Chapter 215: Did You Like the Donation? (1)
Bishop Porisco looked down at Ghislaine with a haughty expression.
‘Is this punk the so-called divine figure from the North that’s all the rage now? This young brat only got fame thanks to Marquis Branford.’
He was aware of the war news. But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t shake the suspicion that their luck in winning was thanks to the drought.
‘If he were truly impressive, would Count Ailzbur’s lady and Marquis Branford’s young lady have urgently sent priests to him?’
People only see as far as they know. Porisco was just that way.
The nobles dismissing Ghislaine and the fact that he was from the barren North was enough to plant a prejudice in his mind.
‘If it weren’t for Marquis Branford and Count Ailzbur’s lady, he wouldn’t even dare to meet me.’
Plus, Porisco was riding high on the church’s influence.
As a bishop, even most nobles would have to concede to him, so it was no wonder he could look down on a mere baron.
However, the main reason Porisco thought poorly of Ghislaine was different.
‘That vulgar brat who sells cosmetics… that very cosmetics has been cutting down our income!’
The church of Juana, the goddess of beauty, had collected heaps of donations by overseeing noble beauty treatments through divine power.
But now, with the emergence of far cheaper yet more effective cosmetics, the church’s income was bound to drop.
Naturally, that meant less money flowing into Porisco’s pocket, so it was only logical that he showed a blatantly unpleasant expression from the very first meeting.
Despite his dismissive demeanor, Ghislaine showed no reaction. He simply lowered his head slightly and handed over a box.
“I am Baron Penris. The priest Piote you dispatched is of great help to our territory. This is a gift as a token of gratitude.”
Porisco slightly opened the box and saw it filled with jewels, causing a smile to unconsciously creep onto his face.
He was used to gifts like this, but a present is always delightful when received.
His dissatisfaction with Ghislaine lessened a bit.
“Lady Ailzbur has indeed donated quite a bit already… but seeing you give more means you must want something in return?”
Sure enough, he wasn’t a rookie when it came to accepting bribes. He was well aware that when you receive something, you have to give something back.
Ghislaine also smiled slightly and continued speaking.
“Yes, it seems our territory is in a difficult state, with many people struggling. So, we are trying to unite the hearts of the territory residents through the power of faith.”
“Hoho, so you’re saying you want a new parish established there?”
“Yes, indeed. Because we don’t have a proper church in our territory yet.”
“I understand the North has very few believers in Juana. Aren’t there many who follow other goddesses?”
Juana is the goddess presiding over abundance, production, economy, fairness, talent, and order.
She is the goddess who governs economy, fairness, talent, and systems.
Moreover, she symbolizes beauty and luxury, making her very popular among nobles, merchants, and officials.
In other words, she wasn’t very popular among the stark northern folks.
In response to Porisco’s question, Ghislaine replied dismissively.
“Still, everyone only believes superficially. With Priest Piote using genuine divine power in the territory, the followers of Lady Juana will soon increase.”
Half of that was true. In fact, cases of conversion among the territory residents who experienced Piote’s divine power were on the rise.
Upon hearing this, Porisco sneered heavily.
“Oh, look at that, the northern bumpkin got mesmerized by a taste of divine power.”
As a bishop, he had seen such tricks played by rural lords more than once. Just having one priest in the territory could change the quality of life significantly.
Of course, the extremely low number of priests ultimately meant it would be a privilege exclusive to the nobles.
Pretending to think hard, Porisco casually threw out a remark.
“Well, I can’t manage a diocese, but if you want a temple for Lady Juana, I can send a couple of monks and missionaries for a bit of service.”
“Who do you think you are trying to snatch a priest away with such tricks?”
Having already taken a bribe, he could probably indulge a small request. However, he certainly had no intentions of keeping Piote there.
“Having been out, he’s got some experience now. Just imagine how much money could roll in.”
A priest was precious; each one was a golden goose laying dollar eggs. They had to extract as much as possible before Piote’s status rose any higher.
And there was another reason. The more priests he had following him, the more influence he could exert within the church.
Ghislaine spoke in a slightly disappointed tone.
“Could you at least let Priest Piote stay a little longer in our territory?”
“Hmm, well, if it’s not a permanent stay… Ahem! What was I saying? If it’s not a formal appointment, a little donation could let him stay three more months.”
“A donation… understood.”
As Ghislaine bowed to leave, Porisco asked, slightly flustered.
“Are you leaving already? Not making a donation? Are you sending Piote right back?”
“No, if I’m making a donation, it has to be proper. I’ll prepare and come back to see you soon.”
At that, Porisco finally broke into a pleased smile.
“Indeed, the goddess favors devout followers. I’ll be looking forward to my Baron’s trust and sincerity. I hope you come well-prepared.”
He already knew that Baron Penris had food and iron ore in his hands.
Porisco secretly started to wonder just how magnificent the gift would be.
As soon as Ghislaine exited the temple, she spoke to Lowell.
“Let’s get started. Move as planned. You can do this for sure, right?”
“Of course, that’s my specialty.”
“Good, let’s make that greedy bastard completely lose his senses. Let’s send him straight to heaven.”
“Understood. He’ll truly feel like he’s in heaven.”
Lowell and the soldiers scattered throughout the capital with a lot of food.
Ghislaine stayed at the previously bought Crow Mansion, issuing various orders to the servants.
A week passed, and Porisco began to curse Ghislaine, feeling extremely displeased.
“Why hasn’t that guy who said he’d donate shown up yet? That arrogant bumpkin. I need to recall Piote immediately.”
Without a formal appointment, he could only assume the funds were wasted and that Ghislaine had given up.
“That stingy bastard… How hard is it to keep a priest around for a long time? Besides, I need more money. There are plenty of places that need some greasing up.”
“Let me tell you.”
Bishop Porisco was in quite a troubling situation. He was at odds with the Archbishop and was slowly being pushed toward a crisis of excommunication.
There were even rumors circulating that the Archbishop would convene a council soon to oust him.
He tried to bribe other bishops and nobles to sway public opinion here and there, but the situation wasn’t getting any better.
“Damn it! Why is everyone ganging up on me while they all feast together? I just ate a little more than usual!”
Everyone ate the same way, but now that the tides were turning against him, it became his weakness.
He had similar plans for the bribes he received from Baron Penris. But since he hadn’t shown up, it was all for nothing.
Porisco clicked his tongue several times and wiped Ghislaine from his mind. He forced a smile on his worried face and made his way to the hall where the sacrament was taking place.
However, as he passed by, he couldn’t help but notice the temple servants whispering as they looked at him.
“What is it? Why are they looking at me like that? It’s as if they’re seeing something strange!”
It was puzzling. From the usual gazes, he sensed fear, with a hint of concealed disdain. But today, the feeling was somewhat different.
Feeling uneasy, he quickened his pace as the murmuring voices started to reach his ears.
“That person… they say.”
“They’ve been hiding it on purpose all along…”
“The rumors have already spread… suddenly since this morning…”
He couldn’t catch everything. But he definitely picked up on the fact that they said he had hidden something on purpose and that the rumors had spread out of nowhere.
“What’s going on? Has the Archbishop already taken action? Is he manipulating public opinion outside too? Is he trying to kill me for sure? What to do? If I get excommunicated, I’m as good as dead. I need to find a way, whether it’s killing the Archbishop first or being killed myself.”
In a confused state, Porisco wrapped up the sacrament half-heartedly and decided to go outside to find out what was happening.
For the past few days, he had felt heavy and lazy, just eating and sleeping inside the temple, so he hadn’t grasped the full situation.
Accompanied by a few Temple Knights, Porisco stepped outside and immediately sensed something different in the atmosphere.
“Bishop Porisco is here!”
“Oh, we’ve misunderstood him all this time.”
“The Saint of the Poor District!”
The crowd nearby began to shout excitedly. These were people who used to dodge him as if he were invisible even when he passed by.
He had only used his Divine Power for the rich nobles, completely ignoring the sick and suffering people.
He had been so blatant in discriminating against others and accepting bribes that he had earned the nickname ‘Greedy Priest.’
Nonetheless, he didn’t care. He was different from those worthless people; he was chosen by the Goddess.
But then…
“What? The Saint of the Poor District? Me?”
The title of “Saint” isn’t just given to anyone. It’s a title earned only by those who give everything and sacrifice for others.
And Porisco knew well that there was as much distance between him and the name “Saint” as there is between the ends of the earth.
He had never set foot in the Poor District, except when he begrudgingly went there as an altar boy just to complete his service hours.
Why would someone as noble as him go to that filthy, smelly place?
Yet, he couldn’t ignore such claims.
“Let’s… let’s go to the Poor District.”
The looks and treatment from the crowd had changed. It felt strange. His voice trembled involuntarily.
“Prepare the wagon, hurry!”
The Poor District was quite far on the outskirts of the capital. There was no way he could walk there with his large frame.
With a tense heart, he arrived at the Poor District and was met with yet another astonishing sight.
“Wow, the Saint has come!”
“Here he comes!”
“Bishop Porisco has arrived!”
“Our savior has finally appeared!”
The poor folks were chattering loudly and began to gather around. He took a slight step back in surprise.
However, the Temple Knights only smiled and had no intention of stopping the approaching crowd.
“W-what are you all doing… Hurry up and get rid of that guy…”
Porisco couldn’t finish his sentence. Suddenly, all the poor people prostrated on the floor and started to worship.
“Thank you! Thank you, Bishop!”
“Thanks to you, my grandson is alive!”
“Please forgive me for cursing you all this time! I didn’t understand your deep intentions!”
Some were weeping, while others sang praises. Even an old man crawled on his knees towards Porisco and kissed his feet.
Receiving the people’s worship, Porisco felt an intense thrill run down his spine.
‘This, this is it! This is what I wanted! What I’ve been missing all along!’
Because of his status as a priest, he couldn’t marry. Unlike other nobles, he couldn’t wield power without restraint.
He lived enjoying fine clothes, good food, and comfortable beds, but that was all it was.
No matter how many bribes he took or how much wealth he amassed, his desires were never satisfied. Even playing around had to be done secretly, always looking over his shoulder.
But look at this! Everyone sincerely adores and worships him.
‘It feels like I’ve become a god!’
Porisco finally felt something filling his heart.
Honor, the power to genuinely be respected and to transcend power.
Porisco’s eyes were opened to a new greed.
He was satisfied, but still didn’t know why these people were praising him. He had to know the exact reason.
“Why, why are they treating me like this?”
The Temple Knight continued to smile and replied.
“It’s useless to pretend you don’t know now. The rumor has already spread far and wide in the capital. How could you hide such deep intentions all this time?”
Respect was reflected in the Temple Knight’s eyes. Porisco shook his head vigorously and asked again.
“W-wha-what rumor are you talking about?”
“The rumor is that the reason you have stubbornly amassed wealth is all for this moment. You foresaw the drought through the goddess’s revelation, didn’t you?”
“M-me? Received a revelation?”
Only the Saint can receive the goddess’s revelation.
It was nonsense for a man like him to receive it. He had never even had a dream about such things.
But the Temple Knight continued with a look that said he didn’t have to hide anymore.
“Yes. You gathered wealth through the revelation and used that wealth to buy food to distribute here in the poor district. The people suffering from the drought owe their lives to you, Bishop. We understand the need for secrecy since it’s the word of the god.”
He couldn’t understand what was being said. Porisco had been diligently using his wealth to bribe for his survival.
How much had he grumbled while watching the hidden storage’s wealth dwindle every morning?
And where would he find enough food to distribute to the poor district in these times?
“W-where am I supposed to get food?”
“Baron Penris came to the capital with an enormous amount of food at your request, didn’t he? Many saw it.”
‘Baron Penris!’
Hearing that name jolted him awake.
Wasn’t he the guy who had promised a big donation and then suddenly disappeared? Why is his name coming up here?
As Porisco sweated coldly with a complicated expression, someone approached from a distance, waving and greeting him.
“How… Did you like the donation, Saint Porisco?”
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