Surviving as a Cult Leader in Another World

"On behalf of the Church, I, Galatea, promise you this. If you need any help, just say the word. I'll do my best within my power to assist you."

"Oh…!"
Bronze Knight Galatea was a truly wonderful human being who knew how to sympathize with others.
Even though her way of speaking was a bit stiff and prickly!
Indeed, beneath that hard armor, she hid a warm, soft, and gentle heart.
She was practically in the top 3 of the most decent people I'd met in my five years in this world.
If I had met someone like her sooner, I wouldn't have been called by the dreadful name "Lust, the Beast"!
Truly touched by the compassion of another person, which I hadn't felt in a long time, I readily revealed my plan.
"I'm thinking of meeting Archbishop Durgien. I want to ask for his teachings. I want to meet him in person and learn how to become a noble and devout clergyman like him."
Galatea nodded at my story of wanting to meet Archbishop Durgien.
She seemed genuinely impressed by my grand ambition.
"Oh, Archbishop Archibald? But he's not someone you can just meet. He's a very busy and important person. I only saw him from afar when I participated in the security detail for his inauguration ceremony."
I see.
Well, it was natural that he wouldn't be easy to meet.
In this United Kingdom, the title of "Archbishop" basically held the same status as a high noble.
"Archbishop Archibald is a truly wonderful person. I heard he recently dispatched high-ranking healers to the Agarphe Count family, who are his sworn enemies, at his own expense. How much did it cost…"
"…The Agarphe Count family?"
Galatea raised an eyebrow, perhaps noticing the change in my expression at the sudden mention of the name.
"Ah, you're from wilderness, so you might not be familiar with the political situation in the kingdom. Count Agarphe was one of the leaders of the High Noble faction. He was a man of great influence. He even formed a marriage alliance with the royal family."
"Why did the Archbishop dispatch healers to the home of such people?"
"Someone in the Count's family fell seriously ill. I heard they're struggling financially because they're gathering skilled healers and apothecaries. I don't know the details, but…"
Lowering her voice, Galatea looked around and spoke cautiously, just loud enough for me to hear.
"Some say it's divine punishment. They got sick as a price for betraying their faith."
Memories flashed in my mind.
At the same time, my future schedule was being laid out before me.
"Are they still looking for healers in the Agarphe Count family?"
"Well, I think so. I heard it's an incurable disease…"
Good.
The green light keeps flashing for my plan!
I looked into Galatea's eyes seriously and said,
"Sister Galatea, if you want to do me a favor, please write me a pass so I can travel to the Agarphe region without any problems. If I cure the Count's daughter, I'll repay your kindness later."
"Oh, you have big ambitions, don't you? Besides, did I mention that the person suffering from the cursed illness is the daughter of the Agarphe Count family? You're more familiar with the kingdom's situation than you look."
Galatea, the warm-hearted female knight, wrote me a pass scroll guaranteeing my identity.
I didn't think she would actually write one.
So to speak, I had received a guarantee from a high-ranking official that "this person is safe".
As I was feeling grateful, Galatea drove off in a wagon, escorting the prisoners.
"I thought she looked plain, but she's quite charming. And most of all, she has a kind heart."
There are times when men see a woman and think her appearance is about a 6 out of 10, but her kindness adds bonus points. Knight Galatea was exactly like that.
As I thought it would be nice to meet her again someday, I looked around and saw that I was the only one left in the burned-down monastery.
...…
...
…
"Everyone's gone, right?"
After making sure everyone was completely gone, I looked around.
I remembered that no 'money' was found during the search.
The abbot of this place was a heretic who made money by selling people as sacrifices.
He must have a fair amount of money stashed somewhere.
I wondered if he kept the money in a secret safe, but there were only scrolls in the safe, no money.
"If I were a heretic, where would I hide the money? It should be in a place that's not easily discovered but also easy to access… But a place where others wouldn't easily set foot…"
As I wandered around, I saw the charred remains of a graveyard.
There were only five tombstones in the graveyard.
As I dug up the five graves with a shovel, I felt something clink- against the tip of the shovel.
Clink-.
It was a leather pouch full of silver coins.
"…I did the same, but heretics tend to hide their ill-gotten gains somewhere. To think he hid it in a grave where people are reluctant to go. He's got some brains."
The exact amount in the pouch was 35 silver coins.
30 silver coins were equivalent to one gold coin, so I had gained one gold coin and five silver coins.
"With one gold coin, I could live comfortably for three months without any extravagance."
If the average monthly living expenses of a modern person are about 1.6 million won, one gold coin could be considered to be worth about 5 million won in cash.
In other words, I had acquired a huge sum of money that I couldn't even imagine five years ago.
"Even after deducting the tithe and donation of gratitude, it's still a lot of money. This is more than enough to get me to the Agarphe territory."
The Lady of Agarphe Count.
If I cure her illness, I'll gain fame in an instant, and then I'll surely be qualified to meet Archbishop of Durgien.
It's a perfect plan, even if I do say so myself!
On the way to the Agarphe family territory.
I paid 10 silver coins and joined a merchant group.
It was a merchant group specializing in salt and wine, called the "Saltwine Company".
It was a shame to spend 10 silver coins, but since it was a journey with a large merchant group, I was sure I wouldn't be robbed by bandits, and my thoughts were exactly right.
"Elohim is my Lord, and I am his servant. He leads me to green pastures and beside still waters, and he watches over me with his fiery eyes─."
It had already been a month since I left the burned-down Emrys Monastery.
I recited the prayer whenever I had free time.
I don't know if it was because of the effect of steadily reciting the prayer, but I felt a strange power flowing through my body from head to toe.
My stamina had also improved considerably.
I could easily carry heavy loads to help the merchant group without getting exhausted. Also, every morning, my lower body was excessively stiff.
Could it be that the bogus physical training I did at the monastery was quite effective? Or did cultivating holy power have the effect of increasing stamina?
"It's an open secret that corrupt high priests keep concubines behind their wives' backs. If cultivating holy power has the effect of increasing stamina, it makes sense to some extent."
Of course, having a concubine while having a legal wife was an unacceptable and trashy act for a clergyman.
I should never do that.
As I was thinking about such things, we finally arrived at the Agarphe territory. It was a fairly large town, even in the Durgien region.
Rather than calling it a town, it would be better to call it a small city.
Belmod, the talkative executive of the Saltwine Company, told me,
"You wouldn't know since you're from the wilderness, but this territory used to be bustling with people, almost as much as the royal capital, Royalroad."
Contrary to Belmod's explanation that it used to be bustling with people, the entrance to the territory was quite deserted now because there were few visitors. So I was able to proceed to the entrance procedure without any hassle.
"Halt."
At the city guard's command, I stopped and proudly showed my ID that read "Monk Hyde".
Thud.
One of the benefits I received from the den of heresy, the "Emrys Monastery," was that they easily issued me this ID.
I got it immediately by paying just 1 silver coin, without any complicated procedures.
But this ID was the real deal, it worked.
"Tsk."
The Agarphe guard clicked his tongue after examining my ID.
Wondering if there was something wrong, I took out the identification guarantee I received from Knight Galatea and showed it to the guard.
"If my ID is not enough, I also have a pass issued by a Bronze Knight of the Church."
Swoosh-.
As I unfurled the pass scroll and showed it, the guard clicked his tongue again, tsk-.
What's with this guy clicking his tongue so much?
As I was reciting the prayer in my mind, the guard asked me,
"Are you Wooden Plaque Monk Hyde?"
"Yes."
"Are you really a monk? It would be troublesome, but could you prove that you can read the scriptures? I'll bring the Bible now."
The Bible.
It meant the Holy Bible.
In this world, the Bible was really expensive, so clergymen who carried the Bible were highly regarded.
And you couldn't just buy it even if you had money.
Of course, it had nothing to do with me.
I confidently told the guard,
"Brother, if there's any scripture you want to hear, feel free to ask me. You don't need to waste time bringing the Bible."
"Ask? Hmm… then could you tell me about Proverbs 16:33? It's my favorite verse."
This world 'Proverbs' was the equivalent of 'Proverbs' in the canon of the world I lived in. And Proverbs 16:33 was also one of my favorite verses.
"'The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord', that's what it says. It has many meanings, but it's a verse that says even if a person plans things perfectly, they can be thwarted if there's no will of heaven."
"Oh…!?"
The guard seemed greatly surprised.
Was he surprised that I memorized the verse from my head without even looking at the Bible?
To be honest, I had been reading the Bible diligently ever since I learned to read, so I had memorized all the verses of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament.
That's why I didn't really need the particularly expensive Bible in this world.
This much was basic knowledge for a good clergyman.
Soon, the guard, with a slightly surprised expression under his helmet, asked me,
"My goodness, you're the first person I've seen besides Archbishop Archibald who can recite the Bible without looking at it. Let's see… Monk Hyde, what brings you to Agarphe?"
His tone was much more respectful now.
But there was still some wariness remaining.
I made my point straight,
"My purpose of visit? Well, it's to help the Agarphe family with their problem, isn't it? I heard Lady Psyche of the Agarphe family is suffering from an illness."
That's right.
The Lady of Agarphe was that Psyche.