Surviving as a Cult Leader in Another World (Going up)

"Lust, the Beast, and Artists Guild set fire to the Grand Cathedral─!"
"A provocation against the Church?"
"'Lust completely violated and raped the statue of the Virgin Mary before controlling my body. He's a Virgin Mary rapist!' Testimony of witness Ms. M."
"Virgin Mary rapist Lust prophesies a sermon in the public square in two days!"
Less than half a day after the Grand Cathedral burned down, today's events were written in newspapers and spreading everywhere.
This newspaper was a true blaze, more so than the fire that engulfed the Grand Cathedral.
The Grand Cathedral, completely burned to ashes.
People continued to flock to see it, their voices buzzing with chatter.
"He raped the Virgin Mary? My goodness, has there ever been such a wicked being in the history of the United Kingdom…?"
"…He's truly a madman. I heard that Baron Voltaire's soldier, Hans, betrayed his comrades and ran away because of that Lust guy?"
"The president of Artists Guild, Michelangelo, was also Lust's minion!"
All sorts of strange rumors were spreading.
But when did I ever rape the Virgin Mary?
I just clung to the Pietà statue!
I wanted to pull it down and break it with my own hands, but the damn stone was so heavy that it wouldn't budge.
So I ended up groaning and moving back and forth.
Because of Milione's nonsense in the newspaper, Lust gained the terrible nickname "Virgin Mary rapist".
That Milione was now sitting on a bench in the Grand Cathedral, swinging her legs. She looked very bright, cheerful, and happy.
"The Grand Cathedral, built over 200 years, burned down overnight. What a strange turn of events. Hyde, do you know what amazing things happened while you were running away like a coward?"
I know.
I wish I didn't.
It was a moment where the smell of burning was almost intoxicating.
"Oh my…! The Cathedral, our Cathedral, has fallen…!"
"What are we going to do now…!"
They were a hunched-back cleaner and a foreign woman with a disabled hand. I knew them as attendants working at the Grand Cathedral. It was natural for them to be sad, as their workplace had burned down.
I felt sorry for them.
Although the burning of the Grand Cathedral was entirely Michelangelo's fault, if we were to trace the cause, I also bore a speck of responsibility.
"Michelangelo, that barbarian. I knew it from the moment he criticized my masterpiece, 'The Village of the Back Alley Nymph'. That heartless arsonist. How could he do such a thing-."
I had already sensed that Michelangelo, who criticized my novel, was some kind of psychopath.
There was no way he could criticize my novel unless he was a psychopath.
So I was expecting him to cause some kind of trouble, and the fact that I couldn't stop him even though I knew was my responsibility.
In terms of the grand arson, I would say I was about 1 percent responsible.
However-.
This 1 percent responsibility felt like a heavy cross to bear, and I couldn't help but stand up and speak.
"Brothers and sisters, the church in the Agarphe territory will soon open its doors, and we need attendants to help with cleaning and other tasks. Would you be willing to listen to our offer? I'll cover all the expenses."
I took out a gold coin from my pocket.
It was the money I had received as an offering from Voltaire, and I had saved it to use for good deeds.
The workers' faces, which had been gloomy until a moment ago, brightened instantly upon seeing the gold coin.
"The Agarphe territory?"
"But Florence is my hometown, and all my family is here. How can I leave?"
"Of course, you can stay if you wish. The Cathedral will be rebuilt soon. But when it is, there will be no tolls or entry restrictions for the church!"
The abolishment of the church entrance fee.
The destruction of the 'Artists Guild', which opposed it.
I had accomplished everything as promised with Archbishop Archibald.
"The Grand Cathedral has burned down. The smoke could be seen rising even from this mansion. My goodness, such a terrible thing to happen."
Archbishop Archibald was watering the flower beds in the garden with a watering can.
He said a terrible thing had happened, but his expression was devoid of any emotion, appearing almost serene.
I asked curiously,
"Isn't it a big loss since it burned down?"
"No one was hurt, were they? That's all that matters. It was too big of a building anyway. His Holiness Pope Gregory rushed its completion."
"I see."
"It's a shame that the building burned down, but the church is not just a building, is it? So I'm planning to leave it as it is for the time being. Everyone will learn something from it."
So that was that.
Indeed, the sight of the seemingly eternal building burned to a crisp was both tragic and full of lessons.
It gave the feeling that human life, though seemingly endless, would eventually disappear, and only salvation would be eternal and immortal.
"The problem is Lust. Hyde, this man is gaining notoriety and power at an alarming rate. We can no longer laugh him off as a pretender impersonating a Deadly Sin."
"Is that ludicrous Lust really that dangerous?"
"I don't know. But the fact that people are starting to believe it is dangerous. By defiling the Virgin Mary and setting fire to the Grand Cathedral, he's proven that he's not just a bluffer."
"…."
"Go now. I need to water my flowers. And Hyde, regardless of how things turned out, I'll keep my promise since you've accomplished what you said you would."
"You mean you'll dispatch the Holy Knights to Agarphe?"
"Yes, and one of the Six Knights has also been chosen for dispatch. Once the matter of Lust's street sermon in three days is resolved, Sir Parmas will head to the Agarphe territory."
Was Parmas that old knight from before?
I didn't like him.
He was a stubborn old man who blamed me for his disciple's mistakes.
"Can't we have someone else?"
"Sir Parmas is an excellent knight. He's knowledgeable, and his skills as a knight are so powerful that he once killed the Deadly Sin Greed. He'll definitely be of help."
"Is that so."
"Hyde, the world has begun to change with the burning of the Grand Cathedral. Heretics will make their move. The Knights will have to draw their swords again to stop them."
"…."
"Five years. Perhaps within that time, another great war will break out. A war so massive that it will split the United Kingdom in half. Anyway, you should go for today."
"Then take care of yourself."
I bowed lightly to Archbishop Archibald and left.
The weather was beautiful, as if the arson hadn't happened this morning.
As I was admiring the flowers, Milione approached me.
"It's the first time I've seen our old man so angry! Serves him right! Don't you think?"
"Is that serene look actually anger?"
"Yes! He's watering the flowers himself. He only did that when I rode his favorite horse off a cliff and it died."
Milione's cheeks were red and swollen as she spoke.
There were marks of being hit.
"The Bible says that parents should discipline their children with a rod. So I got hit."
"You should have behaved yourself."
Milione, you need to be hit more.
I wanted to take a whip and spank her myself.
"Kyahaha, serves him right! Serves him right! As expected of Lust! Even the great Archbishop Archibald is no match for Lust!"
Milione laughed as if it was all very amusing.
I said to her,
"Milione, I heard there's a trial tomorrow in the public square for the perpetrators of the arson. I also heard you're one of the defendants. Is it okay for you to be laughing like this?"
"Why worry? My dad will use his great authority to get me out of this. He's always done that. He's covered up every trouble I've caused."
With that, Milione disappeared into the distance.
It seemed to me that her father hadn't hit her enough.
As I sat in the garden, reflecting on the day's events and praying for repentance, someone approached me.
"Excuse me, Lord Hyde."
It was a butler with his white hair neatly tied back and a monocle on his face.
Was his name Fred?
He was the head butler of the Archibald mansion.
"Butler Fred. What brings you here?"
"Are you aware that there's a trial tomorrow? I heard Lady Milione has to attend as a defendant in a public trial."
"I heard. It's all over the news. But isn't Lady Milione a victim of Lust, in a way?"
And she's the Archbishop's daughter.
Would there really be a problem?
I thought so, but Butler Fred seemed very anxious.
"…You see, something similar happened before. On the day Lady Johanna, the mistress of this mansion, passed away after giving birth to Lady Milione-. His Eminence was watering the flowers in the garden, just like now."
"Is that so?"
"It had been raining heavily all day and night, so there was no need to water the flowers. Looking back, many things changed after that day. Many people died mysteriously in Durgien."
"Are you saying it's related to the current situation?"
"Lord Hyde, to this old man, you seem like a fine priest. So I hope you'll listen carefully to what I'm about to say. This is a story I once told a young and passionate priest like yourself-."
"What are you trying to tell me?"
"There are those in this world who weep even when they appear to be angry. Please listen to the voices of those who weep in sorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me…."
With that, Butler Fred bowed his head and left.
The next day.
The arson of the Grand Cathedral.
Many people flocked to the public square in Florence for the trial of this unprecedented event.
In the center of the square were people tied up tightly, their presence attracting a lot of attention.
"That's Michelangelo! He set fire to the Grand Cathedral? Is that true?"
"Lord Lust! Michelangelo is your loyal servant! I will be martyred for Lord Lust! Please witness my greatest work, the sight of my blood spurting like flames! Kyaaa! Execute me now!!! I will be with 72 beauties in hell after I die─!!!"
Michelangelo, as expected of an uncultured medieval barbarian, was a madman.
People now turned their attention from Michelangelo to the beautifully bound woman.
Although her hands, feet, and head were bound with shackles like a criminal, no one thought of her as a criminal.
"I never thought I'd see the day when Milione Archibald would be tied up like this."
"She'll be released soon. She's Archbishop Archibald's daughter."
"Right?"
The crowd buzzed with chatter.
And Milione Archibald, sitting bound in the middle of it all, looked very demure, pitiful, and beautiful.
"She looks so beautiful when she's quiet like that. Like a white rose."
"Well, her mother, Johanna, was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. That Medici guy, he married the only daughter of the Archibald family, a commoner, and rose to the position of Archbishop-."
"Shh, someone might hear you. But when are the judge and the jury arriving?"
As the crowd grew restless, knights with cloaks and swords began to enter the public trial grounds, followed by a large, portly bishop with a prominent belly.
He was completely bald, with a beard as thick as armor.
"I, Coram Deo, a gold plaque Archbishop, have come to preside over this trial on behalf of the Heavenly Father and His representative, Pope Gregory II."
Coram Deo, the gold plaque Archbishop.
This man was quite a figure.
After all, he was one of only three Archbishops in the Church.
His end was also quite spectacular.
As I was thinking this, Coram Deo spoke.
"I, a servant of the Lord, swear to heaven and the Bible that I will deliver a judgment without shame! Now, let the jury enter!"
Clank-
Knights with swords entered.
Among them was Sir Parmas, one of the six Holy Knights. Indeed, the jury and the judge were impressive, befitting a trial involving the Archbishop's daughter and the burning of the Grand Cathedral.
How would Archbishop Archibald use his influence to acquit his daughter and preserve his own glory in this situation?
I was interested in watching the process unfold, my heart pounding with anticipation.
Everyone gathered here must be thinking the same thing.
"Since the situation is urgent and dire, I, Coram Deo, will hear the testimonies according to the decree of His Holiness Pope Gregory II. Do any of the accused wish to defend themselves?"
"No!"
Michelangelo shouted bravely.
Michelangelo was a madman.
Then, Milione Archibald looked around.
Was she looking for her father's face?
Archbishop Archibald was sitting in the audience.
But that was all.
He didn't defend his daughter, nor did he seem to have hired a lawyer.
"Then, understanding that none of you wish to defend yourselves, I shall read the verdict that has been discussed with the jury. Accused Michelangelo and Milione Archibald. You are sentenced to death."
Death sentence-.
The crowd began to stir at those words.
Although it was not strange for the criminals to receive the death penalty, no one had expected them to actually be sentenced to death.
"Death sentence? That's ridiculous. Do you know who my father is? He's Archbishop Medici Archibald. He'll definitely submit some kind of evidence to overturn this verdict! The worst I'll get is three months of service as a novice nun in a monastery."
Milione laughed heartily.
However, as the knights with swords appeared and began to drag them away, Milione Archibald seemed to sense that something was wrong and shouted urgently,
"Dad! Say something!"
Milione resisted.
Although the knights struggled against her strength, Archibald remained silent. I finally understood what Butler Fred had meant yesterday.
Medici Archibald.
He had given up on saving his daughter.
It seemed I wasn't the only one who realized this.
Soon, people started raising their hands and shouting.
"Execute them!"
"Hang them!"
"Burn them!"
These were the same spectators who had been watching the trial with interest just moments ago. They began to shout like a mob, and the reason was simple.
People loved to drag down those in high positions and tear them apart.
The intensifying heat made me dizzy.
Death sentence.
Did Milione Archibald deserve such a verdict?
Perhaps if she were the Deadly Sin Wrath.
But regarding the arson of the Grand Cathedral, Milione Archibald's crime was one that deserved a spanking from her parents and a fine.
Besides, Milione was 'hypnotized' by Lust.
She was also a victim and perhaps deserved comfort.
But a death sentence?
Where did humans get the right to sentence another human to death?
"I object─!"
When I came to my senses, I was standing up and shouting in front of a crowd of nearly a thousand people. I felt their eyes turn to me in an instant.