Chapter 49 049

"Thank you, thank you. I'd never be able to see the bishop up close if it were not for you."

"I'm just happy that I could help like this. You didn't forget what I asked of you, did you?"

"I told him and he also seemed worried, so I think I will be able to help you soon."

The passionate believer of Luna Faith for seven years, whose name Seojin already forgot, returned home after thanking Seojin countless times.

"Ha, worried mah ass. Th'only thang hay worries bout must bay how tuh rip thuh poor amigo more."

"Can't argue with that."

Seojin nodded in agreement with Flappy's cynical statement. The Luna Faith was even more rotten than Seojin had expected. It was obvious how corrupt the higher-ups must be if the head of the small diocese didn't even try to hide his greed.

'The fact that he needs money means that money is going somewhere.'

The bishop was a man in priest's clothes, so he couldn't openly be extravagant. If he used the money on bribing, instead, it'd be both discreet and effective for his future.

"It won't take long."

He had offered up dozens of gold pieces over just a few days. However, in-game currency worth millions of wons meant nothing when dealing with irregular requests.

'Gotta go fast. I need to figure something out on the day I received the information if I want to save my hard-earned money.'

Seojin had no intentions of giving the bishop any more money, but the devotee he contacted would spill if Seojin cut the cash. What if the bishop noticed that it was the adventurer behind him? Seojin's current plan would go up in smoke.

"Flappy."

"May again? Meh thinks yer think Ah'm uh girl scout or sumpn…"

"A reasonable demand, reasonable compensation. How about three high-quality magic stones?"

"And yer damn raht. Very raht. Yer know thay call may Flappy thuh master scout? Gist glue yer butt hare an wait till Ah git thangs done."

Flappy quickly flew away with an enthusiasm that Seojin had never seen before. Flappy was a perfect scout with advanced aviation skills, stealth skills, and even telepathy which meant she could communicate with Seojin anytime, anywhere. Flappy wasn't lying when she said that she was a master scout.

'I'm lucky that I can motivate her with just a few stones.'

Seojin had been talking with Flappy for ten days while he was playing a mind game with Trail, trying to evaluate her abilities, which he couldn't do before due to more urgent business.

'It was true when she said she's lived for three hundred years.'

Flappy knew of most abstract human concepts and saw how they worked in reality. In other words, she knew why people were greedy when it came to money, or why they drank beer when they were depressed, and she could even empathize.

'That'd be why she's so obedient.'

Why would an advanced spirit like her cling to mere food?

'Because she thinks it's expensive. It actually was before players came into this world.'

It was written in the lore that magic stones were originally extremely rare and could only be obtained by powerful warriors who wandered the remote parts of the world. The supply became smooth when players, aka adventurers, stepped into the continent. Therefore, Flappy must have been thinking that Seojin was investing tons of money into her, given that she literally only woke up yesterday.

'She must be happy that I'm caring for her so much… it must taste good, too."

Flappy kept acting as if she was grumpy, but Seojin could sense how grateful she was just by looking at her expression.

'Well, it's worth it.'

Nobody would mind whether her accent and manner of speech were odd when her appearance and attitude were so adorable. Furthermore, as time passed, abilities suited for higher spirits would stir up one after the other.

'There's no way I could hate her. On top of that… well, I didn't expect the Luna Faith to be this rotten. This would break Luna's heart.'

Seojin recalled the name of the Goddess as if she was his neighbor.

'She was so soft-hearted that she couldn't say no even if she knew it was wrong. Nergal teased her every day, saying that he spread disease to her people… Luna always said that her followers would overcome it but cried a river behind everyone's back.'

Nergal was the God of Curse and Plagues, while Luna was the Goddess of the Moon and Peace. In Asgard—the story of the Gods—Seojin had a close relationship with both of them. He sometimes even scolded Nergal for harassing Luna.

'But she was surprisingly determined when she needed to be. Maybe she'll rain down a judgment one day.'

Sometimes, Seojin suspected that Luna had a double personality, as she didn't dare to touch her devotees until the pope himself was corrupted and the next moment she snapped and smashed them with her wrath. Seojin's lips twitched.

'Anyway, if they're Luna's guys… yeah, they must be hiding it in the basement of the temple. That's what their oracle said every time.'

That's what Luna constantly taught her followers. Cover the dirty things with moonlight so that darkness cannot grow beneath them. The believers faithfully interpreted it in the way they deemed fit.

'They sent knights to deal with heathens and built a magnificent temple where their enemies once lived. Damn fanatics.'

The stronger the enemy, the more magnificent the temple built on their home base was. That practice of the past continued to this day.

'That's why there are even idioms like that… there's always something terrible wherever there's a Temple of Luna.'

But to the current Seojin, that "something terrible" may as well be a chest filled with glorious jewels.

And the very next morning…

"Thay called thuh partner tuh thuh temple, tellin' him thuh darkness wuz threatenin' thuh moonlight. Purdy shore thet bishop fool gist needs more moneh."

Flappy brought the news that he had been waiting for.

* * *

Bishop Crown of Erzebet was burning with anticipation.

'Haha, he'll beg me to take more money from him once he sees it.'

He was standing before a door covered in platinum. It was a ward, which was created by the Captain of the Holy Knights pouring a tons of holy power, and a black aura was leaking through the gaps. A demonoid monster was sealed inside, but the bishop didn't have a single trace of fear on his face.

'I wanted to raise the demon a little more before killing it, but doing it a few days earlier won't make my achievement less impressive. I won't need to kill the fully-grown demon with all the bribe money that fool gives me, anyway.'

The monster beyond the door wasn't a threat. The bishop had placed it near the light to help it grow and become more threatening and ferocious in the first place.

"The wait was long, but I can finally taste the fruits of my labors."

Bishop Crown chuckled creepily. He planned to show the monster to that fool, rip more money from him, and bribe his higher-ups with the money. The best part of the plan was that he was going to release the demon and kill it in front of everyone, making it a sacrifice in order to get a promotion.

'Just wait a few days. I'll free you.'

Just then,

"Sir!"

The bishop tamed his expression in an instant and looked at the apprentice priest who had rushed in with a kind look on his face.

"What's going on? Brother Moras."

"Someone is looking for you."

"Is it Pyke? Tell him that I'm…"

"No, he hasn't arrived yet. Actually, I don't know who it is, but…" Moras's eyes were shining. "I think he is Blessed by Moonlight."

Bishop Crown's eyes widened the moment he heard those words.

"I'll see him right away. I can't keep anyone who came to preach waiting."

Perhaps the opportunity came a little early for him. Judging from Moras's reaction, the guest must be around the level of an archbishop at least.

'How many archbishops were appointed again? I can think of…'

As soon as Bishop Crown reached the reception room while ransacking his memories…

"Here you are. Greetings, brother."

…he had to change his mindset completely. The guest wasn't a mere rookie archbishop.

'That attire, that attitude, and his presence… he's acting like he could squish me like a bug if he so willed.'

"Why are you just standing there?"

"Excuse my rudeness. I formally pay my respects, noble one."

"Only the Goddess is truly noble. We are but her humble servants."

"You're right. You enlighten this humble servant."

Bishop Crown estimated that the guest was a cardinal at the very least, judging by his aura. cardinals were even higher than archbishops and had no one else other than the pontiff, the absolute ruler of the church, above them.

'This could be a… a crisis.'

Crown sat in front of the man politely, wiping his sweat. Simply sitting before the guest made him feel like he was sitting with the sharp tip of a sword aimed at his neck.

'…Why is he here?'

Crown had met archbishops and those of similar status several times, he'd already lost count of how much money he had spent on them. However, they were only archbishops, and after all, they were still humans like Bishop Crown. They only cared about stuffing their pockets by spreading the name of the Goddess. However, this guest was in a different league from such lowly beings.

'Maybe it's not money he wants.'

Bishop Crown couldn't even look straight into his arrogant eyes. If he didn't want the money… if he was a man who was truly devoted to teaching…

'This is dangerous.'

"The Archbishop Omnine said…"

"I'm all ears, brother."

Bishop Crown racked his brain desperately as he answered.

'Gotta remember all the things that might get me into trouble if get caught. Will I be able to tie up the loose ends without getting caught? What should I do if he wants to see it?'

However, all of his worries disappeared the moment that the guest spoke.

"I heard that you offer tributes to the Goddess every month. I'm willing to pass that on to the headquarters, I know you are busy with your work in this diocese."

"…Oh."

It was money. Crown felt like the pressure that had been burdening his entire body had dissipated in seconds. All this guy wanted was money, and he was someone who could be worth every coin, more than anyone Bishop Crown had met before. A benevolent smile returned to his mouth.

"This humble servant is ashamed that he cannot fulfill all of the duties himself."

"The Goddess will cherish you. We all know that quantity is not important, it's about dedication."

"I appreciate you taking on my burden. I'll have the offering ready for you, Your…?"

"Oh, I see that I'm introducing myself too late. I'm Ludwig, one of the thirteen moons of the Goddess, and I serve His Excellency with all my heart."

'Thirteenth moon! Ludwig!'

Those words sounded alarm bells in Bishop Crown's head. He thought the guest was a cardinal, but the thirteenth moon was the highest of the cardinals.

"If you are thirteenth, then…"

"Red Moon Ludwig."

"…Ah!"

He even said Red Moon, something that even Crown had only heard of through the grapevine despite being a bishop.

'There's no way he's lying.'

His extravagant aura could not be explained by anything else. Also, the existence of the thirteenth month was top secret within the church, including the specific religion of the Red Moon. It was a secret open to anyone above the rank of bishop, but nobody who knew of it would survive if it was leaked to the outside world.

"I heard you were was raising something."

"Oh, sure, I'll prepare it so you can take it with you."

Suspicion became conviction, but there was one thing that tugged on the bishop's mind.

"However, what bothers me is… it stored where 'that thing' is."

"That thing?"

"Yes, I'm sure we are thinking of the same thing."

"Oh, you mean that thing…"

Seojin, who had introduced himself as Red Moon Ludwig, nodded confidently, wondering what the hell it would be.