Surviving as a Cult Leader in Another World (On Pause)

The banquet and festivities seemed like they would continue through the night.

The day Psyche, who had been ill for two years, recovered.
Count Doban lit fires and had musicians sing as if to announce this fact to the ends of the earth.
"Monk Hyde! Make me some more soap!"
"Did you really cure the Lady's illness? Amazing!"
I received truly lavish treatment from the servants and maids.
It was enough to make me realize how much they had wished for Lady Psyche's recovery.
However.
Psyche herself, the person involved, kept her distance from me and only glared at me from time to time. I thought I had gotten used to Psyche glaring at me for the past five years, but I was wrong.
My heart aches.
"Monk Hyde. I have something to discuss with you about healing my daughter. Would you mind if the three of us talked now?"
Count Doban, who had been receiving congratulations from people, approached me.
When I nodded, he started walking somewhere, and I, along with Psyche, followed him into what could be called the mansion's library.
Or rather, would it be better to call it the Count's office?
Despite the dark night, the desk was brightly lit, piled high with documents and parchment, and on the wall, armor and various weapons were displayed.
I had expected a luxurious and ornate office, but it was a bit unexpected to see it resemble a battlefield control room.
"Sit down."
Count Doban had been speaking down to me naturally since some point.
It was only natural.
I was an orphan.
Count Doban was a great nobleman, influential enough to promise a marriage alliance with the royal family.
Even if there were rumors that his glory wasn't what it used to be, to the Count, someone like me would be less than an ant crawling at his feet.
If I hadn't healed Psyche, would I have ever had the chance to talk to him in my life?
Count Doban sat in the chair prepared as the head seat and said,
"I'll get straight to the point. Hyde, I'm truly grateful that you healed my daughter. However, I can't grant you the reward you wished for."
It wasn't particularly surprising news.
A beggar who cures a princess's illness marries the princess and lives happily ever after – that's the kind of romance that only exists in fairy tales.
I asked,
"Isn't the Agarphe family a family that values trust, to the point of receiving the title of 'Covenant'? Are you saying you won't keep your promise to grant me anything I wish for?"
"I won't make excuses. What you asked for is unreasonable. I can only grant you what is within my power to give."
To say that marrying his daughter to me is something beyond the Count's power… I had a vague idea, but it was as if a blurry picture suddenly became clear.
"Is it because of the engagement with the royal family? Count Doban, you forced Lady Psyche to feign illness to keep your promise to the royal family. Am I wrong?"
"Hmm, forced…"
Count Doban's expression changed drastically again.
It was an expression like, 'How did you know?'.
I pressed on, adding a few more words.
"If Lady Psyche, who is in full bloom like a flower, were to marry another man, it would break an old promise, wouldn't it? Count Doban, you're sacrificing your daughter to keep an old promise."
"You're as cunning as a snake. Yes, Psyche was engaged to a prince who was to be born a long time ago. Our Agarphe family was supposed to become the protector and companion of the royal family."
The light of the candles reflected strangely in Doban's brown eyes. It was as if a burning war was blazing within his eyes.
"But we betrayed them when they needed us most. I dealt with some of them myself. Their screams still haunt me like ghosts."
According to my memory, twenty years ago, in this 'kingdom', there was a great conflict between the royal family and the Church over control of the land.
The result was the Church's victory.
With the betrayal of great nobles like Count Agarphe, the royal capital, Royalroad, fell, and the Ungere royal family was wiped out.
The reason I was able to invade Royalroad while bearing the stigma of the name "Lust" was because it was a city without an owner.
Thanks to that, I was able to obtain the 'Holy Grail' and gain another opportunity.
I would never have been able to conquer the royal castle where the king resided.
In that sense, Count Doban destroying the king and the royal family was a great stroke of luck for me. Their betrayal made me who I am today!
It felt like I was truly within a grand providence.
Our meeting must have been ordained by God!
"Count, if the royal family no longer exists, then there's no promise to keep, is there? Why should you, who betrayed the royal family, be bound by an old promise?"
"…"
Doban remained silent, his strong jaw clenched.
Then Psyche, who had been listening for a long time, opened her lips.
"Father did nothing wrong. It was all my will. It was my will to feign illness and to refuse all marriage proposals. If it weren't for you… I would have continued to do so."
This was a bit unexpected.
I thought Count Doban would insist on keeping his integrity, citing something like 'the last loyalty to the betrayed royal family'.
To think that this feigned illness was Psyche's own will, not Count Doban's order.
Even better.
This means I only need to persuade Psyche!
"Lady Psyche, think carefully. Marrying me wouldn't be such a bad thing. But it's late now, so let's talk tomorrow. It's time for prayer."
Creak, thud-.
The man closed the door and disappeared into the distance.
Only after his presence was gone did Count Doban ask,
"Psyche, what happened? You were the one who feigned illness through everything. You even ignored your brother's birthday…"
"That man! He tried to kill himself in front of me!"
Psyche's anger flared up again as she recalled the incident. Seeing her like this, Doban felt a very strange mix of emotions.
In truth, Doban didn't like Psyche feigning illness.
As a father, he wanted his daughter to not be trapped by an old promise.
He wanted her to get married, find a partner, and live happily.
'But my daughter is trying to bear the burden of the sin I committed. Hyde, that young man is right. Our mansion is ruled by a ghost called an 'Old Promise'.'
In that sense, it was fortunate that the suspicious Monk Hyde had broken Psyche's stubbornness. Now Psyche could live a normal life.
Also, it was the first time he had met a young man with the guts to ask him directly for his daughter's hand in marriage, without being intimidated by a great nobleman like himself.
In that respect, the Count had a very complex curiosity about the man named Hyde.
"Monk Hyde put on quite a show. It was very effective. It seems his acting skills were quite good."
"No, Father, what's even more infuriating is… that it wasn't acting. He really tried to kill himself in front of me. At least, that's what I saw…"
Psyche vividly recalled the events of the afternoon. If she hadn't stopped him, he would have truly died.
His body trembling in her grasp.
The sound of his breath fading as it scraped his lungs.
All of it was horrifying, so Psyche shook her head and decided to change the subject.
"Father, what are we going to do when Archibald's healers arrive at Agarphe soon? I can't pretend to be sick again now. Moreover, the healer being dispatched this time is that Oscar."
"Yes, that miraculous Oscar. The man who proposed to you two years ago. When he finds out you're well, he'll try to propose to you again in Archibald's name. I won't be able to refuse."
Archbishop Archibald was the symbol of the Church.
It was certainly difficult for Doban and his family, who had sided with the royal family as great nobles, to refuse Archbishop Archibald's request.
Doban was a traitor, and Archibald was the victor.
'That Archibald, he's probably thinking of marrying his son to my daughter under the pretext of reconciliation. This is clearly a loyalty test from the Church for our Agarphe family.'
Until now, they had been able to refuse all marriage proposals on the grounds that Psyche was unable to marry anyone, but now they wouldn't be able to do that.
'Oscar, the Archbishop's second son, will arrive in two days at the latest. If we don't handle this situation somehow by then, our Agarphe family…'
Doban's worries deepened as much as the wrinkles on his forehead.
He had seen what happened to the nobles who were loyal to the Church.
The family's authority and power would be weakened by the Church, and eventually, the Agarphe family, with its 300-year history, might disintegrate.
'If the Agarphe family were to perish because of me, I wouldn't be able to face my ancestors. Moreover, to marry my precious daughter to the son of that hateful Archibald…'
Doban felt a sense of helplessness at his inability to even protect his daughter's fate.
Twenty years ago, when he betrayed the royal family to protect his family and clan, he thought he had prepared himself for everything.
Then, his wise daughter Psyche, after much thought, opened her lips.
"To avoid marriage with the Archibald family, I have no choice but to marry someone else first. Father, can you prepare the marriage announcement?"
"What? You're going to get married?"
Doban was greatly surprised by his daughter's words about marriage.
To think that his daughter, who he thought would feign illness for the rest of her life, would get married.
He was happy and puzzled at the same time.
"Are you saying you'll marry Wooden Plaque Monk Hyde? Then I, your father who promised marriage, can regain my trust."
"No, I won't marry him, but I'll give him a chance. I'll set a problem, and those who can solve it on their own will be chosen as groom candidates. We need to proceed quickly before Oscar Archibald arrives!"
Morning.
When I opened my eyes on the very soft bed, the mansion was in an uproar.
Wondering what was going on, I went out into the hallway and saw a large parchment attached to the wall, with the following written on it:
"Public recruitment of husband candidates for Psyche Agarphe.
Anyone who can solve the following problems on their own is eligible."
"First, what is the shape of this land created by God?"
"Second, describe the reason and principle of rainfall."
"Third, how many angels can stand on the tip of a fountain pen's nib?"
"Aha, so this is how it is?"
Whose idea was this?
Count Doban?
No, the Count Doban I briefly met was the type of commander who gave orders on the field, not a strategist. Then it must be Psyche herself.
It was an interesting event.
Naturally, people were buzzing with excitement and curiosity.
"Is it true that anyone who solves the problems can become a husband candidate? Even me?"
"But the problems are too difficult. How can we solve them?"
"I heard that Lady Psyche received a revelation from God while she was ill."
"Indeed, they are mysterious problems."
People marveled.
Are these problems really that difficult?
As I was thinking this, someone tapped me on the shoulder.
Turning my head, I saw Knight Loras, in his silver armor, smirking at me.
"You're lucky, aren't you? You happened to cure the Lady's illness, so you passed the preliminaries without even trying. Well, even if you luckily passed the preliminaries, you'll be eliminated in the finals."
Passed the preliminaries?
Aha, it seemed that the Agarphe family had shown me favor for healing Psyche's illness, allowing me to become a husband candidate without solving the problems.
So this is how they rewarded my request to marry Lady Psyche.
Indeed, it was wise and amusing.
Then Loras said,
"Monk Hyde, you were lucky this time, but a lowly orphan like you doesn't suit Lady Psyche. You'd better give up now before you get hurt."
"Well, I don't think so. Fine. I'll give up my preliminary pass. Instead, if I solve the problems and rightfully rise to the top, I'll break your right arm, Loras. Got it?"
"What if you fail?"
"You can break my arm too."
"Fine. No backing out. I won't go easy on you. Everyone heard our bet, right?"
Loras's blue eyes shone brightly as he shouted to those around him.
I immediately took a scroll, wrote down the answers, and carefully placed it in the collection box.