episode_0078

I had received the heating magic tool Merlin made.

I had received various cooking utensils crafted from .

On top of that, I had also received miscellaneous tableware like plates, forks, spoons, and chopsticks.

So then.

It was time to begin the operation to oust the pope.

“Wh-what?! Why?!”

“Because it’s time to drag the pope down.”

“What about my food?!”

“Serena?”

“What?”

“This is the operation to restore your nation to normalcy. Isn’t this the top priority?”

“Ah…”

Serena answered with a dazed expression.

A goddess who prioritizes delicious food over restoring her nation…

To think this kind of being is a goddess…

Ah…

The future of this world looks bleak…

“N-no, that’s not it!”

“What’s not it?”

“Cain is handling everything just fine on his own! I’m just leaving it all to him with peace of mind!”

“Hey… Even so, you’re the administrator, aren’t you?”

“I never really did much managing even normally?”

“?”

“I intervene when something major happens, but otherwise, I mostly leave things be.”

“And that’s acceptable?”

“Of course.”

“In fact, I’ve realized that meddling in everything only makes things worse, so I stay out of it.”

Meddling makes things worse?

Ah.

So that’s the case.

“Certainly…”

“An incompetent commander giving orders left and right is worse than just leaving things alone, so…”

“Hey.”

“If you’re an incompetent goddess… Well…”

“I’m not incompetent! If it weren’t for me, humanity would’ve perished long ago!”

Not a false statement.

Had the Goddess of Light, Serena, not existed, humanity would have been wiped out long ago.

Weakening monsters with divine power.

Enriching lives with blessings.

Defeating the Demon King with heroes.

And so on.

It was only because of the goddess’s aid that things ended up this way.

So.

Serena wasn’t a completely incompetent goddess.

However.

That was only possible because of her immense divine power.

It didn’t mean she was smart.

…Or so I thought,

but saying that out loud might earn me a punch, so I stopped there.

“Thanks to the Goddess of Light, Serena, humanity was able to endure.” I gave her that much praise and moved on.

“Ahem!”

I patted her head and even fed her potato chips.

“Hmm… These are always delicious, but… I’m kinda craving something else now…”

“I’ll make you new snacks once this is over.”

“Really?!”

“Now that we have an oven, I’ll whip up all sorts of new things.”

When all we had was a campfire, there were things I couldn’t make even if I wanted to.

Especially baked goods.

‘Well, I could make pancakes with just a campfire…’

But most of the desserts I knew—bread, cookies, cakes, and the like—required an oven to make properly.

‘To be precise, I only know how to make them with an oven, so I can’t do it otherwise.’

Chefs on TV cooking shows whip up amazing dishes with limited tools and ingredients,

but I’m not that skilled.

However.

With an oven that allows temperature and time control, I can make anything!

“Anything?!”

“Yeah.”

“Once we finish this, I’ll make you tons of delicious stuff, so look forward to it.”

“Yay!”

“Shall we go then?”

“Mm!”

Holding Serena in my arms, I climbed to the rooftop of a suitably tall building.

“Seems like the time has come.”

I waited briefly.

“““Wooooow!!!”””

Cheers erupted.

It was the pope.

The pope had appeared before the public.

“Heh heh heh. May peace be upon you all.”

“““Long live the Goddess of Light, Serena! Long live the pope!”””

The crowd praised the Goddess of Light, Serena, first, then the pope.

“Great atmosphere.”

Though he was a corrupt pope who embezzled state wealth to line his own pockets,

almost no one knew that.

Why?

Because no one even investigated the pope’s misconduct.

‘This is the problem with a theocracy.’

If a high-ranking clergyman commits a crime, the gods themselves deliver divine punishment.

Thus,

no one suspects high-ranking clergy.

The mere fact that they live unharmed without divine punishment is proof of their purity.

But.

Not anymore.

With the Demon King blocking the celestial realm, divine punishment can no longer be delivered—meaning crimes can now be committed freely.

‘The problem is, almost no one knows this.’

Thus, a pope untouched by divine punishment is seen as pure,

and anyone who doubts the pope is seen as doubting the Goddess of Light, Serena.

…This was why ousting the pope had been impossible.

Once I built enough reputation to be recognized as the true hero, it might have been possible,

but before that, it was nearly unthinkable.

However.

I’m the man who turns the impossible into possible.

“Heh heh heh…”

“Today is the day you die.”

The parasitic pope, eating away at the theocracy of from within, would be judged today.

…Or so I thought as I observed the situation.

The pope waved his hand with a smile, thinking to himself.

‘Heh heh heh.’

‘These stupid cash cows are cheering for me.’

They pay their taxes dutifully,

donate every weekend,

and even cough up offerings on every anniversary—these pigs.

Thanks to them, I’ve feasted well.

‘Heh heh heh.’

‘Just one or two more years of this, and I’ll retire with my darling Betty and live happily ever after~’

Normally, this would warrant divine punishment.

A pope who embezzles state funds and flees to another country would never be forgiven.

But.

The goddess can’t deliver divine punishment now.

‘This, too, is thanks to my dear Betty.’

My beloved Betty told me.

The goddess has exhausted her power and won’t be able to deliver divine punishment for the next 1,000 years.

In 1,000 years, she’ll recover and resume divine punishment, but—

‘In 1,000 years, I’ll have already lived my fill and died of old age~’

Divine punishment?

What’s that?

Ah!

You mean the lightning bolt that’ll strike my descendants 1,000 years from now?!

Heh heh heh!

Why should I care about that?

I might care about my grandchildren,

but descendants 1,000 years from now are practically strangers.

So.

I’ll ignore divine punishment and enjoy myself.

…With that thought, I waved my hand, when—

“Hey, you fat bastard!”

“?”

“Merlin, representing the nobles you swindled, is here to judge you!”

“““Swindler pope, explain yourself! Explain!”””

“?”

What’s this?

What’s that bespectacled man saying?

When did all these knights get here?

‘Hmm…’

Calling me a swindler suggests they’ve noticed the odds of the random indulgences…

Heh heh.

How amusing.

“Heh heh heh. What is the meaning of this sudden commotion?”

“We’re here to expose your crimes.”

“What crimes?”

“The crime of lying about the odds of the random indulgences and insulting the nobility.”

“What nonsense is this?”

“You claimed the S-grade indulgence had a 0.1% drop rate, yet not a single noble obtained one.”

“Is that so?”

“Given the number of indulgences the nobles purchased, the 0.1% rate is clearly a lie.”

This “Merlin” shouted, citing the exact number of indulgences the nobles had bought.

It certainly looks suspicious.

With that many purchases, not a single S-grade indulgence defies logic.

But.

In religion, it makes perfect sense.

“How strange.”

“What’s strange?”

“Our nation’s citizens obtained S-grade indulgences after buying just one. Why do you claim otherwise?”

Prepared individuals in the crowd shouted.

“I got an S-grade indulgence!”

“Maybe you’re just unlucky?”

“Indulgences are sacred items that erase sins in the name of the goddess! They’re not for real criminals like you nobles! They’re for the wrongfully accused!”

Ho ho ho.

Exactly as they said.

Indulgences don’t forgive real criminals—

they’re sacred items meant to absolve the falsely accused in the goddess’s name.

Thus.

It’s only natural that real criminals can’t obtain them.

They’re unworthy of the goddess’s grace.

…With that explanation, the crowd sided with us.

“Well said!”

“You think real criminals can just pay money to erase their sins?! Do you take the goddess’s grace for a joke?!”

The protesting knights flinched and stepped back at the crowd’s words.

And.

Cain, watching the situation, felt a twinge of regret.

‘Ah… Right…’

A straightforward indulgence sold for money would’ve been undeniable proof of the pope’s corruption.

But random indulgences?

What?

No S-grade drops?

That’s because the goddess didn’t forgive you.

What?

Someone got an S-grade with just one purchase?

That’s because the goddess forgave them.

Probability?

That’s not it.

It’s the divine will of the goddess.

…That’s how it could be spun.

‘Wow…’

‘He’s twisting it like this…’

Mathematically, it’s nonsense,

but theologically, it makes perfect sense.

‘If Serena used her power, she could easily make such “miracles” happen.’

I thought the random indulgences would make it easier to oust the pope,

but it backfired.

He weaponized faith to counter logic.

‘Wow…’

‘Even Merlin might be stumped here…’

He’s the top intellect among the main characters of Prophecy RPG.

But.

If he refutes the pope, he’s accused of doubting the goddess.

If he accepts the pope’s words?

The random indulgences are innocent.

The pope remains a pure, sinless man.

A near-unbreakable defense.

…Or so I thought, until—

“Do you really believe that?”

“?”

“Then answer this.”

“What is it?”

“If the pope is truly recognized by the Goddess of Light, Serena, why hasn’t she struck you down for calling him a swindler?”

“?!”

“You’re insulting him like this, yet the goddess remains silent. Why?”

“Th-that’s…!”

“There are only two possibilities.”

Merlin declared confidently.

“The Goddess of Light, Serena, is incapable of delivering divine punishment.”

“!!!”

“Or the pope is truly trash, and the goddess is silently agreeing with me.”

“!!!”

“Perhaps both.”

“!!!!!!”

Merlin boldly proclaimed.

“The goddess can’t deliver divine punishment, so she’s using me to judge you!”

Wow.

He didn’t counter religion with logic.

He countered religion with religion.

I admit it.

Teacher Merlin is smarter than me. I’ll acknowledge it while slapping my balls—

Thwack!

“Oof!…”

That actually hurt like hell.

Never doing that again.