Chapter 203

Chapter 203

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 203: Chapter 4 (3)

Rumors about the apostle of God stirred not only those directly connected with the divine but the entirety of Vermandois.

If stones could be turned into meat, wouldn’t the continent be freed from eternal poverty?!

It implied that this hellish world could once again prosper like paradise. However, most people knew it wasn’t logically feasible.

Throughout history, countless individuals had impersonated the apostle of God. Especially during times of famine like now.

But when the talk spread that the followers of the apostle of God numbered not just in thousands but tens of thousands, people began to wonder.

Since a great mage who has realized the truths of the world can conjure magic from thin air, why couldn’t a true apostle of God turn stones into meat?

For those who were starving beyond measure, there was no room for logical reasoning. They could only rely on transcendental miracles.

Thus, in Vermandois, the number of people setting out to find the apostle of God began to increase. Especially orphans and beggars with nowhere to go.

During the warmer days, they could somehow survive by digging up and eating plant roots, but when winter came, even that was impossible.

What they needed now was a miracle. A miracle of turning stones into meat…!

The number of beggars roaming around Vermandois noticeably decreased day by day until they became almost impossible to find.

Not just beggars, but some citizens also joined the procession. Fearing they would truly starve to death, they grasped at straws…

Literally, everyone except those who could withstand the drought and famine left to seek the apostle of God. The word ‘God’ itself seemed to stir a sense of hope for a miracle, even more so than ‘immortality.’

And then, one scorching day.

A truly unexpected guest visited Allen. It was the Holy Knight Monua, who should have been stationed in the Holy Kingdom.

She was alone without any companions, and her pitiful and shabby appearance, enough to put a beggar to shame, was far from the Monua he knew. Honestly, if not for the status window, he might not have recognized her at first glance.

Allen first offered water and a meal to this poor woman who was skin and bones from hunger. Even the mighty Monua was no match for starvation. She devoured the food like a beggar, quite literally.

Monua sobbed heavily as she stuffed food into her mouth. She was overwhelmed by the pitiful state of herself, the pitiful citizens, and the pitiful continent.

The Group Leader silently watched her until she finished her meal. Just silently…

After wolfing down as much as four servings, she repeatedly bowed in gratitude. For his kindness in generously offering such precious food, which was more valuable than gold, without any conditions.

“Could we talk for a moment?”

It was a suggestion Monua welcomed eagerly.

The two of them entered a quiet meeting room. Beyond the wide-open window, the withered stream of Vermandois was visible. Once a testament to the grandeur of nature, the river now silently wept, revealing its cracked bed, leaving behind its past glory.

Allen stood by the window, silently observing, then slowly turned to look at Monua. Her face was now a mixture of hunger and utter exhaustion.

“How did you come to this?”

Monua answered in a cracked voice, calmly.

“…I left the Holy Kingdom.”

“Why?”

“Because God isn’t there.”

In the end, it seemed Monua couldn’t bear the corruption of the Holy Kingdom any longer and turned away.

“So, I wandered across the continent, searching for God.”

“And, did you find God?”

“…No.”

“I see.”

The conversation fell into a brief lull.

He silently gazed at her pitiful face.

“…I met someone who claimed to be an apostle of God.”

After a while, Monua spoke again, and Allen’s eyes, which had been wandering over the table, focused on her.

“And then?”

“…He was not an apostle of God. There were no miracles like turning stones into meat.”

As she said, the fake apostle was not an apostle of God.

He was merely a pawn of the wicked heretics.

The heretics made countless gathered people intoxicated with illusions, made them drink human blood, and eat human flesh.

…After all, there were plenty of humans.

“I see.”

Monua, devoid of her past vigor, murmured in a dry voice with her head hung low.

“Can you help me…?”

Help? With what?

Allen, who was nothing more than a mere mercenary, asked coldly.

“What do you mean?”

Monua couldn’t answer.

She must know, too, that there was nothing he could do to help.

…But she didn’t want to sink into the deep abyss just like that. Even a straw, or if not, a single struggle was what she wished for.

“Is there a way to… resolve this?”

The Allen Monua knew was a man more clever than anyone.

Perhaps he knew a way to navigate this crisis on the continent.

“Are you expecting an ordinary human to do what even the Holy Kingdom couldn’t?”

With her head bowed further, she murmured as if speaking to herself.

“I thought, maybe… Group Leader, you might know…”

“Sorry, but this issue isn’t something I can handle with my abilities.”

Allen had no intention of getting involved in this matter from the start. Even if he did, it wasn’t a scale he could meddle in…

“I see…”

The faint hope she had crumbled once again.

…Being an apostle of God might just be an illusion created by humans’ desire to rely on something…

Allen, resting his chin, stared quietly for a long time at Monua, who had her head bowed low. His mind, despite his cool refusal, unexpectedly began to spin vigorously.

She, who wandered in search of God solely for the continent’s peace, might be the most fitting person for the title of saintess on this land.

Right now, the empire needed such a figure. Not a corrupt Holy Kingdom or a false apostle, but a true saintess.

Of course, his decision not to jump directly into this fake apostle affair remained unchanged. …However, there was no reason to refuse to give indirect assistance to the Empire.

“…Would you be willing to deliver a letter?”

“A letter?”

“Yes. A letter to be delivered to His Highness the Prince. But you must go yourself. No one else.”

Then Monua’s eyes sparkled once more.

“Are you offering help?”

“It’s not exactly help, just pointing out the path to take. Of course, whether to accept it or not depends on the Empire’s choice.”

The fake apostle incident was bound to resolve itself eventually, even if left alone. The difference lay in how much of a scar it would leave on the continent.

“I understand. Thank you. Truly, thank you.”

“This is your achievement. The result of your earnestness.”

…Ah…!

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help more.”

“No, just by caring l-like th-this…”

Her voice trembled, and she began to cry again. This time, even more sorrowfully.

Allen stood up and gently patted Monua on the back.

“May you find your God, Monua.”

Three days later, Monua headed to the Empire’s capital with Allen’s letter.

In search of her God.

The troubled middle-aged Prince Murloc hurriedly summoned the messenger upon hearing that Group Leader Allen’s letter had arrived.

The messenger was someone he knew well. It was the Holy Knight Monua, also known as the Scent Tracker, who had once dealt with the Immortal situation with him.

The Prince was shocked to see Monua’s disheveled appearance. Honestly, if she hadn’t revealed her name, he wouldn’t have recognized her.

“What brings you here?”

“To find God, I wandered the continent, Your Highness.”

Ah.

“I… this…”

Monua took out the letter from Group Leader Allen, which she took care of, and handed it to the Prince.

He tore it open and read it on the spot. The Prince, having swiftly absorbed its lengthy content, glanced at Monua and let out a slow, deep sigh.

It denounced the atrocious deeds committed by the false apostle that emerged on the continent, and outlined the actions the Empire should take going forward.

-The drought is severe now, but it won’t last until next year. I stake my name on it.

Though it couldn’t be fully trusted, it was still a welcome statement.

-The false apostle will advance to bring down the Holy Kingdom. To prove that God does not exist on this land.

-The Holy Kingdom has been stagnant for hundreds of years. And stagnant water is bound to rot.

-Your Highness. It’s time to replace the stagnant water with fresh, clean water.

Murloc tapped the table with his fingers, heightening the atmosphere. Within the tense air, Monua gulped.

“You said you were looking for God, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The middle-aged Prince smiled faintly.

He trusted his own insight and Allen’s as well.

“Would you, for me, no, for the continent… do a task?”

-Your Highness.

-Make Monua a saintess.