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Chapter 157: Where the Sun Rises (3)

The pure believers, clerics, and paladins gathered under the name of Helik of the Solarian Church. They never engaged in actions that would bring shame to the name of the god they believed in. They helped one another, showed consideration, and trusted each other.

Although it was a kingdom the size of a major city, the bright energy and recognition flowing through it were unlike anything seen in the capitals of other kingdoms.

Hmm. On the surface, it doesn’t seem any different from last time...

The paladins, armed and orderly, patrolled the city. The clerics, dressed in their robes, read the scriptures of the Solarian Church and learned the teachings of Helik in the streets.

Watching them, Kai felt a bit relieved.

The corruption might not be as severe as I thought...

If the main church of the Church of Solaris was corrupt enough to affect the regular clerics, there would have been no chance to save it.

The streets are still the same.

After observing the city for a while, Kai nodded in assurance. Most of the clerics residing in Lapis were still kind and considerate toward others.

“In that case, I should head inside.”

Kai then confidently made his way to the main church of the Solarian Church!

It was a place open to anyone, even those who were not followers of the Solarian Church.

Huh? The atmosphere here feels a bit...

It was different. Kai’s expression slightly stiffened as he sensed it.

The atmosphere here was never light before, but that was due to the reverence it commanded.

No one would dare cause a commotion in a place as sacred as this, akin to the bedroom of Helik. Thus, the main church of the Solarian Church had always been very quiet.

That was still the case today, but...

The atmosphere feels heavier. It wasn’t like this before.

As Kai scanned the area with a sharp gaze, a cleric approached him.

“Brother, is it your first time here... no, it wouldn’t be. You must be an adventurer, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

In response to Kai’s answer, the cleric smiled kindly and held out a small container.

“I see. May the sun light your path, brother.”

Staring blankly at the container, Kai asked, “Um, what is this container...?”

“It’s an offering box. Please demonstrate your faith to Helik, brother.”

Offerings are merely one way to express faith in a god, but they should never be coerced.

There was never any sort of pressure like this when I visited before.

Instead of frowning, Kai smiled brightly and asked, “It seems a little different from last time. Is this mandatory now?”

“Haha

, brother, it takes significant funding to spread the teachings of the Solarian God across the continent. To make matters worse, we need even more money to protect people with the recent rise in monster attacks.”

“... I see.”

It was a reason even a passing dog wouldn’t believe.

Regardless, Kai quietly nodded and pulled out 1 gold, placing it in the offering box.

“May the Solarian Church see prosperity in its future.”

“Oh! Thank you for proving your faith. May glory follow you on your journey, adventurer.”

Having completed their task, the cleric leisurely moved on to the next target.

Watching him, Kai shook his head.

There’s no way this absurd system is what Helik wants.

While he had some financial freedom, not all believers visiting this place did. In fact, many of them came seeking Helik’s mercy, hungry and poor.

In the past, the Solarian Church would provide modest meals, travel funds, and accommodations, even guiding people to villages where they could settle...

Unfortunately, that seemed to be a story of the past as well.

“Hey! Do you realize where you are right now?!”

Kai moved toward the commotion. It was happening in a wide hallway leading to the sanctuary, where a shabby-looking man lay on the ground. Glaring down at him with disdain was none other than a high-position cleric of the Solarian Church.

The man, dressed in rags, grabbed the cleric’s robe and pleaded, “P-please! Just allow me to pray... just one prayer...!”

“A prayer?” The high-position cleric shook his head and pulled his foot away, brushing off the man’s hand. “I’m sorry, but Helik is not so idle that He would listen to the prayer of someone as shameless as you.”

“But isn’t Helik the god of the sun and mercy...?”

“Ah, mercy.” The high-position cleric smiled as he pulled a coin pouch from his robe. “Yes, He is indeed merciful. He has even taught us to give to people like you.”

Clink, clink!

With each clinking sound of silver hitting the floor, tears flowed down the shabby man’s face.

“My daughter... my daughter is sick! I don’t expect you to help, but please, just allow me into the sanctuary. There was no issue before! But why now...?”

“That was in the past.” The high-position cleric continued, unfazed by the man’s tears, “People live in the present, don’t they?”

“Please... Please just once...”

“Take him away. A man lacking in faith has set foot in the sacred sanctuary of the Solarian Church.”

At his command, several paladins who had been standing by hesitated.

Watching them with an amused expression, the cleric asked, “You all lack faith, don’t you?”

“N-no, not at all.”

“... We will escort him out.”

Under the cleric’s gaze, two of the paladins carefully helped the ragged man to his feet and dragged him out.

“Tsk, filthy beggars keep coming to this sacred place,” the high-position cleric muttered, and clicked his tongue in disgust, then disappeared down the hallway.

Watching in silence, Kai quietly said, “Cherantia.”

—Did you call me?

At the same moment, a translucent figure appeared behind Kai. He was a man standing proudly at two meters tall, with a fierce appearance more resembling a demon than a cleric.

“How did things get this bad? The Solarian Church.”

—Well, this place is full of people, after all.

“You’re not surprised or angry.”

—Back in my day, things like this happened twice. Flip things over once, and it runs smoothly for another few decades without corruption, so don’t worry too much.

“Sigh...”

It seemed that evil was like a stubborn stain that wouldn’t disappear no matter how hard it was scrubbed.

As Kai let out a hollow laugh, Cherantia said in a calm tone,

—Well, you could just ignore this if you wanted to. Even Helik seems to be turning a blind eye to such matters. It’s the affairs of the human realm, so it’s entirely up to you.

“That’s true. Honestly, it has nothing to do with me...”

He had the money for offering, so he could pray anytime he wanted. However...

Tap, tap.

Kai tapped his temple and chest in turn, then said, “I feel like its burning here, it\'s like I\'m going to explode.”

—Are you angry?

“Angry...?” Kai, who got momentarily lost in thought, tilted his head. “I don’t know. It’s less about anger... and more that I just don’t like this situation. Why are those who should be protecting the weak the ones leading the charge in tormenting them?”

—Shimizu always denied it, but I think that’s the true nature of humans.

“Are you talking about the belief that humans are inherently evil?”

—Not quite that far. Surely humans wouldn’t be born evil. However... when people gain power and fame, their way of thinking definitely changes.

“Did that happen to you, Cherantia?”

—No. If that had been the case, I would never have become an Apostle. Always remember, the path of an Apostle must be more noble and righteous than anything else.

“Noble and righteous, you say.”

—Recall the moment you made your oath as a cleric.

“The cleric’s oath...”

With his eyes closed, Kai recalled the moment he changed his class here.

Even though it was just something I memorized for the ceremony of my class change...

Kai muttered softly, “A cleric must always be pure and righteous, follow your teachings to stand for the weak, and destroy evil with your power to protect the vulnerable.”

—You got it.

With a broad grin, Cherantia asked,

—So, what will you do now? This is Lapis. No matter how rotten it may seem, it’s a holy kingdom with a thousand years of history.

“No matter how long the dragon’s body is, if its head is cut off, it won’t survive.”

Then, a satisfying metallic sound came from Kai’s left sleeve.

Shh-clink.

***

The High Priest, Albert, was the thirty-second high priest of the Solarian Church, and currently the highest-positioned cleric in the church. However, despite his glorious reputation, his face was filled with worry.

“Oh, I don’t deserve to see Helik when I die. How did things end up like this?”

Everything had stemmed from his carelessness and the betrayal of the cardinals he once trusted.

“Molion and Bernard... I never imagined they would change this much.”

Of course, the blame was largely on him for not noticing their transformation. They were once people united by a single thought—to spread the word of God throughout the world. When he was elected as the high priest, he appointed them as cardinals without hesitation.

That was ten years ago. And... two years ago, they began to change little by little.

At first, bad rumors started to spread like meaningless whispers. There were rumors that they had taken bribes to dispatch the paladins or bestowed blessings upon certain territories.

But I didn’t believe it.

They had been close friends for decades. Albert, who knew their steadfast faith well, didn’t doubt them.

Next came the forced offerings. Albert strongly opposed it, but the cardinals didn’t back down.

They said we needed to train more paladins to fight the Church of Muldine, and claimed that required funding was needed.

However, the number of additional paladins trained was not that many. It was only then that Albert realized the seriousness of the situation.

The two of them are no longer in their right minds.

Like an evil lord squeezing taxes from his people, the Solarian Church was raking in money from not just millions but tens of millions of believers across the continent.

“This isn’t right. And on top of that, it’s unclear where all that money is going...”

One thing that was certain was that the money wasn’t being used for the Solarian Church. This was an era of peace where even the kingdoms and empires laid low in the first place. There was no need for such an immense amount of money, nor any major incidents requiring it.

“Sigh. I don’t even want to think about this, but...”

Albert could think of only one force capable of undermining and absorbing the Solarian Church from within, and a place bold enough to make an enticing offer to the cardinals of the Solarian Church.

“Muldine... no, that can’t be.”

He knew better than anyone that the Church of Muldine had returned since he received all reports from the Darkness Hunters almost in real time.

From the moment they showed signs of resurrection, I’ve tightened the discipline within the church. And yet...

Things had escalated to this point.

It was becoming painfully clear how terrifying the Church of Muldine could be.

Knock, knock.

At the sound of a knock on his door, Albert asked, “Who is it?”

“Your Holiness, it is time for your outing.”

“... Outing?”

“Yes, the two cardinals said they had something urgent to discuss and requested your presence.”

Sensing something suspicious in the visitor’s tone, Albert refused. “Tell them to come to me directly.”

“I’m sorry, but...”

Click.

Without waiting for Albert’s permission, the visitor opened the door, and he wasn’t alone. Several paladins followed him into the room, surrounding Albert.

“... What is the meaning of this?”

“Apologies, High Priest. The two cardinals insisted that you be brought to them, so I will escort you.”

“I don’t recognize you. What is your name?”

In response to Albert’s question, the man, who was wearing a deep hood, removed it.

Smiling kindly, the priest finally said, “Please call me Morak, Your Holiness.”

Albert stayed silent for a moment after hearing the name he hadn’t heard before.

Glancing around, he realized he had no choice, and said with a sigh, “Lead the way.”