Please Stop The Pope

Chapter 79

Tectonic Shifts

1.

Morning had arrived.

I was sitting in the temple’s office, watching the TV hanging on the wall.

On the screen, Oh Junwoo from the Hive Guild, whom I had met last night, was holding an emergency press conference.

“Is this something you intended, Mr. Siwoo?”

Sitting beside me was Team Leader Kim, or rather, Manager Kim, who had rushed to the black market last night.

“Rather than intending it…um, I’d say it’s like slapping a crying child on the cheek?”

“The Guild Coalition side is likely to react strongly. It will definitely have a catastrophic impact on their credibility.”

“I’m pleased to hear you think that way.”

I had anticipated that Oh Junwoo would act quickly, but I didn’t expect him to move this fast.

“I no longer believe we should deceive the public. I thought long and hard about it, and I am sincerely grateful to the person who encouraged me to stand here today.”

Oh Junwoo’s press conference was, in short, a whistleblowing.

The activities happening within the black market’s internal zone.

And the Hive Guild, who had been turning a blind eye to it all.

A whistleblower from the Hive Guild, the second ranked in the Guild Coalition, was enough to make it a sensational news item for the journalists.

Especially since the whistleblower was Oh Junwoo, one of the S-rank Hunters representing the Hive Guild, it added credibility to his claims.

“There’s never a dull moment. From the Hope Orphanage incident yesterday to the black market human sacrifices today…All of these are events that we can’t even lift our heads up to.”

“Are you blaming me?”

“Of course not. All of this is our incompetence and oversight. How could we blame Mr. Siwoo?”

The incident from last night was something that couldn’t quietly pass by if it wanted to.

Not only in Incheon, but even people in Seoul could feel the earthquake, and the Hunters from the Department of Ability Management entered the black market for the first time in three years.

Even though it was late, reporters gathered, and Hunters who had been using the black market uploaded the scenes to their personal SNS.

It was something that couldn’t be hidden, even if they tried.

And then, Oh Junwoo held his own press conference, and it was being broadcast live across the country in the morning.

It was only natural that attention would be focused on the terrifying news of the crimes coming out in quick succession.

“Originally, I had planned to handle the Hive Guild personnel who came to clean things up. In my opinion, they were accomplices as well.”

“What exactly happened there?”

“Ritual. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out what the ritual was for. But at least we stopped the worst-case scenario, so I suppose we should be satisfied with that.”

Had I discovered it any later, the erosion caused by the demonic energy (magi) would have progressed further.

If that had happened, it wouldn’t have stopped with the earthquake.

The surrounding area could have been contaminated with demonic energy and curses, turning it into a land filled only with death.

“The existence of the altar created by the Purifiers has been officially confirmed.”

“Because of this incident, those guys will dig even deeper into the shadows. It would have been nice to handle this quietly, but…even if we had tried to hide it, we would have realized it soon enough.”

Their goals were still unclear.

But looking at the situation calmly now, it wasn’t all that bad.

“We can use the Holy Stones to create a relic that can detect demonic energy. I will provide it to the government.”

The lack of information could be supplemented through the Department of Ability Management. Plus, with the help of the U.S., who was already aware of the existence of demonic energy, tracking them down would no longer be an issue.

Therefore, the priority now was to clean up the visible corruption first.

“As a result of this incident, the public will strongly demand the Irregulars Special Law. The public opinion that Mr. Siwoo should play a larger role will gain momentum. Was that something you anticipated?”

“Well, I can’t deny that.”

Thanks to Oh Junwoo’s whistleblowing, the division within the Guild Coalition would begin in earnest.

As Manager Kim said, online public opinion supporting me would grow stronger, and my sphere of influence would naturally expand.

As that happened, the ways the Limen Church could contribute to society would also become more diverse.

Manager Kim sighed softly as he looked at me.

“The supplementary budget will be organized. It’s for expanding the functions of the Department of Ability Management, and the president has expressed strong will on this.”

“I thought the government’s finances were tight.”

“At the moment, it’s still manageable. Also, there are discussions about issuing government bonds. All of this is possible thanks to you, Mr. Siwoo.”

“I never thought I’d be involved with government bonds in my life.”

“The presence or absence of Irregulars makes a huge difference in the credibility of a country. It’s just the world we live in.”

Even without me directly helping, President Seo was already pushing things forward.

Back in Eden, we had needed the church’s support for post-war recovery, but now that the work was lessening, it was more convenient.

If the Department of Ability Management power grows, it wouldn’t be bad for me.

However, seeing that they were willing to increase the department’s size by preparing a supplementary budget, it seemed that maintaining security wasn’t the only purpose.

I casually asked Manager Kim.

“I’m not very knowledgeable, but gathering funds by issuing government bonds means there’s something behind it, right? What’s going on?”

Manager Kim nodded gravely, as if this was to be expected. After taking a sip of his drink, he answered in a much more serious tone.

“It’s northward expansion. The president is preparing for a northward expansion. Discussions began when Awakener Ryu Jin-young appeared, but it was temporarily shelved due to the incident three years ago.”

Northward expansion.

I had heard a bit about it from Aiden.

The northern part of the Korean Peninsula, which had once been home to North Korea, had become a land uninhabitable by humans due to the rampaging Gates and Dungeons.

Just like some remote regions in Africa or Siberia, it had been occupied by entities from other realms.

Instead, resources such as magic stones were being confirmed, so if they could reclaim it, it would certainly be a huge financial boon.

“It’s a project with many advantages. We could prevent another monster wave like last time, and the economic benefits would be immense. Plus, the symbolic value of reclaiming lost land would be invaluable, so this is a project we must try eventually.”

“It’ll take a long time.”

“That’s why we have to start now.”

I could roughly see the roadmap.

By increasing the size of the Department of Ability Management again and sweeping away the villains, we would then channel that force into the northward expansion project.

I could faintly see President Seo’s vision.

“It’s going to be interesting from here on out.”

“The president seems to expect more from you and the Limen Church for the good deeds you’ve done, Mr. Siwoo.”

“Of course, that’s how it should be.”

I said that and looked back at the TV, where Oh Junwoo was still speaking.

The changes had already begun.

“…And so, we have now officially begun our activities. Are there any questions?”

After Kim Manager left, I gathered those who could be considered the executives of our organization for a brief meeting.

Although, when I say executives, it was just me, Leo, Luna, and Minsoo, that’s all.

“What exactly does starting activities in earnest mean, Your Holiness?”

“It means we will actively participate in gate and dungeon raids. If the government asks for our help with villain subjugation, we’ll do that too. Basically, let’s just move proactively.”

“I’m too busy training the chicks. And it’ll take quite some time to make them useful.”

“We’re on Earth. We don’t need to raise new believers like we did in Eden.”

The time it took for a healthy young man to become a savior of a higher dimension was barely less than 10 years.

Of course, I grew so quickly because of all the benefits I received from Limen, but the help from the system was also immense.

If we use the system well, we could raise believers at a pace incomparable to Eden.

This was true for the trait, as well as the training I chose last time.

In the end, players are beings that grow quickly while hunting monsters.

“You’re talking about the system, right?”

“You know about it?”

“I was tutored by our cute brother Minsoo. You’ve mentioned it a few times, so how could I not know? So you’re saying that we should take the chicks into combat now, right?”

As expected from Luna, who had perfectly adapted to Earth, she quickly caught the meaning behind my words.

However, Luna’s stance was negative.

“At least, we should train them in weapon skills before sending them out. If they can’t even hold a weapon properly, sending them out would just be a death sentence. Well, if they have solid armor, they might learn through experience while getting hit…”

“That’s exactly it.”

“Huh?”

“They call it ‘gear power.’ We’ll provide the new recruits with enchanted weapons and armor. I’ve already spoken with the chairman of Yuseon Group about it.”

Yuseon Group had agreed to manufacture armor using production-oriented players and existing technologies.

Though it might not be as good as the armor made by Eden’s dwarves, if we properly enchant it, it should be serviceable.

The price of the armor was high, but since there was nowhere else to spend money for the time being, it wasn’t an issue.

“Divine power users are only better than magic power users in terms of durability, right? If we focus on raiding low-tier dungeons, there shouldn’t be much danger.”

“However, combat variables cannot be guaranteed by anyone.”

At Luna’s remark, I quietly looked at her and said,

“You and Leo can guarantee it, right? That’s why I’m saying this. Think about it, Luna. If we push the first batch of recruits hard, we’ll have more free time.”

“You’re treating them like slaves. Maybe offer them a bonus before saying that.”

“Count Reventon is right, Your Holiness. The new Yuseon Electronics smartphone released specifically for hunters…”

Leo also decided to voice his opinion at this point.

Just a moment ago, he had been sitting seriously with his monocle on, but as soon as the bonus was mentioned, his gaze started to waver.

Leo has certainly adapted perfectly to Earth.

I guess I should give them some carrots.

“Raiding dungeons or gates makes money. Isn’t that right brother Minsoo?”

Minsoo immediately responded to my question.

“Even just the by-products from monsters can generate substantial profit.”

“Did you hear that, everyone? We’re planning to pay bonuses based on your performance, so don’t worry. This isn’t the first or second time we’ve done this. What? Do you think I’m just going to make you all work for nothing?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

They both answered firmly.

At times like this, I do feel like we’re a family, huh?

“Don’t you trust me too much? Is this the limit of our loyalty? We’re family, right?”

“Even between family, money matters need to be clear.”

“In dramas, when it comes to money, family doesn’t matter, Your Holiness. I think you should clear everything up through a contract.”

Both of them demonstrated their perfect embrace of capitalism, and I had no choice but to raise the white flag to their combined attack.

In the end, I promised to write the contract within a week, thereby quelling their rebellion.

Such ruthless guys.

I’m not doing this just to live well by myself, I’m trying to grow our church, you know? If someone saw this, they’d think I’m a greedy boss who doesn’t even pay a proper salary.

…Ahem.

Anyway, with that, the discussion on future plans was concluded.

“Your Holiness, I have a personal question.”

While I was sitting with a sullen expression, Minsoo carefully asked a question.

“Feel free to ask, brother.”

“If the church enters bidding for dungeons or gates, the tax exemption benefits given to you, Your Holiness, may not apply. Have you discussed this with the government?”

“Of course. I’ve agreed to pay all the relevant taxes, without exception.”

Even though I, as an Irregular, could receive tax exemption, with the size of the church’s income growing to this extent, I couldn’t continue to pretend that taxes didn’t exist.

We had already discussed this with the government.

Minister Yoo said he could be considerate, but I refused.

Taxes must be paid properly.

Do I look like someone who would avoid taxes and face consequences for it?

“Not paying what you owe and paying what you don’t owe are two completely different things. Don’t you think so?”

“That’s the right decision. As expected, you are looking toward the far future, Your Holiness.”

“That’s what true coexistence is, isn’t it? We look good in the public eye because we pay taxes honestly, and the government benefits from collecting taxes. It’s a win-win.”

This way, we can also hold accountable those who evade taxes, right?

For example, the Guild Coalition or the Baegmyeong Church, those kinds of guys.

“Things are going to get hectic from now on, so everyone, brace yourselves.”

I said, flashing a small smile.

Now that the crack has formed, it was time for us to dig in.