Chapter 20

How did they find out?

No, wait. Wouldn’t it be stranger if they didn’t?

It’s only natural to be suspicious when someone performs miracles on such a large scale without displaying any divine power.

It felt like my heart was plummeting to the ground.

As I stood frozen, my expression unchanged, Tuidel let out an impressed whistle.

“Not even a twitch? You’ve got some nerve. But acting shamelessly won’t change anything. A priest without divine power posing as a saint is a serious matter. Let’s see how well you keep that facade up in front of the Inquisition.”

She chuckled lightly.

Honestly, everything about her—her face, her tone—made me want to slap her.

If it weren’t for those intimidating priests of the Silent Order standing ominously behind her, I might’ve actually done it.

What now?

They’ve already caught on!

Am I screwed?

I thought I’d dodged the fire, but here we are again!

As I screamed internally, I spotted High Priest Yodel  sprinting toward us from a distance, his bald head glinting under the sunlight.

“What is the meaning of this? Why are the Silent Order priests here, of all places?” Yodel demanded, his voice filled with authority.

Tuidel  gave a sweet, mocking laugh and pointed at me.

“You must be High Priest Yodel. You’ve been conned. This man has no divine power, yet he’s been parading around as a saint.”

Yodel, however, didn’t falter.

“I’ve known from the beginning that he lacks divine power. But he is still the saint of our order.”

“Apologies, but I’ve already done my research. According to the rules of the Pantheon, even if a church recognizes someone as a saint, the Pantheon reserves the right to subject them to a heresy inquisition.”

Tuidel’s voice was triumphant, but Yodel wasn’t backing down.

“You seem to have misunderstood the rules. The Pantheon can only conduct a heresy inquisition if the individual in question has caused significant disputes across multiple churches or in society. This saint has never caused such disputes. I, along with the Templar Knights of the Solar Order and the police, can testify to that.”

“But how can someone without divine power be a saint?”

“It’s true he lacks divine power. However, even so, he is the saint of our church. If he were a fraud, we would have been the first to report him for falsely claiming the title of saint.”

Yodel’s unwavering rebuttal seemed to unsettle the Silent Order priests. They exchanged hesitant glances before stepping forward.

“Do you truly believe this man to be the saint of the Lilia Order, High Priest Yodel?”

“I swear by my faith, he is undeniably the saint of grace.”

Yodel, you might have to reconsider your faith.

I’m definitely a fraud.

I don’t have an ounce of divine power, and every miracle I’ve performed is thanks to abilities better suited for an adult game. If you saw the skill descriptions, you’d vomit and run away.

I stood stiffly, listening to their conversation, my mind racing.

Faced with Yodel’s firm stance, the Silent Order priests looked uncertain.

“Lady Tuidel , it’s true that a saint without divine power is unprecedented. However, if the Lilia Order itself is this adamant, it becomes difficult for us to proceed with a full-scale heresy inquisition.”

“Moreover, he appears to have caused no societal issues, which further complicates our case.”

Tuidel’s face twisted with anger.

“Have you ever seen people deceived by con artists file complaints against the con artist? When internal accountability fails, isn’t it the responsibility of external parties to step in? What if everyone here is being deceived by dark magic disguised as miracles? What if he’s not a saint but a demon worshiper or a follower of a dark god? We must interrogate him! There’s no way he’ll come out unscathed!”

The impoverished people gathered around me erupted in fury.

“Don’t you dare slander the Saint, witch!”

“What do you know? The Saint isn’t like that!”

“Insulting the Saint is an insult to all of us!”

Despite the outcry, Tuidel  remained unfazed.

What a shameless, infuriating woman.

She would fit perfectly as a villainess in some over-the-top novel.

“It’s the role of the Inquisition to question and doubt. What if he’s not the Saint of Healing but a worshiper of an evil god? What if the miracles he’s performed are all part of a dark god’s plan? A saint without divine power doesn’t make sense. He must be interrogated! We’ll surely uncover his flaws!”

Her voice, amplified by some sort of sound-enhancing magic, boomed over the crowd, silencing even the angriest protestors.

I remained frozen, my expression blank.

“…She’s not entirely wrong,” one of the Silent Order priests finally said. “By principle, the Pantheon has a duty to investigate whether someone claiming to be a saint is genuine or a fraud. High Priest Yodel.”

“I cannot allow this! Are you trying to insult the Lilia Order? This man has never caused any societal issues! On the contrary, he has saved countless abandoned souls!”

“We acknowledge the will of the Lilia Order and recognize that he has caused no societal problems. Even if he were found guilty of falsely claiming to be a saint, his punishment would likely be minimal—perhaps a year in a subterranean prison. However, the inquisition cannot be avoided, High Priest Yodel.”

“I refuse! A thousand times, I refuse! I will never allow our saint to be subjected to the humiliation of the heresy inquisition!”

Cutting off Yodel’s impassioned speech, I stood up from my seat.

I could no longer hear anything they were saying.

Did I hear that right?

Did the Silent Order priests just say that even if I’m found to be a fake saint, I’ll only spend one year in prison?

If a year in prison could expose me as a fake saint, drive everyone away, and let me escape the goddess’s divine punishment, then…

That’s a fantastic deal.

I’d live quietly in prison for a year, come out a free man, and modify my body to change my appearance entirely. Afterward, I’d disappear and live a quiet, unremarkable life.

If I completely altered my face, no one would recognize me.

No more divine punishment.

No more threats of being burned at the stake.

Just a peaceful, ordinary life.

Oh, how wonderful that sounds.

“Take me to the Inquisition. I’ll submit to the heresy investigation,” I said.

Yodel  jumped in shock.

“Saint! No, you cannot! You are the true saint!”

No, I’m not!

I’ve never been a saint, not in this life or the last!

I’m just a fraud! A godless man pretending to be a saint!

If this continues, I’m going to die!

I need to go to the Heresy Inquisition, get judged as a fraud, and move on. A year in prison, then a new face and a quiet life. That’s the plan.

Following the Pantheon’s verdict, I’ll finally be free. No more divine punishment, no more fires waiting to consume me.

“I’ll abide by the Pantheon’s decision. Take me to the Inquisition and conduct the investigation. I’ll reveal everything there without hiding anything.”

“No! Saint, you cannot!”

I glared at Yodel.

Don’t interfere when I finally have a way out!

“This is my will, High Priest Yodel. It is the right thing to do,” I declared.

Yodel hesitated for a moment before stepping back reluctantly.

“If… if that is truly your will…”

Yes! Finally, Mr. Always-Says-Yes is actually helpful!

I extended my hands to the Silent Order priests.

“Take me to the Pantheon and begin the heresy inquisition. I’m ready to accept it.”

The poor surrounding me burst into wailing and tears.

“Saint! Don’t abandon us! Saint!”

“No! You can’t leave! We need you!”

“Please don’t go!”

The cries were so loud that I could barely hear myself think. Even the Silent Order priests hesitated as they cast a subduing miracle on me.

Is this the right thing to do?

Even they seemed unsure.

Only Tuidel  looked delighted, her face beaming with joy.

And honestly, I silently laughed with her.

Thank you, Tuidel.

You’ve given me a way out.

Just one year.

I’ll endure it for one year, then I’ll reset my life.

No more worrying about divine punishment.

No more threats of being burned alive.

Goodbye forever to that cursed life.

“Do not rely on me. Depend on the Goddess of Grace. I am merely a transient figure, but the Goddess will always watch over you. Please, no matter what, do not despair or cause chaos because of my absence. Do not riot or create disorder,” I said, addressing the crowd.

It’s only a year, after all.

If they caused any trouble, the Pantheon might accuse me of inciting societal chaos. And if that happens, it’s burn the fraud saint time. No, thanks.

“Even after I’m gone, keep sweeping the streets, feeding the hungry, cleaning up, and caring for one another. Perhaps, someday, we’ll meet again.”

That was lip service.

We’re never meeting again.

I’m leaving for good.

Good riddance.

As I spoke to the people, I noticed Jonathan Karma and his family running toward me in the distance, panic etched on their faces.

“What is going on here?! This man is no fraud! He saved my family! This is tyranny! He is no swindler!” Jonathan shouted.

Ah, Jonathan Karma.

The lynchpin of my Lilia Order Bankruptcy Project.

But you’re no longer needed.

I’m about to be judged a fake saint and spend a year in prison, after which I’ll quietly disappear.

Until now, I pushed you forward for the sake of the bankruptcy plan, but I won’t be involved with the Lilia Order after this.

“Jonathan, I have one request,” I said.

“Anything! Please, tell me!”

“I’m sorry for burdening you. Now that I’ll no longer be here to take responsibility, if the business struggles, feel free to stop and walk away.”

A polite way of saying, I know you’re incompetent. If you’re about to ruin things, just quit early and leave.

Jonathan, however, looked deeply moved, his eyes brimming with tears as he grasped my hand.

“I swear! I’ll wait for you here! I’ll make the Lilia Order the richest church in the empire! I’ll wait for you, no matter how long it takes! Saint, I swear on my soul and my name! Every penny I make will be for you and the church!”

Uh… no, you don’t need to do that.

Just quit if it looks like you’re about to screw things up.

“Thank you, Jonathan. I believe in you,” I said, forcing a smile and offering one last bit of lip service.

With that, I was led away by the Silent Order priests.

“Saint! Saint!”

“Ahhh!! Grace, protect us! Protect your apostle!!”

The overly dramatic cries erupting behind me would end today.

Hail Tuidel !

Hail the Heresy Inquisition!

Hail the Fake Saint!

No longer will divine punishment come crashing down on my head!

Patreon Logo

Join Our Patreon

Support our translations and gain early access.
Read up to 5 chapters ahead before the official release!

Join Now

Comments

Show Comments
Comments

Comments

Show Comments