What nonsense is this!”
“What kind of Saint is this?! Is she a scammer?!”
There are always people who won’t follow my words.
“Let’s drag that woman out now! Isn’t she trying to ruin our sect!”
“Scammer! Scammer!!”
I had anticipated this kind of reaction to some extent, so I could maintain a calm expression.
Putting myself in their shoes, if a Saint suddenly started spouting seemingly unnecessary words and tried to control them, I’d be suspicious too.
*Stomp stomp stomp!*
Before I knew it, the believers were swarming towards the podium where I was, not the curtains. The occasional glimpse of bloodshot eyes was chilling.
I put strength into my feet, which were about to step back, and swallowed.
‘I didn’t want to make a scene from the first day if possible, but there’s no choice.’
In the end, I decided to use ‘that’ method.
*Sigh—*
No, I tried to use it.
*Creeak—*
*Creeeak—!!*
If only the firmly closed prayer room door hadn’t suddenly opened, I would have.
