How the Cult Saves the World-Chapter 177

After returning to the temple, I spent the past few days taking rest while carefully going through the temple's work.

'It's called rest, but I actually worked more.'

Still, since the tasks were just processing piles of documents, I was able to somewhat relieve the fatigue accumulated from the long journey.

'At least being able to sleep in a bed is satisfying.'

However, if you ask whether the temple work was entirely comfortable......there was one fatal drawback.

'I'm really going to die from the heat.'

It was currently midsummer in the Empire. Until just a few days ago, I had been staying in snowy mountains.

Back then, I was so cold that I thought I wanted to return to the Empire quickly. But now......

'The weather contrast is so stark.'

It was hot. It was way too hot.

Of course, it wasn't as hot as when I lived in modern times. While there was no air conditioning, at least ice was easily obtainable.

'I'm glad I made the priest robes with cool material.'

Thinking that, I suddenly recalled Terdius whom I had met a few days ago.

'I wonder if Ivan is okay. I hope my medicine......worked.'

It was medicine made by combining information collected while traveling the world and medicinal herbs obtained last from the snowy mountains.

So according to my calculations, it should be close to 99% complete cure.

'Still, since there's such a thing as that one percent, I'm worried.'

While thinking that.

Knock knock.

A sound came from somewhere. I put down my documents and turned my head. Then outside the Church Leader's office window was a creature I had never seen once in Rovel.

'That is......'

It was a green bird about the size of a fist. The interesting thing was that the green bird seemed to be emitting light itself.

Moreover, it was as if it had great intelligence, looking at me and knocking on the window, which felt like it was requesting me to open it.

I put down the documents and turned my body. And I opened the window for this cute green bird.

Chirp-

The bird made a sound as if pleased and entered the Church Leader's office. Then it circled around me once.

"Cute."

I watched the bird as if entranced. Then soon, the bird stood in front of me and flapped its wings. Eventually, a pale green light flowed from the bird.

Flash-!

I opened my mouth in amazement. The green light from the small bird gradually gathered and was making letters in the air.

'This is......'

I read the green-lit letters in the air from top to bottom.

[Are you well, Kyros Church Leader? I am the Spirit of Life, Phinis.]

It was a contact from Phinis, whom I had met quite a while ago near the Bahano Kingdom. The green bird was Phinis's messenger, and there was a reason Phinis had suddenly contacted me.

[I desperately need the Church Leader's help. So please, help us.]

As soon as I finished reading that phrase, a system message appeared before my eyes.

[Sub Quest Triggered!]

[Sub Quest 'Phinis's Request' 1. <To the Centaur Forest>

Content: The Spirit of Life, Phinis, urgently requests your help.

Goal: Head to the Centaur Forest within 24 hours (This quest is a linked quest.)

Upon Success: Next quest updated

Upon Failure: -

Final Success Reward: ???

[Will you accept?]

[Yes/No]

Though I didn't know what had happened, I had no intention of refusing a request for help from those who were on friendly terms with us. So I immediately accepted the quest.

Oh my, it seems Phinis needs help.

At the same time, Kyros, who had disappeared, appeared somehow knowing about it.

—Though you probably haven't completely shaken off your travel fatigue yet, you're willingly trying to help...... Well done, child.

'Of course we should help.'

As soon as I accepted the quest, the green letters changed. This too seemed to be Phinis's power.

[Thank you so much for helping. Then please come to the Centaur Forest entrance by tomorrow. Quir will be waiting for you, Church Leader.]

Quir would be the centaur who had carried me last time. I'll meet him again after a long time.

Though it said to visit by tomorrow, in fact, for the time being, all I had to do was process documents at the temple.

So it meant there would be no particular problem even if I left right away.

"Alphius, I'm going to Bahano briefly. Something urgent came up."

[Yes, understood. Church Leader! By the way, how long are you thinking it will take?]

"I'm not sure about that. I'll contact you if it seems it will take long."

[Yes! Have a safe trip!]

I was planning to go on this quest alone. Though it was a quest that didn't appear in the original, I still thought it would be okay.

'It's a bit much to take Zain and Troy along.'

If I told them to follow, they'd reluctantly come, but......it had only been a few days since we returned from the long journey. I decided to let those two rest a bit more and went to prepare to leave alone.

—Will you be okay going alone?

Then Kyros asked in a worried voice.

'Won't it be okay? If something really dangerous happens, it won't be too late to call the senior members then.'

After answering Kyros like that, I immediately headed to the portal. I crossed through the rippling portal while thinking of Bahano.

Then I arrived at Bahano's Church Leader's office.

"Church Leader!!" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Soon a cheerful and lively voice was heard. It was Abel, who had been handling my work at the Church Leader's office.

"What brings you here?!"

Abel, who frequently contacted me even normally, had a huge smile at my visit.

"Ah, I have some business in Bahano."

"Really? What kind of business?"

"Well, I can't disclose it."

"Ugh. I see."

I casually answered Abel and took out a robe from my inventory. And after putting on the hood, I left the Church Leader's office. Then Abel stuck to me persistently.

"You, aren't you busy?"

"I'm a bit free right now! Since the Church Leader has visited, I can't just stay still."

Just staying still would be better though.

Still, I couldn't just drive away someone who was working hard for me, so I decided to just walk with him.

"So, blah blah blah......"

I let Abel's story flow in one ear and out the other while examining Bahano Temple.

Thanks to Abel and the other senior members working hard for the past six months, Bahano Temple was in a state more expanded than before.

The building itself had been gradually expanded, and statues made by Sasha had also increased.

'There are quite a lot of believers visiting too.'

Since it was still daytime, there were quite many believers at Bahano Temple. Thanks to being with Abel, believers greeted him a lot.

'I'm glad I covered my face.'

If I had revealed my face and walked around, I would have been quite held up by believers.

While walking with Abel, when I reached the temple entrance, I spoke quietly to Abel.

"Abel, you must be busy so go back inside now. I'm leaving."

"What? Stay a bit longer."

"No. I have things to do."

"Alright, Church Leader. Then have a safe trip."

Though Abel clearly showed his regret, he still let me go obediently. I smiled at him and waved, then left Bahano Temple.

'The Centaur Forest was definitely this way.'

I quickly walked through Bahano's streets. Seeing the surrounding scenery occasionally, it seemed the current king Arhen was governing the country well.

All the citizens of Bahano had bright expressions, the streets were clean, and there seemed to be no deteriorated areas.

Walking like that, I was able to leave Bahano's borders. I headed toward the Centaur Forest without delay.

***

Swoosh, swoosh.

At the regular sound of the child's breathing, Terdius smiled faintly.

The Seluron disease cure he received from Leviathan was quite effective. In just a few days, Ivan quickly recovered his health and was able to run around like other children.

Moreover, the change obtained through this incident wasn't just Ivan's health.

Because most of the fog in his mind that had troubled Terdius for the past few years had lifted.

'I......for the past few years.'

Terdius fell into thought. During the time when thick fog filled his mind.

He blindly worshipped the god Diego.

However, now that the fog had lifted, the 'blind faith' in Terdius's mind had all but disappeared.

'It can't be helped.'

The Diego god didn't respond when he truly needed him.

When Ivan's pain grew and his life was fading. Diego didn't even respond to Terdius's prayers.

'I don't know the reason. But one thing is certain.'

The god Diego had abandoned him.

That was the conclusion Terdius had reached. Then his attitude to take was also decided.

'......I also, no longer need it.'

It was Terdius's turn to abandon Diego.

***

A distant dimension, somewhere in ruins.

A giant black snake slowly awakened from sleep. The black snake gradually began taking form.

Two legs formed, arms appeared, and it took on human form.

A beautiful appearance with long black hair reaching the waist, black eyes, and sharp features was revealed.

The man who had been a black snake, Diego, looked at the screen unfolding before him.

The reason he awoke from sleep was because he had noticed that one of his apostles was having impure thoughts.

And on the screen Diego was watching, that very apostle was visible.

It was Terdius sitting in a dim room.

"This world's protagonist......"

Diego smiled faintly while looking at him. Until just recently, he had been obsessed with his apostle.

'But......it's different now.'

Because unlike the previous world, he realized who the true protagonist was in this world.

"Right, now you're not really needed anymore."

Diego considered himself to be the protagonist.

When Terdius offered him desperate prayers, before long Diego read the Demon God Shamir's movements.

'Thanks to that fool moving foolishly.'

The Demon God Shamir sent his children endlessly in rage toward the Kyros Church.

He lost a considerable number of them to the Kyros Church, and amid that, he was preparing to send high-level children to the Herpheon Imperial Palace.

Diego noticed that fact and even read that his apostles and the Kyros Church Leader would defeat them.

So he quietly watched the situation. And after all situations were resolved, Diego quietly sought out Shamir.

Shamir, having lost a considerable amount of strength, easily collapsed before Diego.

'In the previous world, it was impossible to absorb Shamir because my power was equal to Kyros's.'

Because moving unnecessarily might result in being struck back by Kyros.

But now it was different. A considerable portion of Shamir's forces had disappeared, and Kyros who would check Diego was still weak.

'In this world, Kyros still hasn't even caught up to my heels.'

So Diego easily absorbed Shamir and obtained all of Shamir's power.

Though it took quite a long time to digest all that power, so he only just woke from slumber.

It didn't matter.

"Now the true protagonist of this world is me."

Diego smiled. Then he reached his hand toward the screen he was watching.

"You're no longer needed by me."

Eventually, Diego began withdrawing the Evil God's energy that Terdius possessed.