NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 67
The Duke of Elpinard is undoubtedly one of the most influential Spirit Sorcerers in the empire. He is the head of the Imperial Academy, a gathering place for the most knowledgeable minds. Servian Kol was indeed a significant figure, not to mention that he was also a close confidant of the Emperor. If the goal was to pressure House Kreutz, there could be no better choice.
“Furthermore, I’ve heard that his son, Leonid Kol, is a genius studying at the Ivory Tower. I believe it’s a solid plan,” the Pope continued.
“Your Holiness,” the Duke interrupted, calling out to the Pope once more. This time, there was an unmistakable firmness in his voice, making it impossible for the Pope to continue speaking as if nothing had happened. The Duke crossed his arms and let out a deep sigh.
“To be frank, I have little interest in the wishes of the church. The only reason I listened to Your Holiness was as a form of reciprocation for suggesting Reshia’s adoption to me in the first place.”
The Duke’s eyes flashed coldly.
“It seems that Your Holiness has gravely misunderstood something.”
“A misunderstanding, you say…?”
“Have you already forgotten how you bowed before the Saintess at her birthday party, praising her and prostrating yourself at her feet?”
“!”
“The Saintess is an emissary of the gods. You, as the Pope, are her servant. Surely, it is not your place to manipulate her life under the guise of protection, is it?”
The Pope was an elected position, chosen by mortal clergy to lead the church. In contrast, the Saintess was directly proclaimed by the gods as their representative. The Duke’s pointed remark left the Pope silent.
“You mentioned that the Saintess saved your life. If that is the case, you should refrain from trying to control the life of your savior.”
“It was merely a suggestion, Duke, not an attempt at control.”
“If you have suggestions to make, I recommend asking Reshia for her opinion directly. She’s far more intelligent than other children her age, and I’m certain you’ll find her quite capable of holding a conversation.”
The Duke’s tone had the subtle inflection of a proud parent, as if he were boasting about his daughter’s intelligence. The Pope, caught off guard by this unexpected retort, stared blankly at the Duke for a moment before breaking into a smile.
“Well, it seems I’ve done a good job choosing a father for the Saintess.”
“That, too, is a misconception.”
“Pardon?”
“The decision to adopt Reshia was not made because of your suggestion, Your Holiness.”
The Duke recalled the moment five years ago when he first encountered Reshia, then an infant, at the temple in Kydsha. He had decided to adopt her the instant he saw her lilac-colored eyes, which reminded him of lilac flowers. That decision was made long before the Pope suggested the adoption. In that sense, it was Reshia herself who had chosen her father.
“The name ‘Reshia’ is one I gave her when I adopted her. She is my daughter. The life of the Saintess, and the life of my daughter, are not yours to dictate.”
* * *
“Haha.” The Pope chuckled kindly as he left the Duke’s office.
As soon as the Pope exited, Bael, who had been waiting at the entrance, quickly stepped forward to support him, asking, “You seem to be in a good mood. Did your conversation with the Duke go well?”
“No, the conversation didn’t go well at all.”
“What?”
Bael tilted his head in confusion, wondering why the Pope was in such high spirits despite his words. The Pope chuckled again, “Haha! It’s just that I’m relieved to see that the Saintess has found a good home. This old man was just being overly concerned. There’s nothing to worry about.”
The Pope glanced back at the firmly closed door of the Duke’s office for a moment before turning away.
“Let’s return to Kydsha. We need to make sure the Saintess’s other home is thoroughly cleaned.”
* * *
As I scrolled through the ‘Quest Log,’ I noticed something very clear:
‘The quests that most people would consider immoral tend to offer the biggest rewards.’
For instance, there was one like this:
◈ Quest ◈
*Too Much of a Good Thing! (1)*
**Frugality should start close to home. The Elpinard estate is vast, but does it really need so many people working there?**
*“Hey, you! Sitting in that chair taking a break! You’re fired!”*
– **Requester**: God of Frugality / Tenakis
– **Objective**: Reduce the workforce at the Duke of Elpinard’s estate
– **Reward**: 10,000 Heaven Coins per person laid off
– **Hidden Reward**: Tenakis’s favor
The God of Frugality had posted a quest to fire the servants of the Duke of Elpinard’s estate. This penny-pinching god seemed to believe that the Duke was spending far too much money unnecessarily.
‘Well, I was also surprised to learn that there are five gardeners.’
Even though the garden was vast, it didn’t seem like it would be unmanageable with just two or three hardworking gardeners. It must have really bothered the God of Frugality, given that he was offering such a generous reward of 10,000 Heaven Coins for each person fired.
It was a bit amusing, though.
‘For a god of frugality, he sure is throwing around Heaven Coins pretty freely.’
It seemed that the god’s demand for frugality didn’t apply to himself.
‘Anyway, firing just one person would earn me 10,000 coins…’
There was no denying that this was a simple quest with a lucrative reward. However, it felt too cruel to take away someone’s job just for 10,000 Heaven Coins, which would cover one month’s reincarnation subscription. After all, firing someone wasn’t just about taking away a job—it was threatening their livelihood, and that couldn’t be taken lightly.
But the God of Frugality’s demands didn’t stop there. He had also posted a quest demanding a reduction in the salaries paid to the servants of the Duke of Elpinard, who were already paid more than the average household.
◈ Quest ◈
*Too Much of a Good Thing! (2)*
**The Duke of Elpinard is paying his servants more than the average wage! Excessive wages only create fat and lazy workers.**
*“Hey, you! Getting paid even on your days off? Unacceptable! Their wages need to be cut!”*
– **Requester**: God of Frugality / Tenakis
– **Objective**: Reduce the wages at the Duke of Elpinard’s estate (Note: Wage reduction due to layoffs will not be counted)
– **Reward**: 1 Heaven Coin per 1 gold deducted from wages
– **Hidden Reward**: Tenakis’s favor
This was an exceptional quest that promised Heaven Coins in proportion to the amount deducted from wages.
‘At this rate, he’s more like the God of Stinginess rather than the God of Frugality!’
It was an outrageous quest, but the moment I saw it, I had a gut feeling.
‘This is it.’
This was going to be my ticket to a big win! Without hesitation, I accepted both quests.
* * *
“Hello, Mr. Logan.”
I greeted Baron Rishier Logan, one of the Duke’s closest retainers, with a polite bow. Originally, the household affairs of the Duke’s estate were managed by Young Duke Gallio, but since he was expelled, Logan had temporarily taken over.
‘When Noah’s mother arrives, the authority will likely shift to her, though.’
For now, Logan was in charge. This meant that I needed his cooperation to successfully complete my quests.
“Oh my, young lady,” Logan responded, flustered, waving his hands as if unsure how to handle such a formal greeting from a child.
“You shouldn’t bow to me like that. In Elpinard, the retainers are never bowed to.”
“Then how should I greet you?” I asked, blinking innocently. Logan looked around nervously, as if unsure how to answer.
“Um, well… Most people don’t really greet each other formally here…”
I was shocked by his response.
‘They don’t… greet each other?’
What kind of people are these in Elpinard…?
‘No wonder Lily, Rose, and Daisy were so moved when I thanked them.’
It seemed that after being around people who were so stoic they didn’t even greet each other properly, they were utterly charmed by a small, polite child showing them some kindness.
‘Great!’
I decided to stick with this approach. The cuteness of a child combined with polite greetings! It was an easy way to win people’s favor without much effort.