Chapter 98

What is it? Even after rubbing my eyes and looking again—

10 seconds

—really 10 seconds.

I was stunned and kept staring at the bracelet.

"Why? Why doesn't it work?"

As I was amazed, Dad said,

"I just came to pray with my daughter, but I didn't know the High Priest was in such a state. I'm sorry for causing you any inconvenience by trying to greet you."

"Cough. Ah, no, not at all. Cough. Thank you for coming. However, our prayer room is quite humble…."

"It's fine. Prayer can be done anywhere. And, I'd like to make a donation."

"Really?!"

Zadkiel's eyes widened as he listened. He suddenly interjected, looking doubtful.

"Really, Your Excellency?"

"Jeki! Cough, cough…."

The High Priest gave Zadkiel a warning look to stop him.

However, the reason those angelic eyes sparkled at the mention of a donation wasn't greed.

He was excited because he could now give a bowl of soup to the sick and provide them with clean blankets.

Dad smiled and nodded, knowing this.

"If you have a donation receipt…."

"Yes, we do! I'll bring it right away! Please wait a moment!"

Zadkiel quickly went somewhere and soon returned with a small piece of paper and a pen, which he gave to Dad.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

He bowed deeply, repeatedly thanking Dad.

Dad, not having a proper place to put the paper, crossed his legs and placed the receipt on his thigh.

He then started writing.

One zero, two zeros, three zeros….

I casually watched and read up to about ten million before giving up on counting.

Mr. James Brown's wealth….

"Here."

"Thank you so much!"

Zadkiel, receiving the donation receipt with Dad's signature, bowed again.

"Um, here…?"

Then, upon confirming the donation amount, he blinked.

"Your Excellency, that… the amount is incorrect!"

"No, it's right."

Zadkiel's surprised rabbit eyes made Dad laugh.

"Really, really?"

"Yes."

Zadkiel's mouth slowly opened, and soon his large eyes were brimming with tears.

"This, this…."

"From outside, it looked like the temple building needed some repairs. And."

Dad looked sympathetically at Zadkiel's robe, which was worn at the bottom, and added,

"The priests' robes should also be replaced. I'll come regularly to donate, so don't hold back and use it for the priests' needs."

"Ah…."

Zadkiel's tightly pressed lips pouted. He soon wiped his tears with his sleeve and bowed.

"Thank you, really! Your Excellency! Thank you so much!"

* * *

In the prayer room of the Seraph Temple.

Dad closed his eyes and prayed in a small, cramped space of about 5 pyeong.

I watched Dad for a while, then turned my head forward.

A small statue was visible.

The deity Primera, in the form of a woman.

'No, I won't pray.'

Because there is no god.

Or, if there was, they've already fled.

Seeing this crazy country, they would only sigh.

'I would have wanted to flee too. I understand, Lady Primera.'

Before fleeing, they might have left the protagonist, Enoch Rubinstein, as a last resort.

Anyway, the god.

'Has definitely moved out.'

If not, the 'revelations' that used to exist would still be happening.

A few hundred years ago, the god would appear in the dreams of the priests and inform them of the country's major events.

For example, a great drought was coming, so prepare—

Or, a monster would appear, so get ready to defend—

The believers who received the god's revelation were naturally revered and appointed as the 'High Priest,' the most prestigious priest representing the empire.

But that was a few hundred years ago.

Now, there are no revelations, and the High Priest's position is filled by corrupt individuals.

"Princess, you're not praying?"

Dad asked, seemingly finished with his prayer.

"No, I'm not."

"Why?"

"Because I don't believe in god. There is no god. If there is, it's a bad god."

"Ah, Princess."

Dad, surprised by my rather irreverent words in a temple prayer room, smiled and put his finger to his lips.

"You should speak a little more quietly, right?"

"Okay, I understand."

"Ahaha. Why do you think that, Princess?"

"Well… if there really was a god, wouldn't they punish the bad nobles who beat up the commoners? But they don't."

"Oh, is that so?"

"So, there isn't. If there is, they're just watching and doing nothing, so they're a bad god."

Dad stared at me for a moment, then chuckled.

"…Right. Princess is right."

"Dad!"

"Yes."

"Should we help the priest a bit?"

"Huh?"

"The priest is pitiful. I saw him changing the bandages and massaging the legs of the sick people. It looked hard for him to do it alone. Since we're here, should we help a little?"

Dad looked at me for a moment, then laughed.

He then rubbed his forehead against mine.

"My princess is really an angel."

* * *

The amount of life force consumed varies greatly depending on the type of magic.

Attack magic consumes the most life force, while healing magic consumes relatively little.

This fact alone shows that

Primera's power is selfless.

Even though it seems she has fled, Primera must have been a good god.

It's hard to understand why she granted this good ability to the trashy villainous royal family.

"Don't touch it."

"Oh, thank you…."

3 seconds

"Are you thirsty? I'll bring you some water!"

1 second

"Get well soon…."

4 seconds

I followed Zadkiel, taking care of people in the relief tent and occasionally checking the bracelet on my wrist.

I wanted to see how much life force it would take to heal these people.

'Wow, amazing.'

No one takes more than 10 seconds….

Not a single person.

'I have a rough idea.'

It naturally takes a lot of life force for incurable diseases that can't be treated.

Because it means saving someone who is destined to die.

But the sick people here are different.

In a world where medicine is not advanced,

People with internal injuries that can't be seen on the surface don't receive proper diagnosis.

'They are diseases that can be cured by visiting a 21st-century hospital and seeing a doctor.'

That's probably why.

It doesn't take much life force.

"Ah! Lie down! I'll clean it for you!"

I ran to a coughing auntie, wet a towel, and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Why are such esteemed people doing such hard work…. It must be tiring…."

The auntie glanced at Dad, who was hammering in the distance, and was surprised.

Dad had rolled up his sleeves and was personally repairing various parts of the temple building that could be fixed immediately.

He was currently setting up a new frame next to the makeshift relief tent.

"No, it's not tiring at all. The priest must be much more tired than me and Dad, right?"

I looked at Zadkiel, who was taking care of people without a break.

Poor people who couldn't afford medical care came to the Seraph Temple when they were sick.

Because Zadkiel, with his powerful holy magic, would heal them for free.

Patients with internal injuries that magic couldn't heal were being cared for in the tent.

'He's only fourteen, right? How can such a person exist…?'

In the original story, the old faith, which barely survived with the protagonist's support, gradually grows.

Now, if you donate to the old faith, which preaches a doctrine completely opposite to the emperor's, you might receive disapproving looks.

'But as my dad's business (?) grows, the number of believers here will soon increase.'

As Enoch Rubinstein gradually sets this country right, the number of people who are cautious will decrease.

The number of old faith believers will gradually increase….

And eventually, before the revolution, Zadkiel will become the High Priest.

Ten years?

In this country, where most people think the emperor is like a god, the process of overturning the temple's power takes quite a long time.

But.

'Let's overturn it quickly, all at once.'

I slowly looked around the tent and checked the bracelet.

15 minutes

It takes exactly 15 minutes of my life force to heal all the sick people in the Seraph Temple.

It's incredibly cheap for the price of a miracle.

'Even though there is no god…'

I can pretend there is.

The 'revelations' that have already disappeared.

What if those revelations were to come to the old faith temple, which is ignored by everyone?

"Princess!"

Just then, Zadkiel ran to me, his face drenched in sweat.

He wiped my forehead with a clean towel.

"Oh, what should I do? You must be tired. You're sweating a lot."

"I'm just not good with heat! I'm fine!"

"Still, really, I can handle it alone, so Princess, please rest. And, have some water."

I took a sip from the cup Zadkiel handed me.

Despite being busy with the sick, he came to check on me every ten minutes.

Even though I only drank water, Zadkiel looked at me with affection, as if I were a proud younger sibling.

"But, Priest…."

"Yes!"

I acted hesitant, fidgeting with my fingers.

Zadkiel tilted his head.

"Why?"

"Um… just a moment, can I borrow your ear?"

"Yes!"

Zadkiel bent down and lent me his ear.

I whispered very quietly.

"Um, this is a real, real secret. I…."

Zadkiel's eyes gradually widened.

"…What?"

After a while, he staggered in shock, looking at me with disbelief.