Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Church Without Missionaries (7)
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Moretti, who had been dragged away by the bodyguards, was thrown down in front of the bereaved families of the believers killed in the attack.
I heard that to save his own skin, he offered an enormous sum as compensation and begged desperately, groveling for his life. And unexpectedly—or perhaps predictably—the families eventually accepted the payout and agreed to spare him.
I had no desire to pass judgment on their choice.
Revenge wouldn't bring back the dead, but these people knew better than anyone how utterly wretched life could be without money on hand. In this city, cash often—no, almost always—carried more value than life itself.
So I had no right to meddle in their decision.
That said, reaching an agreement with the families didn't mean we had any intention of letting Moretti go free.
The compensation for the damage he'd inflicted on our church still needed to be settled separately.
After some sort of "agreement," Moretti consented to handing over a substantial chunk of his mafia businesses to the church. In exchange, we promised to spare his life, and he remained confined in the cathedral.
In truth, this was less about immediate payback and more about playing the long game.
If we'd killed Moretti on the spot, it might have rallied the remaining mafia forces against us.
The various executives hungry for the godfather's throne would likely invoke revenge as their banner to declare a vendetta and vie for leadership. That's why we held off on killing him right away.
With him as our hostage, the remnants would hesitate to act rashly.
Naturally, this would split their ranks: the cautious faction prioritizing the godfather's safety, the ambitious plotting to reshuffle the board, and the hardliners howling for vengeance.
Given time with opinions divided like that, infighting was inevitable.
Loyalty among criminals was mostly a hollow illusion anyway.
Once a boss's authority slipped even slightly, those who swore undying fealty yesterday would shamelessly eye the empty throne tomorrow.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ From the church's perspective, it was far safer and more efficient to keep him alive, letting us slowly and legally siphon off his assets, rather than killing him outright and handing them a pretext for all-out retaliation.
So the former mafia godfather was set to remain detained here for the foreseeable future.
In a deep underground solitary cell beneath the cathedral, where the "Saved Ones" made their home.
No one knew when—or if—he'd ever see sunlight again.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A few days after the family raid, the chaotic back alleys quickly regained their calm.
Despite the sudden mafia assault, the residents' faith in the church didn't waver in the slightest.
Perhaps deaths and injuries were so commonplace here that people paid more attention to the dramatic aftermath than the incident itself.
Exaggerated eyewitness accounts swirled through the streets.
"Heard about it? The church took down those terrifying mafias... all in just a few hours."
"They even dragged that famous 'godfather' in like a dog and made him apologize in front of everyone, or so they say."
"No way... that's gotta be bullshit."
"It's true! I saw it myself!!"
The residents' trust and support for the church—which had turned a surprise attack into an easy victory—soared even higher. Rumors snowballed, and the prestige of the faithful grew day by day.
Now, not even lowlife punks dared show their faces near the cathedral. The church's grip on local security was ironclad.
With things settled, we began fully leveraging the businesses Moretti had handed over. We started hiring from the church-supported poor—especially those eager to work.
The number of new hires steadily grew, and commuters began replacing the homeless on the streets.
Of course, throwing untrained workers into the mix was inefficient to a degree, bordering on needless expense.
But they poured more effort into the job than anyone to make the most of their hard-won chance, and it wasn't a total loss.
These new hires from the extreme underclass tended to blow their paychecks immediately. Rather than saving or investing, they spent on urgent necessities like food, clothes, and supplies for themselves and their families.
Naturally, that boosted sales at the shops dotting the area—all of which proudly displayed the church's emblem. Higher revenues meant bigger tithes flowing back to us.
In the end, much of the labor costs recirculated through various channels into the church, forming a virtuous cycle.
This flow of money—scattered then returned—breathed new life into the back-alley economy. Residents gained jobs, enjoyed better lives through spending, and the outskirts were slowly transforming into a livable place.
Hope now edged out despair on people's faces.
"Alright, kids. Time for prayer?"
Everyone knew exactly where this change had begun.
"Thank you for today, Lord Radiance."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Church operations were finally entering a stable phase.
Tasks had been systematized, procedures ironed out one by one.
I no longer had much to worry about personally.
'These past weeks... what a whirlwind.'
I let out a small sigh, recalling the breathless rush.
At long last, I'd reclaimed some leisure.
'God, how long has it been?'
My steps were light on the familiar path. A tune escaped my lips unbidden.
I was heading to none other than the pizza shop—my old part-time gig.
With one bizarre crisis after another derailing my life, I couldn't even guess how long it'd been since my last commute.
'Honestly, the church's income means I don't need to earn pocket money anymore...'
Still, there was such a thing as obligation.
When I'd first landed penniless in this strange city, Jenny hadn't batted an eye before offering me a job and looking after me with genuine warmth. Even now, the memory filled me with gratitude.
I couldn't just ditch her now that I didn't "need" to.
'Might as well keep at it as long as I can.'
The familiar sign came into view. I pushed the door open with a light touch.
Ding-a-ling. The cheerful bell rang out as a busy girl inside perked up with a beaming smile.
"Welcome... Oh! Eve!"
A girl with her chestnut hair neatly tied back.
"Eri, it's been a while."
Her name was Eri—one of the church believers who'd covered my shifts as a substitute during those hectic weeks buried in cathedral duties.
"Thanks so much for everything, Eri."
She flashed her usual vibrant grin.
"I'm just happy if I could help you even a little, Eve!"
She really was such a good kid.
We were chatting about this and that when a familiar voice rang out from the kitchen.
"Eve! You!! Get your butt to work right now!!!"
Before I could react, Jenny burst out and grabbed me.
Her powerful hands clamped onto my cheeks, kneading them like pizza dough.
"Ow... J-Jenny..."
She stretched them out like well-cooked mochi, then broke into a satisfied, almost lecherous cackle.
"Heh-heh, that's the texture... yeah, this is it. Heh heh heh..."
Her voice was a bit gravelly, but the affectionate welcome warmed a corner of my heart.
After an eternity of that torment, I retreated, cradling my stinging cheeks.
Jenny spoke first.
"God, how long's it been, Eve? So... family stuff all sorted?"
"Huh?"
As I tilted my head in confusion, I caught Eri grinning ear to ear beside her.
That sunny smile—she must've tactfully spun some story for me.
'The church thing isn't exactly a state secret anyway.'
Most folks on 13th Street already had a vague sense of the Radiance Church and my role in it. Being upfront wouldn't cause waves.
But... explaining it to Jenny, who knew the "old" me? That was awkward. Make that extremely awkward.
How do you tell her that during a mere part-time hiatus, I'd whipped up a weird religion, booted out the local gangs, smashed a drug ring, and even crushed a full-blown mafia syndicate...?
The sheer absurdity made my head spin.
So I dodged for now.
"Y-yeah... family stuff's all good."
Church believers called each other siblings, so technically... family matters? Close enough.
Having rationalized it internally, I apologized properly.
"Sorry, Jenny. Dropping off the face of the earth like that. Must've been tough on the shop..."
"Pfft, between us? You even hooked me up with a sweet, hardworking sub like Eri... all good, all good~."
She waved it off with her usual generosity.
'What an angel...'
Hell, "Saintess" suited her way better than me.
After catching up and chatting with Eri too, I finally changed into my familiar staff uniform.
The scent of baking pizza felt comforting after so long.
Even my usual spot at the counter carried a fresh nostalgia.
Like I'd truly returned to everyday life.
I had a feeling I'd sleep like a rock tonight after my shift.
As I geared up to start, my eyes snagged on something.
'Huh?'
A familiar emblem— one I could've sworn wasn't there before—stuck to one side of the shop's entrance glass.
The church sigil. The Radiance Church's mark, which I'd handled plenty.
Jenny noticed my stare and smiled while wiping a table.
"Oh, that? Get this, Eve. While you were gone... this neighborhood's seen some wild changes. There's this new group called the Radiance Church, and let me tell you what they pulled off—"
"......"
I averted my eyes without thinking.