The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 218 – Did You Like the Donation?(4)

Porisco immediately returned to his office and issued Piote’s appointment letter.

“The confirmation of the diocese requires a council meeting and the Archbishop’s approval, so it cannot be finalized right away. However, assigning Piote for a temporary mission is within my authority, so I will take care of that first.”

“Please write it in a way that minimizes interference from others, so that Piote can act freely.”

“As it will be under the pretext of a permanent mission for evangelism, Piote will be able to remain there as long as he wishes.”

With this, Piote could freely stay in the Fenris Estate. Typically, receiving a permanent assignment for missionary purposes grants a great deal of freedom.

Although the church could later order his recall or relocation, he would now have a justification to refuse if he so chose.

“Well, isn’t everything settled now? We have Piote, and we’ve secured the relic. Let’s get moving to continue with the revelation.”

As Porisco subtly tried to wrap things up, Ghislain pulled out a contract from his belongings.

“Please write down everything that transpired in your own handwriting and affix the bishop’s seal yourself.”

‘Ha, this cunning bastard.’

Pulling a contract out just like that? He had come prepared from the very beginning.

Porisco glanced at Ghislain nervously before starting to write the contract in an overly complex and densely packed manner.

Ghislain tilted his head as he read through the document.

“…‘Oh, Creator of this world, our Mother and guide of compassion and mercy, let us always follow your path. We entrust all our needs to you…’ Are you joking right now?”

“N-No, but as a bishop, I thought it would be appropriate to begin with a prayer…”

“Forget it. Just stick to the facts.”

“Y-Yes, of course. That was a bit too lengthy, wasn’t it? Let me rewrite it…”

“No, I think it’s better if you just write down what I dictate.”

Ghislain immediately tore up the contract and pulled out a fresh one from his belongings.

Contracts typically had authentication and preservation magic embedded in their upper sections, similar to a letter of credit. As a result, they were quite expensive.

Yet Ghislain produced a new one without hesitation, as if it were nothing.

‘What is this? Why does he carry so many contracts around? Who is he? A loan shark?’

Porisco looked at Ghislain with an expression of disbelief. Judging by this, it seemed that many others had likely fallen into this same trap.

Porisco had attempted to muddle the terms with a prayer, making interpretation more complicated, but it had failed. He had tried to create an escape route, but his opponent was too meticulous.

“Alright, start writing. I, Bishop Porisco of the Juana Order, have received food supplies from Baron Fenris. In return…”

Porisco reluctantly wrote down the contract as Ghislain dictated and affixed his seal.

Now, his weakness was thoroughly exposed.

‘Damn it, just wait. Once I become the Archbishop, I’ll snatch that back and tear it to pieces!’

The contract explicitly stated that Porisco had received support from Ghislain and, in return, handed over the relic. With the relic itself in Ghislain’s possession as evidence, there was no way to refute the terms.

As Porisco harshly handed over the contract, he gritted his teeth and said, “Let’s get started quickly. We need to solidify public opinion before the council begins. The Archbishop must have already heard rumors and won’t sit idly by.”

“Don’t worry. I have an expert on such matters under my command. But before we proceed, I have a piece of advice for you.”

“Advice? What kind of advice?”

“Your accumulated wealth from bribes. The Archbishop will undoubtedly target it. If mishandled, it could become a significant issue.”

“Ugh… hmm…”

It was true. Though he had hidden the funds in a secret vault, the Archbishop surely knew of its existence. The Archbishop had likely been aware of it for some time, saving the information for an opportune moment like this.

Porisco knew he had to confront the issue, but he struggled to determine the best approach. The fortune he had painstakingly amassed, despite enduring countless insults, was too precious to risk losing.
“So, what do you suggest I do?”

“Just hand it over to me.”

“Hand it… over? You’re asking for all that money?”

“If you keep it, the Archbishop will eventually seize it. The justification you’re relying on is that ‘you received a revelation, worked tirelessly to amass wealth, and used it to purchase food.’ But do you think you’ll be able to recover if that falls through? You’ll be counterattacked for sure.”

‘You’re the one who created that justification!’

The more Porisco thought about it, the more suspicious the logic became. Still, there was no point in arguing over spilled milk.

“But this is the wealth I’ve built over my entire life…”

“Why is a priest so greedy? Isn’t that against church doctrine?”

“…If I claim it was used to pay for the food, won’t that suffice if I don’t get caught? Or I could move it elsewhere…”

For Porisco, this seemed like the best option. Ghislain, however, was quick-witted and had an uncanny ability to cut through such plans.

But even that depended on Ghislain’s agreement.

“Even if you move it elsewhere, if they find out you were holding onto it, it’ll still leave you vulnerable. If you hand it over to me now, I’ll make sure it’s used to enhance your reputation.”

“Grr…”

It sounded dubious, but Ghislain wasn’t entirely wrong.

Handling a crisis after it erupts takes significantly more time and effort than preparing for it beforehand. A clean resolution was indeed the safest course of action.

For now, preserving his life and position took priority. In the end, Porisco handed over the key to his secret vault, clutching his chest as if his heart were being torn apart.

‘Could it be that I’ve made a pact with the devil?’

A sense of foreboding crept into his mind, but Porisco shook his head vigorously, forcing the thought away.

‘I just need to get through this crisis. Once I rise to the position of Archbishop, I’ll have a chance to take everything back.’

At that time, he would devise a way to deal with this upstart. For now, he needed to maintain a cooperative (and tenuously mutual) relationship.

“Ahem, let’s get started. Make sure this is handled cleanly.”

“Don’t worry. Just wait a little, and I’ll take care of it quickly.”

Ghislain smirked as he tucked the key to the secret vault into his coat.

Thus, the two shared a bond deep enough to even exchange keys to a secret vault.

Lowell, acting on Ghislain’s orders, immediately opened Porisco’s vault, distributed food supplies again, and manipulated the rumors.

Not only Porisco’s name, but also Ghislain’s name began to spread widely throughout the capital.

The two even staged a grand spectacle in the city square, distributing food to the people.

“Bishop Porisco!”

“It’s Baron Fenris!”

The two stood smiling brightly, clasping each other’s hands and raising them high.

“The goddess is watching over you all through me and Baron Fenris! All of this is the will of the goddess!”

Porisco’s booming proclamation stirred the crowd into a frenzy.

“Waaah! They’ve received a revelation from the goddess!”

“Saint Porisco!”

“Saint Baron Fenris!”

Even the royal family, the Marquis of Branford, and the Count of Aylesbur had released some food supplies to calm public sentiment.

However, as they were in a state of conflict with the ducal families, they couldn’t release enough to satisfy the people. After all, the capital, despite being a hub of logistics, couldn’t produce food out of thin air.

Amid this scarcity, Ghislain’s near-manic distribution of food created an uproar. The audacious claim that it was all guided by the goddess’s “revelation” only fueled the frenzy further.

Shockingly enough, it worked exceptionally well.

“Bishop Porisco received a revelation and told Baron Fenris about it!”

“That’s why Baron Fenris had been stockpiling food like that!”

“How do you know it’s true? Because Baron Fenris received the revelation too!”

“It’s obvious we’ll win the war! Why? Because the goddess protects them!”

Lowell’s spies strategically spread these claims, inciting and guiding public sentiment.

Everything fell into place. Now, there was a clear and compelling justification for why Baron Fenris had been hoarding food.

Now, the truth no longer mattered. During difficult times, people needed something to lean on.

A priest spreading the will of the gods and a noble blessed by divine favor were distributing food and solving problems.

What could be more trustworthy than that?

The popularity of these two figures soared uncontrollably.

Of course, the thoughts of the smiling duo behind the staged show couldn’t have been more different.

‘This young noble brat… How can I get rid of him later? Still, it’s great how popular he is. Thanks to him, everything is going smoothly… Ugh! No, stop thinking about it!’

‘This is working better than expected. Now, what should I eat for dinner? What sounds good?’

While Porisco’s mind was a chaotic mess, Ghislain had no such concerns.

When civil war or disaster strikes, even a meticulously drafted contract loses its meaning. Whether it’s the church or the magic tower, power always gravitates toward the strongest.

For Ghislain, it was enough to extract every benefit he could before that time came.

* * *

The Archbishop of the Juana Order was utterly flustered by the unfolding situation.

He had planned to remove Porisco, weaken the opposition’s power, and elevate his own chosen successor.

However, Porisco’s popularity had surged to the point of earning him the title of saint. This made it difficult to make a move against him.

“Hurry! Raid Bishop Porisco’s vault immediately! It must be filled with wealth accumulated through exploitation and bribes. There will be ledgers too!”

The Archbishop had already identified the location of Porisco’s secret vault.

Originally, he intended to save this card for a decisive moment, solidifying his victory with undeniable evidence. However, there was no time to wait now. If he delayed any longer, Porisco might become untouchable.

Revealing Porisco’s weakness and cutting down his momentum was the only way forward.

Following the Archbishop’s orders, the temple knights stormed Porisco’s vault.

What they saw inside brought them to a halt, their eyes widening in shock.

“This… this can’t be…”

There were no treasures, no gold or jewels inside the vault. Instead, the space was neatly organized with worn scriptures, priestly robes, collections of prayers, and sacramental items.

It looked like the vault of a model clergyman—humble and free from corruption.

The scene was astonishing in itself, as it completely contradicted their expectations. But that wasn’t what shocked them the most.

What truly froze them in place was a large inscription boldly written on the wall of the vault:

“The goddess has foreseen that you would come here under the orders of the wicked Archbishop. Do you truly wish to be cast into the flames of hell?”

It was a statement that seemed as though it knew everything. As expected of a priest who had received the goddess’s revelation.

Behind the trembling Temple Knights, who were overwhelmed by the miraculous sight, Porisco appeared with Ghislain.

“Do you now understand the truth now?”

At Porisco’s authoritative words, the Temple Knights abandoned their weapons and knelt.

“Ah, Bishop Porisco…”

“Please forgive us for our blasphemous sins.”

“We were misled and have followed the Archbishop until now.”

The Temple Knights began to weep as they confessed their sins.

Watching them, Porisco nodded with a gentle smile.

“I will forgive your sins.”

At his words, the Temple Knights wept even louder. This man was real. They had failed to recognize a true saint and had been calling him a greedy pig all this time.

Before the name of God, their loyalty to the Archbishop held no meaning. For the Temple Knights, faith always took precedence over personal convictions.

Seeing such a miracle before their eyes, the fear of falling into the fires of hell played a part in their change of heart.

Watching them, Porisco let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew, if I hadn’t cleaned this up quickly, I would’ve been screwed. Glad I listened to that kid. Ah, that one’s sharp.”

Having decided to leave everything to Ghislain anyway, Porisco had come up with a clever plan.

If the Archbishop launched an attack sooner rather than later, he thought it would be better to turn that into an advantage.

Observing Porisco, Ghislain smirked.

“Look at that. He didn’t survive this long for nothing. Even with such greed, he didn’t become a bishop for no reason.”

Instead of giving up after losing his wealth to Ghislain, Porisco had turned it to his advantage to secure some kind of benefit for himself. He certainly wasn’t an ordinary man.

Such a blatant individual was easier to deal with. With a balance of carrots and sticks, Ghislain thought he could extract quite a lot from him in the future.

The effect was immediate. Starting with the Temple Knights, rumors began to spread like wildfire.

As the rumors spread, Porisco’s authority grew, and no one in the church dared to treat him lightly. In turn, Porisco became even more arrogant.

In the end, this incident completely reversed the positions of the Archbishop and Porisco.

At a gathering of the council, Porisco scratched his belly and spoke with an insolent expression.

“The Archbishop has made a grave mistake. To doubt a man as upright as I am and even send knights—how could you? Tsk, tsk, tsk. If not for the goddess’s revelation, I would have suffered greatly.”

“…”

The Archbishop had no words.

He knew all too well that the so-called revelation was nonsense. He had known Porisco for years.

It was just bad timing. He had fallen into that bastard’s trap because he acted too late. Everyone here—the heavens, the earth, and all the other bishops—knew this.

But politics was like that. If an attack failed, it only became ammunition for the enemy.

In an attempt to salvage the situation, the Archbishop offered an apology.

“I’m sorry. It seems… I’ve made a mistake. I acted on false information and…”

“Oh, come on! That’s no excuse! You were trying to frame me!”

“N-no, that’s not it… I truly acted on bad information…”

“That’s a cowardly excuse!”

Under Porisco’s relentless pressure, the Archbishop could only sweat nervously.

Encouraged by his momentum, Porisco even pushed to be officially recognized as a saint. These kinds of things were best pursued when the tide was in one’s favor.

“You must have heard the rumors. Don’t you think I deserve to be called a saint by now? Let’s vote, shall we?”

With an utterly shameless attitude, Porisco spread his arms wide as he spoke.

But things rarely went as smoothly as one hoped. While Porisco had timed his move well, he didn’t know when to stop.

The Archbishop and his supporting bishops fiercely opposed the idea, and the council soon descended into chaos.