A new religion, the Twilight Church, was born on the El Dorado Continent.
“For the time being, Necros, please assist the Twilight Church. And Sharia, if you face any difficulties, feel free to speak with Necros.”
At the command of Chief Administrator Celia, Necros nodded with all his might.
The more the Twilight Church succeeded, the more believers there would be.
More believers meant more offerings.
Necros was not one to miss a good opportunity.
On the other hand, there was also someone who was both happy and worried about the birth of the Twilight Church.
It was Sharia.
“Lucas, how much funds did we have under the name of Eclipse?”
The organization called Eclipse was about to disappear into the annals of history and operate under the new name, the Twilight Church.
Of course, all the existing members remained the same, but a name change meant many things would change.
There were things that needed to be prepared before the change.
The most important was finding the funds under the name of Eclipse.
In response to Sharia’s question, Lucas put on a serious expression.
Funds were always important and secret, so caution was necessary.
“Yes, Captain. Currently, there are two stores from which you have taken credit under your name, not Eclipse’s.”
“…”
Sharia’s expression darkened at Lucas’s words.
It wasn’t that Eclipse had no assets.
What bothered her was that she herself had outstanding debts at two places.
“Next, I will tell you about the credit and the amounts. First, I purchased a basket of stale bread that was a day past its expiration date, and the store owner gave me a discount and put it on credit for 9 copper coins.”
9 copper coins.
It was an unavoidable choice.
Eclipse was not financially well-off.
Normally, they solved their meals through begging.
On days when begging was not fruitful, they had no choice but to buy bread, and of course, they couldn’t afford freshly baked bread.
Instead, they bought stale bread and shared it with the members.
“Also, you will remember the case where one of our members suffered from a stomachache after eating a field mouse.”
Sharia also remembered.
One of the members, driven by extreme hunger, had caught and eaten a field mouse.
However, perhaps due to poor hygiene, they had suffered from a severe stomachache.
What else could be done?
As the Captain of Eclipse, Sharia couldn’t bear to see her member in pain.
“At that time, you took out a loan from an herbalist and got medicine.”
She remembered that too.
She had urgently obtained medicine to treat her member.
Since Eclipse was an organization of warlocks, they could not receive help from the Church.
They had quickly sought help from an herbalist, but they were in debt for a considerable amount of 5 silver coins.
“…”
Sharia’s face was full of worry.
What would happen if she couldn’t repay the debts and ran away?
Even if she abandoned the name Eclipse, the problem wouldn’t be solved.
In the worst-case scenario, Sharia, the leader of the Twilight Church, might be known for not repaying the money.
‘If that happens…’
Future believers might become disappointed with the Twilight Church and leave.
That would mean the downfall of the Twilight Church, and more importantly, it would mean failing to fulfill the orders of the First Apostle.
‘I absolutely cannot let that happen!’
Before changing the name of Eclipse, the debts had to be repaid accurately.
However, she currently did not have the means to pay the debts.
Instead, she had the Apostles around her who could help!
“Um… Apostle Necros?”
Sharia approached Necros.
Didn’t the First Apostle, Celia, say to ask Necros for help if she had any difficulties?
So, she told him about her current debts.
“So, perhaps, could you help me with these outstanding debts?”
Sharia even bowed her head as she asked Necros for help.
Hearing her concerns, Necros’s mind raced.
Rumors spread that the leader of the Twilight Church defaulted on her debts. -> The prestige of the Twilight Church declines. -> The number of Twilight Church believers decreases. -> The offerings from believers decrease. -> More money is better than money.
“!”
Such a thing must never happen.
Necros decided to repay the debts on her behalf to prevent malicious gossip about Sharia, the leader.
After all, he was confident that he would earn more than his investment through the Twilight Church, no matter what.
“Apostle, the amount of the outstanding debt is…”
Sharia spoke while extending her fingers.
Necros nodded at the sight of her five outstretched fingers.
6 gold coins?
That couldn’t be right. It was more likely that 60 or 600 coins were meant.
Of course, either way, it was pocket change for Necros.
“… It’s 5 silver coins!”
“?”
For the first time, Necros felt a sense of confusion regarding the unit of currency.
* * *
Sharia and Lucas came down from the mountain range.
Armored Skeleton Knights followed behind them.
They were to become the shield that protected the Twilight Church and its leader.
They were, in essence, the Twilight Knight Order.
Meanwhile, as soon as Necros descended from the mountain range, he scouted for a building to be used by the Twilight Church.
Naturally, being close to the ruler of the underworld, finding a building was not a difficult task.
And two days passed.
“… Is this the building we’re going to use?”
Sharia gazed at the building with astonishment.
It had only been two days since they descended from the mountain range.
She had expected it to take months for the Twilight Church to begin full operations, but only two days?
“There are so many people here!”
And the building was located in a place with high foot traffic.
Necros, wearing a white mask, looked around.
The Twilight Church’s building was located in front of the Monster Coliseum, which Necros operated.
He deliberately bought the building in front to keep the Twilight Church close.
This way, he could resolve any unexpected situations quickly.
“And I see many people who will become believers?”
Most importantly, this was the underworld.
Not everyone in the underworld was affiliated with an organization or a criminal.
Being in the shadows rather than the light, there were also many people who were in unfavorable circumstances.
‘Those abandoned by the Goddess.’
Sharia licked her lips as she looked at them.
If she could bring them into the Twilight Church, she could quickly fill the ranks of believers.
That would be equivalent to successfully carrying out the order given by the First Apostle.
And Necros, who had been watching quietly, was making another plan.
“……”
Most of the people in this region were from the bottom of society.
Even if she attracted many of them as believers, the income wouldn’t be much.
Naturally, he was not satisfied with this.
Necros was making grand plans to expand the Twilight Church step by step, using this place as a stepping stone.
Necros wrote down his plan in a notebook and showed it to Sharia.
“Uh… ‘Room of Truth’?”
Sharia tilted her head.
The notebook shown by the Apostle contained things that Sharia had to abide by, which were as follows:
– If there are humans who are hostile or disbelieve in the Twilight Church, bring them to the ‘Room of Truth.’
– The ‘Room of Truth’ is inhabited by professional counselors.
She couldn’t understand the meaning, but since the Apostle had said it, there must be a deeper meaning.
– Ah, the Room of Truth and the professional counselors are located in the Coliseum building across the way.
Sharia simply nodded.
Hearing the word “counselor,” she thought it meant managing potential threats.
It was highly likely.
That’s why the Room of Truth was placed in a separate building.
She was curious about what was inside, but she didn’t dwell on it.
As the leader of the Twilight Church, she just needed to follow the Apostle’s instructions well.
“I will definitely live up to the Apostle’s expectations!”
Now, all that was left was for Lucas to bring the existing Eclipse members.
Then, the grand overture of the Twilight Church would begin.
Sharia immediately began preparing to operate the Twilight Church.
Although a building was secured, minor rules were needed to operate the Twilight Church efficiently.
And believers weren’t simply made.
She had to think about how to proselytize people immediately, and as the leader, what teachings to impart to the believers.
For these things, Sharia intended to study.
She felt a surge of passion for the first time in a long time.
* * *
Necros sent Sharia away and returned to the Coliseum building.
The Monster Coliseum was crowded with people again today.
The excitement of the coliseum grew, and word of mouth spread.
Now, not only people from the underworld but also people from the light were visiting the coliseum.
Necros walked, listening to the cheers of the humans.
He had no business in the coliseum.
After all, the human employees he appointed were running it well.
As the owner, Necros only needed to collect his share and ensure the proper supply of monsters for the coliseum.
Necros headed towards the depths of the building.
The loud cheers from a little while ago had subsided.
His destination was the dungeon where he reigned as master.
The dungeon, bestowed by the Great One, was in a corner of the coliseum building, and Skeleton Knights stood guard around it.
*Clang!*
As Necros passed, the Skeleton Knights saluted him with discipline.
Because humans had trespassed before, security had been strengthened.
Necros entered the dungeon, receiving their salutes.
As soon as he entered the dungeon, he saw humans sitting in chairs, deep in sleep.
They weren’t truly deep asleep.
Kaleido, in front of them, was showing them illusion magic.
Some were even babbling incoherently in the illusions Kaleido was showing them.
“Ah, no…! The Church was actually the mastermind!”
“There is only that person for me! Long live the Twilight Church!”
He was indifferent to what illusions the humans were dreaming.
The moment they awoke from their illusions, they would be transformed into ardent believers of the Twilight Church.
Necros planned to expand the Twilight Church as soon as possible.
To minimize variables, he had instructed Sharia to report any impure elements.
If there were such cohorts, they would be educated through brainwashing here in the dungeon, or in the Room of Truth.
There was someone else here besides the humans who would become believers of the Twilight Church.
“You’ve arrived, Necros-sama.”
Paladin Eric.
No, the Banshee controlling Eric greeted Necros through Eric’s mouth.
And in front of Eric, another Paladin, Drakon, sat with his eyes closed.
“Clap?”
“Yes, thanks to Necros-sama and Kaleido, the brainwashing is proceeding smoothly.”
Eric met Drakon in the mountain range.
Drakon claimed to have met warlocks from an organization called Eclipse in the mountain range and that there was an army of undead summoned by them.
Originally, Eric intended to use Drakon’s claims and the Church to check Eclipse.
However, he heard through Shadow that Eclipse was actually an ally.
So, he changed his plan.
He decided to gain other benefits by using Drakon.
Drakon’s claim to have seen warlocks and an undead army in the mountain range was very dangerous.
If the Church’s army were to head towards the mountain range, it would pose a potential threat to the Master’s dungeon.
‘Such a thing must never happen.’
To prevent such a mishap, Eric lured Drakon here.
The process of luring him was easy.
He simply lied that Deputy Leader Liana and an Inquisitor were nearby.
Drakon, confused by the deaths of his comrades, believed Eric’s words without question.
The price was that he ended up under Kaleido’s illusion magic.
“This is unbelievable… Eclipse existed in the Free City Alliance! The Free City Alliance was backing Eclipse!”
Drakon muttered in a dazed voice.
As expected, the brainwashing through illusion was working well.
The brainwashing was simple.
It was merely a slight alteration of Drakon’s memories.
All claims of seeing an undead army were deleted, and the false information that Eclipse was located in the Free City Alliance was mixed in.
The setting was also added that all his fellow Paladins were assassinated by the Free City Alliance’s guards.
In the intricate illusory world created by Kaleido, Drakon was unknowingly and slowly being brainwashed.
Eric, confirming that everything was proceeding smoothly, put on a determined expression.
“Necros-sama, I have never forgotten His grace.”
The Banshee controlling Eric said in a low voice.
“It is all thanks to the power bestowed by Him that I, a mere undead, can wield Holy Power and pretend to be a Paladin.”
Without that power, he would have died long ago.
“Therefore, I want to do what I can. As soon as Drakon’s brainwashing is complete, I will head straight to the Church.”
Drakon would tell the Church about the fabricated memories created by the brainwashing.
That Eclipse was revived and that the Free City Alliance was behind their support.
Then, the Church’s blade would naturally be directed towards the Free City Alliance.
Eric said with a determined gaze.
“When the Great One descends, the Sail Kingdom will be too small to fully embrace His glory.”
He clenched his fist and continued,
“I intend to use the Church to absorb the Free City Alliance. I will prepare a stage befitting our Master!”
Eric’s eyes sparkled with unwavering faith.
From now on, his plan was to turn the Sail Kingdom into an empire.
