How to Live as a Tyrant’s Spoiled Brat Chapter 233

(233)

One day, a strange rumor began to spread in the capital.

'There is a large four-horse carriage with curtains drawn at the windows, and strangely enough, it can be seen anywhere in the capital.'

'The horse is a large fine horse of excellent bloodline, and the carriage is also of high quality, clearly made in the best workshop, but there is no emblem or flag.'

'If that carriage appears, something bad will happen.'

There were stories that a sadistic noble was taking advantage of the chaos to once again hunt humans, that the chariot was given by the scoundrel Valencian to his concubines around the capital, and that the chariot was used by warlocks to kidnap victims.

“So, please write at least one disguise sentence. Your Majesty.”

Cornell sat across from Valencian in the carriage.

Valencian nodded with a sly smile.

“I didn’t know there were such rumors going around.”

I was just using it for camouflage, but as I've been going out more frequently recently, it seemed like I was seeing it everywhere.

“But if you think about it, the rumors might not be entirely wrong.”

"yes?"

“Because when something bad happens, I’m often the one who goes. Of course, the order is reversed, but there are logics that can be established even if you turn it around.”

“This… … doesn’t seem to have anything to do with that.”

Cornell had a quizzical expression on his clever, cute face, and Tentia nudged Valencianus in the side with her elbow.

“Ugh.”

“Your Majesty. Do you find it amusing to argue with a 17-year-old? Please hurry up and finish the settlement.”

For the first time in a long time, she was wearing the Platinum Knights' ceremonial armor, not the mechanical armor of Marcus and Celerazi.

The mechanical armor, which was almost like an exoskeleton, was too heavy, and the carriage could not be pulled by four horses.

Valencian looked as if he was going to say something more, then shook his head and got to the point.

“Cornell. I will put in a generous donation through the foundation and the union. It will be enough to pay off the debt immediately. In late fall, just return the principal from the profits.”

Cornell blinked his brown eyes a few times and shook his head.

“Ah. That’s resolved.”

"huh?"

“Because I had to pay dividends to the merchants and the bourgeois elders of the capital city according to their share, the amount of reinvestment was very limited. However, thanks to His Majesty the Emperor and some noble royal family members, the merchants of Jahan disappeared, and the bourgeois elders also understood that I was delaying the payment of dividends. There was no need to ask for help from His Majesty.”

Valencian opened his eyes wide as if he had not expected that, and Tentia narrowed her eyes at him and recited solemnly.

“Even the greatest villain in the world sometimes does good deeds unintentionally. So now go and do good deeds out of your own free will.”

She called her coachman and changed the destination to the cathedral, and Valencian laughed awkwardly but did not stop Tentia.

Cornell asked, seemingly surprised.

“Your Majesty. Even if you were to wake up from the dead, you would not be the type of person to make pure donations. Why don’t you stop Lord Tentia?”

Valencian shrugged.

“Well. I know that the church takes care of those outside the royal family line. They are doing the work that our royal family should be doing, so it’s only natural that they help us with money.”

"ah."

Cornell and Tentia both looked impressed, and he added with a bitter laugh.

“If you donate a lot, when someone gets hurt and goes to church later, they can be treated first. That’s why the bourgeoisie treated my family first when the disease broke out in late summer.”

Tentia grabbed the back of my neck as if she knew this would happen, and Cornell slumped his shoulders.

“So many people died back then. I still think there’s something crawling in the sewers.”

It was a girlish voice for that age.

Valencianus withdrew his bitter smile and looked at Cornell, and Tentia glared at him.

"majesty."

“I… I’m sorry.”

“Isn’t there a way for everyone to become stronger?”

“None.”

Valencian responded sharply to Cornell's mutterings.

This time, Tentia didn't even look at Valencian.

It was a world full of old things that would corrode humans just by wishing for them.

Cornell also realized what he had said and waved his hand.

“Ah. Excuse me. I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant-.”

“Why don’t you go and say something to Mateos?”

"yes?"

“Because the God of Light blesses everyone.”

* * *

The amount of bribe I paid in the guise of my donation was not small, and after Mateos placed the sacred crown on Jerilis' head, the imperial court and the church were in an atmosphere of reconciliation.

So, while the knights were busy grinding away, they had no choice but to accept my request for an audience with the saint.

As expected, if you hold out a golden hammer, even a door that a sledgehammer cannot open will open.

“Your Majesty. Why did you come to see me?”

“I see the saint.”

A splendid audience room.

I stood up and bowed politely, and a twitch appeared on Mateos' face.

He seemed to be winking at Lord Tentia, then he suddenly stood up and radiated divine power at me.

“You evil demon! What do you plan to do with the body of the Archduke?”

White flames shot out and burned my body, and I rolled on the floor in agony.

“Kwaaaaak!”

As the ritual of Yongchan was in progress, the sacred flames felt particularly hot.

“Saint!”

It was only when Sir Tentia stopped Mateos a little too late that I was able to get to the main point.

“Saint. This child said… … .”

“… … Are you saying that it is impossible to create a prayer or a sacred object that can bestow broad blessings on ordinary people?”

“I know that there are already blessings, prayers, and holy relics that have similar effects. It may be blasphemous to say this, but there are also holy relics that are practically made in a public way, like holy water. Wouldn’t it be possible to combine the two systems?”

Although the holy water was indeed a holy relic, it was being made by squeezing the lower-level priests.

During the fall of the capital, seminary students were caught selling holy water on the black market and were executed. They also dipped Matteos in large water containers and drained them to turn water into holy water.

“Just as magicians make magical tools, the church makes holy relics. If you are concerned about the priests becoming artisans or the church becoming a workshop, you can use it only for the purpose of the temple.”

Matheos surprisingly listened to me.

His black eyes sparkled, suggesting that he too was thinking similar thoughts.

“… … .”

His gaze briefly rested on Cornell, then dropped.

She was a one-legged orphaned poor girl and a member of the imperial council representing the interests of the poor.

Mateos distorted his stern face.

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed closer to self-loathing than anger.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. No matter what I do, I can’t help but sound blasphemous.”

"ah."

Cornell sighed softly, and Mateos continued.

“We have also been looking for ways to strengthen our purifiers, mainly through the Academy’s theology department. We have also studied easier combat prayers, and have attempted to create relics that grant area-wide blessings, as Valen said. However, our power is essentially in the realm of faith, and is difficult to systematize.”

I could understand what Mateos was saying.

Divine power is different from magic.

The very idea of trying to clearly explain and utilize that principle was wrong.

“Even I, a saint, would face a great backlash if I said something like that. The old bishops and the Hong bishops might privately say that it is blasphemy.”

“Yes, I understand. I also came here thinking that it might be too much for the cathedral. I am sorry.”

I turned my head and looked at Cornell.

Cornell nodded in understanding and stood up, leaning on his cane.

“Thank you for your time, Your Majesty.”

* * *

A few minutes later, Valencian, Cornell, and Tentia returned.

The door to the audience room opened slowly, and Bishop Hong entered.

“Saint, did you talk about making new prayers and new relics?”

He was large in stature, had piercing eyes, and no matter how you looked at him, he looked more like a paladin than a bishop.

Mateos shook his head and said.

“Bishop Augusta Hong. I stopped them.”

“No, sir!”

He pressed on as if he were clinging to a saint.

As Augusta, who was so large, raised his voice, the room seemed to fill up.

“Bishop Augusta Hong-.”

“New prayers and the mass production of holy relics are blasphemies. All bishops who have had similar ideas in the past have lost their sacred power or have been eroded in the end!”

“I said-.”

Augustus rolled his eyes and roared so loudly that the room shook.

“The saint is the pillar of the church and the center of faith that appeared after decades! I can never lose the saint!!”

The bloodshot eyes of the giant Bishop Hong were filled with worry and concern.

Mateos sighed deeply and raised both hands.

“Augusta. Thank you for always worrying about me. But I really stopped them.”

“Ah. Well done. Thank you.”

The color returned to Augusta's face.

Mateos muttered, running his hands through his black hair.

“But I don’t know if the Archduke Valencian would listen to what you say.”

With a faint smile.

* * *

The carriage headed neither to the old slums nor to the palace, but to the Street of Learning.

“Your Majesty. Why have you come here?”

It was a long way from the old slums that were Cornell's constituency, and as it housed the Black Arts Department, it was not a place where the average cadet's religious beliefs were particularly devout.

So Cornell questioned what he could do here.

Valencian smiled slyly.

“Do you remember what Mateos said earlier?”

“What are you talking about?”

Tentia also asked as if she didn't understand.

Valencianus spoke with exaggerated gestures.

“You said you tried it too. But it failed due to the opposition of the other Hong bishops.”

'We were also looking for ways to strengthen our purification troops, mainly led by the Academy's theology department.'

'The old bishops and the Hong bishops might say in private that it is blasphemous.'

“In other words, theologians and priests who are professors at the academy are favorable to the plan.”

"ah."

“I see.”

Tentia opened her eyes wide and Cornell clapped his hands.

Valencian got out of the chariot, smiling sinisterly.

“Okay. Should I do something good and prepare myself to be punished by heaven?”

The student body president he went to was, of course, Jin.

“Your Majesty. What brings you here?”

“I wish you could provide some support for theology and research.”

Jin was the president of the Academy Federation and the student body president of an academy, and naturally wielded god-like power within the realm of learning.

The academy president is also at odds with the owner of the studio and the owner of the classroom building.

With authority over dozens of buildings, the student body president was more powerful than any council member in the Learning District.

There was more than enough to protect the professors of theology at the Academy from the surveillance and oppression of the old men of the cathedral.

“I wish you would allow me to research new prayers or area-wide blessings using holy relics.”

Jin quickly grasped the situation.

“Professors have the right to conduct their classes freely, free from undue external pressure. This is even more true when they are teaching with students. It is absolutely absurd for an outsider to know or interfere with the lesson plan.”

“That’s right. Also, I heard that a lot of new students have been transferring recently. Most of them are from the church purification unit.”

“How can I, as a believer of Gwangmyeong, turn away from those who fought against erosion last year and come to learn more?”

Tentia hid her empty laughter under her helmet's visor.

After following Valencian for a long time, the whole story was vivid in my mind.

'The church also wanted to study new prayers, but was unable to do so due to internal opposition.'

So, they outsource the work to an independent academy and admit the purifiers who will be the beneficiaries of the new prayer disguised as students.

'There is no way Saint Matthew didn't know this, so he practically asked His Majesty Valen to do this.'

Tentia thought about it for a moment and then frowned.

'If His Majesty Valen had accepted the saint's request, there was no need to give so much money.'

Tentia told Valen that if he had received a bribe of several hundred coins, he should have donated several dozen coins instead.

However, Valencian donated almost all of them, several hundred coins.

'You are the one who is accepting the request. Was it really necessary for you to act so humble? Of course, sincerity is a virtue, but you are not the type to do this. Did the saint ask you for something else?'

Tentia bit her lip.

Her red eyes moved from the back of Valencian's head to the one-legged girl standing next to him.

Tentia listed each and every thing Cornell had.

member.

Building owner.

Slum redevelopment association chairman.

Vigilante leader.

Vigilante leader?

"……under."

… … Amon Shindo Priest.