Chapter 17
Light novel: Episode 17
Manhwa: Chapter 8-9
* * *
Just as I finished negotiating with Gale and stepped outside, I found Airek standing with some unfamiliar man.
One glance at the quality of the tailored suit he was wearing, and I could immediately tell that he definitely wasn’t one of the thugs Gale had dragged along like a fortress wall.
The man’s suit was as impeccably tailored, showing off shoulders as broad as Seth’s, a wide back, and a neatly cinched waist.
But the atmosphere the man gave off was far from tidy.
His jet-black hair was loosely tied, half falling out, and the glasses perched sloppily on the bridge of his nose looked like he only wore them because someone told him to.
But the piercing silver-gray eyes behind the glasses were anything but ordinary.
His presence rivaled that of the male leads, Seth and Airek, and with his radiant looks that practically burst with charisma, there was no way he was some background extra…
A decadent, handsome man with black hair and silver-gray eyes—was there a character like that in the original?
No matter how hard I searched my memory, nothing came up.
And there was something more.
Around him clung strange golden-and-black blotches that didn’t look remotely natural.
What the hell was that mold-like aura? What kind of person walked around with something like that?
“This is Duke Lute Sieri. He’s visiting the grand temple on official business.”
Wait, what?
That man is Lute Sieri?
Lute Sieri.
The man who wasn’t even one of the male leads, yet he made as much influence and impact as the protagonists, perhaps even more than them.
The merciless villain who constantly blocked the heroine and the male leads at every turn, more infuriating than any other enemy.
And despite all that, he was so irresistibly captivating that even as he fell into ruin, he remained wildly popular.
That Lute Sieri—why is he here?!
In the original, he didn’t even wear glasses, his hair was short, and most of all—his eyes weren’t silver-gray, they were black!
Don’t tell me… am I remembering it wrong?
【Scanning the novel 〈Sacred Idella〉with the AI system. Locating the passage requested by the user.】
【Pitch black eyes, so dark they held not even a glimmer of light. As if they were the embodiment of darkness and chaos itself.
They gave him despair just by looking at them, which was fitting for a man who had sold his soul to absolute evil.】
I was right! I remembered it exactly!
And the system even showed me the original novel text? Now that’s what I call a proper AI feature.
“And you are?”
Hah… meeting the villain just like that, out of nowhere?
Giving your name to a future villain is basically a death flag, but… what choice do I have? A powerless Saintess can’t defy a duke’s command.
“…It’s an honor to meet you. I am Ordell, Saintess of the grand temple of the Sun God.”
“Ah, the Saintess. I see. The Saintess of the grand temple of the Sun God. A pleasure to meet you.”
He said Saintess twice just now.
A chill ran down my spine.
“And this beside you… was it Baron Grill?”
Lute’s gaze shifted toward Gale.
Already flustered from recognizing the duke, Gale turned bright red at Lute’s words.
“Baron Gale, my lord. He is a retainer of Count Kiris.”
The man with the striking blue hair standing behind Lute corrected the name.
He must be Yuri Poulton, Lute Sieri’s aide.
“Come to think of it, I heard the Saintess is Count Kiris’s adopted daughter. Then this Saintess must be the young lady of House Kiris.”
“Aha.”
There was really no need for such a detailed explanation…
The only relief was that Lute didn’t seem all that interested in what his aide was saying.
“The Duke has come on important business. We were just about to hear him out when the Saintess arrived.”
I found myself a bit puzzled at Airek’s explanation.
Lute Sieri—of all people, the very one who appeared in the original as the enemy of the grand temple of the Sun God—had business here?
…Don’t tell me it’s not even a year in, and he’s already here to burn the place down?
The Lute I read about in the novel was exactly the type to do just that!
“Please come inside. High Priest and Captain of the Holy Order, you should join us as well.”
Expressing my strong preference not to be left alone with him, I was relieved when Airek and Seth nodded in agreement.
Leaving behind Gale, who was still openly staring this way, I returned to the drawing room.
It must really be an urgent matter as Lute got straight to the point the moment he sat down, as if even a brief pause would be a waste of time.
“I heard that the Relic of Light is here. Is that true?”
…Wait, what? Why is that coming up here…?
Wasn’t that something Lute already had from the start in the original story…?
Why is he looking for it here?
“That relic is indeed in the possession of this temple, however—”
And yet Airek confirmed it was actually here.
What the hell is going on?
The Relic of Light.
One of the key items in〈Sacred Idella〉, and the one most associated with Lute Sieri.
It was such a defining part of his character that it basically explained why he ended up as an enemy of the grand temple of the Sun God.
But now it turns out that, before the original story even began, that very relic was housed here in the Grand Temple of the Sun God?
Wow, what a twist. It’s all been intertwined from the beginning. I can’t believe I didn’t realize this.
“……”
Uh, wait a minute—couldn’t this actually be an opportunity?
If I can stop Lute from obtaining the relic, doesn’t that mean I can eliminate any chance of him becoming an enemy?
“What a relief. I was worried this would be another wasted trip.”
Then Lute smiled and I was genuinely startled.
In the novel, he was always irritable, harsh, and violent… but right now, there wasn’t a trace of that in him.
So that’s how it is. Lute, before he came into possession of the relic, is capable of such an expression.
“Would it be possible for you to transfer the relic to me? I know it’s a difficult thing to ask, but if you grant permission, I’ll fulfill any request in the name of the Lord of the West.”
“To transfer… a relic, of all things? I’m afraid that might be a bit…”
Airek showed clear reluctance.
Since a sacred relic is directly tied to the temple’s authority, it was no wonder Airek hesitated.
But Lute, seemingly desperate, looked directly at me and quickly added:
“I swear! I don’t intend to use it for anything evil. There will be no harm to the authority of the grand temple of the Sun God.”
I knew.
Lute wouldn’t be able to keep that promise.
Because once he gets his hands on the relic, whether he wanted it or not, he would become the most vicious enemy of the grand temple of the Sun God.
So the one way to make both Lute happy and myself, who wants to avoid enemies, happy too—
Was to not give him the relic!
And for that… a little lie was necessary.
“Since the Duke speaks so earnestly, it’s difficult for us to outright refuse.”
“Wait, Saintess…!”
Don’t try to stop me now, Airek. This is all for our own good.
“However, even if you are a Duke, we can’t just hand over a sacred relic to someone who isn’t even a registered believer. So first—”
“—First?”
“We recommend that you begin with registering as a follower.”
There’s no way I’m letting a golden opportunity for missionary work pass me by.
Come, dear lamb. For a limited time only, I’ll register you as a believer right now in exchange for a sacred relic.
“Registering as a believer won’t place any burdens on you, despite your busy schedule. All we ask is that you send us a small donation once in a while.”
This isn’t extortion. It’s not. Really.
Lute looked too stunned to speak.
But I knew he wouldn’t turn down my offer.
The reason he needs the relic is because of a mysterious illness that is plaguing him.
A terrible illness that became the main reason why he turned into a villain in the original story.
Since he believed the Relic of Light was the only cure, there was no way he’d give up on it.
“…Very well. Let’s proceed.”
As expected! I knew it!
I immediately ordered Airek to bring the registry.
Airek looked a little flustered at how fast things were moving, faster than a batch of beans over an open flame, but he didn’t protest and moved at once.
Even if the relic symbolized the authority of the grand temple, just letting it sit there unused would be wasteful.
Better to hand it to a duke and get donations in return. He knew that too.
Soon, Airek returned carrying the thick registry, which had been kept under strict protection.
On its pure white cover were elegant words written in gold and black.
This was the divine script.
A language that no mortal in this world could read that only the gods could use.
That’s why from the moment a person’s name is written in the registry, the person would be officially acknowledged as a follower of the Sun God.
As soon as Lute finished writing his name, I, Airek, and Seth each infused it with divine power.
Once the name was acknowledged by the three highest authorities in the grand temple, it glowed golden and a system message appeared before my eyes.
【A new follower has been registered under the Sun God.
Name of Believer: Lute Sieri
Fame: S rank
Wealth: SSS+ rank
Abilities: SS rank
Special Note: Future Villain
Overall Evaluation: SS Rank】
【You have successfully converted a future villain into a follower. Bonus merit granted.
With the registration of an SS rank follower, the power of the Sun God has strengthened.
Your divine power has increased.】
【Current Divine Power: 8%】
“……”
Holy crap. No, seriously—this is insane!
My divine power jumped by 3% just because I registered a single believer?
I clamped my hands over my mouth.
“Welcome, dear follower. We love you, follower.”
A follower worth three hundred million, acknowledged by the gods themselves—welcome aboard!
SoundlessWind21’s Notes:
If there are any errors, whether it be grammatical, spelling, translation, or website-related issues, feel free to let me know. (´◡`) Anyway, thank you for reading!