Chapter 322: Political Maneuvering (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 322: Political Maneuvering (1)
Joo Kyung-tae.
It had been twenty-five years since he had sought out the cult at the age of twenty and sworn a vow of purity.
His life, overseeing the Purity Cult situated on a prime piece of land in Gangnam, was nothing short of prosperous.
As befitting a place where only the most renowned of South Korea’s wealthy resided, the donations were enormous.
“Good morning, Bishop!”
“It’s another fine morning.”
Their respectful greetings and words endlessly inflated his self-esteem.
That was why he did not regret the rash, childish choice he had made at twenty.
Even if it had been an act born of despair after breaking up with the girlfriend he had started dating in the winter of his nineteenth year, just before turning twenty.
He’d had his regrets when he was younger, but now, he was simply happy.
For he had gained far too much by suppressing a single desire.
Besides, a man’s libido naturally wanes with age.
Now, even the desire to hold a woman in his arms was beginning to fade.
“Hmm… so many people have come to visit today.”
Standing before a crowd that filled the massive church, he preached the importance of chastity.
Afterward, a considerable sum of money would be gathered in the donation box.
No, in truth, it was an astounding amount.
This was Gangnam, a place where only the most prominent of South Korea’s wealthy could live.
It had always been so, and it was even more so now.
Was it not as clear as day how large the donations, born from their affluence and generosity, would be?
“The faithful have shown their generous hearts once again today.”
“Isn’t this all thanks to your wonderful words, Bishop?”
“Haha! Not at all. I merely recited the words of the goddess.”
The followers and nuns were adept at scratching every itch he had.
As a priest who served a god, he knew he shouldn’t think this way, but at times, this place felt like his own kingdom.
The believers who were moved by his sermons and offered their money were his subjects.
The followers and nuns who carefully selected only pleasing words were his retainers.
And the Paladin, the cult’s greatest warrior dispatched to protect the church—no, to protect him—was his knight.
Didn’t it all fit together perfectly?
A foolish grin unknowingly spread across his face.
“Ahem.”
He quickly composed his expression and personally watered the flowerbeds in front of the church.
He hid the ugliness that grew within him as he aged, and instead showed a more benevolent and diligent facade.
He believed without a doubt that the more he did so, the more people’s respect for him would grow, and this would become the power that would lift him to an even higher position.
“Oh, Bishop! I can take care of menial tasks like this…!”
“Menial tasks? How can one take lightly the act of giving water to life? Besides, I do this for my own enjoyment, so please don’t trouble yourself, Sister.”
“Ah, Bishop… you have enlightened me once again.”
“Haha! It is you who is remarkable, Sister, for finding enlightenment in the ramblings of an old man.”
Leaving behind those who were moved by his every small word, he was on his way back after watering the flowers.
‘Let’s see… there’s still time until the evening mass.’
Just as he was thinking of relaxing with a cup of tea before dinner…
CRASH!
The sound of the church door being violently thrown open assaulted his ears.
Joo Kyung-tae’s face instantly contorted into a scowl.
Until now, no one had ever opened or closed the church doors so crudely.
‘Who in the world…!’
He spun around in anger to see a man stepping through the open doorway.
He was a handsome man with a kind face that most women would find appealing without exception.
Joo Kyung-tae recognized him without difficulty.
No, it would be more accurate to say he couldn’t possibly not recognize him.
‘Kim Do-jin?’
The rising star who had caused a stir not just in South Korea, but throughout the entire global Hunter industry.
The moment he recognized him, his confusion deepened.
‘Why is this man here…?’
From what he’d heard, the man lived a life that was the very antithesis of purity.
As he was pondering this…
Kim Do-jin, who had been looking around, spotted Joo Kyung-tae and started walking toward him.
Finally, the two men stood face to face.
‘Ah, this is no time for that.’
It didn’t matter what business the man had here.
All he had to do was greet him with his usual benevolent smile and tone.
Just as he calmly collected his thoughts and was about to speak…
Kim Do-jin spoke first, a step faster.
“I want to have sex with my girlfriend. Tell me how to break the Vow of Purity.”
“……?”
The man must be insane.
*
Hmm.
That’s the look of someone wondering if I’m a lunatic.
Well, I can see why.
I was in such a hurry that I just blurted out my request without so much as a greeting.
“…It wouldn’t be right to speak with such an important guest standing here. Please, come inside.”
He’s quite the expert at controlling his emotions.
Despite my rather shocking statement, the priest smiled benevolently and led me to a reception room.
The middle-aged priest had me sit down before disappearing somewhere.
When he returned, he was holding a tray with two cups of tea.
“It’s chamomile tea.”
“Thank you.”
And so, an impromptu tea time began.
After I had taken a few sips of the warm tea, the priest finally spoke.
“I am Bishop Joo Kyung-tae. Though I am lacking, I have been entrusted by the cult with the management of this church.”
“I’m Kim Do-jin.”
“Haha! I know you well. How could I not recognize the pride and treasure of South Korea?”
The moment he opened his mouth, the flattery began to pour out.
Hmm.
In my experience, people this skilled at flattery often have a dark side.
“Now then… could you please repeat what you said earlier?” Bishop Joo Kyung-tae asked, his benevolent smile gone and his face hardened.
He looked as if he were saying, ‘Go on, repeat that bullshit you were spouting earlier.’
If that’s what he wants, I’ll oblige.
“My girlfriend told me she took a Vow of Purity when she was a child.”
“Oh… is that so?”
His expression suddenly brightened.
Look at him, getting all happy about a vow of purity.
Is he a unicorn or something?
“But I really want to have sex with my girlfriend.”
“Se-se… ahem.”
The priest was flustered by the word “sex.”
However, he quickly regained his composure and offered me a solution.
“If you truly wish to, you may marry your girlfriend.”
“Marriage…”
The Purity Cult permits married couples to lose their virginity.
Of course, it’s not permission in a hedonistic sense, but as a sacred ritual for the purpose of bearing children.
What does that mean?
“I heard that’s also extremely restrictive.”
“Hmm… that is true, I suppose. The cult permits it for the purpose of bearing children.”
“Sigh, that might be a problem. When I have sex, I have to cum seven or eight times.”
“S-seven… eight!?”
The priest’s eyes widened and kept drifting downward.
Hey, where is this guy looking?
“Bishop?”
“Ah… ahem, my apologies.”
He finally snapped out of it when I called to him in a low voice.
I continued the conversation.
“Anyway… that’s why I came here, to find a way to break my girlfriend’s vow. Oh, and to add one more thing, this isn’t just my idea. My girlfriend wants this too.”
In short: ‘I want to have sex, my girlfriend wants to have sex, so break the vow.’
After hearing the whole story, the priest opened his mouth, his smile still in place.
“I’m sorry, but that’s impossible.”
The rejection, delivered in a sharp tone, was a stark contrast to his benevolent smile.
“How can one break an oath made to a god? Even if your girlfriend has had a change of heart, the terms of the vow cannot be altered.”
An irreversible decision.
It seemed he was trying to hammer home the point that since the vow was already made, it could never be broken.
Ah, this is getting annoying.
“It’s not like my girlfriend wanted to take the vow in the first place.”
At that, the priest’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“What do you mean by that…?”
“I heard they made her pledge the vow in exchange for food when she was a poor child, right? They said if she pledged the vow, they would provide food for her family.”
“Th-that’s…!”
I added another word to the stunned man.
“Is this also a method of proselytizing taught directly by the goddess of the Purity Cult?”
The moment I finished speaking, Bishop Joo Kyung-tae’s hands slammed down hard on the reception table.
SLAM!
“You’ve gone too far, Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
It was quite amusing how he flew off the handle the moment I brought up the goddess.
I couldn’t help but sneer at him, one corner of my mouth curling up.
“And a proselytizing method that lures a cold, starving little girl with food isn’t going too far?”
“That’s…!”
The priest couldn’t answer rashly.
He had no choice.
In an era rife with promiscuity, the Purity Cult, which had raised the banner of chastity, had expanded its influence rapidly.
But that was short-lived.
As society began to stabilize, they hit a period of stagnation.
And some of the priests of the Purity Cult resorted to slightly despicable acts to overcome it.
Like making cold and hungry children like Elena pledge a vow in exchange for food.
The cult announced that these were acts carried out independently by a few overzealous priests, but who knows.
Who’s to say it wasn’t a secret directive from the cult itself?
Sensing that every word could become a liability, the priest fell silent. I offered him another proposal.
“I’ll pay you back handsomely for the food you gave my girlfriend, as a donation. So just break the vow already.”
This was the best compromise I could offer.
Give them enough money to satisfy them and get Elena’s vow nullified.
Weren’t they the type who couldn’t live without money, even if they could live without sex?
I thought it was a reasonable compromise on my part.
“Impossible.”
It seemed our dear Bishop wasn’t pleased with that either.
“The Purity Cult’s vow cannot be broken under any circumstances. If you continue to be unreasonable… I will not stand by idly either.”
Ha, look at this guy.
Luring an innocent little girl is no problem, but me asking to break the vow is being unreasonable?
Looks like I’ll have to show him what truly unreasonable is before he gets it.
“Think about it again. This is the most peaceful compromise I could come up with.”
As I said this in a placating tone, the priest’s face turned even redder.
“Are you… threatening me? Threatening the Purity Cult?”
“Hey, a threat? Don’t say such hurtful things.”
How hurtful.
I haven’t even started with the threats yet.
I stood up from the plush chair.
“Anyway… you’re rejecting my proposal, right?”
“No matter how many times you ask, my answer will not change. The vow cannot be changed under any circumstances.”
“Hmm, I see.”
I’m curious now.
If that vow really can’t be changed, under any circumstances.
And if it can be changed, how far do I have to go to make it happen?
I completely erased the cleanest card—a reasonable compromise—from my mind.
“I understand your position, Bishop. In that case, I have no choice but to find another way on my own.”
At that, a smirk formed on Bishop Joo Kyung-tae’s lips.
“It will be impossible, no matter what you try. Do you think a mere human can break a goddess’s vow?”
“Who knows.”
I haven’t tried yet, so I wouldn’t know.
I’m curious too.
Whether or not I can become the sole case of reversal for you all.
I started to leave the reception room, then spun around and left him with a final, smiling remark.
“Ah, did you know?”
“…Know what.”
“That there are quite a lot of people who grind their teeth at the Purity Cult.”
“……?”
It might not seem like it, but the Purity Cult has quite a few enemies.
If you’re asking why, it’s because of the way they deal with apostates.
There are a fair number of impotent men among the villains.
From trying to forcibly rape someone who had taken the vow.
Or from being blinded by the desire for sex with their lover and trying to find a way to break the vow.
The reasons are quite varied, but one thing is the same.
Their hostility toward the Purity Cult, which left them impotent.
Animosity toward the one who left you impotent?
You can’t stop that.
“That’s why they say they plaster all sorts of magic circles on churches when they build them these days, I believe.”
In fact, there have been several terrorist attacks carried out by them.
Because of that, not only priests but also many followers ended up dead.
Since then, whenever the cult builds a church, they cover the walls with all sorts of defensive magic circles.
To show that they are safe from any kind of terror.
Only then… would the followers come to pray, and also make donations.
“But here’s the thing.”
So, here’s a question.
“What do you think would happen… if all those magic circles were to disappear overnight?”
“……!”
I’m not impotent, so I wouldn’t really know.