Chapter 199: Ancestral Blessing, III

The grand hall of the imperial palace, where all significant events of the Empire took place, was adorned with a long banquet table. At the head sat Louis and the Emperor, facing each other across their seats, with nobles surrounding them.

Tap… Tap…

The rhythmic tapping of Louis’s slender fingers on his armrest echoed in the otherwise silent chamber. He reclined casually, one leg crossed over the other, his chin propped up by his elbow.

“Hmph…”

His expression was deeply displeased. Normally, the Empire’s nobles would have rebuked him for such insolent behavior, but today they remained silent, treading gingerly around Louis’s mood.

“That man is the Priest of the Pantheon…”

“The monster who slaughtered the Snow King with a single sword!”

Many of the nobles present had witnessed the events firsthand that day, while those who hadn’t heard the tale so often it had practically become legend.

That fateful day had left an indelible mark on the hearts of all present. No one dared to speak recklessly before this incomprehensible monster. The emperor was no exception.

The emperor’s brow glistened with cold sweat as Louis gazed at him without speaking. After what felt like an eternity, Louis finally opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty.”

”…Speak.”

At the emperor’s response, Louis’s gaze shifted to the side. There, dozens of boxes, enough to fill several wagons, were stacked tightly together. His eyes grew colder as he roughly estimated their number.

“At a glance, it seems… about twelve million gold, isn’t it?”

The emperor swallowed hard, astonished at Louis’s ability to determine such an accurate sum by mere visual estimation.

“Yes… yes, that’s correct.”

“This… You’re telling me you’ll only pay the interest?”

“That’s right.”

“I see. And we have no word of paying the principal on the loan this month?”

The emperor nodded.

“I’m sorry for this inconvenience, but as you know, it isn’t as if we have the money at the moment…”

Most of the-premier league Empire’s budget was being allocated to military funding due to the ongoing civil war, from soldier rations to wages and even dealing with war casualties. Since the conflict showed no signs of abating, the Empire’s money circulation had also ground to a halt. Although the Empire still had ample funds, no one knew how long the war would last, so there was an endless supply of gold at their fingertips.

Knowing this—no, as the one who most fervently wished for such a situation—Louis nodded his understanding.

“I understand. I don’t mind since I receive the interest, but is that alright with you? Wouldn’t it be better to repay the principal sooner?”

“Don’t worry about that. Once we’ve dealt with the rebels, we’ll repay the principal at any time.”

“Well, since you put it that way, I’ll just take today’s interest and leave.”

The equivalent of tens of wagons full of gold and jewels vanished instantly into Louis’s extra-dimensional pocket.

“Then, I’ll be off. I wish for the Empire to return to normalcy soon… I’ll see you next month on the payment due date.”

“Take care.”

The Emperor’s words had barely left his mouth when Louis’s figure disappeared.

After that…

Haaaah.

Haaah.

The sounds of relieved sighs could be heard coming from all directions.

The Emperor also exhaled the breath he had been holding, tension weighing heavily on him.

At this rate, my lifespan will surely shorten.

Having to face that monster once a month…

If his lifespan continued to plummet with each of these incidents, he would undoubtedly be the shortest-lived emperor in the history of the Empire.

I must repay the principal as soon as possible and never cross paths with him again…

To achieve this, he needed to swiftly deal with the rebel faction. As if in response to the Emperor’s resolve, the Empire’s civil war gradually began to come under control, leading to the Emperor’s victory.

The joy of anticipating the imminent end of the civil war was cut short.

The report that flew into the royal palace painted a grim picture for the Emperor.

As the situation for the “revolutionary army” (or what their opponents called the “rebel army”) grew dire, Count Barcon, their leader, decided to bring in outside help.

This so-called outside help was none other than the kingdoms that had been subjugated by the Empire for years.

What’s more, these were kingdoms that had previously sent troops to defend the Empire’s third line of defense.

The Emperor was enraged.

You… you damned traitors! How dare you turn against us!

Two kingdoms dreaming of independence saw the Empire’s civil war as an excellent opportunity.

If the Empire were to fall because of Duke Barcon, it would be the best thing that could happen for them.

There was no reason for them not to support Duke Barcon.

When these two kingdoms joined forces with Count Barcon and turned their swords on the Empire, the situation changed dramatically.

The civil war, which had seemed on the verge of ending, now showed signs of dragging on for years to come.

As the Empire’s civil war dragged on, Louis found himself returning empty-handed from his monthly trips to collect interest. Despite not receiving any payments, he couldn’t stop smiling ear to ear. The unpaid interest was diligently added to the principal, causing the next month’s interest to grow proportionally. Even without lifting a finger, his money was multiplying over time—how could he not be elated?

Pablo, observing this situation, shook his head knowingly.

At this rate, the interest will surpass the principal before long.

The civil war within the Empire had now stretched into its fourth month. On yet another day, Louis returned empty-handed after attempting to collect interest. Despite his lack of success, he cheerfully summoned Pablo.

“Pablo! The time has come!”

“The time? …What do you mean?”

In response to Pablo’s question, Louis produced ten boxes stuffed with gold.

Pablo’s eyes widened at the sight.

Out of nowhere? But he’s not the type…

Would Louis, who believed that “my gold is mine, and your gold is also mine,” so readily hand over gold? As Pablo grappled with this conundrum, Louis slid a piece of paper toward him.

Pablo’s eyes bulged even further when he read the words at the top.

“What is this…? A plan for imperial missionary activities?”

“Exactly.”

“You’re telling us to start missionary work now?”

“That’s right.”

“Out of nowhere?”

“W-what did you overhear while signing contracts with me? Didn’t I get permission from the Emperor to carry out missionary activities?”

“I knew that. But how does that relate to this…?”

“Well, since I have the rights, we naturally have to engage in missionary work, right?”

“Do we… really have to?’

“Stop fussing and read it carefully.”

At Louis’s rebuke, Pablo turned his attention to the paperwork.

After quickly scanning it, he grasped the main points and gave Louis a look of utter disbelief.

“Huh, wait… is this about missionary work?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of missionary work is this?! It’s a business venture disguised as missionary work—a scheme to invade the Empire!”

Louis shot Pablo a pitying glance at his outburst.

“Tsk, there’s so much you still don’t understand.”

”…Pardon?”

“What’s the most lucrative business in the world? You might think it’s alcohol, but no—it’s selling hope and faith!”

“So you’re trying to make money by peddling religion now?!”

“Hush! Peddling religion indeed! Tithes! There’s this perfectly fine word ‘tithes’—why must you resort to such blasphemy? Refrain from such language that belittles devoted believers!”

Pablo let out a long sigh.

He should have realized things weren’t adding up from the moment the emperor demanded proselytizing as compensation for stealing the divine relic instead of cold, hard cash. There was no way Louis would make such a request without careful deliberation.

From the very beginning, Louis had been painting a grand, sweeping picture, one that Pablo had utterly failed to comprehend.

Louis raised his eyebrows at the absurd looks he was receiving.

“Well? What’s with that disrespectful stare?”

“…I don’t believe those are the words of someone who knows what they’re talking about.”

“Really? And why’s that?”

“O-oh…”

“Listen, this isn’t such a bad idea. The gold we get from the Empire ultimately comes from their citizens anyway, right?”

“…I suppose so.”

“The rich are too busy fighting over their own interests to care about the common people. How many have died of starvation during this war? I just want to help those poor souls!”

There was nothing inherently wrong with his idea.

Louis’s plan for his missionary work was simple: Buy food and supplies using the interest earned from the Empire, then distribute them to the suffering commoners of their nation.

It was a plan to instill positive thoughts about the cult in people’s minds.

Naturally, assistance received during difficult times is not easily forgotten…

By making the Empire’s citizens rely on the cult in this way, they could go on to establish more branches and expand their influence throughout the Empire. The core of Louis’s plan was to create a steady stream of donations through this approach.

However, what caught Pablo’s attention more than anything else was the significance of these ‘voluntary donations.’

When the Empire’s citizens make voluntary donations, it ultimately means… that the concept of the Pantheon has firmly taken root in their hearts.

The fact that they would contribute regularly even in difficult circumstances spoke volumes about the depth of their faith and belief in the Pantheon.

If such believers were to spread throughout the Empire…

It would no longer be the Dominant Empire in name alone; calling it the Sacred Empire of Carlos would be no exaggeration.

No, should this plan succeed, wouldn’t it become Louis’s Empire? In that case, Louis would effortlessly swallow up what had been centuries of the Empire’s history.

The offerings were just an excuse from the start. This must have been Louis’s true goal.

Pablo’s head bowed in contemplation.

But what’s even more terrifying is… Louis hasn’t spent a single cent on this project.

Louis’s plan required massive amounts of goods to support his missionary activities—enough to feed all these citizens of the Empire.

However, Louis had been funding this endeavor with interest earned from the Empire’s investments.

In other words, the Emperor had inadvertently handed over the entire Empire to Louis.

All without even realizing it.

One gulp of Louis’s magic fruit nearly brought an end to the whole Empire…

Pablo shook his head and sighed.

“Haaah…”

“What’s with the sigh? What are you complaining about?!”

“Complaining…of course I’m complaining! This whole project… Who is supposed to take charge of its implementation?”

“Who else but you?”

“That’s precisely what I’m complaining about! You got everyone excited about the idea, and now you’re dumping all the work on me!”

This time, the scale of the operation was particularly colossal.

It was a matter of swallowing an entire empire. Managing such a monumental task from start to finish, overseeing every single detail—how could it possibly be easy? Where would they procure the vast quantities of food to distribute to the subjects of the Empire? How would they manage the dispatched warriors and newly inducted believers? And what about establishing new branches of their Order across the land?

The mere thought made his head spin.

Louis’s eyes narrowed at Pablo’s stubborn defiance. ”…So you’re saying you don’t want to do this?”

Pablo flinched under Louis’s piercing gaze. “W-we can’t necessarily say that…”

“But from what you’re saying, it sounds like you don’t want to do it?”

“N-no…”

“Wow, our Pablo’s grown so much! Remember how much hell I went through to turn that worthless cur into a potential prince of the royal household… ? You’ve forgotten all about it already, haven’t you? Or could it be you miss Page? Should I arrange for you two to meet?”

Sensing the threat to his life, Pablo scrambled to concoct a desperate excuse.

“I-I… it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just… p-propaganda… Yes! It’s because of those propaganda activities! You see, our order’s doctrine isn’t about mercy, service, love, or any of that. It’s about slaying demons! How can you expect us to carry out such propaganda with that kind of message? Would you agree?”

“Who said it was about slaying demons? - All parts of the Pantheon’s teachings?”

“Huh? But that’s been part of the order’s doctrine since its inception…”

“And who established that order might I ask?”

“Well, naturally… it was Louis, sir.”

“Right? But I never said anything like that!”

“…”

“Well, fine. Even if resolving the Ma conflict is our doctrine, wouldn’t defeating the ‘inner demons’ that haunt citizens due to repeated disasters also fall under our purview as an order?”

Pablo’s rambling excuses ground to a halt.

After all, Louis had made up the religion on the spot, so its doctrines were more or less whatever they wanted them to be. It wasn’t like they were beholden to any particular set of principles; they could wrap things up however it suited them at the time…

In the end, Pablo raised the white flag.

“Yes, you’re right, of course.”

“No problems with that, then?”

“…No, none at all.”

“Great! Now get out there and spread the word! And if you need money, just say the word. Remember that ATM I nabbed? I’ll happily dip into it for you!”

“Yes, sir!”

The empire was mocked as easy prey by Louis. However, Pablo couldn’t find any humor in the situation. He realized that he himself wasn’t much different from the Empire.

On that day, the Pantheon crudehandedly decided on their missionary activities, and not long after, the Church’s warriors departed for the Empire.

These warriors, who were accustomed to slaughtering orcs and demons, found themselves in a different situation upon reaching the Empire. They wore peculiar two-piece hoods emblazoned with the words ‘Eliminate Inner Foes’. For the first time in their lives, instead of carrying bales of monster carcasses, they carried bales of food. Instead of weapons, they carried ladles and platters.

At first, the burly Church of the Divine warriors’ strange appearance puzzled and alarmed the Imperials. However, as the war-weary and famished population struggled, the free food distributed by the Church became their guiding light.

The Pantheon’s missionary activities quickly gained momentum, drawing hunger-stricken citizens from across the Empire to their cause. As days passed, praise for the Pantheon swelled, and the number of converts multiplied exponentially.

Everything was unfolding exactly as Louis had foreseen.

There was only one twist he hadn’t anticipated: the popularity of headbands emblazoned with the phrase “Defeat Inner Demons” sweeping through the Empire.

As the Empire’s civil war dragged on, the number of people joining the Pantheon skyrocketed. Pablo’s cheeks, once round, grew gaunt from the mounting administrative tasks.

Only Louis found respite, having moments to spare with his twin brother and disciples.

And just like that, a year had passed since Louis arrived in the Winter Continent.