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

Selim, Doctor of Theology.

He prided himself on being the smartest man in Agarphe.
He displayed talent in theology, medicine, literature, and excelled particularly in rhetoric.
'I'm the only one in this Agarphe territory who can perform four-digit multiplication and division mentally.'
Selim was as proud as his rival, Loras.
No, he was even more arrogant.
Selim always believed that he, who should be making a name for himself in the royal capital, the Holy Land, or Florence, was doing a special 'service' for the Agarphe family.
And now, this foreigner, who had just become a son-in-law, was telling him,
"Exclude Selim from the treatment. Even just for a week."
One week.
To separate him from Dihon for that long.
Selim naturally thought this was a trick by that wicked son-in-law.
'Is he trying to take control of Dihon and influence the future of the family?'
Selim knew people like Hyde, the son-in-law, very well.
Because he himself was thinking the same thing.
Someday, when Dihon inherited the Count's position, it would be him, whom Dihon followed so devotedly, who would become the true power behind Agarphe.
At that thought, Selim couldn't just stand by and watch Hyde.
"What if Young Master Dihon dies because he doesn't receive treatment for a week? Oh, is that your goal? Is it the ambition of the son-in-law to take over the venerable Agarphe family?"
"Shut up, you ignorant fool! To think you're only scheming to profit by exploiting a sick child, and you call yourself a priest? You heretical bastard!"
"I-Ignorant─!?"
Selim was momentarily speechless.
It wasn't that he was intimidated by the son-in-law or that he was complying with the order to shut up, but he was simply at a loss for words.
'It's so absurd that I can't even speak. Fine, I'll listen to your nonsense. And then I'll thoroughly refute it!'
Unlike Loras, who only believed in strength and courage, Selim was different.
He would completely crush that son-in-law─ As he was thinking that, Doban asked,
"Son-in-law, do you have a way to cure Dihon?"
"I don't have the tools or the environment right now, but I know where to get them. It's the Crescent Moon Sisterhood's hideout. Please send me there!"
"The Crescent Moon Sisterhood?"
Doban's brow furrowed.
The heretics who were causing trouble in the Durgien region.
What did going to the heretics, who were said to have slaughtered Priest Manaan and his party in the Agarphe territory, have to do with curing Dihon?
"Oh, I see, you're planning to join hands with the witches and perform some wicked sorcery on Dihon!"
As Selim spoke triumphantly, Count Doban became distracted.
He felt like his mind wasn't working properly.
'I've never been good at making plans or strategies. That's what that Medici Archibald is good at. What should I do here─'
Doban wasn't necessarily intelligent, but he was upright.
And he believed in what could be called 'instinct' or intuition.
It was thanks to that 'intuition' that he had joined hands with the royal family.
And it was also thanks to that 'intuition' that he had betrayed the royal family, and as a result, Agarphe survived.
'Which direction is that intuition pointing me towards…'
Selim, Doctor of Theology, who was from the same hometown and whom he had sent to study abroad with Agarphe's money.
Hyde, a man whose true identity was unknown, who had entered the family as a son-in-law.
Doban looked at the two men's faces alternately and sighed calmly.
"Two days from now, a subjugation force led by Oscar Archibald and Loras will be dispatched to subdue the Crescent Moon Sisterhood. Hyde, I'll make a place for you there."
"Oh!"
Hyde clenched his fist.
Selim was slightly angered by Count Doban's decision, but he soon scoffed.
'The Crescent Moon witches are violent and barbaric pagans. The bounty on them is enormous. Subdue them? He'll probably die.'
Oscar, Loras, and Hyde, the son-in-law.
If they all died in the subjugation of the heretics, it would be the best possible outcome for Selim.
'I'm going to profit just by sitting still? I'm so smart after all.'
"Hyde, I heard! You're going to depart with the soldiers to subdue the Crescent Moon Sisterhood? Why didn't you even consult me about such a thing? I'm your wife!"
Psyche.
She grabbed my arm as she entered the room.
Squeeze-.
Crack, crack-.
Her grip was so strong that I felt like my bones were cracking.
Psyche was incredibly strong.
As my arm was being crushed by her grip, I suddenly imagined what it would have been like if Psyche and I had successfully consummated our marriage on the first night.
Wouldn't my body have been crushed or broken to pieces if Psyche had just moved her arms or legs a little wrong in bed?
The fact that this wasn't an exaggeration was subtly terrifying.
Of course, I didn't voice that thought and spoke calmly.
"Don't worry, Psyche. I won't make you a widow."
"That's not what I'm worried about!"
"Then what is it?"
"No…, actually, that's a lie. I was also worried about becoming a widow when we just became husband and wife. Shouldn't I go with you after all? Hyde, your swordsmanship and martial arts skills are honestly…"
"Terrible."
I honestly admitted it.
My stamina was quite good, but I had no talent for martial arts or combat.
The soldiers and knights in this world used something called Holy Power and Aura to cut even logs like tofu.
But I had absolutely no talent in that area.
If I did, my life would have been twice as easy.
"I'll go with you after all."
Psyche showed enthusiasm.
I appreciated her desire to protect me, but I had to refuse.
"Psyche, when was the last time you held a sword?"
"That's─."
"When you held my hand the other day, there were no calluses on your hands. I know better than anyone that your courage is outstanding, but please protect the family. If both you and Loras are gone, there will be no one to protect the Agarphe family."
Psyche didn't argue, perhaps because she thought I was right.
I must have persuaded her.
My persuasion was sincere.
Of course, I had another reason for not wanting Psyche to join the subjugation force.
To be honest, I didn't want to send Psyche to a subjugation force teeming with men. Loras, Oscar, and various wolf-like soldiers.
Put Psyche in a place like that?
Who knows what might happen?
Considering Loras and Oscar's shady personalities, they would definitely set up traps to screw Psyche over.
One hundred percent.
I knew the minds of petty people well.
Of course, this would be the end of their petty acts.
Because I had devised a plan to bury Oscar and Loras along with the Crescent Moon Sisterhood during this subjugation.
Also, if things went well, there would be progress in curing Dihon's heart disease, and I could completely crush Selim's nose.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
Using one enemy to defeat another.
As expected, I'm smart.
"Hyde, I'll pick up the sword again."
At that moment, Psyche clenched her fist and made a resolution.
Then, she looked into my eyes and said once again,
"I'll diligently practice and train my swordsmanship and become stronger than anyone else."
It was a very admirable ambition.
In my opinion, I had only one weakness, and that was a lack of physical strength.
I couldn't do many things easily because I lacked strength.
I've been close to death countless times.
Fortunately or unfortunately, for the past five years, I had an ironclad guardian by my side who would use her strength for me.
Wrath of the Deadly Sins.
I hated her terribly, but to be honest, I don't know how many times I've survived thanks to her.
It would be perfect if Psyche could play that role in this life.
Two days had passed.
The time for the soldiers and knights to depart.
Oscar Archibald and the twenty soldiers he brought with him.
And nineteen Agarphe soldiers led by the bronze plaque knight, Tristan.
The mouths of the people watching the departure fell open in awe at the sight of the force of nearly forty soldiers, including three knights.
"It's been a while since I've seen so many soldiers dispatched."
"It's like the old war days."
It was unusual for forty soldiers to move at once in a time of peace. It meant that they were very eager to subdue the Crescent Moon Sisterhood.
"L, Loras, it's been a while. Well, I saw you yesterday, but… The Holy Knight's cloak suits you well."
"Tristan, how have you been?"
"But Loras, why do you keep smirking? Are you showing off your nickname, 'The Smiling Knight'?"
"No, something funny keeps popping into my head. Haha. Hahaha─. I can't stop laughing─Phew-. Anyway, brother, I'll leave it to you! Haha!"
Clasp-.
The two knights in plate armor clasped each other's gauntlets with a bang.
Tristan, the Agarphe knight.
And Loras, the former Agarphe knight.
They seemed to be quite close.
It was a scene that would appear in a movie about the friendship of American football players, and it made me frown.
Are these guys gay?
According to the Bible, there was nothing more sinful than homosexuality.
Naturally, I really hated homosexuality.
That's why I didn't even like men's hands or bodies touching mine.
Anyway.
Loras, despite having left Agarphe, reached out and shook hands with the Agarphe knight Tristan and the soldiers, showing his familiarity.
It wasn't surprising, as I knew he had a good reputation among the soldiers.
"Paulo, are you really sure about this? A lot of dangerous things will happen. It's not too late to go back to the mansion and sweep the floors."
Loras patted the head of a young boy.
The boy named Paulo.
Now that I look at it, he was the broom-wielding boy who was eager to become a knight.
Paulo said,
"I'll definitely make a contribution this time and help me get a knighthood someday! Of course, all I'll be doing in the subjugation force this time is chores…"
"Chores are important too!"
"Yeah, that's right! Someone has to do the dishes!"
The soldiers and knights laughed heartily.
Loras' gaze then turned to me.
"Are you really coming with us? You could be enjoying your honeymoon here with Lady Psyche, devoutly and happily. The battlefield is not a place for softies like you."
He said that and took out something that looked like a peanut from his pocket and chewed on it.
It was a castor bean.
"Phew, I feel alive now."
Chewing on a toxic substance that would cause vomiting and convulsions in ordinary people immediately after ingestion, Loras furrowed his brow.
His bloodshot eyes darted around, looking for Psyche.
Psyche would be swinging her sword by now.
Soon, Oscar Archibald raised his hand.
"Then, valiant warriors of the Holy Church! Let us raise our banners towards the subjugation of the heretics, according to the will of our Father and the Lord in heaven! Raise your crosses!"
"Waaaaah!"
With a loud roar, the soldiers began their march.
The subjugation was scheduled to take three days.
The goal was to quickly march for three days and attack the Crescent Moon Sisterhood's headquarters.
"How did you find out the location of the Crescent Moon Sisterhood's headquarters?"
Paulo, the boy who dreamed of becoming a knight, followed the mounted knight Loras like a squire and asked.
Oscar Archibald answered on his behalf.
"Some of the Crescent Moon Sisterhood's executives spilled information to the inquisitors this time. Have you heard of Bluebeard Paltmann, the Wicked Woman Nicola, and the Traitor Nomad?"
They were all the bastards I caught and handed over.
So they finally spilled the beans.
Well, that's probably how the Crescent Moon Sisterhood's headquarters was revealed.
Of course, I knew the location of their headquarters from the beginning.
But if I pretended to know, I would definitely hear something like, "Why do you know that? Are you a collaborator?", so I just kept quiet.
Paulo said,
"Bluebeard, Wicked Woman, Traitor─, having such nicknames means they're terrible villains, right? I also want to make a name for myself someday by capturing high-bounty villains! And I'll capture the Deadly Sins with my own hands!"
The soldiers burst into laughter again at Paulo's words.
Oscar Archibald patted Paulo's head.
"Your courage is commendable, but if you encounter the Deadly Sins, run away. They're not humans, they're living demons. It's foolish to confront them."
"Is, is that so… Can't we capture the Deadly Sins even with this many troops? We have three knights and nearly forty soldiers! Can't we even conquer a fortress with this many?"
The boy Paulo seemed slightly disappointed.
Someone could have said, "We can definitely capture them," to avoid crushing the boy's dreams, but no one dared to say such a thing carelessly.
The soldiers even seemed slightly uneasy at the mention of the Deadly Sins's names.
"Someone shut that kid's mouth. He's bringing bad luck. Why are there so many crow chicks?"
"What could possibly happen? I heard the leader of the Crescent Moon Sisterhood is at the bronze plaque level. With Sir Loras, Sir Baldwin, and Sir Tristan here, we have the upper hand."
"Yeah, the Crescent Moon Sisterhood is threatening, but compared to Psychoes or Walpurgis, they're a small heretical group."
The soldiers were getting agitated.
And my ears were itching for some reason.
Treating people like monsters.
Of course, I was not a Deadly Sins now, but Hyde, a devout, innocent, and more pious and trustworthy believer and husband than anyone else.
It's not my concern─that's what I'm saying.
And it will continue to be so.
But just in case─.
Swish.
I checked my only belonging, a black mask, inside my bag.
It was a plain iron mask that I had specially ordered from the blacksmith in the Agarphe territory.