NOVEL WEB Chapter 16
“I’ve moved the factory building to a massive junkyard outside the capital. You can sell what can be sold and toss out what can’t!”
As the witch shouted this while waving her wand, everyone raised their hands and cheered.
“It’s the Goddess’s grace!!”
“We believe! Oh, Goddess!!”
It’s obvious that the witch used magic to make this happen, so why are they suddenly praising the goddess?
Please, don’t do this.
The Goddess of Lilia might be watching me in real-time.
It feels like something’s stuck in my throat.
This is stressful.
Right now, if someone yells that I’m a fake saint, I feel like the goddess would rain down divine punishment on my head.
“I’ll go and sell what’s inside the factory! I know it better than anyone else!!”
Scrooge.
No.
Before I knew it, Jonathan Karma had arrived at the scene and volunteered with his hand raised at the witch’s words.
“Saint! Please wait a moment!! I will take care of it! All the money inside the factory belongs to you! Just wait a moment!!”
Jonathan Karma vanished as if flying.
And that evening, he returned with a thick bundle of cash.
“Most of the equipment in the factory was old, so I couldn’t get a high price. But still, the scrap metal alone was quite something. 2000 Saled, Saint.”
Jonathan Karma politely placed the cash bundle in front of me.
What am I supposed to do with this, being so openly given in front of everyone?
It’s not like I can secretly pocket it and splurge.
“Vice President Yodel.”
As I cautiously called out to the Vice President, the bald old man ran over to stand before me.
“What can I do for you, Saint!”
“Please buy food with this and feed the poor here.”
“Goddess’s grace! I will do so!!”
In an instant, a free food station was set up in front of the abandoned factory.
The healed poor were eating the food prepared by the Lilia Church, tears streaming down their faces.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had such warm and delicious food!”
“Thank you! Saint!!”
“Thank you!!”
Countless people came to me, bowing and groveling.
Yeah.
This feels great.
But the problem is the likelihood of divine punishment is increasing in real-time.
I don’t have a religion!!
I’m not a follower of Lilia!!
I have no faith, damn it!!
I’m an atheist!
This is really bad.
At this point, even if a lightning bolt strikes me, I wouldn’t have a word to say.
The poor have no problem.
It’s not like these people know how to use the miracle of tracking or have a systematic way to search for someone.
Right.
The church people are the real issue.
I need to quickly dump them.
Fast!
I need to burn through this money fast!!
I need to bankrupt it to get rid of it!!
“Yodel.”
“What can I do for you!! Saint!!”
“Tomorrow, as soon as day breaks, start digging. We need to lay a solid foundation. Dig deep and prepare to build a tall building. Understand?”
“I will do so!!”
“Rent all the expensive excavators and equipment. Invest generously. And don’t use people for free. Pay them plenty. A full pocket is true grace. Do you understand?”
“Of course!! Of course!! I’ll bring in all the money I can right away! I’ll try to persuade the temples in the region to draw in as much funding as possible! If it’s the Saint’s order, does the church’s money matter!!”
Now, I have no guilt about tricking the church into taking a loss.
Guilt? Whatever. I have to survive.
I’m too young to die from divine punishment.
I’m sorry.
Old Man Yodel.
But I have no choice.
Night fell.
The poor gathered around me like baby birds waiting for their mother, staring at me.
As I looked at them, I finally realized the source of the discomfort.
“So, everyone… do you not have homes?”
“The streets are our home, Saint.”
“We sleep clinging to ropes, Saint.”
That was the problem.
These people.
They have nowhere to sleep!!
But I can’t provide them with a place to stay.
What should I do?
No! This could actually be good?
If I get known as the useless saint who couldn’t even provide a bed in the cold, wouldn’t everyone leave me?
“Spread a blanket and lie down on the ground! I will use a temperature maintenance spell in a wide area! Hurry and lie down! Eating well and sleeping well is important! Understand?”
The four-armed witch does a troll-like act again.
Why!!
Why!!
Why are you doing this?!
If you do that, you’ll surely become a saint!!
When I’m sleeping, I’d better be drooling and cursing while you leave me!!
Why are you making the streets comfortable too!!
This could be a lie that she actually belongs to the Mage Tower.
What she’s doing is pure dark magic.
“Goddess’s grace!! Goddess!!”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
As the poor laid on the streets, the witch waved her wand, sprinkling something into the air.
A gentle yellow light flickered in the air and soon the ground I stood on became as warm as if heated.
“Everyone, sleep now!”
“It’s the Saint’s grace!”
“Thank you! Witch! Thank you, Saint!! Thank you, Goddess!!”
Everyone was sleeping on the warm ground, wearing happy faces.
There was no chaos, nor any misfortune in sight.
The knights of the Sun Church and the police dispatched to maintain order looked on at the scene with satisfaction.
Some police and knights were even shedding tears, touched by the sight.
“Saint, Vice President Alois said he would take care of you until the Lilia Church arrives. But if it’s alright, may I stay a little longer and follow your miraculous footprints?”
Looking determined, the knights of the Sun Church knelt and asked me.
“Rophus would likely see it as right to do this as well. If permitted, may I also stay?”
Suddenly, my ears perked up.
This is……. okay?
“If you do, it would be an honor. Yodel.”
“What can I do for you! Saint!!”
Since witnessing Jonathan Karma’s family being healed, Vice President Yodel has become almost like a puppy in response to my summons.
As Yodel rushed over, I gestured toward the knights of the Sun Church.
“Please pay these people as well. Their efforts should be rewarded.”
“No! Saint!! We’re not here for the money!”
I know.
They need to spend the church’s money.
“Please accept it. That’s grace. Happiness comes from a full wallet, and a full wallet is thanks to the money. You should take it while you can.”
Yodel nodded with emotion at my words.
“I will give it! O followers of the sun! It’s the will of the Goddess of Grace!”
The knights of the Sun Church looked touched and nodded as they made the sign of the cross.
“If it’s the Goddess’s will, we will accept it!!”
Seeing the knights shout, the police began to gather around me one by one.
“Saint, we will also continue to maintain order here. With this many people gathering, there could be a problem.”
“Then you all should take the money as well.”
“That cannot be! If we take the money, that would be bribery!”
“Don’t call the Goddess’s grace bribery. If giving individual rewards is illegal, please transfer it as a donation to the police station.”
I absolutely have to make them spend money!!
Whatever it takes!!
Yodel only nodded foolishly at my words.
“I will do so! Whatever the Saint commands is my duty!”
After I managed to set up the police and knights of the Sun Church, Jonathan Karma cautiously approached me.
“Saint, do you have anything for me to do? I’ve lived a good half of my life as a businessman. I’m confident when it comes to handling money and running a business.”
I’m all ears again.
Confident my ass.
You crashed your doll factory!!
You’re like a walking disaster when it comes to business!!
This guy might wreck the place if I give him money and let him handle things!
“I want to entrust you with the task of building a temple. Please rent the necessary equipment including an excavator, manage the construction, and supervise the workers to build the building. Yodel, entrust all future funds needed for this project to Jonathan Karma.”
Old Yodel is on board for anything I ask.
“I will do so! Saint!!”
“Thank you. Thank you, Saint. I will never forget the miracle you performed for my daughter until my dying day. I will help you achieve miracles from your side. Thank you.”
Jonathan Karma bowed deeply and left.
Now it’s over.
There can’t be more, right?
“You don’t have to work anymore?”
I had almost forgotten!!
Nuclear bomb of a witch!
With her four arms neatly folded, the witch approaches me with a smile and asks this.
She looks terrifying even now.
Is it normal to possess the magic ability to zap an entire factory from the ground and teleport it to a junkyard outside the capital?
This being in front of me is a monster.
I need to calm down.
“I was about to sleep. The ground feels really warm. Thank you.”
I’m going to sleep, so please leave quickly.
I’m scared just looking at you.
I tried to act like I’m getting ready to lie down, but before I could, the witch came up and grabbed my hand.
Oh, hell no, that’s creepy.
I’m really scared.
I can feel cold sweat trickling, and my body starts trembling.
“You’re shivering again. Is this magic?”
The witch holds my hands and touches my forehead with the remaining two hands, looking concerned.
This is not magic.
It’s just my body shaking from sheer terror.
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Yeah! Just disappear and stop bugging me!!
The thought I had was just casually spoken, but it seems the witch took it the wrong way.
“You are truly noble.”
The witch’s eyes turn red.
She even looks like she’s about to cry.
It seems she mistook me for a noble saint dedicated to helping others at the cost of my own struggle.
“I want to know your name, Saint. I couldn’t hear it last time. Could you tell me?”
The way she holds my hands tightly sounds like a threat to me.
If I don’t tell her my name, will she crush me?
Is she planning to go dark again and explode?
I’m freaking terrified right now!!
“I’m Jericho Amael. You can just call me Amael.”
“Amael………”
The witch murmurs dreamily.
With her eyes tightly shut, she seems to savor my name on her tongue before carefully lifting my hand and kissing the back of it.
“You saved my everything. Saint.”
“I just did what needed to be done.”
“Just once…… could you kiss me again?”
With a flushed and excited face, the witch carefully asks me.
What will happen if I refuse?
She sounds like a real threat right now.
I gently hold her face and pull her closer.
Then, I carefully place a kiss on her forehead.
Please don’t explode.
Yeah.
A kiss or two is no biggie, as long as she doesn’t go boom….
“I will forever be yours.”
As the kiss ended, the witch looked at me tearfully, her face melting in a way.
Her finger gently touches my lips.
As she blissfully plays with my lips, she smiles.
Her eyes are crying, but her lips are smiling.
It’s a scene like a sobering experience in a pot of stew.
“I’m leaving now.”
With a polite bow, the witch disappears.
Only after she vanished could I finally relax.
I hope she doesn’t come back tomorrow.
Please don’t come back ever again.