The Blackhearted Misunderstanding
“It probably won’t be a terribly bad story.”
Read took a sip from his teacup and spoke.
“No, it’s not even that level. Archbishop Yohanna will become the hero who saved people from a plague.”
“...
“A hundred, even a thousand lives saved by the archbishop. I don’t think such fame is easy to come by.”
He was right.
The medicine for the treatment had already been completed, and its effectiveness had been verified.
There would be no need to endure the insults that came from delayed payments for the treatment medicine.
‘All that remains is to invest and build facilities, then rapidly supply them.’
Given Yohanna’s capital-raising power, failure was impossible.
The success that would follow would be sweeter than anything else.
“Additionally, we will hand over the entire development rights for the treatment medicine to you, Archbishop Yohanna.”
“To me?”
“Yes. One day, when you receive a divine revelation, you will be instructed to develop the treatment medicine.”
“Hmm...
“Think about it. The image of yourself receiving a divine revelation, the image of the people praising that same self.”
“...
“Archbishop Yohanna, all you need to do is provide the facilities. I will provide the strength.”
Everything Read said was correct.
It was the level of a red carpet leading straight to the cardinal.
‘But why does he smell so much like a scammer?’
Even a decent city lord trembled before the archbishop.
He could not erase the feeling that he had been used.
“...I don’t have a choice anyway, do I? My name is already out there, so if I can’t supply the medicine, I’ll lose face.”
“Even without that, you were going to do it anyway, weren’t you? It’s a bit of a gamble either way. Don’t get cheap about it.”
“You’ve stopped hiding it now, you scoundrel.”
“I know that honesty is taught in the church.”
“Tsk!”
How long had it been since the archbishop had openly frowned like this?
“...Then why not just be honest from the start?”
“It’s a negotiating habit—always starting from a position slightly advantageous to me.”
As the Count of Nelson, that was essential.
Fame was just an annoying extra.
But the other side was the Hestia Church, with immense power.
He had to build in that kind of risk to sit at the table as a proud partner.
‘The foundation isn’t purely clean.’
No, rumors about the dirty side were frequent.
He had to give the impression that his own side wasn’t ordinary either.
“Hah. Disgusting, but I see the logic.”
In the end, Yohanna nodded first.
“It really is disgusting.”
“If I offended you, I’m sorry. It’s not exactly an apology, but I prepared a gift too.”
“A gift?”
Read took a white box from under the table.
“Personally, I managed to get these last month’s Alchikok shoes.”
“...
Yohanna’s expression froze.
She tried to hold it in, but it was obvious to Read.
Her gaze kept lingering on the shoes.
‘I really worked hard to prepare these for today.’
It felt like the value of a difficult acquisition was worth it.
This was a transmigrator’s special privilege, after all.
“I hope you like them.”
“Oh, thank you very much, but as someone who serves the goddess...
“I see. My apologies.”
“I can’t! Refusing a gift is also rude! I’ll make sure this is used properly for the people who need it!”
Yohanna grabbed the shoes before he could snatch them away.
Just like a goblin clutching an absolute ring.
‘...Anyway, it looks like he likes it.’
Yohanna was greedy, ambitious, and pragmatic, but she was not evil.
She always repaid what she received.
To Read, she was a more believable partner than a so-called saint.
“Then shall we consider the deal closed?”
Read’s words made Yohanna sigh as if she had lost.
“...Do you really believe in Hestia?”
“When someone’s family is starving because there’s no food, anyone would pray for a little bread from the gods, wouldn’t they?”
“It’s quite touching.”
Yohanna extended her hand first, and Read took it.
“Within two weeks, I need to supply the additional quantity.”
“Money is no issue; I’ll supply as much as you want.”
****
The price negotiation went quickly.
What the Nelson Estate received was the enormous investment and support for facility construction.
Along with it came the patent rights for the treatment medicine.
As she wrote the contract, Yohanna clicked her tongue.
“No matter how you look at it, this is too much of a windfall, isn’t it?”
“Think of it as a stepping stone to becoming a cardinal. Like advertising fees.”
“Advertising fees?”
“Shouldn’t the fact that our great Yohanna Cardinal has defeated the plague be widely known?”
“...You’re really going to get lightning from the goddess one day.”
Read laughed off the remark.
If there were such convenient lightning, why were there so many pirates in this world?
“Anyway, with this, the funds are secured.”
The Hestia Church announced the existence of the plague and, along with it, the availability of the treatment medicine.
On a sea where countless ships sailed, the plague spread rapidly.
Islands were closed environments where the plague could claim its own territory.
Even though the Hestia Church was rushing, they had limits.
Eventually, the plague began to spread to several distant islands as well.
No matter how fast they tried, supplying the medicine to so many islands on time was difficult.
“Hurry, hurry! I’ll give you as much money as you want! Please!”
“Haha. Don’t worry. Our Nelson Estate’s motto is to save every customer.”
Thanks to that, manpower poured into the Nelson Estate along with enormous sums of money.
Facility construction for the medicine.
Jobs to hire more staff.
All of it turned into massive profit!
The Nelson Estate was enjoying an unprecedented boom.
“My lord, there are more and more islands asking for the treatment medicine.”
“That’s good. Every one of them is a money line.”
Money was literally piling up.
It was the equivalent of earning several years’ worth of estate budget in one go.
Considering the earning speed, there would be even more.
“Hehe! With this, the estate’s operations won’t be a problem for a while.”
He had truly entered the realm of a wealthy man.
Beyond worrying about money, he could live like a tycoon.
‘If I use this as a base and recruit someone like Anne for the future of piracy, the future is basically secured.’
It was a perfect plan.
He could already picture himself sipping mango juice on a peaceful sea.
“My lord, a problem has arisen.”
“With all this money, what problem could there be?”
“It’s actually good. The issue is which islands to supply first. There’s a limit to the quantity we can send.”
“Show me.”
Read took the list and checked it thoroughly before handing it back.
“Supplying in roughly this order should work.”
The staff member checking the list smiled.
“The ones who tried to disrupt our business are excluded for now.”
“They were the ones who harassed us first. If they have a conscience, they can’t call it murder.”
A gentleman’s revenge may be sweet, but it’s not late.
Read wasn’t a gentleman; he was just a cowardly lord, and it took him less than a year.
****
Hestia Church.
“Read Nelson. Unlike what he looks like... no, he’s as frightening as he appears.”
Yohanna muttered while reading the newspaper.
The newspaper headline was plastered with the plague crisis and the treatment medicine story.
The foundation had specifically requested the newspaper to publish it.
Yohanna was a fairly famous archbishop.
Her achievements brought fame and profit to the church.
Promoting it on a grand scale was only natural.
Of course, Nelson was sitting comfortably and enjoying the attention.
“Do you really need to be so vigilant?”
A disciple next to her tilted her head.
“It’s true that Nelson’s contribution to creating the medicine is impressive, but ultimately, that’s it. Aren’t people praising you, Archbishop Yohanna?”
“...Do you think that?”
“Honestly, it must be a shame for Nelson. He created such a miracle but didn’t have enough money to even gain honor.”
“...On the surface, that’s true.”
Yohanna laughed with a snort at the disciple’s words.
I had such a pure time too... This was a self-deprecating laugh.
“Ultimately, I have become the great archbishop who solved the plague. It will be a great help from now on.”
“Either way, Nelson’s estate received the business and money they wanted, so it’s good.”
“Exactly. It was a steady, unremarkable transaction.”
Yohanna set down her teacup.
“But he already knew about the plague and had created the medicine before contacting me.”
“Isn’t that usual in business? You can’t negotiate without results.”
“The church couldn’t even build a facility for the medicine, yet he developed it quickly. Is this something an ordinary lord could do?”
“If he somehow obtained the information faster...
“Then, what should we make of the fact that he knew our foundation’s secrets and even my personal preferences?”
The disciple’s mouth fell slightly open.
“Exactly. He knew information he shouldn’t have known. I’m cautious about that.”
“Nelson’s estate has an enormous source of information?”
“It’s not at that level.”
The plague information could be accepted.
But knowing about Yohanna’s personal tastes, the foundation’s secrets, and everything related to the plague...
“It’s impossible unless you’re at the level of an archbishop or cardinal like me.”
“What? The highest-ranking people in the foundation?”
“Of course, we can’t use people of that level as informants.”
The Hestia Church that spreads across the entire sea.
The cardinals there wield immense power.
A single estate lord cannot summon them.
At best, he can only have strings.
“I believe Nelson is collaborating with them.”
“...So Nelson’s estate didn’t do it alone.”
“There’s probably an organization I don’t know about. Nelson’s estate likely acts as one of its members.”
“Then... Nelson’s estate was just a front or subordinate?”
“I thought so at first, but...
The attitude and confidence Nelson showed...
That was something a subordinate could not possess.
It was the reaction of someone who believes the board is entirely in his hands.
“Thinking about how he handled the situation, he must be a core member.”
“...He has an enormous hidden background.”
“I understand why he chose me among so many archbishops.”
The opportunity to become a hero who saved countless islands.
He wouldn’t have passed that up by chance, would he?
“It’s a kind of signal that he wants to include me in that member group. This is a test.”
“A test? How dare you, Archbishop Yohanna...
“I am also lacking in many ways.”
A group capable of quickly identifying the plague and developing the medicine.
In front of them, even the title of archbishop would be reduced by one step.
If cardinals or archbishops at that level are involved...
The organization’s influence would be immeasurable.
“Currently, I and Nelson’s estate are collaborators and the only thread leading to that organization. Whether I like it or not, I have no choice but to be with him.”
“...Your words sound exactly like you’re saying Nelson’s estate is the blackhearted one.”
“Hoh. Who knows? I wonder if I’m really playing on his palm.”
Read’s plan and execution were worthy of pure admiration.
It must have been a meticulously prepared operation spanning years.
He hid his strength and crouched for this one shot.
‘As a result, Nelson’s estate earned enormous wealth, and I became the church’s top-priority archbishop.’
Compared to that, Yohanna’s investment was like blood from a new moon.
Now, how was she supposed to pay the remaining change?
In the meantime, Read had sent her a letter, still thanking her enough.
For Yohanna, that attitude felt even more slippery.
‘I wonder who is behind Read Nelson. Do they even want me to become a cardinal?’
Honestly, the support of such an organization was reassuring.
But even a church that takes mercy as its doctrine has no free lunch.
The existence capable of making something like this was frightening.
‘Maybe the plague itself... no, that’s too much of an assumption.’
Yohanna felt uneasy.
Then she saw the first support plan Read had reported.
Her heart changed almost to certainty.
‘It looks like he supported harder places first... but I can’t understand the economic retaliation toward Nelson’s estate. A desire for revenge.’
Since he dared to touch her, does that mean he has to pay with his life?
‘It’s terrifying...
Who exactly is behind Read Nelson?
How many cardinals are involved with him in this matter?
Yohanna felt the need to investigate this.
****
With free time, Read had a new hobby.
“Yay, a big one~
He was immediately fishing. Splash, splash!
“Hmm, this one’s for Anne. She needs to eat well during her growth period.”
Read watched the caught fish wriggling happily, laughing like a fisherman.