Raising Paladins

Chapter 16

Episode 16. Parrot and colossus (3)

“Did you say it was an upward convoy?”

The knife asked in a low voice.

A sound like a roaring beast.

Devaldo flinched.

“Yes, yes! I’m sorry I couldn’t escort you because I captured Hanson’s gang at the temple! There is a large-scale ascent to Tournoble tomorrow as well! If that fails, it’s the same as wasting the whole year of the Meirium fruit vendors’ crops!”

“It is unfortunate. But why are you asking me to come to the temple to make up for that loss? Without arguing with Hanson, the head of the convoy?”

“That’s it… … .”

“Management of the convoy is an internal matter of the convoy. What is the fault of those who voluntarily came to the temple and became its servants, and what responsibility is the temple responsible for accepting those who seek the bosom of the gods? It seems to me that the president of the association is being pushy?”

“Oh, how forced!”

Carl’s logical point!

Moreover, those who were beaten and became servants in an instant turned into ‘those seeking the arms of God’.

It is also ‘voluntarily’.

Embarrassed, Devaldo raised his voice.

“Assume what you know about a subject who has only been in Mayrium for a few days! Anyway, since they are being held in the temple, it is true that the escort has been disrupted! If you’re not going to tell the merchants what’s going on, you’ll have to free Hanson’s gang right away! Otherwise, tomorrow’s ascension will surely fail!”

Meirium, one of the largest fruit producing areas in the Empire.

The largest fruit shipments departing from there year-round are nothing short of a money feast.

If the proper level of escort is not attached, it is obvious that all kinds of leeches will appear and try to plunder.

That was exactly what Devaldo believed.

‘If the ascendant fails, they will instigate that it is our fault.’

Going up to see the fruits of a year of hard work.

Carlos’ argument won’t work for the merchants who ruined it.

It is urgent to eat and live right now, but who will take care of whose situation?

Besides, Devaldo is nominally the head of the Merchant Guild!

His voice has weight.

For merchants, Devaldo’s argument that ‘half of Hanson’s gang became temple servants and ruined the upsurge’ will be much more convincing.

‘It looks like he ate quite a bit of merchant jjambab.’

Devaldo is quite good at driving people by using their desperate hearts.

But the person he was dealing with was none other than Carlos.

‘It’s not like I’ve dealt with merchants and politicians like you once or twice.’

The supreme position of the Paladin of Dawn.

It’s not something that can be obtained just by fighting well and handling divine power well.

It was possible only after stepping on the countless politicians in the imperial palace and all the swindlers they planted in the temple!

Carlos didn’t take the name of Paladin, which had been vacant for hundreds of years, for nothing.

For him, who had been on the battlefield for decades, strategy also applied to political tricks.

‘It’s obvious that Lee is cheating on Hanson’s gang.’

Having most of the fruit convoy rights in Meirium, a fruit producing area, obviously means that they are attached to Sanggye.

Perhaps this Devaldo guy is also eating a lot of rice cakes from Hanson’s gang.

Carl had an interesting idea.

‘If I’m good at this, I’ll catch both rabbits?’

Carlos slurped up a plan in his head.

he said in a calm voice.

“Then let’s do this.”

“… … ?”

“Tomorrow’s largest ascent to Tournoble. The temple will take care of the escort.”

“What?!”

De Valdo asked with a puzzled expression.

“Do you know how big the trip is? How can you escort it from the temple?”

“We will take care of that. But there are conditions.”

“… … condition?”

“If the ascendant arrives safely in Tournoble, please give the temple twice the amount of the convoy fee paid to Hanson’s gang. In addition, forgive all the debts owed by the temple.”

“I have to say something that makes sense! It makes no sense to escort them in the first place, but who would agree to that condition!”

“If it fails, I will hand over all farmland held as collateral. In addition, the temple grounds, buildings, and property are all there! I’ll send the squire back to Hanson’s gang as well. Isn’t this worth trying?”

“omg!”

It was Eric who drew his last breath.

He said to Carl with wide eyes in surprise.

“knife! And if that fails… … .”

All of the temple’s farmland, as well as its buildings and property!

In addition, all seeds are released!

If that happens, the Meirium branch of the Temple of Dawn will literally be disintegrated in the air.

It was natural for Eric to be surprised when he set such an enormous condition without even discussing it.

but.

“Eric, be still.”

Clemens comforted Eric with a calm face.

“High Priestess!”

“It’s okay, do we know who he is?”

“ah… … !”

A messenger that delivers the voice of God!

To Clemens and Eric, Carl is more than just a freshman apprentice.

He is a ‘Messenger of God’ disguised as an apprentice priest.

‘The sword showed miracles as soon as it arrived!’

It is the sword that came here with a pitiful body.

However, isn’t it the sword that showed the miracle of reforming 15 mobsters with the power of God?

In addition, Eric came to see Carl’s enlightenment ability (?) until right before he was summoned to the office.

A scene of fierce edification that makes you pee even though you are not the party!

Thanks to that, Grom and Five were in the kitchen making cabbage soup.

“I forgot for a second. Forgive me, Carl.”

Eric sincerely begged Carl for forgiveness.

Clemens looked at it with a pleased face and nodded.

Then, it was Debaldo who was taken aback.

‘what is this? What is that guy, is everyone compliant?’

A skinny freshman apprentice priest.

High-ranking priests and mid-ranking priests can’t afford a guy who hasn’t even been formally commissioned yet.

Devaldo thought that the hierarchy of the temple he knew was upside down.

He cleared the atmosphere by clearing his throat.

“Kuhm! Are all of the conditions I put forward a while ago true? If the escort fails tomorrow, you will hand over all the temple buildings as well as the farmland you staked as collateral?”

It doesn’t matter what the relationship between that bastard and the priests is.

What mattered to Devaldo was the ‘big deal’ offered by Carl.

Devaldo’s face was flushed red from the bet on the sweet prey.

“of course. Instead, if we escort you safely to Tournoble, you must double the cost of the escort and cancel the debt.”

“That’s right!”

What if you win this game?

DeBaldo is literally getting a huge benefit.

From the enormous farmlands already secured as collateral, to the antique buildings of the temple!

‘Let’s dispose of the farmland and turn it into money, and use the temple as my villa!’

That’s not the end.

Now that he has solved the problem Hanson was struggling with, it is obvious that his position will rise further in the future.

You will be able to raise your voice even more to the mayor who is in power.

As long as you win the bet, the pumpkin will roll right in!

‘If the ascending trip fails, that rookie priest will take all the responsibility!’

Merchants will take some damage.

That’s what Devaldo doesn’t know.

All of these stupid priests will cover it up.

Didn’t they make the bet offer first?

For Devaldo, winning was a jackpot, and failing was not a bad business.

Of course, that was Devaldo’s own idea, too.

‘I’ve been caught.’

Carl smiled inwardly as Devaldo readily accepted the bet.

Why?

Because this bet was definitely a bet that Carl would win.

“Then, shall we leave an appointment with papers? It’s good to be sure.”

***

After Devaldo returned.

The three priests were still in the office.

It was at Carl’s request that he wanted to talk a little more.

“therefore… … .”

Carlos has a peaceful attitude even after making a huge bet.

Eric and Clemens looked at Carl.

“You mean the temple’s land was used as collateral to finance the operation? To that devaldo?”

“yes… … .”

“You don’t have any land left now?”

“It happened. You really have no face… … .”

Clemens lowered his head with a very apologetic face.

Tira does the laundry and chores, while Eric cooks.

As such, it was up to him as a high-ranking priest to secure the operating funds for the temple.

But Carl had no intention of blaming Clemens.

Rather, I felt pity and sorry for him.

‘I can’t believe my descendants have suffered so much… … .’

I thought I would just have to secure a new funding line.

However, there is a huge debt.

The debt Tira had mentioned was so huge that the cost of caring for the sick was no problem!

Clemens must have taken on the burden of the debt all this time alone.

It would have been difficult to confide in Eric and Tira, who were busy working at the temple.

‘The age difference is also significant.’

By Clemens’ standards, Eric and Tira are like the eldest son and youngest daughter.

In particular, it’s hard to believe that Tira, a teenager, is her granddaughter.

That’s probably why I couldn’t invite Tira to this place.

About half of Clemens’s wrinkles are probably due to this pile of debt.

‘Because he seems pitiful.’

Carlos, now in his early twenties.

However, in his previous life, he lived more than Clemens.

Thanks to that, I could guess how much pressure and pressure Clemens was feeling right now.

“I… … By the way, Carl.”

“… … ?”

Clemens called the sword.

“Of course we believe in the knife, but what are you going to do with that bet? The road to Tournoble is quite long, taking a full day on horseback. You have to cross several hills in the middle, and there are fields where looters appear.”

“I will take care of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will go alone.”

“… … !!!”

Eric and Clemens both raised their eyes at the same time.

Carl was calm as usual.

“Don’t worry, I’m enough on my own. The sun god takes care of me.”

To be honest, the newly made wooden sword would take care of it, not God.

In addition, the swordsmanship he has honed his entire life and the feeble silver heart he acquired not long ago.

A wooden sword loaded with divine power could suffice to subdue looters or groups of bandits.

“It went well because I had to go to take the priesthood exam anyway.”

“Oh oh… … That’s right. Things are happening as if they were tightly knit for the occasion of the sword! After all, you are a messenger of God!”