The Crown Prince That Sells Medicine - Chapter 170

The Crown Prince That Sells Medicine Chapter 170

#170. Faith and deception (1)

The cultists prostrated themselves toward Cain.

I was shaking with my face pressed against the floor.

“O Ba Baal. “Thank you for answering the call of humble beings like us.”

“We are ready to swear allegiance to Lord Baal…”

Of course, devils do not exist in this world, but they appear in ghost stories and legends.

Baal was known to be the highest level of demons.

Cain’s gaze turned to the goat, which was now struggling for breath.

‘Did you think you could summon a high-level demon with such a low-quality sacrifice?’

These people are probably also the lower class.

Ignorance was usually proportional to poverty, and Cain knew this very well.

If he knew anything about mana and magic, he wouldn’t have mistaken himself for a devil.

“If you just give me an order, I will do as you say.”

If there was a misunderstanding, it would be right to use it, but judging from the type of mask, they were low-status believers.

His goal is to create a situation where he can listen to the religious leader’s sermon and have a private meeting with him.

It is possible if you take the time, but there is a condition that the work must be completed before the interrogators arrive.

‘There is no great utility value to these people.’

Instead, a better idea occurred to Cain.

“Raise your head.”

“Yes yes.”

The moment the cultists raised their heads and raised their upper bodies, a sphere made of wind struck their solar plexus.

The cultists fell to the floor with a ‘knock’ sound.

Cain exchanged the paint-stained mask and vehicle for one of them.

Then he went out into the hallway and shouted.

“It’s an intruder!”

The iron stairs creaked and the guards came running.

“Intruder! “Are they the cult bastards!”

A sign that it has finally arrived.

Cain pointed into the room and spoke in an urgent voice.

“During the ceremony, a saboteur broke in through the roof. “I killed all my brothers and ran over there!”

The guards were very nervous due to Cain’s realistic acting.

Some went into the room, while others headed toward the end of the hallway that Cain pointed to.

Soon the atmosphere in the entire building became noisy, and Cain followed the information board in the hallway toward the main auditorium.

‘…That’s sloppy.’

There were no inspections on the way here.

It was evident that the guards stationed in the main hall also did not receive professional training.

Their religion seemed systematic, but at the same time it was extremely sloppy.

The impression is that the scale was only increased without substance in order to increase the number of believers.

‘But if he can attract this number of believers, the leader must be seen as a man of outstanding intelligence.’

The arrival of the Heretic Questioner.

Spy’s infiltration.

Either way, it is right to anticipate and prepare.

But the fact that there are no defenses like this.

‘Are believers expendable? At least serve as a shield until he achieves his goal.’

Cain thought.

If the cult leader’s purpose in seizing the necklace was ‘that’ what he expected, there was a high possibility that the believers were just expendable items.

As he walked through the hallways and down the stairs, the structure of the building was entered into Cain’s mind without fail.

“The leader’s sermon will begin soon! “New believers, please enter quickly!”

There was a long line in front of the door leading into the main auditorium.

Cain went to the back of the line.

Suddenly.

Someone took my hand and I turned around and there was Estelle. she whispered.

“I couldn’t find the religious leader’s residence. “The buildings all look similar and there are no specific clues.”

“At the end of the hallway on the 5th floor of this building. “No need to worry.”

Round golden eyes beyond the eye sockets of the mask.

She nodded vigorously.

The line quickly shortened and it was the two people’s turn to enter.

The gatekeeper’s gaze was directed to the backs of Cain and Estelle’s clean hands.

“It seems like this is your first time attending the leader’s sermon. It will be a life-changing experience. Because I did that.”

He stamped the backs of the two people’s hands with a special solution.

It was a stamp design that clearly showed hostility, with an X drawn on top of the church’s eight-pointed star.

“The more times you attend sermons and collect stamps, the higher you can move up to a higher rank. “Lower followers emerge who can give orders.”

He whispered as if he were revealing a great secret.

Squeak-

The door closed after the two of them.

“I’m not the only one who thought that right now, right?”

Embarrassed and dumbfounded.

A voice somewhere in the middle.

“It’s a pyramid scheme.”

Cain was equally dumbfounded. It was a moment when I became even more curious about the face of the religious leader.

As I opened another door at the end of the dark passage, dazzling light poured in.

The large auditorium was filled with funeral chairs.

“Even if we can’t do it, there will be 200 people. “We gather like this only for the bishops’ sermons.”

In a solemn and quiet atmosphere.

Countless demon masks were sitting on chairs in reverential postures.

Cain and Estelle found an empty seat at the very back and sat down.

Soon, the religious leader wearing a bizarre octopus-shaped mask climbed onto the platform, and at that moment, thunderous applause and cheers erupted.

Wow!

Estelle flinched at the loud sound and covered her ears with both hands.

The commotion died down and the religious leader opened his mouth.

─Brothers. It’s time to preach again. For those of us in need, life is full of suffering, so how difficult it must have been to get through another week.

His voice echoed throughout the auditorium through the amplification device. It was a voice

that was soft, but deep and powerful,

and at the same time, soothing to the ear.

─I’m hungry, the cold wind seeps into my bones, and no matter how much I work, the money doesn’t accumulate. While some people enjoy luxurious meals and sleeping arrangements simply because they were born into wealthy families.

As the speech continued, the church members nodded as if fascinated.

Some people shed tears or clenched their fists as if they were deeply empathized with the emotion.

─No matter how much I pray, the goddess will not open her mouth.

The leader’s tone of voice rose.

─No response.

Gradually, emotions began to mix.

─Even though we are suffering like this.

The furious voice eventually turned into an angry cry.

─There is no trace of you!

bang!

The cult leader’s fist hit the podium violently. There was blood, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

─Do goddesses really exist?

His voice instantly became calm again.

And a moment of silence.

Cain could feel it.

Minor change in tone.

Timing to stop talking.

Buried emotions.

Everything has been thoroughly calculated.

─Judgment day will come soon. A day when the world will be destroyed under the devil’s spear and wealth will be redistributed.

The sermon continued in the tense air.

The story of the devil’s invasion was basically based on the church’s Bible.

He cleverly twisted existing doctrines and interpreted them to his advantage or refuted them outright.

In the process, I felt strong feelings of hostility and criticism toward the denomination.

The sermon was coming to an end.

When the religious leader finished his last words, the religious leaders were chanting one sentence.

─Death to the Goddess and the Church!

─Death to the Goddess and the Church!

The atmosphere was madness itself.

If they had weapons in their hands, they were willing to go to war right away.

‘It’s closer to propaganda than a sermon.’

Cain acknowledged the speaking skills of the religious leader.

His skill in stimulating deep vulnerabilities in the unconscious, drawing out deep-rooted emotions, and ultimately transforming them into anger was excellent.

In addition to appropriate logic and persuasiveness.

Even taking into account the wind-catchers mixed in here and there, it could be said that the skill had reached a state of excellence.

‘It’s not like there weren’t some immature aspects.’

Cain, who was looking at the leader’s neck with nothing hanging on it, stood up and said.

“Let’s get out quickly. “We have to move before the guards.”

“Ah yes.”

Estelle woke up in surprise.

The words the religious leader had said still echoed in her head.

“Even though we are suffering like this.”

“Do goddesses really exist?”

She followed Cain with a serious expression on her face.

As soon as Cain left the main auditorium, he quickly walked around the hallway.

When there was no one passing by, an explosion magic was imprinted on the window frame.

He didn’t stop walking and engraved a few more things on the walls.

“You said you wanted to play the role of a female protagonist who is threatened by terrorists.”

“I was just saying this in passing. “Do you remember that?”

Estelle burst into laughter without realizing it and at the same time felt her tension melt away.

It was only for a moment, but my worries about God disappeared.

‘I’m sure he said it on purpose after reading my expression.’

He was a man who could read other people’s emotions so well that it gave you goosebumps, while never revealing his own.

“Leave it to me.”

As soon as Cain was at a certain distance from the window, he activated the magic he had imprinted.

bang!

A moment after the window exploded.

Estelle let out a sharp scream.

“Aaaah!”

And with a nonchalant expression, I turned the corner of the hallway with Cain.

In front of the leader’s waiting room, two guards were seen clutching their weapons and preparing to run.

“Chi intruder! “I’m swinging my sword at my brothers!”

They nodded at Cain’s words and left their seats.

“Is this the intruder we received earlier?”

“Let’s just go!”

After confirming that the guards had completely disappeared across the hallway, Cain grabbed the waiting room doorknob.

“Have you ever learned acting? “You can be an actor.”

“Your acting wasn’t bad either.”

Crash.

As I opened the door and entered, I saw the leader standing up from his chair, looking embarrassed.

“Cult leader. “I don’t have time, so I’ll explain quickly.”

Crash.

Cain reached back and locked the door. After that, I cast a soundproofing spell on the entire room.

“Warlock…! What now…!”

“I ask questions and you answer. Every time you hesitate or lie, one of your fingers will be cut off. This is the first question. Where is Elder Yutas’ necklace?”

The leader quickly picked up the staff that was lying next to him.

The black mana flowing from the tip of the crystal covered the cult leader’s body, forming a protective shield.

No, I was trying to form it.

If only the mana had not been scattered into the air due to Cain’s ‘interference’.

“You were a warlock too.”

“Chi intruder! “Is there anyone outside?”

The cult leader shouted urgently as he saw Cain trotting towards him, but no one responded.

I kept trying to use magic, but the mana just kept dispersing in the air.

The arm that was swinging wildly was caught by Cain and twisted.

Wow!

“Ugh!”

Cain didn’t stop there and pulled the leader’s hand entirely onto the desk.

He took out a knife and slashed the back of the cult leader’s hand with the handle. The shock caused the cult leader’s fingers to spread wide.

He adjusted the knife and held it straight towards his finger.

Suddenly.

The little finger rolled around on the desk.

“Aaaah!”

The leader was foaming at the mouth and struggling. I tried to pull his hand away somehow, but Cain didn’t even move.

It happened in an instant.

Argh!

Please help me—

Screams were heard from outside one after another.

The sound of a building collapsing followed by the sound of weapons.

There was only one possibility that came to mind.

Heresy Questioner.

‘I expected it to be in a hurry, but I didn’t expect it to arrive here already.’

I felt like I needed to speed up the work a little more.

While Cain was holding down the cult leader, Estelle searched his body.

But the necklace did not come out.

“Ask again. Where is Elder Yutas’ necklace?”

“Who are you? Are you a city inquisitor? Was the information incorrect? Oh, it’s not time to arrive yet. “There’s no way a warlock would do this for the church…”

Suddenly.

“Aaaah! “You crazy bastard!”

One more finger tumbled on the desk.

“Next is the middle finger.”

“I can’t hand over the necklace. The plan is right around the corner, so how can I…”

Even at the moment when the third and fourth fingers were cut off, the leader did not give Cain the answer he wanted.

In the end, the moment all five fingers were cut off, he fainted.

“…I have to admit to one thing: miasma.”

Cain took off the cult leader’s mask.

A younger face than expected appeared.

Early to mid 20s at most.

It was a moment when I understood the laxity of this religious group that I had felt so far and the slight frustration I felt during the sermon.

“egg plant. “We search the cult leader’s room.”

I was interested in how he knew about the destruction of the continent, the Ark, and the original identity of the religious leader, but now was not the time.

Because finding the necklace is the priority.

“Can I leave this person like this?”

“Do you want to show some foolish sympathy to a cultist?”

“…That’s not it.”

Estelle pursed her lips and followed Cain.

And the moment I opened the waiting room door, our eyes met.

Likewise, with a person who opened the door and tried to come in this way.

Thick iron helmet.

A chain wrapped around the body.

A mace attached to the end.

And something in the shape of a huge coffin carried on its back.

She knew the other person’s identity very well.

“Cultists will be destroyed.”

A voice as rough and dry as sand flowed from the Heretic Questioner’s mouth.