Forisco displayed an arrogant expression as he scanned Ghislain from head to toe.
'So this is the upstart everyone's calling the rising star of the North? A young brat who owes his fame entirely to Marquis Branford's backing.'
He had heard about the recent war, but he couldn't shake the suspicion that Ghislain had only won thanks to the drought's favorable circumstances.
'If he were truly exceptional, neither Countess Ailesbur nor Young Lady of Branford would've scrambled to find a priest to send him.'
People only see as much as they know, and Forisco was no different.
The disparaging remarks from nobles who looked down on Ghislain, combined with the fact that he hailed from the harsh North, were more than enough to color Forisco's perception.
'If not for Marquis Branford and Countess Ailesbur, this whelp wouldn't even have the privilege of meeting me.'
Moreover, Forisco carried the weight of the Church's authority.
As a bishop of the Juana Religious Order, even most nobles had to bow their heads to him. It was no wonder he viewed a young baron as insignificant.
But the real reason Forisco found Ghislain distasteful lay elsewhere.
'A vulgar brat peddling cosmetics… Those cosmetics have cut into our income!'
The Juana Religious Order, which worshiped the goddess of beauty, had long monopolized cosmetic care for noblewomen through holy power, raking in enormous donations.
Now that more effective cosmetics were available at a fraction of the cost, the Church's income had inevitably declined.
And with less revenue flowing into the Church, Forisco's personal wealth had also taken a hit. It was only natural that his expression soured from the moment he met Ghislain.
Yet, Ghislain showed no visible reaction to the disdainful treatment. He simply bowed his head slightly and handed over a box.
"I am Baron Fenris. The priest you dispatched, Piote, has been a tremendous help to my territory. This is a gift of thanks for his support."
Forisco opened the box to find it filled with jewels, and an unbidden smile of satisfaction spread across his face.
Though he was accustomed to receiving such gifts, presents always brought pleasure.
His annoyance with Ghislain lessened somewhat.
"Countess Ailesbur has already been generous with her donations, but seeing you offer more suggests you have a favor to ask, doesn't it?"
Clearly, Forisco was no stranger to bribes. He understood well the principle of reciprocity: when you receive something, you must give something in return.
Ghislain responded with a faint smile.
"Indeed, my territory is struggling, with many in need. I hope to unify my people through the strength of faith."
"Oh? Are you asking for a new parish to be established there?"
"Yes. Our territory doesn't yet have a proper presence of the Juana Religious Order."
"I was under the impression that few in the North worship Juana. Isn't there greater adherence to other goddesses?"
Juana, the goddess of abundance, production, economy, fairness, talent, and order, was also a symbol of beauty and luxury. She was particularly popular among nobles, merchants, and bureaucrats.
In other words, she wasn't well-loved by the people of the harsh Northern lands.
Ghislain, unfazed by the question, replied casually.
"Most people only practice a superficial faith. But with Priest Piote, who wields genuine holy power, in our territory, the number of Juana's followers will grow quickly."
His words were partly true. The residents of his territory, having witnessed Piote's holy power firsthand, were indeed converting in increasing numbers.
Forisco responded with a heavy sneer.
'Ugh, this Northern bumpkin got a taste of holy power and is now completely hooked.'
As a bishop, Forisco had seen many rural lords pull similar stunts. Even having a single priest in a territory significantly improved the quality of life.
Of course, the scarcity of priests meant they ultimately became exclusive to the nobility.
Feigning contemplation, Forisco nonchalantly threw out a suggestion.
"Well, creating a parish is difficult, but if you build a temple to Juana, I could send a few service priests and missionaries."
'Did he really think I'd just hand over a priest so easily?'
Though he'd taken the bribe, he had no intention of leaving Piote in Ghislain's territory for long.
'Now that he's had some experience out there, I can put him to work elsewhere and bring in even more money.'
Given how rare priests were, each one was like a goose laying golden eggs. Forisco intended to extract as much value from Piote as possible before his status rose any further.
There was another reason as well: the more priests under his influence, the greater his sway within the Church.
Ghislain, feigning mild disappointment, asked, "Could you allow Priest Piote to stay in my territory a little longer?"
"Hmm, as long as it's not squatting… Ahem. I mean, if it's not a formal reassignment, I could let him stay for another three months in exchange for a donation."
"A donation... Very well."
As Ghislain prepared to leave after bowing, Forisco asked, visibly caught off guard, "Are you leaving already? Without making a donation? Are you planning to send Piote back right away?"
"No, of course not. If I'm going to make a donation, it must be done properly. I'll prepare everything and return soon."
Hearing this, Forisco's face broke into a pleased smile.
"Very well. The goddess favors sincere devotees. I'll look forward to witnessing your faith and devotion. Make sure you're well-prepared."
Forisco had already heard that Baron Fenris controlled a large supply of food and iron ore.
He began to anticipate what grand offering might come his way.
As soon as Ghislain left the temple, he turned to Lowell and spoke.
"Let's begin. Carry out the plan as we prepared. You're certain you can handle it?"
"Of course. This is my specialty."
"Good. Let's make sure that greedy bastard loses all sense of reality. Let's send him to heaven."
"Understood. He'll feel like he's in paradise."
Lowell and the soldiers scattered throughout the capital with an abundant supply of food. Meanwhile, Ghislain stayed at the Crow Mansion, giving orders to his staff.
About a week later, Forisco grew increasingly irate, grumbling as he cursed Ghislain.
'That brat said he'd make a donation—why hasn't he come back yet? Insolent little bumpkin! I'll have Piote recalled immediately.'
He could only assume Ghislain had decided against making a donation out of stinginess, unwilling to waste money without a formal reassignment.
'The nerve! Does he have any idea how difficult it is to keep a priest for so long? But still, I need more money… There are so many people to bribe.'
Forisco was in a precarious position. He had been clashing with the archbishop and was now teetering on the edge of excommunication.
There were even rumors that the archbishop was planning to convene a council to have him removed.
He had tried to sway public opinion by bribing other bishops and nobles, but the situation remained dire.
'Damn it! Everyone's lining their pockets, but they're singling me out just because I took a little more!'
While everyone else had engaged in similar corruption, Forisco's weakened position had turned it into a vulnerability.
The bribes he had received from Baron Fenris had been earmarked for similar purposes, but with no follow-up from Ghislain, that plan was doomed.
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Forisco shoved thoughts of Ghislain aside and forced a smile as he headed to the cathedral for a service.
As he passed through the shrine, the way the staff looked at him caught his attention.
'What's this? Why are they looking at me like that? It's like they're seeing something miraculous.'
It was strange. Normally, their gazes were filled with fear and a hint of disdain. But today felt different.
Uneasy, Forisco quickened his pace, catching snippets of their whispered conversations.
"That man… Really…"
"To think he hid it all this time…"
"The rumors have spread… Since this morning…"
He couldn't make out much, but phrases like "hiding something" and "rumors spreading" were clear.
'What is this? Has the archbishop already made a move? Are they manipulating public opinion against me? If I get excommunicated, I'm finished. I need to act fast—kill the archbishop or save myself somehow.'
Conflicted and distracted, Forisco stumbled through the service before deciding to investigate the situation.
In recent days, he'd spent most of his time eating, sleeping, and lazing around inside the temple. As a result, he was clueless about the outside world.
Accompanied by a few temple knights, Forisco ventured outside and immediately sensed a shift in the atmosphere.
"It's Bishop Forisco!"
"Oh, we've misunderstood him all this time."
"He's the saint of the slums!"
People were shouting and flocking toward him. In the past, they would've avoided him like the plague.
After all, he had only ever used holy power for wealthy nobles and turned a blind eye to the sick and poor.
He had been so blatant in his discrimination and bribery that he'd earned the nickname "the greedy priest."
Yet he hadn't cared. He saw himself as a chosen servant of the goddess, superior to the rabble.
But now…
'What? The saint of the slums? Me?'
The title "saint" was not given lightly. It was reserved for those who devoted their lives to serving others and making great personal sacrifices.
Forisco knew better than anyone how far removed he was from such a description.
He had only ever visited the slums once, and that was during his early days as a low-ranking priest, when he had been forced to fulfill his service hours.
Why would someone as noble as he sully himself in such filthy, wretched places?
Still, he couldn't ignore the praise being showered upon him.
"L-let's go to the slums."
The people's changed attitudes unsettled him. His voice quivered.
"Prepare the carriage—quickly."
The slums were on the outskirts of the capital, far too distant for him to walk with his massive frame.
When he arrived at the slums with a sense of nervous anticipation, he was met with an even more shocking sight.
"Oh, the saint has arrived!"
"Bishop Forisco is here!"
"Our savior has come at last!"
The slum residents shouted with excitement and began to gather around. Forisco instinctively took a step back in alarm.
But the temple knights only smiled, making no move to stop the approaching crowd.
"W-what are you doing? Stop them this instant!"
Forisco couldn't finish his sentence. The crowd suddenly fell to their knees, bowing before him in reverence.
"Thank you! Thank you, Bishop!"
"Because of you, my grandson's life was saved!"
"Please forgive me for cursing you in the past. I didn't understand your deep intentions!"
Some wept openly, while others sang his praises. An elderly man even crawled on his knees to kiss Forisco's feet.
As their reverence washed over him, Forisco felt an intense thrill rush down his spine.
'This... This is it! This is what I've been longing for! This is what I've been missing!'
As a priest, he couldn't marry. Unlike other nobles, he couldn't wield power freely.
He had enjoyed fine clothes, good food, and luxurious accommodations, but that was all.
No matter how much wealth he amassed through bribes, his desires had never been truly satisfied. Even his indulgences had to be kept secret, always watched by prying eyes.
But now, look at this! People were genuinely worshiping him, venerating him.
'It feels like I've become a god!'
Forisco felt something deep within him finally being fulfilled.
Honor, true respect from the people, and power that transcended mere authority.
Forisco had awakened to a new greed.
Though satisfied for the moment, he still didn't understand why he was being celebrated. He needed to know the exact reason.
"Why… Why are they doing this for me?"
The temple knight, still smiling, replied.
"There's no point pretending you don't know, Bishop. The rumors have already spread throughout the capital. How could you hide such noble intentions for so long?"
Even the temple knight's eyes shone with respect. Forisco shook his head vigorously and asked again.
"W-what rumors are you talking about?"
"That you've been amassing wealth all this time for this very moment. Didn't you receive the goddess's revelation, foreseeing the drought?"
"M-me? A revelation?"
Only a saint could receive the goddess's revelations.
Forisco, a man, couldn't possibly receive one. He hadn't even had a prophetic dream, let alone a revelation.
But the knight continued, as if the truth had already been revealed.
"Yes, you used that revelation to gather resources, and with those resources, you purchased food to distribute here in the slums. Thanks to you, those suffering from the drought have been saved. We understand now why it had to be kept a secret—because it was divine will."
Forisco was utterly baffled. He had been using his wealth as bribes to survive, and every morning, his dwindling secret stash had been a source of anguish.
And in these times, where could anyone acquire enough food to supply the entire slum population?
"Where… Where would I even get such food?"
"Didn't Baron Fenris bring an enormous supply of food to the capital at your request? Many people saw it happen."
'Baron Fenris!'
The mention of that name jolted him awake.
The man who had promised a substantial donation before suddenly disappearing. Why was his name being brought up now?
As Forisco stood there, sweat dripping from his bewildered face, a voice called out from nearby.
"So, how did you like the donation, Saint Forisco?"
[T/L: Please support me and read 185 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]