How the Cult Saves the World

Chapter 42:

Zain blurted out in a hurry.

"What was that light just now? And your clothes... When did you change them?"

"...That's a trade secret. But right now, it's time for a mission."

"Huh?"

Zain narrowed his eyes slightly as if he didn't understand. But when I didn't say anything, he soon looked around and spotted something. He grabbed my arm and pulled me along.

He led me to a high and flat rock that could fit one person. I quickly understood what he meant and climbed up on the rock.

As soon as I did, the crowd became silent and their eyes were fixed on me.

This is the effect of 'Mission Time'.

"You must all be surprised by what happened."

"Who are you...?"

The father of Yuri, who was holding his daughter tightly until a moment ago, asked me in a dazed voice. He must have been more shocked by the fact that I drove away the monster of the fortress, absorbed the white light into my body, and changed my clothes in an instant. Oh, right, I also changed my clothes during the flash of white light.

I felt like I had become the protagonist of a transformation story for a moment. It was bitter, but now I had the attention of many people. I used my business smile.

"I'm sorry for the late introduction. I am Leviathan, the leader of the Kyros Faith."

It's a name that I never get used to no matter how many times I say it.

"Kyros Faith?"

"Is there such a religion?"

"There are many religions in the world, so it's possible."

The people murmured. But as soon as I opened my mouth again, they quieted down. The effect of 'Mission Time' is really good.

"We are an emerging religion with our main branch in Rovel, within Holden Territory. And... I came here after hearing from Kyros that the people of Bayers were suffering from an evil being."

There's nothing better than a hero who hears the voice of God to lure people.

---Yes, yes. It's because I sensed the aura of the monsters!

Kyros seemed happy that his name was praised and giggled.

Well, this time it wasn't Kyros who directly asked me to come here, but it's still good.

Seeing the people's slightly agape mouths, the 'a hero who heard the voice of God' strategy was effective, as always.

"With the power that Kyros bestowed upon me, I drove away the evil monster that lived in this fortress. Unfortunately, I couldn't save some people who worshiped the evil monster and became monsters themselves because of it."

I pretended to be sad and bowed my head slightly. Then Yuri, who had been watching me quietly, shouted out loud.

"It's okay, Leader! It couldn't be helped. Those people, no, those beings were monsters themselves! And you have not only saved me but also everyone in the village. I'm grateful to you!"

Yuri's words, the child who came out of the fortress with us, gave a solid trust to the people. Thank you, Yuri. It was worth saving you. But I continued to act.

"No, I just did what I had to do. I just came here as Kyros led me."

I smiled sadly and then said strongly,

"Kyros is always by your side. Even if you don't believe in him, he watches over everyone. That's how I was able to come here."

"Then, does Kyros grant salvation even to those who don't believe in him?"

A person standing in the middle of the crowd raised his hand and shouted. I nodded my head with a kind smile.

"Yes. Kyros is originally the lord of this world, who loves all living beings. He doesn't ask for much. Just faith and prayer toward him, these two things are enough."

The people gasped and praised him. It was time to nail it down.

"Kyros will always be by your side and take care of you. There is no coercion or pain involved. Just faith alone."

I spread my arms toward the people and showed them.

"There is no restriction on believing in him. You don't have to visit the temple, just believe in him... We can all become the children of Kyros."

I raised my arms towards the sky and closed my eyes.

"Kyros will always embrace us. He will take care of us and stay with us whenever we believe in him."

I finished my speech and opened my eyes. At that moment, thunderous applause erupted.

"Wow!! Kyros!"

"Leader! Kyros! I believe you!"

"Our savior!"

"Our light!"

[All citizens of Bayers were moved by your words!]

[All citizens of Bayers became believers of Kyros Faith!]

It must be working for sure! It was an 80% chance, so it's obvious that all these people became followers.

Even my own self thought that the speech I had spoken wasn't perfect. Rather, it was lacking. But, seeing all these people moved, the probability is like an additive...!

Thanks to the speech alone, everyone was moved and I was lucky to avoid doing a wink.

I smiled and opened the religious status.

[Total number of believers: 851]

It's a number that makes my mouth curl upward. The last time I saw the number of believers, it was less than 500, but it jumped to 800 in one breath! I was proud. There wasn't much left to reach 1,000. Although there was no change in the percentage of the main quest, this was something.

---Oh, my little lamb. I feel my power rising!

'This is all thanks to me. You know that, right?'

So, it would be nice if you gave me a holy relic when I'm in trouble.

I swallowed the rest of my words and laughed like Kyros' child.

---Of course! It's because of you, my first child, that I'm getting stronger day by day. Thank you, my baby.

Yes, yes. Praise me more.

When I felt my mouth not going down easily, I felt Zain's gaze looking at me. He whispered to me with a smug face,

"No matter how I think about it, you should be a merchant."

He looked annoying as he smiled, but I let it go generously because it was a happy moment.

* * * * *

"Leader, do you really have to go?"

"Please, stay for at least one more day. We all want to treat you better."

After the mission in front of the fortress, the people of Bayers were in a festive mood. Everyone came out to the street and shared food and drinks.

Zain and I also joined them for a while and ate some food. But we couldn't waste any more time and got up from our seats.

However, the people held us back. Especially Yuri and Yuri's dad. We told them that we had a busy way to go and borrowed some horses. The people of Bayers gladly gave us the best horses they had. They said we didn't need to return them and that they had received more than what they had given us.

As we were about to mount the horses,

"Leader!"

Yuri and her dad tried to hold us back again.

Behind them, I saw the earnest faces of the people.

"Master."

Zain also looked sorry for them. But we had no time.

"I'm sorry. I'll visit again soon."

I said to the people with a troubled expression. They looked disappointed. Yuri bowed her head slightly with tears in her eyes.

"Please come back someday, Leader."

Yuri's dad hugged her shoulder. He also looked at us with moist eyes.

"You must be busy saving people like us, right?"

"Yes... That, that's right."

Actually, it was a matter of saving my own life.

"Yes. I understand. Then I can't help it. But still, someday, I really want to see you again."

I nodded to him and mounted the horse. Zain followed along and got on the horse. The people who filled the street moved aside.

Riding a horse among the crowd of people, I felt like I had become a real hero.

A strange feeling of exhilaration and pressure.

"Always stay healthy."

As I carefully drove the horse, the people started to speak after Yuri's dad.

"Don't get hurt!"

"Thank you, Leader!"

"May Kyros always be with you!"

"Our light!"

Listening to the people's praises, Zain and I left Bayers.

* * * * *

After leaving Bayers in the daytime, we rode our horses endlessly. Before we knew it, the sun had set and the deep night set in.

We still had a long way to go, but we were exhausted from the day's accumulation of fatigue, so we stopped our horses in the forest.

"We have to camp out again."

Zain tied the horse to a stake and sighed.

"We have no choice."

I replied as I fed the horses some food. Then, I felt Jain's gaze. He looked at me persistently and when I turned my head, he stared at me with a strange look.

"How come you don't seem to mind at all?"

"What do you mean?"

"Usually, nobles hate camping out like this. Well, let's say that's not the case, but you don't even hesitate to eat what commoners eat. There are many nobles who can't eat that."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm not a normal noble, am I?"

I joked and Zain chuckled without meaning.

"That's right. You're not a normal noble. You're a very unusual person."

He looked at me intently and moved his body to start a fire.

"I don't think it's that much."

I took off my robe and laid it on the ground. I had taken off my priest's robe right after leaving Bayers, so I just sat down casually.

I took out some simple food that the believers from Bayers had given us and handed it to Zain.

"You don't know how amazing you are. You've been like that since I first saw you. You said you would save Rovel and bought mandrake heads, then, you actually saved them. You built a temple in place of Rizes Church, you also have amazing things with you, pulling things out of thin air, and you easily change your clothes."

When I heard that, it must have looked amazing from Zain's perspective.

"That's why I mistook you for a mage at first."

"...I see."

He paused for a moment and his eyes narrowed slightly. He couldn't continue his words easily. After licking his lips a few times, he muttered softly,

"Master, you must've use that power."

* * *

1.) The 'wink' is another skill of Revelof to gain more believers by winking towards the target. However, it wasn't really effective, as seen in a past chapter when he used it on Terdius Austin.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter~"