How the Cult Saves the World-Chapter 117

How could this kid be so sure of it?

Did he find evidence linking the leader of the Kyros Church, Leviathan, and Revelof Holden as the same person?

'No, there's no such evidence.'

There couldn't be, because I made sure of it. With the Cognitive Dissonance Glasses, even my appearance was completely different.

I also used distinctly different voices whenever I interacted with people who knew me in either role.

So what could Terdius have found to make him so confident?

'What is it?'

I couldn't figure it out. Why was Terdius looking at me with such unwavering conviction?

'I can't let myself get exposed yet.'

If my identity as the leader of the Kyros Church is revealed here, even to someone like Terdius, the Diego Church---who are practically my enemy---will undoubtedly find out.

And if the Kyros Church grows larger, as I plan, it's inevitable that I'll become a direct target of the Diego Church.

If that happens, they could use my family, Revelofs's family---not Leviathan's---as hostages.

'That's something they'd absolutely do.'

I didn't mind risking myself, but I couldn't bear to drag my family, who had nothing to do with this, into danger.

So I made up my mind.

'For now, I'll deny everything.'

I decided to deny it to the very end.

I forced a calm smile and refuted Terdius's confident words.

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else. Leviathan is the leader of our Kyros Church. I'm just a priest of Kyros Church."

I smiled and kept my tone steady, pretending nothing was wrong. Even though Terdius seemed convinced I was Leviathan, I still didn't know how much he actually knew.

Could he have uncovered other truths, like my identity as Revelof Holden?

Given the circumstances, it made no sense to act ignorant about Leviathan, so I spoke as Revelof Holden would.

Did it work? Or did Terdius just expect me to keep denying it? His grip on my wrist loosened slightly.

Taking advantage of the moment, I pulled free.

"Well, I'll be off now. I have things to do."

Before he could respond, I quickly walked away.

Luckily, Terdius didn't stop me. I could feel his gaze following me, but I ignored it and hurried into a deserted alley.

He didn't chase me. It seemed like he was lost in thought.

As I caught my breath with complicated thoughts running inside my head, Kyros spoke to me in a worried tone.

-Hey, you look really shaken.

'Yeah, I was. I don't understand how he figured it out.'

-I'm surprised too. Is that snake kid particularly sharp or just unusually quick-witted?

In the original story, he was observant, but not 'this' perceptive.

Badump, badump.

My heart was still racing, pounding against my chest from the close call. I tried to calm myself as I reached for the return scroll to the Magic Tower.

'I just want to go home and rest.'

It felt like I had barely escaped a wild boar while hiking in the woods behind my neighborhood.

***

A flash of bright light surrounded me as I activated the return scroll. When I opened my eyes, I was back at the Magic Tower.

"Mr. Revelof! You're back already? How was your trip to Nezen?"

As the Tower came into view, a sense of relief washed over me. Crow, who had been waiting, flew up to greet me.

"Yes, Crow. I had a good trip."

In truth, it had been anything but a good trip, but I forced a smile and pretended everything was fine.

"That's great! Shall we start exploring the Magic Tower again?"

Crow spoke with excitement, completely oblivious to my exhaustion.

'Explore the Tower? Again?'

After the encounter at Terdius's house, my body and mind were drained. My energy had hit rock bottom.

"Wait, there's still more to see?"

I asked, surprised.

Crow grinned brightly.

"Of course! The Tower is enormous!"

And just like that, I found myself being led around the Magic Tower once more. Crow eagerly showed me every corner of the Tower while I trudged along, waiting for my grandmother's conversation with the Archmage to end.

Just how many hours had passed as I explored the massive Tower?

"Levi, did you enjoy your time at the Magic Tower?"

By the time evening came, we left the Tower and returned to the mansion in the carriage we had parked in Nezen.

My grandmother's expression was bright, as though she'd had a wonderful discussion with the Archmage. At times, she looked like she wanted to say something but never did.

"Yes, it was fun. A little tiring, though."

"Haha, I can imagine. Crow is a creation Jenna made herself, and he's very attached to the Magic Tower. When I first visited, Crow guided me around until I couldn't take it anymore."

So Grandma was also a victim to that damn Crow. The thought made me chuckle as I remembered my grandmother in her childhood.

"If you ever want to visit the Magic Tower again, let me know."

"Of course, Grandma."

That evening, I had a late dinner with her, and we chatted about the Tower before parting ways.

Once in my bedroom, I immediately took a bath. As I soaked in the warm water, night fell over the mansion.

Even though I was physically exhausted, sleep didn't come easily. Restless, I decided to take a walk to the Temple of Rovel.

'Why did it have to be Terdius, of all people, to find out my identity?'

The encounter earlier in the day lingered in my mind. Even if I met him again, I resolved to continue denying everything.

'...If I keep denying it, what can he really do?'

After finishing some business at the temple, I returned to the mansion through the portal.

As I stepped into my now-familiar bedroom, something felt off.

-Child!

'I know, Lord Kyros.'

A damp, gloomy atmosphere hung over the mansion, a stark contrast to when I'd left just an hour earlier.

Kyros and I immediately sensed the shift.

Something had happened here. I didn't know the exact details, but one thing was certain:

-This power belongs to the snake

At the center of it all was the Diego Church.

'Yes, and it's pretty strong...'

Thankfully, the energy wasn't as overwhelming as an apostle's, but it wasn't weak either---comparable to the high priest I'd encountered before.

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Without hesitation, I left my bedroom and headed toward the source of the ominous energy. The hallways were eerily silent, deserted in the dead of night.

'After all, I'm the only one who can sense the Evil God's energy in the mansion right now.'

With that thought in mind, I followed the trail of Evil God's energy and arrived at my grandmother's bedroom.

This was undoubtedly the source of the Evil God's energy. But something felt strange.

'What is this...?'

A barrier surrounded the room, clearly designed to protect or isolate it. It resembled the kind of enchantments used by the Diego Church or the Rizes Church.

It was obvious someone had deliberately set it up to separate my grandmother's bedroom from the rest of the house.

This was something I recognized from the original work---used frequently by leaders of the Diego Church to block sound and seal off areas.

'In other words, this is an intrusion by the Diego Church.'

I pulled my hood over my head to cover my face, unsure of who might be inside the room.

Thanks to the power of Kyros within me, the Diego Church's barrier was ineffective against me.

-Child, Be careful

'Don't worry.'

-I just hope nothing has happened to your grandmother...

Instead of responding, I pressed my lips together tightly. Nothing could happen to her---no, I wouldn't allow it.

I opened the bedroom door cautiously.

Inside, the first thing I saw was my grandmother lying peacefully on a large bed. Beside her stood a man, illuminated faintly by the moonlight streaming through the window,despite the late hour.

The man appeared to be in his early forties. His face was unmistakable.

'...He's the...'

Monbes---the Archbishop of the Diego Church.

In the hierarchy of the Diego Church, the archbishop ranked just below the seven apostles, making him the second most powerful figure in the organization, apart from the god Diego himself.

There were further ranks below the archbishop, but they were roughly divided into bishops, archpriests, and priests.

In contrast, the Rizes Church did not have many classes. This was because there were quite a lot of children of the demon god. Anyway.

Why is Monbes here?

This man featured prominently in the latter half of the original story and was one of Khalid's most loyal subordinates.

'Could Khalid also be nearby? For now...'

I reached into my inventory and retrieved the holy mace, gripping it.

-Do you know anything about him?

'Not much, but look at the symbol on his robe's shoulder---the snake mark. That signifies his rank as an archbishop.

-Why on earth would the Archbishop of the Diego Church come here?

Kyros asked, his voice wavering as if he was just as angry as I was.

Monbes, who had remained unbothered by my sudden appearance, finally spoke.

"How...did you manage to break through my barrier?"

That's all he was curious about? This guy was just as confident and self-assured as he was in the original story.

"That's none of your business. Why are you here?"

Monbes let out a derisive snort.

"I have no obligation to explain myself to you. My business here is done. You don't seem to be the type to let things slide easily but... Unfortunately, I don't have the time to deal with you right now."

"What?"

"We'll meet again, someday. And when we do, I'll take your life."

With that, Monbes raised his arms, and the barrier surrounding the bedroom dissolved into a swirling black fog.

My vision was instantly obscured. Panicking, I swung my mace, and the fog dissipated quickly---but my hood slipped off in the process.

I didn't care about that. What mattered was that Monbes was already gone.

-He's pretty fast for a snake.

'Yes, too fast.'

Though the reason he was able to escape that quickly was the energy of the Evil God that hung like fog.

Still, Monbes's escape wasn't my primary concern at the moment.

I rushed to my grandmother's side.

And the moment I checked my grandmother's condition, I could barely swallow the curse that was about to make its way out of my mouth.

When I reached her, I was relieved to see her appearing peaceful, as though she were merely asleep.

But then I noticed it. The black butterfly symbol etched onto her forehead.

'This is...'

Now I understood why the Archbishop of Diego had come in person.

This wasn't just any curse. It was the Curse of the Black Butterfly, a curse spell that can be used exclusively by the highest-ranking members of the Diego Church.

Its purpose was clear: to brainwash the victim and lure them into the clutches of the Diego Church.

And to cast such a curse...

You'd need an authentic 'Black Ark'.