How to Replace Dad
Pogo Won smiled brightly as he looked at Yustea and Antonio.
It was strange, however.
Antonio's face was terribly ugly.
"That kid...!"
Yustea grabbed him before he could jump out.
"Oppa."
When she said that, Antonio stopped.
He knew what it meant if he jumped out now—he'd get nothing to eat or drink.
Pogo Won looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"What's the matter?"
Antonio flinched.
Since he had revealed his anger, he might notice something strange.
Can't mess up now.
Escape was difficult.
Because the number of enemies was too large.
Although he was watching the situation through the demon realm from Cuaron Castle, it would take time until support arrived.
Before that, if the Dawn Society came out to deal with the spy, it would be really dangerous.
At the moment Antonio swallowed his dry saliva.
"You tricked us...!"
Yustea shouted.
'Eh?'
Antonio's eyes widened.
If I don't fix it and cause more trouble?
But Yustea glared even more fiercely.
"This is not the statue of the goddess Teretis. This is not the northern temple, is it?"
Ah.
Antonio nodded his head.
"There is a northern temple nearby. It seems you were bringing us there."
He remembered how he pretended to believe those words to Pogo Won.
Pogo Won smiled with "Ah."
"You must have misunderstood. I never said it was the temple of the goddess Teretis."
"Give back the bag. I want to go back."
As Yustea grabbed Antonio and tried to climb the stairs again, Pogo Won said.
"The goddess Teretis has abandoned humans."
"What?"
"It is the secret that the empire has been hiding from the people. The empire is hiding this huge secret and deceiving the people to take advantage of them."
"I, I've never heard such words!"
Based on his experience working in a scam gang, he launched into a passionate speech.
Thanks to that, Pogo Won didn't sense anything suspicious.
"Listen to the priests' words and decide. And realize our mission... Ah! I believe!"
Pogo Won raised both hands to the sky and chanted "I believe!"
While she was immersed in her faith, Antonio whispered.
"What is the mission?"
"Money, labor force, everything to be handed over to fatten the belly, right?"
"You're crazy. What kind of disgusting god gave such a mission?"
While the two were whispering, Pogo Won finished the chant and shouted.
"Our god, Holy Lady—!"
"...?"
"...??"
The Holy Lady and her companions tilted their heads upon hearing those words.
"Despair shall come, fear not."
"The seed shall sprout quietly in the quiet and bloom as a flower."
So, that's how the Dawn Society believes.
Teretis is a despicable god.
She molded humans for her own amusement.
The Holy Lady, the daughter of the god, couldn't bear to protect the cruel goddess Teretis and rebelled.
By becoming a god for the sake of humans.
The priest on the stage pointed at the inscription on the wall.
"Be not afraid of the despair that is to come.
The seed will sprout quietly and bloom as a flower in the quiet."
It was an oracle.
"This oracle is the word that the Holy Lady, who escaped the eyes of the god, has bestowed upon us humans."
...It means to exterminate the fake god Teretis who does not rise up and does not care for humans.
Pogo Won nodded with a grumbling face, saying "Yes. Yes."
Antonio, who had come out from behind and listened to the priest's sermon with me, asked with a sad face.
"Was that the case?"
"...No way."
I smiled with a blank stare, and Antonio "Ah." blinked his eyes.
It seemed that the reason the Antonio squad was converted was because of this.
Because I am the Holy Lady, they want to help me.
Good people. ...But they are good.
"Ooh! I believe!"
"Holy Lady! Ooh! Little teacher...!"
"Ooh ooh!"
From now on, I must always bring a nanny wherever I go.
The sermon ended.
A thunderous applause broke out.
I poked Antonio's side.
Antonio clapped his hands as if springing out.
I also clapped "clap clap" and Pogo Won, who had been separated from us, came over.
"How was the sermon?"
"Based on historical facts, it was easy to understand. The Holy Lady really appeared."
"That's right! Ah, it's been 3 years since I joined Dawn Society. My family, friends, acquaintances all left, but I didn't give up! And it was proven by the appearance of the Holy Lady! My faith was not wrong!"
Pogo Won was so excited that her face turned red.
The believers around her agreed.
"Yes! I understand! When the faith is proven, how emotional it was!"
"Even while trembling at the thought that the foolish ones are following the Holy Lady, we thank the Holy Lady for descending and wanting to protect the believers."
"I believe...!"
I quietly turned my head.
Because it was burdensome.
And also, to check the expressions of the high priests lined up on the wall side.
One of the high priests clicked his tongue.
An unpleasant expression.
He doesn't welcome the appearance of the Holy Lady.
Of course, it was natural.
It had been 10 years since Dawn Society appeared.
At that time, they probably didn't even dream that a real Holy Lady would appear.
They just used the oracle's Holy Lady as a means to make the believers believe.
But now that the Holy Lady has appeared, how surprised they must be.
But it would have been hard to deny the Holy Lady.
Because the number of believers increased after seeing the Holy Lady appear.
To the point where it feels like a threat from Esgard.
The high priest on the stage said with a benevolent expression.
"Then, let's start sharing faith. Form groups of 5 and share your faith."
Then, Pogo Won smiled brightly and said.
"Try it. If you share the experience of how you came to have faith through any opportunity, your faith towards the Holy Lady will deepen."
Chance.
A chance to approach the members of Antonio's group.
"Then, with Oppa... "
Pogo Won looked at us with a distant smile.
Yustea and Antonio pretended to look around and approached the members of the group.
It wasn't difficult to approach.
It was just pretending to find similar age groups.
And finally, we got close behind the backs of the members.
"No one shares faith with us today."
"You said last time that the Holy Lady does good at blackmailing other believers, so that's why."
"Since it's really good..."
"Yeah."
The members who were fidgeting stretched their necks.
And just as they were about to say "Hey woman. Let me talk about the Holy Lady with you—."
Antonio pressed the crowns of two members hard.
"Desertion from workplace. Want to be investigated?"
The members who suddenly raised their heads in surprise shouted.
"Holy Lady?!"
At that moment.
Flick. Flick. Flick. Flick.
All the people in the prayer hall looked at us.
I raised both hands with a blank face and said.
"I believe. I believe."
The people, thinking that the faith was overflowing and there was commotion, withdrew their gazes with benevolent expressions.
Pretending to share faith, I told the members of Antonio's group the current situation.
Dawn Society is a scam group, and the purpose is money and labor force.
No relation to me at all.
The members stood up with fierce eyes.
"What kind of dogshit is this...!"
"Quiet."
With my blank face, the members flinched and sat back down.
I lowered my voice and whispered.
"Has there been any leakage of information related to me to the Dawn Society side?"
"No. Before the young lady's identity as the Holy Lady was revealed, the deputy warned them."
"Yes. From now on, many people will approach looking for the young lady, and I was told not to say any information."
"If we leak at that moment, we might never see the young lady again."
The deputy did a great job.
Good thing.
"Then, about the Irregular?"
"Even if a knife is put in my mouth, I won't say it. But I told them that I worked as a soldier in Cuaron Castle. I said I didn't see the young lady."
Since I was a low rank, they probably thought I couldn't have seen her.
Antonio's group was too pure to be the type to advance.
I nodded and said the real purpose.
"I received a mission from the main. I have to exterminate the Dawn Society."
I explained the future plans and assigned missions to each member. Of course, including Antonio.
The members including Antonio nodded.
Around that time, the faith sharing ended.
Pogo Won came to us.
"I have something to tell you regarding me. Let's go."
I signaled to the members and Antonio stood up.
Following Pogo Won, we went to the room that was guided when we first came here.
There, the priest who had taken my bag was waiting.
As soon as I sat down, he said.
"This is quite a predicament."
"What?"
When I asked, he put his hand on his forehead with a troubled look.
"The curse of the gold ingot seems stronger than expected, so it seems I won't be able to help with my power."
"Really... "
"But don't worry. When the abbot returns from training, it will be possible to help."
"I see."
"While staying here, how about it?"
It was a welcome sound while listening.
I have a lot of things to do.
Exterminating the Dawn Society.
And stealing the Alto-ran like money collected by the Dawn Society.
"Is it okay? We have become more interested in the Holy Lady."
With a happy expression, the priest laughed "Haha."
"Of course. This place is a rest stop open to everyone. However, there is something to be concerned about."
"If it's concern...?"
"There will be a curse on the other eleven gold ingots as well. The damage will have spread to the vicinity. We have to hurry and bring them and help together."
"Ah... "
"Where are the gold ingots?"
The priest and Pogo Won opened their eyes wide.
I said while pretending to hesitate.
"Will you really return it?"
"Of course. We follow the Holy Lady. How could we do something that would tarnish the Holy Lady's honor. Haha."
"It's a bit dangerous... "
"Where?"
"San Miguel."
Antonio glanced at me.
Yes, San Miguel.
It was the base of the Irregular before it merged with Balboa and became Cuaron Castle.
Now, it is secretly used as a military training ground.
"San Miguel... "
The priest signaled to Pogo Won.
It meant to send soldiers quickly to find the gold ingots.
Yes, go well.
Into the hands of the Irregular.
By reducing the number of soldiers like that.
After the priest left, Antonio and I received clothes from Pogo Won.
"It means to wear the same clothes as the believers, live the same life, and build a sense of unity."
A lie.
It's to confiscate the things we brought.
To see if those things would help in the escape.
As evidence, there was no bag or anything.
But it was the expected thing.
The really important magic device for transmission, the glasses, wouldn't be confiscated.
We obediently changed clothes in the changing room and came out.
"Antonio-nim, go with me, and Yustea-nim, go with these children."
Antonio frowned.
"I am the young lady...!"
Before the word "young lady" popped out, Antonio stopped.
"...and don't fall away. Our young lady is weak."
Pogo Won laughed "Huhu."
"You two get along well. But don't worry. Yustea-nim will be taken care of well by these people. You can meet at meal times."
"I can't do that."
At that moment, Pogo Won's eyes changed.
"Please solve it with words."
It was a very sinister voice.
Since I knew the location of the gold ingot, there was no need to show it well.
In this case, I might be locked up and receive mental education.
"Oppa, I'm fine. You can meet at meal times."
It meant to follow so that things don't go wrong.
Antonio, who understood the meaning, had no choice but to back off.
Soon, people wearing the same clothes as me entered with a knock.
There were men and women mixed, mostly of my age.
The girl at the front bowed her head to Pogo Won.
Pogo Won smiled brightly.
"Newly arrived. Please teach you various things well."
"I hope it's a new family."
The girl who said that looked at me.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Carmen."
"I'm Yustea. Nice to meet you."
Pogo Won nodded with a pleased expression and took Antonio away.
The footsteps faded.
Then....
"What are you doing."
Carmen said to the children.
Before Carmen's words fell, the children roughly grabbed my arm.
And sat me down on my knees.
The biggest boy among the children roughly grabbed my chin and lifted my head.
The girl with short curly hair among the children who suppressed me shouted.
"Your head is high. Do you know who Carmen is?"
"Who are you... ugh."
Because my chin was held, I couldn't speak properly.
The girl with short curly hair shouted.
"You are the illegitimate child of the Cuaron Knight Commander!"
If it's the Cuaron Knight Commander... the deputy?
Did the deputy have a child?