Chapter 16 

“The factory building has been relocated to a large landfill on the outskirts of the capital. You can dismantle it there, sell what’s usable, and throw away the rest!”

The witch declared confidently, waving her wand. The crowd erupted in cheers.

“It’s the Goddess’s blessing!”

“We believe! Oh, Goddess!”

It was clearly the witch’s magic that accomplished this, so why was the Goddess suddenly getting all the credit?

Stop that, please.

The Goddess Lilia might actually be watching me right now, and I feel like I have a noose tightening around my neck. It’s stressful.

At this rate, she’ll smite me for being a fraud who dares to impersonate a saint.

“I’ll do it! I’ll go and sell it all! I know the contents of the factory better than anyone!”

Jonathan Karma, who had somehow arrived on the scene, eagerly volunteered.

“Saint! Please wait here a moment! I’ll take care of everything and bring the money back to you! All the proceeds from the factory are yours!”

Jonathan dashed off like a man on a mission.

That evening, he returned with a fat stack of cash.

“Most of the equipment in the factory was old, so I couldn’t get much. But even scrap metal fetched a decent price. Here’s 2,000 Saledes. Saint.”

Jonathan placed the money in front of me with a respectful bow.

What was I supposed to do with him handing over money so openly in front of everyone? Now I couldn’t even secretly squirrel it away for my personal use.

“High Priest Yodel,” I called softly. The bald elder rushed over as if he had been waiting his whole life for this moment.

“Speak, Saint!”

“Use this money to buy food and feed the poor here.”

“Blessings! It shall be done!”
And just like that, a free soup kitchen was set up in front of the former factory.

The poor, now healed and healthy, ate the food provided by the Lilia Church and wept with gratitude.

“This warm, delicious food... It’s been so long since I’ve had anything like this!”
“Thank you, Saint!”

“Saint, thank you!”

People kept coming, bowing deeply to me, tears streaming down their faces.

Sure, this is great. It’s heartwarming, really.

The problem is, I can almost feel the Goddess lining up her smiting lightning bolts for me.

I’m not religious! I don’t even follow the Goddess! I’m an atheist, damn it!

I’m so screwed.

If a lightning bolt strikes me dead right now, I’ll have no excuse.

The poor aren’t the problem.

They don’t have the means to track me down or call me out later.
The real issue is the Church.

I need to get rid of them quickly.

I must bankrupt them.

Fast!

“High Priest Yodel.”

“Yes, Saint!”

“Tomorrow at first light, begin digging. The foundation must be solid. Dig deep and prepare to build a tall, high-rise structure.”

“As you command!”

“Rent the most expensive excavators and equipment. Don’t skimp on anything. And don’t exploit the workers—pay them generously, even excessively. A full purse is the truest blessing. Do you understand?”

“Absolutely! I’ll gather all available funds under my authority immediately! I’ll even persuade the regional temples to contribute as much as possible! This is the Saint’s order—money is no obstacle!”

At this point, I didn’t even feel guilty about deceiving the Church anymore.

I’m just trying to survive here. I’m too young to die from divine punishment.
That evening, the poor gathered around me like chicks waiting to be fed by their mother bird.
As I looked at them, I finally realized something odd.

“Do you… all not have homes?”

“The streets are our home, Saint.”

“Sometimes we lean on ropes to sleep, Saint.”

That’s the problem, then.

These people have nowhere to stay!

But I can’t provide them with homes.

Wait—this might actually work in my favor.

If they freeze in the cold because I couldn’t provide shelter, maybe they’ll curse me and leave.

“Lay down mats and sleep on the ground! I’ll cast a wide-range temperature maintenance spell! It’s important to eat well and sleep well! Got it?”

The four-armed witch interrupted again, trolling me as usual.
Why?!

Why are you doing this?!

If you keep making me look good, I’ll really end up becoming a saint! They need to suffer and curse me before they leave!

But no, she had to make the streets warm and cozy.

What kind of black magic nonsense is this?

“Blessings! The Goddess’s grace!”

“Thank you, Saint! Thank you, Witch!”

The poor lay down on the streets, and the witch waved her wand. A soft, golden glow spread across the area, and the ground began to feel warm, like underfloor heating had been installed.

“Everyone, sleep well!”

“This is the Saint’s grace!”

“Thank you, Saint! Thank you, Witch! Thank you, Goddess!”

Everyone lay down with blissful smiles, content in their warm surroundings. There was no chaos, no misery—just happiness.

Even the Sun Church paladins and the police, who were there to maintain order, looked pleased. Some were even moved to tears.

A paladin approached me, dropping to one knee.

“Saint, the High Priest Alois only instructed us to look after you until the Lilia Church arrived. But with your permission, may we stay by your side and follow the path of miracles a little longer?”

That sounds... actually useful.

“Yes, please do,” I replied with a smile.

High Priest Yodel practically jumped with joy.

“Speak, Saint!”

I gestured toward the paladins.

“Pay them wages. Their efforts deserve compensation.”

“No, Saint! We’re not here for money!”

I know. But I need the Church to bleed funds.

“Please accept it. Blessings flow from abundance. A happy heart is a full purse.”

Yodel nodded with tears in his eyes.

“As you command! Sun Church followers, this is the Goddess’s will!”

Even the police approached, asking to stay and help maintain order.

I insisted they take donations through their station if direct payment wasn’t acceptable.

Somehow, I convinced everyone. Yodel eagerly nodded at my every suggestion.

And then Jonathan Karma approached hesitantly.

“Saint, is there anything I can do? I’ve spent half my life as a businessman. I’m confident in handling money and managing enterprises.”

Confident? You sank your doll factory.

Perfect. This guy will definitely waste money.

“I’ll entrust the temple construction to you. Rent equipment, hire workers, and oversee the building process. Yodel, give Jonathan all the funds needed.”

“Understood, Saint!”

Jonathan bowed deeply. “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for my daughter. I’ll dedicate myself to your miracles.”

And with that, he left.

Finally, it was over.

Or so I thought.

“You’re not tired yet?”

Oh, no. I forgot about her.

The four-armed witch approached, her hands neatly folded, smiling innocently.

“Thank you for today’s hard work. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to rest,” I said quickly.

But before I could pretend to lie down, the witch grabbed my hands, her grip firm but terrifyingly gentle.

“Why are you trembling? Is it divine power?”

No, it’s sheer terror of you.

She placed her spare hands on my forehead.

“Please, don’t trouble yourself over me,” I muttered.

But the witch interpreted my words differently. Her eyes reddened, brimming with tears.
“You’re so noble…”

No, I’m really not.

“What’s your name, Saint? Last time, I didn’t get to ask.”

Her plea sounded more like a threat.

I had no choice but to answer.

“Jericho Amael. You can call me Amael.”

“Amael… What a beautiful name.”

Before I could react, she lifted my hand and kissed it.

“You’ve saved my entire being, Saint.”

“I simply did what I had to.”

“Can I… may I have just one more kiss?”

Her flushed face and trembling voice made it clear that refusing would not end well.

I carefully placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Thank you,” she whispered tearfully.

After making some grand proclamation about being mine forever, she finally disappeared.

Once she was gone, I collapsed in relief.

She won’t come back tomorrow, right?

Please, don’t come back.

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