Chapter 447: Add More Money (54K Thanks to yrmtnbe

Become a banner.

Although Herbert’s words were somewhat abstract, the Sun Emperor could easily understand his meaning.

“Oh? You’ve figured it out already? Hehe, you’re truly clever.”

The old man watched the boy’s strained expression and finally regained the upper hand he’d lost earlier, happily stroking his beard.

Good.

Satisfied.

The “Law of Conservation of Smiles” is known: when the Sun Emperor smiles, the other person in the room will lose theirs.

“...”

Herbert could no longer smile.

Not laughing.JPG

Once Herbert realized what the Sun Emperor intended to make him do, he finally broke.

“No, Your Holiness!”

“I truly don’t think this is possible!”

Herbert no longer cared for propriety or hierarchy; he glared at the smiling old man, gritted his teeth, and exclaimed passionately:

“Send me to fight a demon god’s avatar? How is that even possible!!?”

Come on, bro!!?

You really wanna play it this way, huh?

Both sides were intelligent; some things didn’t need to be spelled out to be understood.

Once Herbert received help beyond his current realm, he knew trouble was coming.

If he received a legendary-tier reward, Herbert would gladly accept it, take it with grace, and express sincere gratitude.

If he received an epic-tier commendation, Herbert would hesitate briefly, then reluctantly “accept” it with feigned reluctance, later expressing humble thanks.

But if he received a “gift from heaven” beyond epic, Herbert would accept it with delight—then look for a chance to run.

With great power comes great responsibility.

Take someone’s money, clear their troubles.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Even fate’s gifts come with a price tag.

Herbert had always understood these truths.

This gift from outside fate would never be something he could accept lightly.

You take the money, you do the work.

But Herbert truly had no desire to get involved in this mess.

He just wanted to be a regular salary thief—he didn’t want to do any real work!

All he needed to do was act as a “living armor rack,” successfully escorting Valentina and the others into the Radiant Holy City, and his assigned task from the monastery would be complete.

Done!

He no longer needed to strive.

From now on, he’d just slack off, drift along, help Flora find a path to baptism, and wait for both churches to call off the conflict—his journey to Solanthis would end smoothly.

I really want to run, but I can’t escape—

Technically, Herbert didn’t even belong to the Sun Church; he had no obligation to obey the Sun Emperor’s orders and could have refused this imposed task.

But the problem was… he simply couldn’t refuse now.

The other side wouldn’t allow him to refuse.

“Don’t worry—if you were alone, it truly would be impossible. But now you have my help.”

Emperor Iwanson stroked his beard and smiled smugly: “Don’t worry. Even if you don’t believe in yourself, believe in me—you can do it.”

“A cowardly demon god who dares not manifest his true form in the mortal realm? Just his avatar? What’s there to fear? Ahahaha!”

Hearing the Sun Emperor’s triumphant laughter, Herbert’s lips twitched involuntarily; he wanted to punch him right in the face and shut up that damned laugh.

Weak?

What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!

Is the God of Lust weak?!

He has absolutely nothing to do with weakness!

As one of the few demon gods possessing high-tier divine power, he himself is a banner of the evil faction.

Due to his methods, compared to the true gods, he’s more cunning and deceitful—almost as if he’s ashamed to be seen.

People always speak ill of him, but no one ever says he’s weak.

Especially his [Corruption] authority, though ineffective on high-tier battlefields and unable to inflict significant damage,

Is utterly crushing against low-tier forces—many weaklings are silently corrupted before they even have time to resist.

And just listen to what this old bastard just said?

“Easily accomplished”?

I’ll do a damn hammer!

Herbert clenched his teeth inwardly, gazing bitterly at the ancient emperor whose face was now wrinkled with laughter.

Take back my earlier words.

This old man isn’t some grand strategist—he’s just a shameless, disrespectful old bastard!

Dirty old man!

If Herbert truly followed the Sun Emperor’s plan, he’d be the one going insane.

Leaving aside how impossibly difficult and perilous this “easy task” the Sun Emperor described truly was,

Even if he succeeded perfectly as the Sun Emperor claimed, the aftermath would be riddled with problems and endless consequences.

At that moment, Herbert would become a hero known to all.

This time, he wouldn’t once again be like in the Darklands—having accomplished something monumental, yet known by almost no one.

This time, he wouldn’t remain obscure—he’d be watched by the entire world.

But the problem is, this honor, coveted by ordinary mortals, would be an extremely sharp double-edged sword.

Put kindly, it would be a fluttering banner, inspiring all enlightened souls to press forward.

But put plainly, at that point Herbert would simply be… a target.

A target for all arrows!

Then all beings would know his name.

He would step onto the divine stage for the first time, noticed by the gods themselves.

But the gaze of the gods has never been a blessing—it more often signifies destruction and death.

The evil faction would also fixate on him.

Fortunately, Herbert had already ascended to legend status—he was no longer weak in the mortal realm.

The evil faction might still see him as a stepping stone to fame and seek opportunities to assassinate him, but they would no longer view him as a lamb to be easily manipulated.

Moreover…

Not just enemies—even allies would cast dangerous glances his way.

The evil faction was fragmented, a disorganized mess.

But the righteous faction wasn’t any more united.

When it came to self-interest and hidden agendas, the heroes of the righteous faction were no worse than the vermin of the evil faction.

Everyone would watch Herbert, trying to become him—or pull him down.

“But… do you think this is appropriate?”

Herbert calmed slightly, shook his head, and spoke slowly to the Sun Emperor: “I know you want to appoint someone to end the chaos within the Church.”

To a high-ranking emperor like you, the conservatives and the progressives are merely members of the Church—there’s no real difference.

Iwanson has tolerated their rivalry, but grown weary of it; he no longer wishes them to continue this infighting.

This childish squabbling is meaningless—it’s time to stop.

To restore balance, he will introduce a third force to shatter the existing equilibrium.

“I truly don’t belong to either the conservative or progressive faction—I’m a suitable candidate.”

“But the problem is—I don’t even belong to the Sun Church!”

Herbert was furious.

Am I one of your people?!

Are you using me as a tool!!?

Did we sign a labor contract?!

Do you even follow labor laws?!

Is there no justice? Is there no law?!

Oh right… they’re a church—they don’t follow secular law.

Then does the Holy Inquisition even follow its own scriptures!!?

Look up!

The Sun is still watching you all!

“So what? Your identity makes it even better!”

Yet Pope Ivan Sen still smiled calmly, his eyes crinkling as he said, “Precisely because you’re an outsider, you’re better at stirring up those narrow-minded little brats.”

Herbert cared about his identity, but the Sun Pope viewed this issue from an entirely different angle.

An outsider?

Then isn’t that even more stimulating!

If they can’t even match an outsider, what face do they have left to beg our Lord for blessings?

“It’s precisely because they’re too fixated on those dull matters that the Divine has abandoned them and lost interest.”

Here, the Sun Pope’s smile vanished. A terrible authority radiated from him as he snorted coldly, “During this time my Lord has been half-asleep, they’ve caused me nothing but trouble, hm!”

The old man’s nostrils flared with a low, angry snort—quiet, yet causing the entire space to tremble faintly.

Ivan Sen had long been dissatisfied with them, but never found a suitable opportunity to discipline them.

The Provocation God’s taunt gave him this chance.

And now, he had finally waited for the right moment.

The opportunity has come.

The Sun Pope intends to use Herbert to convey one message—Our Lord is disappointed in you! He’d rather empower a heretic than grant you his blessing!

This is the Sun Pope’s plan.

If it succeeds smoothly, it will be a win on all fronts, making the Sun Church the greatest beneficiary.

They will gain massive prestige among divine churches and prove to the world that the Sun God remains mighty.

Second, they will establish a clear “example” for every member of the Sun Church to chase after.

Push those idle fools to strive, and stop their useless little games.

“Uh… didn’t you forget something?”

Herbert raised a hand, expressionless, interrupting the Pope’s reverie. “The most important thing!”

“What thing?”

The boy stared at the old man, took a deep breath, and said slowly, “I haven’t received any benefit from this at all?”

According to what’s coming, Herbert will become the target of everyone’s ire, and the Sun Church’s younger generation will likely see him as a thorn in their side.

I just came here to slack off—do you really have to dump this burden on me?

Is this fair?

This isn’t right!

And most importantly—where’s my cut?

Herbert glared at Pope Ivan Sen , his hand almost reaching into the old man’s pockets.

Where’s my benefit!!?

Give it to me!

All the risks he mentioned—the world watching, the chaos, the nonsense—it didn’t matter.

When you’re weak, you can hide, stay tucked beneath the canopy.

But once you’ve grown, once you’ve become an elephant, you can’t hide behind a single tree anymore.

In truth, Herbert wasn’t afraid of stepping into the spotlight.

Since the night he formed an alliance with Nenasha, he knew this day would come.

And he was ready.

Herbert now possessed sufficient self-defense power, and his monster-girl enforcers had grown increasingly formidable.

As long as he didn’t go out of his way to provoke the gods or clash with a handful of dangerous Qiangzhe , he could roam the mortal realm unchecked.

Do whatever he wanted!

He had nothing to fear!

So all that pain, hesitation, and misery Herbert showed just now? Pure performance.

Just to demand a higher price now!

You want me to be your tool?

Fine.

You want me to be your white glove, to clean up the Church?

Fine.

These tasks are hard, but not impossible—everything’s negotiable.

But here’s the thing…

Pay up!

I’m adorable—give me money!

Give me promises!

“Uh…”

The Sun Pope blinked, paused, then burst into laughter. “You little rascal—you really are… hah!”

He wasn’t angry at all; he found this kid oddly fascinating.

This fellow wasn’t just bold and reckless—his personality was truly delightful.

“I knew you’d say that, so I didn’t prepare any specific reward—I just wanted to ask you: what do you want?”

The Sun Pope shifted his tone, smiling as he rocked his recliner. “Child, name your wish. As long as it’s not unreasonable, I’ll grant it.”

He wasn’t afraid Herbert would ask for something—he was afraid Herbert wouldn’t ask for anything at all.

If Herbert truly refused his “help” with threats of death, the Sun Pope couldn’t force him.

After all, they were still on the same side—he couldn’t go too far.

Besides, even if you don’t respect the monk, respect the Buddha.

If you push the kid too hard, you’ll have to deal with the old one behind him.

That old man, trapped all day in the monastery, has been itching for a chance to wander again… tsk.

Every time he slips out, the whole world panics. Countless people hold their breath.

He always takes the chance to roam the world, then, when he’s bored, casually drags back whoever “disturbed” him.

For the past few centuries, he’s gone quiet—seems he hasn’t found an excuse to leave in a long time.

No one knows what kind of thing he’ll unleash if he’s let out now…

Old acquaintance or not, he’s ancient—don’t make him actually fight.

The Sun Pope didn’t want to become the excuse for the Archbishop’s outing.

And since Herbert made a demand, it proved he was willing to accept the mission.

Herbert had taken the contract!

The monastery didn’t forbid it—so he might as well do some side work openly.

A horse doesn’t grow fat without night grass.

Though the monastery treated Herbert well, he still had to feed all those little creatures at home!

Every morning they woke up eating tons of rice—he was barely keeping up.

With such a burden, taking on extra jobs was perfectly normal.

Since the Sun Pope was so generous, Herbert didn’t hold back—he made a bold, lion-sized demand.

“I need a full set of Epic-tier Dragon Battle Armor, to protect my companions and raise our safety.”

“I also need a Legendary-tier Battle Harp—it’s vital for resisting the Provocation God’s seduction.”

“Second, I need Sun Church Holy Solar Water—three hundred bottles to start? Uh, dragons use a lot.”

“I want access to the Sun Library to read all collected monster data—and if possible, corresponding flesh specimens.”

…

After listing his demands for a long while, Herbert finally nodded and added his final request: “Lastly, I want my companions to undergo a baptism in the Radiant Sanctum.”

The Sun Pope listened silently as Herbert made outrageous demands, his smile calm and unruffled, never showing a hint of pain.

Though the boy made some seemingly excessive requests, his imagination was truly limited.

Those demands meant nothing to him personally, and nothing at all to the entire Church.

But that last point made the Pope frown. He spoke slowly: “Child, I can grant all your other requests—but that final one, you must give it up.”

“The Radiant Sanctum is my Lord’s holy ground. Only devout believers may enter. Even you cannot—let alone your companions.”

“It’s an ancient rule.”

Divine churches still had rules—places like the Radiant Sanctum strictly forbade outsiders, let alone baptism rituals.

“No?”

Herbert wasn’t surprised his request was denied—but he didn’t give up. He tilted his head, glancing at the Pope, then changed his demand.

“Then I understand. I’ll change my request.”

“I don’t want anything else.”

He looked at the old man, and spoke slowly:

“I only need you to spread the message throughout the Church—that the Sun God might be the Sun Goddess… oh, and do it in your name as Pope.”

“There’s no rule against that, right?”

Herbert had said all that just to get to this point—he wouldn’t let it go.

Old man!

Can you catch this punch!!?

「……」

Pope Ivanson stared at Herbert with a lifeless expression, silently scolding him with his eyes—You’re doing this again?

「Ha!」

Herbert met his gaze without fear, answering just as silently—What, are you scared?

The two locked eyes for a long while, until the very space around them began to tremble; the old man finally broke the stare.

「……Then let’s go back to the previous one.」

Pope Ivanson scratched his head, clicked his tongue, and said awkwardly: 「Uh… what was it you originally suggested?」

「Isn’t it just having demons and devils undergo baptism in the Sanctuary? Hah, we can still discuss that, cough, cough.」

He twitched his lips, offering an excuse he himself couldn’t fully believe: 「I’m sure Our Lord would wish to give them a chance to turn from evil, cough, cough!」

……

……

While Herbert negotiated the details of the deal with the Sunfire Pope, Valentina inside the mansion had entered her “Spineback Dragon” bristling state.

「Ha—」

She let out a threatening hiss toward an empty corner, trying to scare off the unseen presence.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Back! Back! Back!

Valentina didn’t know what it was, nor whether it truly existed—but she instinctively resisted it.

Danger!

Extreme danger!

She even recalled the fear she’d felt when she’d encountered that old bastard back then—the same helplessness.

Had she not promised Herbert she wouldn’t leave the mansion, she would have already grabbed Flora and the others and fled.

Even now, she had coiled her tail around the waists of the demon and the devil, ready to run at any moment.

「Leave!」

「You are not welcome here!」

「Please leave this place!!!」

Fortunately, no matter how fiercely Valentina threatened, the presence gave no response—this gave her slight relief.

Then…

Just as Valentina believed the presence was about to depart—or perhaps it had all been her imagination—

Valentina’s expression changed; her eyes widened.

In that instant, she “watched” the presence move, as if strolling calmly into one of the mansion’s rooms.

The room where Herbert had slept last night!

(End of Chapter)