How the Cult Saves the World

After leaving my office, I quickly exited the temple building. Outside, the Holden family's carriage was waiting to take me to visit my grandmother, Helena Holden.

"Welcome, Young Master."

Fanatic greeted me with a bright smile. It had been a long time since I'd last seen him.

'His demeanor feels different compared to when I met him as Leviathan.'

"It's been a while, Fanatic."

I replied with a small smile before climbing into the carriage.

The ride started smoothly as the carriage departed, and I looked out the window at the quiet streets of Rovel.

When I gazed out the window at the warm sunlight and the people strolling beneath it, moments like these often made the main quest fade from my thoughts.

'I wish I had been a part of this world from the beginning.'

Such musings often crept into my mind whenever I saw the peaceful streets.

'But that's impossible.'

The mission I'd been entrusted with was far beyond what I could have imagined. It wasn't just about my life---the destruction of this world and the fate of countless people were at stake.

'So, I've got to focus.'

Just as I resolved to clear my mind of any useless thoughts, and not let my determination weaken, before long, the carriage, that had been moving at a fast pace, arrived at the Holden mansion.

Speeding through the gates and past the immaculate garden, it stopped. As the carriage came to a stop in front of the mansion, the door opened, and the butler, Paul, greeted me as always.

"Welcome, Young Master."

"Paul, have you been well?"

"Yes. Of course, I have."

I stepped into the mansion, with greetings from Paul and the servants, only to find Sevenus and my mother waiting for me in the hall.

"Levi, my baby!"

My mother, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, rushed toward me with a radiant smile. I hugged her tightly and returned her smile.

"Mother, how have you been?"

"I'm fine, my dear. And you, Levi? I heard you've been busy dealing with the Goblin Disease."

"It's all under control now."

She scrutinized all of my face,, before checking my overall condition.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look a bit worn out."

"Yes, really, I'm fine."

I stressed that I was fine. Just then, Sevenus approached.

"Levi, you look so haggard---what exactly is 'fine' about you right now?"

Sevenus himself didn't look much better.

Given the circumstances, it was no surprise. He had been managing most of the estate's affairs after it was sealed off due to the Goblin Disease outbreak.

When the Goblin Disease entered the territory, he put the estate into lockdown. My mother, who had been away, returned only recently.

So this left Sevenus to handle everything in the interim as the proxy of the Count and you could see the result of that on his face.

'Still, that doesn't hide how good looking he is.'

Fortunately, the blockade on the Holden estate was now lifted. The number of goblin disease cases had dwindled to nearly zero, and the epicenter of the outbreak, Prell, had been successfully treated.

However, this didn't mean the goblin disease had been eradicated worldwide.

But for now, it was all good since the cure I had created had already spread across the world.

'Because before my cure disappears from the world, Diego will release a new one after all.'

It didn't matter if my cure ran out first. The only difference between Diego's cure and mine was the 'Goblin King's Blood.'

Remedies without the Goblin King's Blood could occasionally cause minor side effects, such as stomach aches or headaches....

'But at least people can survive. It's not like it's a huge problem.'

Plus, doctors and alchemists worldwide were still continuing their research on my formula, so the goblin disease incident was practically resolved.

"Levi, my dear! You're finally here!"

After enduring ten minutes of my mother and Sevenus fretting over how thin I looked, my grandmother's voice rang out from the staircase.

She must have arrived earlier, as she now ran towards me with a bright smile and open arms.

"Grandma, you got here before me."

"Yes, I just arrived. Now come here, give me a hug."

After being hugged and held in my grandmother's warm embrace, our family headed to the dining room together. As always, the chef had prepared an elaborate banquet.

'It amazes me every time I see it.'

The spread was incredible, with a variety of dishes, some of which I hadn't even tried during my previous stays at the mansion.

'I can't help but notice every time---the food here is really good.'

I savored the dishes as my mother, grandmother, and even Sevenus offered me more to try.

'Still... Jacob's cooking suits my taste better.'

Perhaps it's because he's a top-class chef.

Even so, the food at the mansion was impressive, and I couldn't help but think that the chef's skills would easily rank as A-rank if I were to rank him.

As we continued eating, my mother suddenly asked.

"Mother, what made you come back to the estate?"

She was asking grandmother. Could it be that...grandmother had not told why she came back to Mother yet?

I looked at my grandmother with slightly surprised eyes. My grandmother, unfazed, calmly cut her meat before dropping a bombshell with a relaxed expression.

"I have decided to convert to the Kyros Church. That is why I have returned to the territory where the temple is located."

Both my mother and Sevenus froze in shock at her words that she spoke with a calm smile.

"...Huh?"

My mother asked again as if she thought she had misheard.

"...?"

Sevenus, too, stared at her with wide eyes, unusual for him.

I wasn't particularly surprised---I had already known---but I was taken aback by the fact that my grandmother hadn't told my mother before now.

-Haha, I really do like her after all.

I don't know what Kyros was enjoying so much that he kept laughing.

"Wait, Mother... No, Mother, so suddenly?"

"Yes. I started believing in the god Kyros some time ago. They've also helped me."

This time, Sevenus asked in return to Grandmother's monotonous explanation.

"Grandma, what kind of help did you receive?"

"They've helped me with some of my health issues."

At this, both my mother and Sevenus were surprised again that followed with a smile from Grandmother.

"Mom, are you talking about... Mana Burn?"

"Yes, that's correct."

They were shocked beyond limits.

"First Levi, and now even Grandma...?"

Sevenus looked back and forth between me and Grandmother with disbelief written all over his face. My grandmother nodded slightly and added.

"Yes, that's right. It's not completely cured, though, so it's not something to fuss over. I don't want to go into any further detail---so let's just leave it at that."

Her silence after that made it clear that she had no intention of elaborating on her connection to Kyros.

Neither my mother nor Sevenus dared to challenge her stubborn attitude. My mother simply nodded, while Sevenus seemed lost in thought.

***

Following the family dinner, I rode with my grandmother in the Holden carriage.

She wanted to show me the place where I would be staying from now on. My mother and Sevenus had wanted to come as well, but both were tied up with work and couldn't join us.

The carriage left the mansion, passing through Elwin and Rovel, before arriving in the nearby village of Naselle.

I had never visited Naselle except for the occasional long walk. Still, the village had a pleasant atmosphere.

'This is the village that produces the most grain in the territory.'

The residents were known for their kindness and innocence. Among the Kyros believers, many were from Naselle, and all of them were kind.

'But...why did the carriage stop here?'

Nasellle was not a place for my grandmother to stay in ---it was practically countryside. Yet, my grandmother smiled warmly.

 "We've arrived, Levi."

"...Huh?"

I stared at her, puzzled, but she didn't explain further. Instead, she stepped out of the carriage, leaving me no choice but to follow.

That's when I saw it: an unexpected building.

The carriage had stopped in front of a three-story, fairly large country house.

'Oh... I'm pretty sure there wasn't a house like this here the last time I visited Naselle..'

If I were to define Naselle in one word, it would be 'rural'. In such a village, no house was of this size.

It wasn't as grand as a mansion, of course, but it was still a fairly large country home. Houses like this were usually found in Elwin, not a quiet village like Naselle.

I looked around, astonished. The house blended beautifully with the village's overall  atmosphere. The garden was particularly pretty.

"You look surprised, Levi.''

"Of course I'm surprised, Grandmother. There wasn't anything like this in Naselle a month ago."

"Haha. You're right. When I told Jenna that I was returning to Holden... She built this house for me as a gift."

I couldn't help but blinked in surprise at her explanation.

'Jenna Lewis'.

It made sense---only someone as skilled as a great mage could construct a house of this size so quickly.

"The overall vibe is exactly how I imagined it. Jenna really knows me well."

Grandma looked around the mansion with a very satisfied expression. At this point, I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by Jenna Lewis.

"It's the perfect size to live in without needing any servants."

Her words caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but ask,

"Wait, you're planning to live here without servants?"

It was hard to believe. My grandmother, a noble who had spent her entire life giving orders, was now talking about living without servants? That made no sense.

"Yes. I gave all my staff letters of recommendation and generous bonuses before letting them go. But Max refused to leave, so he'll be staying here with me."

While I was relieved that Max would remain by her side, it still seemed inconvenient for her to live without a full staff. I was about to suggest sending some servants from Holden Mansion over when she spoke again looking at the house.

"This is the life I've dreamed of since I was a child. I can garden, take care of the house, and live a normal life."

"......"

"But when I was sick, it was impossible because I never knew when I might run out of breath. Things are different now."

She turned to me and winked.

"Alright, let's go in now."

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