Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 107
107. Childhood Friend - Consecration
- Boom!
Rev jumped, startled. When he gathered himself, he realized he was passing by a butcher shop.
Inside the butcher shop, a butcher was cutting meat, and the smell of blood, which he thought was a hallucination, was coming from there.
‘No. This isn't right.’
Rev shook his head, dispelling the whisper that echoed in his mind.
Massacre route. This isn't what I want. Maybe in the past, but not now.
This isn't a game.
These are living, breathing people. You can't just kill people to gain power.
He gulped.
A system that allows him to skip all ceremonial acts and accumulate sacrifices.
This alone was amazing, but there was something even more incredible.
- ‘1’ person.
When he killed one person, he gained that person's life force in its entirety, an incredible benefit.
No matter how complex the rituals were, there was no way to gain the entirety of the offered sacrifice.
Even though the offerings of apostles were efficient, they only retained a small fraction of the total energy.
Everything in this world belonged to the main deity, and the minor gods could only twist and take a tiny portion of it.
But that rule didn't apply to Rev. Instead, the number of people he had killed was written down clearly.
Rev was now convinced that this game was created by the main deity. Such efficiency was impossible without his permission.
Rev lingered in front of the butcher shop for a long time. The butcher asked if he needed anything, but Rev waved his hand and continued to ponder.
Eventually, he concluded, ‘This is not something a person should do.’
Though he had killed out of necessity or for his own survival, killing with the intention of accumulating sacrifices was entirely different.
It wasn't about achieving something or gaining wealth through murder, but about placing a purpose on the lives themselves... something a normal person shouldn't even think about, let alone do.
‘But still...’
Despite his conclusion, Rev hesitated.
He was tempted. This damn game had given him nothing. Scenario rewards were consistent but limited, and the achievements were trivial and not much help.
So shouldn't he take this? Isn't this a benefit guaranteed by the system...
Rev clutched his head.
The greed he had felt when trying to become an adopted son of the Tatian Marquis was nothing compared to this. He could potentially become the ruler of this world. He could clear the game in just a few more rounds...
He finally made up his mind when the butcher began to suspect him of being a thief.
‘Let's just use what I have. Only use achievements when absolutely necessary... Forget about the massacre route.’
It was a tough decision, but perhaps he made it because there was no need to go that far.
The ending was in sight.
If he used his charm ability well, he could easily see the true ending that Minseo longed for.
Furthermore, he didn't need to kill more people as his kill count was already sufficient.
Rev took a deep breath. He exhaled his boiling desires and steadied his lost steps.
Ignoring the butcher's suspicious gaze, he approached a merchant and asked if he would sell a horse.
When he handed over the money he earned from selling leather, the merchant didn't complain about giving up the horse for a low price.
Well, Rev's eyes did sparkle a bit.
‘Let's go to Nevis.’
He made up his mind.
Leo of the Beggar Siblings scenario was still far from reaching Conrad Kingdom.
Gilbert Forte would be hiding in the southern mountains of Bellita Kingdom after killing Bart. They would start moving next spring, half a year from now, heading to the Noyar Port to find Bart.
During that time, I will go to the capital of the Northern Kingdom, Nevis, and charm the king.
I will ask him to adopt Lena, and rush to Conrad Kingdom to warn Prince Leo and prevent his tragedy.
If I move quickly, I might even prevent Leo from breaking his engagement with Lena Einar.
Eventually, Rev's horse galloped forward.
Leaving Torito, his heart swayed between hope and desire.
“Good job today!”
A clerk at the lord's castle said while tidying up the scattered documents.
“Good job. Finish up and go in.”
“Yes!”
The young clerk in his late teens replied energetically.
Born in the Gaiden Marquisate and educated with the support of Marquis Harvey, he was assigned to Bospo. Though he made many mistakes and was scolded a lot at first, he had become quite proficient now.
As the senior clerks left one by one, the youngest of them began to hum a tune while organizing the complaint reception desk.
Recently, he had developed subtle feelings for a woman, and he was eager to finish his work and go out.
At that moment, a young man approached the desk.
“Sorry, but we're done for the day. Please come back tomorrow...”
“I came to see the chief administrator.”
“Excuse me? Who are you to see the chief administrator...”
He looked up, thinking it might be someone important, and met eyes with the young man with dark red eyes.
‘Ah, I should guide him right away. He must be in a hurry... I'll quickly show him in and then leave.’
“May I ask who you are? Do you have an appointment?”
Rev was startled.
He had expected the clerk to immediately guide him to the chief administrator under the influence of his charm, but the clerk was asking about the procedure.
‘It seems charm isn't all-powerful.’
His eyes glowed again. This time, he put a bit more charm into it and requested again.
“It's urgent. I don't have an appointment, but I need to see the chief administrator right away.”
“I understand. I'll guide you right away.”
“Oh! Before that, could you issue me a pass to cross to the Jerome Holy Kingdom and Conrad Kingdom?”
“Understood.”
The clerk sat down and unfolded the bundle of documents he had just organized. He showed no sign of annoyance.
“What is your identity? What is the purpose of your visit?”
Barbatos' [Eye of Charm] was not a mind-control ability. It was similar to Leo's affinity achievements, so Rev had to follow some procedures.
He provided his identity and purpose.
“Mr. Rev from Demos Village... Demos Village? Let's see. Here it is. So you're traveling? Are you a free citizen? If you are, you need to provide proof... you don't have proof? Ah, you're a noble. Understood.”
Rev used his charm again to finally get the pass. He should have just charmed the gate guard. What a waste of divine power...
“I will guide you to the chief administrator. This way, please.”
Rev followed the clerk into the lord's castle.
This was his second visit. In the previous scenario with his childhood friend, Lena, he had worked here as a maid and servant.
Looking around, he saw familiar maids.
With lavish carpets laid everywhere and various tapestries hanging on the walls, it seemed that the lord’s castle was currently hosting Harie Gaiden and Philas Tertan.
Next month, they would leave for Conrad Kingdom and meet Lord Bart.
Of course, this was not Rev’s concern, so he diligently followed the clerk.
- Knock, knock.
“Chief Administrator, you have a visitor.”
The clerk knocked on the door, and a puzzled voice responded.
“A visitor? I don’t recall making any appointments today. Let them in.”
The chief administrator of Bospo, who was in the midst of paperwork, greeted the unexpected guest with a disgruntled expression.
Since the arrival of Lady Harie and the heir of the Tertan Duchy, he had been overwhelmingly busy.
Though the castle’s decoration was completed, he could not neglect the hospitality of the two guests and had to care for the knights accompanying them.
Philas Tertan had brought about a dozen knights.
Moreover, a few days ago, Philas Tertan requested the verification of a necklace intended as a gift for Lady Harie, so the chief administrator had to personally ask a quirky wizard contracted to the city of Bospo.
The arrogant wizard, who wouldn't budge from his room, wouldn’t do anything unless the chief administrator personally requested it.
“What brings you here without an appointment?”
“Huh? Isn’t he someone you know, Chief Administrator?”
While the chief administrator frowned and the clerk looked puzzled, Rev stood silently.
He intended to charm the chief administrator as soon as he met him.
But a problem arose. The chief administrator was wearing a consecrated ring, and Rev instinctively realized that charming him wouldn’t be easy.
Since the Saintess descended to this land, the minor gods had been in a tight spot.
The Arcaean Empire had significantly contributed by joining forces with the church to wipe out non-humans, but the recognition of the Cross Church as the state religion had deeply rooted the main god’s divine power in the lives of the empire’s citizens.
This was mainly done through church customs, such as exchanging consecrated rings during engagements or weddings.
Consecration was the act of infusing objects with divine power. Since it involved granting divine power to inanimate objects, it lasted much longer, almost indefinitely, compared to blessings bestowed on living beings, posing a significant obstacle to the minor gods.
Even a slight amount of divine power in a consecrated item provided the bearer with strong protection.
Seeing the chief administrator’s eyes narrow, Rev hurriedly attempted to charm him.
However, the ring blocked the charm, leaving Rev feeling helpless and internally offering a prayer.
[Achievement: Civilian Murder - You have killed '2' civilians. You become slightly unlucky.]
Using the lives of two more civilians, Barbatos's divine power surged within him. His heart sweetly soaked like a plum pickle, and Rev's eyes glowed red once again.
“Oh dear, don’t you remember me?”
The chief administrator looked momentarily bewildered...
“Oh my! Oh my goodness! Sir! It’s been so long. How have you been? Ah, you may leave now.”
He dismissed the clerk and offered Rev the seat of honor, taking a seat beside him respectfully.
“I’m glad to see you again. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would have become of me... I haven’t forgotten your kindness and teachings when I was a wandering illegitimate child. Ah, my mind! Let me bring some tea.”
“No, it’s fine. Rather...”
Rev tried to wave it off, but the chief administrator was faster.
He called a maid to bring tea and returned to his seat with a bright smile, reminiscing with a nostalgic smile.
“Sir, how have you been? I wanted to visit, but you were nowhere to be found. I thought you had passed away. By the way, you look as healthy as ever...?”
The chief administrator’s eyes widened.
Seeing his young and vibrant mentor, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind, and Rev had to offer another prayer.
Rev hurriedly got to the point.
“I’m here to meet the Margrave of Harvey. Could you write a simple letter of recommendation?”
“Of course. It would be my honor. The margrave will surely treat someone like you with great respect. Please wait a moment.”
While the chief administrator wrote the letter, Rev groaned inwardly.
This old man wasn’t just charmed. He was forcing his memories to match Rev’s words of “Don’t you remember me?”
Earlier, the clerk had also assumed Rev was a noble and believed him when Rev skipped the procedure for issuing a pass. Despite not providing a surname...
This was problematic. Rev intended to charm the king to adopt Lena as a princess.
But if the charm worked this way, and the king, who had no acquaintance with Lena, wanted to adopt her for no reason... it would require an immense amount of divine power.
This wasn’t the only problem.
The chief administrator’s ring alone made the charm require ten times more divine power.
If an ordinary chief administrator was like this, the king would likely be adorned with consecrated items. It was unimaginable how much divine power would be needed to charm such a king.
Judging by the merchant’s attitude from whom he sold jerky and leather, the charm didn’t seem to be permanent either...
The chief administrator handed him a neatly folded letter envelope.
“Here it is. I wrote that you are my lifelong benefactor to the Marquis Gaiden. Since the marquis’s daughter is here, it might be good to meet her as well. Lady Gaiden is proficient in etiquette, literature, and tea ceremonies...”
Rev politely declined the excited chief administrator’s request before things got out of hand.
He drew a line, saying he couldn’t stay long because he needed to leave for Nevis soon. Although the chief administrator was disappointed, he seemed deeply moved to see his ‘mentor’ grown up, expressing immense joy. Though it was uncertain how long it would last...
The chief administrator saw him off to a great distance, and only after leaving the lord’s castle did Rev understand Eric de Yeriel’s situation.
‘So that’s why Prince Eric was in such a state...’
The power of the minor gods was indeed great, but there were restrictions everywhere.
People with consecrated items were not easily charmed, and even if they were, it required an excessive amount of divine power.
Even Rev, who could acquire divine power with high efficiency thanks to the system, found it burdensome. For an ordinary apostle like Prince Eric de Yeriel, it would have been unimaginable.
At most, he might have charmed Duke Tertan. Considering efficiency, that seemed right. He would have all the nobles under his control with minimal investment...
No doubt about it.
Prince Eric de Yeriel was the grandson of Duke Lappert Tertan. He could easily approach the duke and charm him without arousing suspicion.
‘Yes, that’s right. Duke Lappert Tertan was originally a kind noble. Before Prince Eric raised the rebellion...’
One of the puzzling pieces fell into place, but Rev had no time to rejoice.
Even so, to charm the king would require more divine power, which meant more sacrifices...
‘No, it’s okay. I still have plenty left.’
Rev shook his head, suppressing his rising anxiety.
He had only used a few civilians so far, and there were many unused achievements left.
He mounted his horse and headed towards Nevis. With the letter of introduction to meet the Margrave of Harvey, there was nothing in his way.
It will be fine.
It must be fine...
Muttering to himself, Rev departed, and a few days later, the body of a thug was hanged on the wooden wall of Torito.
The corpse, executed for murder, swayed in the strong wind. The eerie sound of it banging against the wall ominously blessed Rev's future.