The Money-Mad Holy Knight Chapter 127

Chapter 127: Cuckoo (2)

Riferoze cherished her disciples deeply, but her faith belonged solely to the god Astia. And that belief never wavered.

"How could I possibly change the subject of my faith, my father?"

Her logic was fundantally sound. However, her eyes were half-vacant, steeped in religious fanaticism.

Her obsessive zealotry left even the god Astia at a loss for words.

"This too is Father's subli grace."

In any case. Riferoze witnessed two miracles today.

Kehehehehe!

The first was when the old man who had regained his na erased the Styx River, a natural phenonon. One of the three river branches that flowed toward the Empire disappeared into the old man's mouth.

"Indeed, this is Father's will."

Now that she knew it was possible, the next step was to decide which water current to erase.

'Three river branches.'

The Lupen River flowing toward the Arman continent and two waterways flowing left and right along the Empire's border. The answer was simple.

"Gluttony, not that one—drink this river instead."

At her words, a massive black mass moved its body. It imdiately began consuming the other river branch.

'This too is Father's will.'

Riferoze erased the river branch that flowed rightward along the border. The reason was. Because of the second miracle she had witnessed.

"So you said her na is Kang Min-ah?"

Riferoze asked, looking at the possessed body that Erik had nad. She had no particular interest at first, but after witnessing Kang Min-ah's display of worship, deep fascination blood within her.

"Faith that springs naturally from the heart. To encounter a sister from another world in such a place."

Her gaze was very affectionate. She had even made up her mind to personally summon the Pope and accept her as a believer. For this purpose, Riferoze had erased the river at the border.

Kwaaaaaaa!

The river branch that had rushed down like a waterfall disappeared into the old man's mouth, and a path connecting to the stateless zone opened. The [Field Effect] blocking the way also vanished. Thanks to this, Riferoze could now freely cross borders.

'The Pope is at the top.'

Riferoze's eyes turned toward the vast gorge of the conflict zone. It was a distant view, but her eyes could see the papal palace built on the cliff clearly. The roof of the palace-like papal residence had a rounded do shape. Through the glass window opened between them, the figure of a small boy was revealed.

'The Pope, digging through scripture again.'

Swoosh!

Riferoze pointed her sword at the distant papal palace roof. And she swung it quietly.

Zzzzang!

The papal palace roof shattered. And not long after, a massive cross-shaped figure appeared in empty space. It was a miracle of teleportation. What appeared through the cleaved cross was the Pope, taking the form of a steadfast holy knight.

"Riferoze, why have you destroyed the papal palace roof again?"

The Pope looked down at the white girl with a deeply furrowed brow. Then Riferoze pointed her sword at Kang Min-ah.

"Pope, accept a new believer."

It was the figure of a veteran recruiter who shalessly caught new believers. A familiar occurrence. However, the Pope had no intention of accepting this.

'What strange thing has she dragged here again...'

The Pope looked at Kang Min-ah. His eyes examined her carefully, and as a result―.

"Riferoze, are you in your right mind? You want to accept a possessed one as a believer?"

He couldn't hide his bewildernt at such nonsense. The heterogeneous energy felt unmistakably like that of a possessed being.

"Pope, she's not just any possessed one. Thanks to Erik, she's a possessed one who has co to accept divine power."

"But then why would you bring her to our Astia Order...?"

The Pope was even more flustered.

'How could Saint Erik's possessed one, whom he forgave of sin, be brought to Lord Astia?'

The Pope also knew the truth about Erik. He was the owner of imnse holiness, but not a believer of the Astia Order. So it made even less sense. At that mont, Riferoze's eyes curved like a bow.

"Pope, why don't you examine her more carefully?"

The Pope gazed at Kang Min-ah for a long while. And he said.

"I sense fragnts of faith."

Certainly, it was the appearance of budding belief. However, that was all.

"But her body already harbors another divine power..."

An unremarkable divine power was felt from Kang Min-ah's body. It was faint. Yet it clearly existed.

'There is only one owner of divine power without identity.'

Also, the lack of distinctiveness in divine power itself signified that it had an owner. This ant she had received Erik's holiness.

"How could you bring to Father a child who bears your disciple's divine power?"

"Ha! Pope. A god, Father is a being I must serve and believe in. How could you compare him to my disciple?"

A deep obsession settled in those white eyes. Sothing that felt oddly like romantic affection.

"Hmm... Surely not, Riferoze. Have you truly―."

"Did it show?"

"You've lost your mind."

The Pope let out a sigh.

"The age difference between the two would exceed one hundred fifty years..."

"My disciple once said sothing about it."

The Pope didn't want to hear anymore. He wanted to cover his ears, but Riferoze continued speaking naturally.

"That age is rely a number?"

Riferoze nodded her head. Between her flowing white hair, her intense gaze was clear.

'Pope, you wouldn't understand, but Erik was forty-five years old if you include his age before possession.'

The age gap of around one hundred fifty was reducing to about one hundred.

'Compared to the World Tree, one could say they're similar ages.'

At this point, the age difference didn't seem so significant.

As Riferoze was satisfied on her own, the Pope asked a question.

"Age is just a number. Hmm. Did Saint Erik say such a thing to you?"

"No. I discovered that fact myself while investigating my disciple. I found the record of sothing Erik once said to soone in the information bureau."

In other words, it was a fact she had discovered through background research on Erik. However, she placed greater significance on having found it herself.

"Riferoze, I know your faith well, so I won't say it unnecessarily, but."

The Pope finally brought out his nagging. After a barrage of various complaints, the Pope broached the main point to Riferoze, who had covered her ears.

"So, where do you intend to send this child?"

Naly, the whereabouts of the possessed Kang Min-ah.

"Hmm."

The white girl decided the path for the possessed Kang Min-ah to take. It was a place infamous within the order for its harshness.

"The Heretic Inquisitor."

***

The place where the Empress was confined was an unnad palace in District 1 of the capital.

'The Emperor certainly has so character.'

Small, shabby, clinging to the palace walls with no official na. The reason for the palace's existence was clear. It simply ant: grow old and die without doing anything.

"Looking at it this way, doesn't the Emperor seem less like a villain?"

Jang Du-sik muttered while comparing the Continental Palace to the unnad palace with his club. Compared to the splendid Continental Palace, it was hardly worthy of being called a palace.

"It would if you only looked at the palace."

The palace where the Empress was confined was that shabby. However, there was a reason for it.

'The Empress supposedly embezzled the Labyrinth's rewards.'

Originally, the Labyrinth's reward chests gave necessary items to the locals. Recovery potions, elixirs. Most were quality weapons or magical scrolls. However, from the point when the number of possessed ones increased to tens of thousands, the locals began receiving heterogeneous rewards as well.

'Things like Enhancent Tickets.'

Ticket-form items began circulating in the market. That the Adventurer's Guild had covertly neglected the possessed ones was partly due to this reason, according to the information bureau's speculation.

'Still, the advantage is clearly on my side.'

Erik thought it wasn't worth worrying about. Enhancent Tickets carried probability. Since there weren't a dozen people like Du-sik in the world, even if hostile forces swept up all the Enhancent Tickets, it would be aningless.

'I have Appearance Change Tickets.'

No matter how many possessed ones' items are released into the world. The [Appearance Change Ticket] that could return them to their human form was possessed by only Erik alone.

'Moreover, only I can make possessed ones accept divine power.'

Erik steeled himself while looking at the shabby palace. The necromancer possessed one. Now he would grasp that thread.

"Du-sik, let's―."

Just as Erik was about to head toward the confined palace after his thoughts.

Pa-at! [A believer learning foreign religion's doctrine has appeared.]

An unexpected ssage suddenly appeared. It ant soone had committed heresy.

'Surely...'

Erik imdiately identified the culprit. It would be his teacher's movents heading toward the Empire's border and the stateless zone.

'My believer to the Astia Order?'

It was unbelievable, but that Riferoze was capable of such a thing.

'Didn't she make the 1st Prince recite prayers in the Labyrinth?'

Erik also knew well of the outrageous acts she had committed in the Labyrinth. She had apparently hit Leonardo with a mallet until he recited the prayers. Erik glanced to the side. Jang Du-sik was visible, club in hand, ready to charge. Erik suddenly spoke.

"Du-sik, Second Scripture, verse 23."

"Though demons lurk in the world, with faith's belief there is no fear. Whatever dread may co―. When our Lord Astia bent the wilderness and made mountains―."

Jang Du-sik instinctively covered his head and recited the scripture verse. Both Erik and Jang Du-sik were eyewitnesses to the outrageous acts Riferoze had committed.

"―thus, this is called nature carved by God. Hey, brother. Why suddenly this?"

Jang Du-sik, who had recited the scripture by instinct, blinked his eyes. What summoned that instinct? The fear stemming from violence.

'Thanks to my teacher, I've learned what I needed.'

Erik realized through his teacher that his believers had the potential to cheat him. So he would need to prepare a thod to control them as well.

Pa-at

[You can transfer the faith system learned by a believer for 100,000,000 GP.]

[Progress 0.03%]

However, a ssage appeared in a different direction than Erik's expectation.

'Transfer another sect's system?'

That statent ant. That Erik's temple could obtain 'things from other orders.'

'It's probably not intentional, but...'

Though his disciple's believer was being taken by his teacher, the result ironically benefited the disciple.

'That's why she's called a teacher.'

The question was resolved. Now his task was simple.

'Verify the facts.'

Erik looked to the side. Jang Du-sik waited for him, blinking his eyes. Erik spoke.

"Du-sik, destroy everything in this palace."

***

"Your Majesty the Empress, the High Archbishop says he will relocate his residence to the Allied Nations."

In the old, shabby palace. The Empress's expression turned sour in an empty room without proper furniture.

"With tens of children to my na, does he an to abandon ?"

"That couldn't be. If Your Majesty can make your way there yourself, the Almanism Church will protect you―."

"How could I possibly escape this place on my own?!"

The Empress raised her voice at the maid before her.

Ku-woong!

Then the Almanism Church's sacred law formation flared with light, constricting the maid's body. The heavy wave shook the maid's form without resistance.

"Your Majesty the Empress, getting angry at won't change anything."

The maid looked at the Empress with a sneer. She had a small fra, an extrely pale complexion, and wore plain maid's clothing.

"You made a deal out of your own greed, so you must take responsibility."

The tone and deanor carried an intense presence. Even as the Empress's sacred law formation tore through her entire body, the maid maintained her smile. Eventually, the Empress released her force.

"You made the Archbishop's thirteenth daughter into the Empire's Empress, didn't you? You should know your place."

At so point, the maid's body had straightened. She approached the Empress.

"Y-you said you fulfilled all promises with Hwata, right? I even let black mages into the Empire, so how!"

"Didn't I tell you several tis that the principal of the contract changed? In this case, we should call it a contract transfer."

The Empress lanted her situation. She was born and raised knowing she would be used in a political marriage. It was her father the Archbishop's teaching. Since she would be used in a political marriage anyway, the Empress wanted to go to the highest place.

'How did it co to this...'

Through the Almanism Church and her father the Archbishop, she incurred debt to the Empire. Thus, she beca Empress. However, bearing children was a distant matter.

The Emperor only slept on the designated night and left. She eventually borrowed the hands of one nad Hwata. So she succeeded in artificially conceiving the Third Prince on a scheduled night, but―.

'The prince was stillborn to so madman before seeing the light, and I live with my life held hostage.'

She lanted her life.

"Isn't life truly harsh?"

However, the maid was unmoved.

"Before it becos harsher, comply willingly. Then at least you can preserve your life, no?"

"How could I―."

That was when it happened.

Kwaaaa-ang!

A loud crash erupted and one wall of the confined palace shattered. Between the hazy smoke and debris, a shimring half-shaved head beca distinctly visible.

"Ja― Get up!"

A gangster-like figure wielding a club and threatening all directions caused the attendants in the palace to scream and begin fleeing.

"Du-sik, arrest everyone in this palace."

An order was given to Du-sik. Then blue light trails rippled in all directions as Du-sik began his club strikes.

"Ma! Don't move!"

Ppuok! Ppuk!

One strike per person. They lost consciousness and collapsed under the club strikes.

'Aren't these lines from gangster movies?'

The maid's eyes narrowed watching the scene.

'How does Park Ji-hun imitate a gangster thug like this...'

Wasn't this a cinematic character brought to life? It was quite interesting. The maid wanted to observe the scene more leisurely, but she had no such luxury.

"Empress, surrender quietly."

A massive holy knight appeared―Erik. He ruthlessly destroyed the palace as he approached the Empress's quarters. The maid stepped forward as befitted her role. And she scread.

"Kyaaaaaaaa!!!!"

A roaring sound that shook all directions. It was so intense it shattered Erik's divine barrier, and it resonated through District 1 of the capital.

'No matter the Empire, this is sothing a noble society can never cross.'

Next, the maid intended to shout 'The Empress is being assaulted!' to create a scandal. However, the maid's words could not continue.

"How foolish, thinking this would be seen as assault."

Erik, stepping forward, swung his sword at the maid.

Tuk! Tu-du-duk!

In an instant, the maid's vision flipped. With her inverted vision, an intact torso was clearly visible.

'They just... cut off my head?'

The maid observed the situation with her severed neck. The saint Erik, who had cut off her head, hit the back of the head of the Empress attempting to tear a scroll, knocking her unconscious.

'W-was the imperial family struck?'

He was simply a madman. An entity with whom conversation was impossible. Weren't his actions not just bold but extrely extre?

'W-what is he trying to do...'

Erik, shouldering the unconscious Empress, approached the maid's corpse with great strides. Then, in an instant, he swung his sword, leaving no trace of the body. After that, Erik picked up the head that had fallen to the ground. And he spoke.

"Go tell them. Don't do anything foolish. I will co looking for you."

With that cold threat, the maid's consciousness faded.