This Isn’t an E*otic Game?

Chapter 16

“The factory building has been moved to a large landfill site on the outskirts of the capital. You can dismantle it there, sell what’s salvageable, and dispose of the rest,” the witch announced cheerfully, waving her wand.

The crowd erupted into cheers, raising their hands in celebration.

“The Goddess’s grace!”

“We believe! Thank you, Goddess!”

Seriously?

Everyone could see the witch’s magic at work, so why is the Goddess suddenly getting all the credit?

Please, stop doing that.

The Goddess of Grace might be watching me live right now.

I felt like something was stuck in my throat.

The pressure was overwhelming.

At any moment, the Goddess might decide to smite me for impersonating a saint.

“I’ll go! I’ll handle it myself! I know best what was in that factory!”

Scrooge—no, Jonathan Karma, who had somehow arrived at the scene—raised his hand eagerly in response to the witch’s suggestion.

“Saint! Please wait for me! I’ll take care of everything and return soon! All the money from the factory’s contents is yours! Just give me a moment!”

Jonathan Karma vanished as if he had wings.

By evening, he returned with a hefty stack of cash.

“Most of the equipment in the factory was outdated, so I couldn’t get much for it. But even the scrap value was significant. Here’s 2,000 saled. Saint.”

Jonathan placed the bundle of money in front of me with a respectful attitude.

What am I supposed to do with this?

He handed it over so openly in front of everyone that I couldn’t even secretly pocket it for personal indulgence.

“High Priest Yodel.”

I called out cautiously, and the bald old man practically flew to my side.

“Speak, Saint!”

“Use this to buy food and feed the impoverished here.”

“Grace be upon us! It shall be done!”

In no time, the area in front of the abandoned factory was turned into a free soup kitchen.

The impoverished people, now healed and healthy, wept as they ate the food prepared by the Lilia Church.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had such warm and delicious food!”

“Thank you, Saint!!”

“Saint, thank you!!”

People came to me in tears, bowing deeply in gratitude.

Sure.

This is great and all…

But the problem is that my chances of being struck by divine punishment are increasing by the second.

I’m not religious!

I’m not a follower of Lilia!

I don’t have faith, damn it!

I’m an atheist!

This is so screwed up.

If a bolt of lightning hit me on the spot, I wouldn’t even have the right to complain.

The impoverished people aren’t the problem.

They can’t use tracking miracles or systematically hunt someone down.

The real issue is the church members.

I need to separate myself from them as quickly as possible.

Fast!

I need to make them hemorrhage money!

Bankrupt them so they leave me alone!

“Yodel.”

“Speak, Saint!”

“Tomorrow, at dawn, start digging the ground. We need to lay a solid foundation. Dig deep and prepare to build a tall, multi-story structure. Do you understand?”

“It shall be done!!”

“Rent expensive excavators and equipment. Invest generously. And don’t make the workers toil for free. Pay them well. No—pay them generously, more than enough to make their pockets heavy. True grace lies in abundance. Understood?”

“Of course! Of course! I’ll gather every penny I can under my authority! I’ll also convince the temples in other regions to provide as much funding as possible! If it’s the Saint’s command, money is no issue for the church!”

I no longer felt guilty about tricking the church into spending recklessly.

Guilt? Who cares? I need to survive.

I’m too young to die from divine punishment.

I’m sorry, Yodel.

But I have no choice.

Evening arrived.

The impoverished people gathered around me like chicks waiting for their mother bird, their eyes fixed on me.

As I looked at them, I finally realized what felt off.

“Do you… not have homes?”

“The streets are our homes, Saint.”

“We lean on ropes and sleep, Saint.”

That’s the problem.

These people…

They have no place to sleep!

But I don’t have the means to provide them with shelter.

What do I do?

No, wait! Maybe this is good?

If word gets out that the saint can’t even provide a warm place to sleep in the freezing cold, won’t they leave me?

“Lay down some mats and sleep on the ground! I’ll use area-wide temperature maintenance magic to keep you warm! Quickly, lie down! Good food and good rest are essential! Understood?”

The four-armed witch intervened again, throwing a wrench into my plans.

Why!!

Why!!

Why are you doing this?!

If you keep acting like this, I’ll look like a real saint!!

They need to suffer a little—maybe even catch a cold—and curse me out so they’ll leave!

Why are you trying to make their lives comfortable?!

Are you sure you’re with the Magic Tower?

Your behavior screams dark sorceress!

“Grace be upon us! Goddess!”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

The impoverished people laid down wherever they could, and the witch waved her wand, scattering a soft golden light into the air.

The ground beneath us grew warm, as if a heated floor had been installed.

“Sleep well, everyone!”

“Blessed by the Saint’s grace!”

“Thank you, Witch! Thank you, Saint! Thank you, Goddess!”

Everyone happily lay down on the warm ground and fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

There was no chaos, no misfortune, nothing but peace.

The knights of the Sun Order and the police sent to maintain order watched the scene with satisfaction.

Some of them even shed tears, moved by what they were witnessing.

“Saint, High Priest Alois instructed us to accompany you only until the Lilia Church arrived. However, if you allow it, may we continue to follow you and witness your miracles?”

The knights of the Sun Order knelt before me, their expressions resolute.

“Even Rofus would deem this work righteous. If you permit it, may we continue?”

Their words made my ears perk up.

"This... isn't bad."

“It would be an honor if you could do so. High Priest Yodel.”

“Speak, Saint!”

Since witnessing the miracle of Jonathan Karma’s family being healed, the bald old man, High Priest Yodel, had transformed into something akin to an obedient puppy.

When I called for him, he rushed over immediately. I gestured toward the knights of the Sun Order.

“Pay them wages as well. Their efforts should be compensated.”

“No, Saint! We are not here for money!”

I know.

I’m saying this because I need the church to spend money.

“Please accept it. That is true grace. Happiness comes from a full wallet, and a wallet is full thanks to money. Take it while you can.”

Yodel nodded with reverence, moved by my words.

“I shall. Followers of the Sun, it is the will of the Goddess of Grace!”

The knights of the Sun Order, deeply touched, made the sign of their faith and nodded solemnly.

“If it is the will of the Goddess, we will accept!”

Seeing the knights cry out in agreement, the police officers slowly approached me one by one.

“Saint, we will remain here to maintain order. With so many people gathered, problems could arise.”

“Then you, too, should accept payment.”

“That’s not possible! If we accept money, it would be considered a bribe!”

“Do not call the Goddess’s grace a bribe. If distributing it individually is illegal, then donate it to your precinct as a form of support.”

I need to make them spend money, no matter what!

Yodel, looking like a fool, just nodded enthusiastically at my words.

“I will do so! If it’s the Saint’s command, then anything is possible!”

Now that the police and the Sun Order knights were on board, Jonathan Karma cautiously approached me.

“Saint, is there anything I can do for you? I’ve spent more than half my life as a businessman. I’m confident when it comes to handling money or running enterprises.”

My ears perked up at his words.

Confident, my ass.

You ran your doll factory into the ground!

That means you’re terrible at business!

He’s perfect.

If I give him money and put him in charge of building the temple, he’ll probably screw it up royally.

“I want you to oversee the construction of the temple. Rent excavators and equipment, dig the foundation, manage the workers, and handle the entire construction process. High Priest Yodel, from now on, entrust all funds required for the construction to Jonathan Karma.”

The obedient puppy of a high priest would say yes to anything I suggested.

“It shall be done! Saint!”

“Thank you. Thank you, Saint. I will never forget what you did for my daughter. I will dedicate myself to helping you achieve miracles. Thank you.”

Jonathan Karma bowed deeply and left.

That should be the end of it, right?

No more interruptions?

“Aren’t you going to rest?”

I had forgotten.

The four-armed nuclear bomb—the witch.

With her four arms neatly folded, the witch approached me, smiling as she asked.

She’s terrifying, even on a second look.

How is it even possible to wave a wand and magically transport an entire factory to the outskirts of the capital?

The creature before me is a monster.

I needed to calm myself.

“I was just about to lie down. The ground is so warm. Thank you.”

I’m going to sleep. So please, just leave already.

Looking at you scares me.

As I made a show of lying down, the witch suddenly grabbed my hand.

Oh, shit.

I’m scared.

I couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat, my body trembling.

“You’re shaking again. Is it divine power?”

The witch gently held both my hands with two of hers and placed another hand on my forehead.

No, it’s not divine power.

It’s just sheer terror because of you.

“It’s nothing. Please don’t worry about it.”

Yeah, just stop worrying about me and disappear already!

That was my intention, but the witch seemed to interpret my words differently.

“You’re truly noble.”

Her eyes reddened, tears welling up.

She must have misunderstood, thinking I was enduring some divine burden while selflessly sacrificing myself for others.

“I want to know your name. Saint, I didn’t catch it last time. Could you tell me?”

Her two hands gripped mine tightly, and it felt more like a threat than a plea.

If I didn’t tell her my name, would she crush me?

Was she about to go full dark sorceress and explode?

She’s terrifying.

“My name is Jericho Amael. You can call me Amael.”

“Amael…”

The witch murmured dreamily, as if savoring the name on her tongue.

Closing her eyes tightly, she lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.

“You have saved all of me, Saint.”

“I only did what needed to be done.”

“Could you… kiss me once more? Just once more?”

Her flushed face, brimming with anticipation, made the request sound more like an ultimatum.

What happens if I say no?

This is a terrifyingly subtle threat.

Cautiously, I cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

Please don’t explode.

Sure.

If it’s just a kiss, I can do it.

As long as you don’t blow up, I’ll kiss you as many times as you want…

“I am yours forever.”

After the kiss, the witch looked up at me with a tear-streaked face, her expression melting into one of pure bliss.

Her fingers gently touched my lips.

She caressed them as if entranced, smiling even as she cried.

She looked like she was drowning in a pool of overwhelming emotion.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

The witch bowed politely before vanishing.

Only after she disappeared did I finally relax.

She won’t come back tomorrow, right?

Please, just don’t come back.