Hogwarts: Legacy of the Necromancer

The priest's corpse had started to get busy. Originally, all the cleaning was done by children hired from the surrounding communities, but now he had no choice but to clean up the bloodstains himself.

Then, bringing Carly Claus into the priest's office, he began skillfully forging document after document. Just as 'Aler' had said earlier, these papers showed that the priest, in an attempt to gain more profit, had borrowed a large sum of money from a branch of a church. However, the smuggling venture didn't go well—he got scammed out of a large amount of money. As a result, the priest had even mortgaged the church to that branch, ending up with debts totaling over three million.

Was the church, as church property, something the priest was even allowed to mortgage? Of course not. But he did it anyway. That gave the creditors a valid excuse. When the time was right to take over the church, they would have all the justification they needed.

It was just like those people who gamble away their houses. Though debt collectors may occupy the house, the debtor disappears without a trace, making it impossible to transfer ownership. But once the house is occupied, no one can evict the debt collector. The principle is the same.

Since everything was done through smuggling, all borrowing and repayment were handled in cash. This would make any investigation difficult to pursue.

Once all these illegal and irrational acts were completed, the groundwork for a seemingly legitimate takeover of the church was laid.

"The will is already written. Now, all we need is a religious group to protect our interests. Once the priest dies, we must occupy the church immediately. Any future issues will be dealt with by the believers."

The priest's corpse paused in his busy work and turned to Carly Claus with a smile. That zombie-like expression was especially terrifying.

A bag containing all the church's property documents and keys was placed into Carly Claus's hands.

"Now I'm going out to kill myself. When I come back, we'll gather the believers."

As he spoke, the priest's corpse took off his watch and ring, pulled out his wallet and car keys, and set them aside. Then, taking only a driver's license, he walked out of the church.

There was a 20-meter-high water tower near the town. Bathed in the morning sunlight, the priest's corpse greeted people along the way as he headed straight toward the tower. Under the gaze of the townsfolk, he climbed to the top without anyone stopping him.

What was the priest doing? That was the one question on everyone's mind. But they would soon have their answer.

"When the priest's corpse reached the highest point he could climb, he turned and made a diving gesture—then jumped."

Later, a resident, badly shaken by what they had seen, recounted the horrific scene to the police.

The priest landed headfirst. His face was completely smashed. If it hadn't been for townspeople identifying him and the driver's license on his person, just confirming his identity would've been a headache for the police.

The priest had committed suicide—there was no doubt about that. But what was the motive?

The police turned their attention to the town's church, where, at some unknown point, several outsiders had begun to gather.

After having the priest jump from the water tower, 'Soul of White Bones' Aler returned immediately to Carly Claus's side.

"That body reeks. Let's get to work right away!"

'Aler' seemed even more excited than Carly Claus. When it came to the problems ahead, it was now all about speed.

"The Holy Thorn Crown is the only sacred relic of our Lord, symbolizing His supreme status. Our Lord is the King of the Jews."

"To the knights who believe the Holy Thorn Crown is our Lord's sole relic—our Lord praises your courage, encourages your devotion, and needs your love."

"Take up your arms, stand by our Lord's side, follow the figure of the Saintess, fight all heresy, and defend our faith."

Carly Claus once again activated the 'Whisper of Delirium' curse. But this time, there was no specific target. Anyone who received this message would be affected by the curse.

These three lines repeated over and over, creating a group of people who believed themselves to be 'Knights of the Holy Thorn Crown.'

Soon, people began arriving at the town church in groups—some on foot, others by car.

"Lady Saintess, I'm Adele, a lawyer. I want to know—does our religious order have legal standing?"

A young female believer, still somewhat rational, asked Carly Claus the question that had been weighing on her mind.

"That is part of your duty in defending our faith. The name of our order is the 'Knights of the Holy Thorn Crown.' Make it a legal entity. I am the Saintess of the order, Carly Claus. Let us build this church together. Our Lord is with you."

Under 'Aler's reminder, Carly Klaus directly ordered the follower Adele to register the yet-to-be-formed cult as a legally recognized organization.

"Yes, the Lord is with me. From today on, the Holy Thorn Crown Knights will be officially established."

Adele turned and left the chapel. She would use her connections to secure the necessary legal documents for the cult's establishment.

In the United States, registering a religious group isn't difficult—this is also why cults are numerous and rampant there.

Carly Klaus gathered the summoned followers into the chapel. They had already been informed of everything.

The priest here had borrowed money from the cult and, unable to repay it, committed suicide. Just moments ago, he jumped off the town's water tower, leaving the church and everything inside it to the cult as repayment.

Now the cult held the transfer documents and the priest's suicide note. All that remained was for the police to come for questioning.

Carly Klaus possessed 'Aler,' her cheat-like tool, and the dagger's innate magic had a powerful effect on the followers. Through the "Soul of Bone," she could also sense their personal conditions.

Who was a fanatic? Who was a true believer? Who was an ambitious schemer? All of it was clear at a glance. Adele, just now, was a true believer.

A true believer would never do anything to harm the cult. On the contrary, they would go to great lengths to protect their faith. That was also why she had raised her doubts so proactively. With her background and capabilities, the cult would soon be on the right track.

"As the Saint of the Holy Thorn Crown Knights, Carly! You need to show them a miracle."

'Aler' whispered to Carly Klaus in her mind.

"A miracle? Where am I supposed to find a miracle for them?"

Carly Klaus couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Had she known being the cult's saint would be this difficult, she might have reconsidered. Once everything was exposed, would the followers tear her apart?

"Don't forget—we have magic! The 'Fang of Bone' is perfect for this moment. You just need a little bit of bone material, and conveniently, we have the priest's tooth."

Fortunately, 'Aler' hadn't cleaned thoroughly earlier, and a bloodstained tooth had been left on the ground.

Carly Klaus felt at ease around these followers because they were all summoned through the curse of Whispering Delirium and were still under its influence, allowing her to interact with them naturally.

"Everyone! I am Saint Carly Klaus. I have felt your faith. Among you, one person's belief stands out as especially strong and unwavering. I fully acknowledge and reward that devotion. You—sir in the front row—please come forward."

A Black man stood up when pointed at by Carly Klaus, his face full of joy and surprise.

"I appoint you as an official knight of the Holy Thorn Crown Knights, and grant you a unique reward."

Carly Klaus held the tooth between her fingers. She had already asked 'Aler'—if the 'Fang of Bone' transformed into a dagger, each one could be different, depending on the user's desired style.

"I will bestow upon you a dagger as your reward. This marks your induction as a formal knight of the cult. Envision the style you want clearly in your mind—and witness the miracle."

Carly Klaus grasped his hand as she spoke, and her words made all the followers' eyes light up. Had they been thinking rationally, they would have dismissed the girl's words as a joke. But they weren't in their right minds—they were believers, and so they trusted every word the saint uttered, eagerly anticipating the miracle.

The Black man held out his right hand, palm up, and Carly Klaus placed both of her hands around it—then the miracle occurred.

As her upper hand lifted away, a dagger shaped like a kukri appeared in the man's palm.

The 'Fang of Bone' had directly crafted the dagger to match his thoughts.

The atmosphere of faith in the room instantly grew feverish.

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