How the Cult Saves the World-Chapter 137

Despite moving from her place completely, Grandmother, who had lived there for many years, didn't have much luggage. That's because she had given most of the mansion and her belongings to the servants who had been with her all along.

The remaining items were so few that Max, the butler who stayed by her side until the end, could carry them all.

"Didn't you feel like it's a waste?"

I asked as I entered the room, opening the door. My grandmother shook her head.

"I don't regret it at all. As my environment changes, so do the things I need. I can't simply send away the children who have stayed with me all these years empty handed. And now... I want to create the things I need myself."

Her words carried a slight resonance. I nodded and glanced at the garden.

As she had hoped, the garden was just the right size for her to decorate on her own---neither too big nor too small.

"It looks like Jenna has already planted flowers that match my taste perfectly."

Grandmother murmured as she gazed at the not-yet-bloomed flowers. It was clear that the archmage had thoughtfully attended to every detail.

After taking a moment to appreciate the garden, I went inside.

"Master and Young Master, I'll be unpacking my things now. If you need anything, please call me."

"Max, don't push yourself too hard."

"Don't worry. I'm quite old now too so I won't overdo it,"

Max said with a smile before heading in with his luggage.

"Max is amazing, isn't he? I've told him to retire so many times, but he's still so stubborn.''

"Haha, that's true. I'll leave some healing potions here just in case. If you or Max need them, you can always get more from the temple."

New novel chapters are published on freewёbn૦νeɭ.com.

"Thank you, Levi."

I handed her a few healing potions from my inventory and we began exploring the house.

The first thing I noticed upon entering was the spacious living room. It had a cozy sofa, a few soft cushions, a rocking chair, knitting supplies---everything you'd expect in a peaceful countryside home.

Opposite the living room was a reasonably sized kitchen. Between the two spaces was a spacious reception room.

"Shall we go upstairs?"

"Yes, Grandma.''

The second floor had a guest room and Max's room. The third floor was entirely dedicated to Grandma's rooms, each with a spacious balcony. Her personal balcony had several magical plants and a bundle she used for traveling to and from the Magic Tower.

"It seems Jenna took great care of this."

A door led from Grandma's room to a dressing area already filled with elegant clothes.

Judging by the fact that the wardrobe had far more clothes than Max was carrying, it was clear these were gifts from Jenna.

'She's incredibly generous,' I thought, starting to feel a desire to befriend the Archmage myself.

After we were done exploring the house, Grandma invited me to tea.

"You've worked hard, Max. Now take some rest and drink this too---it's a healing potion Levi gave me.''

Max accepted it with gratitude, his eyes filled with emotion.

"Thank you, Young Master. I'll take my leave now. Please enjoy your tea."

Once Max left, I sipped my tea, taking in the surroundings. My grandmother and I sat on the terrace in the living room.

From the terrace facing the reception room, you could see the backyard. It was quite large, so it felt really open.

'For nobles who are only used to living in mansions, adjusting to this might be difficult...'

As someone from a modern era, the size of this house felt substantially larger to me.

'Even in the place I used to live, a house like this would have cost a fortune.'

Probably several billion won, unless it were in a remote area with no amenities.

While I was lost in thought, Grandma, sipping her tea, spoke up.

"It's not too far from here to Rovel, where the temple is. I'm thinking of visiting often. What do you think?"

"You can visit the temple whenever you like, Grandmother.''

"Thank you."

"Oh, but by any chance... When you have time, Grandma, could you provide combat training to the temple senior members? It doesn't have to be that often.''

I didn't want to take up too much of her time now that she could finally live the life she wanted.

"Hmm. Don't worry about that. If my dear wants me to, I'll come running whenever you want. But..."

In an instant, Grandmother's gaze shifted. It was the sharp, piercing gaze of a Sword Master and a seasoned battlefield hero.

"What are the senior members like?"

"Well, first of all...there are a few who look like they're about ten years old. Their names are Alphius, Chester, and Sasha,"

I said, giving her a brief introduction of the senior members, including their fighting styles and personalities.

As I finished, my grandmother nodded thoughtfully and spoke.

"For starters...with proper training, their skills will improve quickly. Of course, I'd need to see them in action to assess them properly. That goes for the non-combat personnel as well---I'll need to observe them in person."

"I understand."

"Yes. We'll need to evaluate their skills soon. I also think it's a good idea to divide them into groups based on their skill levels and teach them on different days of the week. What do you think, Levi?"

Listening to my grandmother's plan, I couldn't help but admire her. There was something in her voice that sounded almost excited.

"Yes, I think that would be great. Since the senior members also have temple duties, splitting the training by days of the week would be perfect. As for the time...it'll probably need to be either early morning or evening. Would that suit you?"

"That's fine. I don't sleep much anyway, and being here gives me more free time than before."

She smiled as she spoke, but that smile sent a chill down my spine.

It reminded me of my training days back at her mansion.

"And Levi, I'll be training you alongside those kids myself."

I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. But...in the end, I nodded, albeit reluctantly, because being taught by my grandmother was undeniably a rare opportunity.

"Yes, Grandma.''

***

Some time later, the Temple of Merilseus officially opened. Contrary to expectations---since there hadn't been much advertising---a massive crowd gathered.

It seemed the turnout was thanks to King Merilseus and the twin Prince and Princess.

As a result, I welcomed a flood of believers alongside High Priest Melin, who was in charge of the temple.

With the King's visit and the presence of the royal twins, the Kyros Church's influence within Merilseus grew significantly.

'In an instant, we gathered hundreds of new believers, and the total is now over 90,000...'

But I was utterly exhausted from the twin Prince and Princess constantly pestering me.

Still, I managed to leave them in Melin's capable hands and escape to Rovel.

'Sorry, Melin,' I thought guiltily as I caught my breath in my office.

Knock knock.

"Church Leader, Mrs. Helena Holden has arrived to see you," Alphius announced, bringing my grandmother in. Starting today, she would take over the training of the senior members.

"Welcome, Grandma,"

I greeted her as the door to the office closed behind her. I stood up from my seat, taking off the glasses I had been wearing.

"You look so dashing here, my grandson," she said with a warm smile, approaching me.

I guided her to a comfortable sofa and sat down across from her.

"You're here early. Training doesn't start until the evening.''

"But I thought it would be better to arrive at the temple first.''

"I see. Oh, and I've instructed the senior members to only gather if they voluntarily want to participate in training, excluding anyone busy with temple work."

"Well done. Since I'll be visiting the temple about four days a week, I'll have plenty of chances to meet those who can't attend regularly anyway."

As we spoke, I poured tea that Alphius had prepared for us to my grandmother.

"Does it suit your taste?"

"Of course. After all, you made it for me."

Grandma took a sip, smiling warmly as she fixed her gaze on me.

"No matter how I look at it, this is remarkable. My grandson, leading a religion."

"Not always. I'm only the leader when I wear these."

I smiled awkwardly, adjusting my glasses to show what I meant. Grandma burst into laughter.

"Haha, right, right! Then when you're wearing those glasses, I'll call you 'Church Leader' as well. That's only right."

As expected, Grandma always caught on quickly.

"Thank you, Grandma."

"Well, since we're here at the temple, I should pay my respects to Lord Kyros first," she said, placing her teacup down and rising from her seat.

I stood up as well, putting on my glasses.

"Allow me to show you the way."

Together, we left the office and began heading toward the prayer room. On the way, I gave Grandma a small tour of the temple's interior.

"These are the priests' quarters. Oh, by the way, the one who greeted you earlier, Alphius, is the High Priest of the Temple of Rovel."

"Oh, I see."

Since leaving the office, I addressed Grandma as I would any other believer, and she treated me as the church leader. Surprisingly, this arrangement felt natural for both of us.

We continued chatting as we made our way to the prayer room. Through the window, I noticed a considerable number of believers were inside.

'If I step in...they'll all flock to me.'

As I braced myself and reached for the door, it suddenly opened from the inside.

"Oh, pardon me---huh? Church Leader? And Lady Helena?"

Standing in the doorway was none other than Fanatic. Lately, he'd been visiting the temple more frequently, but I'd been avoiding him as much as possible. Now, I had no choice but to face him.

"It's an honor to meet you both!"

Fanatic seemed overjoyed, not at all surprised, likely because he'd already heard about Grandma converting to Kyros.

"It's nice to meet you too, fellow brother," I replied with a polite smile, silently contemplating how to get rid of him.

Meanwhile, Grandma stepped forward.

"Ah, you're Holden's knight. A pleasure to meet you."

She extended her hand, and Fanatic eagerly took it in both of his, bowing deeply.

"Oh, it's an honor!"

He exclaimed, his voice carrying through the room.

His booming tone caught the attention of the believers inside the prayer room.

"Huh? The Church leader?"

"Church Leader!"

Oh dear. Thanks to Fanatic, believers began gathering around me one by one.

-Haha, since you're here, why not have a chat with the believers, my child?

I heard Kyros's amused laughter in my head and let out an inward sigh.

Within moments, I was surrounded by a dozen believers, while Fanatic somehow vanished.

Grandma, on the other hand, winked at me before leisurely stepping into the prayer room.

'I thought people would pay more attention to a Sword Master and war hero...'

Unfortunately, I was mistaken.

Perhaps too much time had passed, and fewer people recognized my grandmother than I had anticipated.

-Inside the temple, the church leader is even more popular than the emperor!

In the end, I had to greet the believers with a professional smile, feeling more like an idol than a religious leader.

"May Kyros's blessings be with you, fellow believers."

"Pfft."

Over and over again, I caught glances from my grandmother, who watched with something resembling pride on her face.