Translator: Nox

<Episode 8>

Still, the ghosts here were far less scary-looking than Korean ghosts.

I took comfort in that fact.

I stared at the ghost's lower half, then at the money.

'If I do it one more time, how much more could I make......'

Catching the greed tightening my heart, I pinched my cheek.

This is how people get addicted to gambling.

"Ugh, gotta snap out of it."

I shook my head.

I'd told them to come find me if they wanted to play again, but I had no intention of continuing to gamble with those who actually showed up.

The 'Saintess Game' was just bait to draw people in.

Opportunists eyeing the million gold, the curious about the Saintess, those seeking simple entertainment.

All were welcome.

As long as they could make me famous.

[For now, I need to leave this shelter. Customers will start pouring in now. I told them to come to Saintess Dorothy, so I need a landmark.]

[Then how will they find you?]

[All the vagabonds here are my customers now. I can write down the new address before they leave. It'll spread naturally to others.]

[Good idea.]

Adults have said since long ago that ill-gotten gains should be spent quickly.

Holding onto luck that's not yours leads to it vanishing emptily.

'Staring at this money might make me greedier unnecessarily......'

'Seon-nyeo. If a shaman gets too greedy, the gods will punish her.'

Mom's words came to mind.

If a shaman forgets her duty and chases money and fame, the gods leave, and misfortune strikes.

Gods...... don't just give; they take away plenty too.

'So let's stay sharp.'

Too much money was useless anyway.

I was someone who suited a peaceful, ordinary citizen's life best.

Yeah. Above all, waking up without seeing a ghost's lower half is the most important, right?

Once everything's done, a new life free from these tiresome ghosts and the name Park Seon-nyeo awaits.

I steeled my resolve and left the room.

* * *

"This house seems like the best fit."

"Excellent choice. You said one room is for a study, so this size is perfect!"

Not a study, but a shrine.

I smiled and signed the contract. Just in case, I even stamped my fingerprint.

"Um, about the down payment-"

The real estate agent cautiously spoke up.

It wasn't a luxury home, but it wasn't something a vagabond like me could afford either, so his worried look was understandable.

"Ah, I can pay right now."

I'd entered the vagabond shelter as a penniless drifter anyway, so even without belongings, my backpack was heavy.

The hastily bought backpack was stuffed full of money.

This world had no mobile banking or smartphones.

It suddenly hit me how safe and convenient account transfers from your seat were.

Carrying it all myself made me anxious to death.

Banks existed here too, but only in the Capital City, not places like this......

Once I succeed and head to the Capital, first thing: open an account.

"How much was it?"

"Three million."

Price of three carriages.

I just needed to pull out three gold pouches from the backpack, but my heart pounded.

Should I say I'll pay at the office? Or excuse myself to the bathroom?

[Dorothy. What's wrong? You look uneasy......]

[Ah. I'm worried this guy might steal the backpack. Thinking of pulling the money out somewhere out of sight.]

[Oh my. Don't worry. I'll make it so he doesn't even notice where the money comes from.]

Agatha said confidently.

Gods can do that too...? Well, they're gods; what can't they do?

Trusting Agatha, I ignored my anxiety and opened the backpack.

"Here it is. All gold coins."

"Gasp-."

As I handed over the three pouches, the agent's eyes nearly bulged out.

But his gaze didn't go toward the backpack.

As if he couldn't see it at all.

The agent soon introduced a decent interior decorator, explained the house in more detail, and left.

[Shall we prepare to receive customers now?]

[Dorothy. I want hotcakes.]

[Ugh. Come on! Dorothy's busy.]

Interior...... money will handle it, whatever.

We're in a win-win. Thanks to yesterday's winnings, I was endlessly generous.

[Shall we go shopping then?]

[Yay! Awesome!]

[Sorry, Dorothy. They're all acting like starving hyenas......]

[No, it's my joy. Haha.]

Now I've properly lined up at the starting line.

I thought of the customers who'd flock in—the scary, tough middle process—and the sweet freedom awaiting after.

'Come on. Theodore......!'

I've got eight gods as my backing!

Why fear some emperor?

I bought heaps of food for my backers and happily returned to 'my house'.

* * *

Time flew by.

Something I'd felt watching Mom: shamans need to act well.

People get focused and swept up easily in dramatic atmospheres.

Creating atmosphere decides a shaman's success. For that, they must perform well.

Then what about a saintess?

With no prior knowledge of saintesses, I wondered. But since I'd started the business......

[Lady Agatha. You said saintesses appeared before, right? What were they like?]

[Ah, that one was the origin of oracle-receiving priests. The title changed from saintess to priest now. She laid the foundation for today's religion. Very different from you, Dorothy.]

Really different.

[So how did she deliver oracles?]

I probed for something dramatic.

[Wrote it on paper and sent to the palace.]

A deflating answer came.

Palace-announced oracles. How could I do that?

Knowing nothing of Western occult, I ended up grabbing the rattle bell and Five Direction Flags.

The bell for occasional shakes to set the mood, flags for divination like Mom did. Color-based fortune-telling with flapping primary cloths tensely gripped people unnecessarily.

"What is all this......"

I gathered bells one by one and tied them; no place sold Five Direction Flags, so I cut cloth and made them myself.

[Dorothy. What's the bell and flags?]

[Lady Agatha....... Do you know about performance?]

[Pardon?]

[To make people believe, you need some...... performance. Especially for us starting from the bottom.]

[Performance....... Ah, like knights wearing decorative gold armor to crush enemy morale?]

War-specialized Agatha likened everything to battles.

[That's important! Even that act carries deep meaning, sparking endless debate. Depending on the enemy's counter-symbol-]

[Uh, um...... Yes, like that.]

Close enough.

While preparing bell and flags, I fixed up the shrine too.

Built an altar, placed statues of the eight Guardian Gods atop, offered their favorite foods.

Better than serving meals daily for sharing......

Somehow, it became a sacrificial table with white marble and beautiful silverware.

[This feels so strange.]

[This shrine's so fun, Dorothy! Wow, these blueberries are delicious.]

Yeah. Happy gods mean more boons for me, whatever......

Thus, a shrine ambiguously blending East and West was ready.

Maybe because all my input came from Mom.

Finally, Saintess Dorothy's shrine opened.

* * *

"'Gambling Saintess' appears under guise of 'Saintess Game'—true legend or fraud?"

A handsome man with intensely dark black hair and eyes shimmering imperial blue like autumn skies intoned in a pleasing low voice.

"Quite an entertaining article. Isn't it?"

Tall stature, broad shoulders, slim waist, long legs. A presence anyone would turn to look at twice.

He was the ladies' first love, young nobles' envy...... but now, feared for his overly intense nature.

Emperor Theodor Elliott.

Less than a year since ascending the throne at twenty-six after the late Emperor's death, yet overflowing with dignity.

His innate majesty made his anger even more fearsome.

Subordinates with anxious faces stood in a line, gauging his mood.

The atmosphere was utterly vicious.

"Look. The Imperial Newspaper says...... 'Saintess Dorothy begins sweeping the Empire beyond Demong.' A saintess sweeping the Empire, yet its lord knew nothing."

"......We apologize."

Theodor smirked bitterly and set down Empire's Morning and Imperial Newspaper.

The two most subscribed papers in the Empire.

"Seems the reporter learned from a city near Demong. Capital nobles haven't met the saintess yet-"

"Papers spread across the Empire—does the reporter's origin matter?"

"......We meant the rumor hasn't reached the Capital yet......"

"No rumors in Capital means ignorance? My informants are more useless than mere reporters."

"......"

Temple's doing?

Gambling saintess.

Someone doing such things naturally wouldn't reach Emperor Theodor's ears before fame.

Nobles probably saw the 'Saintess Game' as mere fun. Not entering the Capital, no way for Theodor to hear.

But such existences suddenly balloon out of nowhere.

His oversight.

Mindless with road plans, Temples quiet lately so ignored. Yet this happens.

"If Temple's work...... they're quite desperate."

"......"

"Calling herself a saintess from ancient legends. Not child's play. Seems I've done well."

He called it child's play, but real fame for the saintess troubled Theodor. Legend's return would swing public sentiment to Temples.

Temples might've been wise instead.

Anyway, contain before it grows.

"......We apologize."

Theodor clicked his tongue.

"High Priestess's movements?"

"No activity yet."

"Confusing."

Theodor frowned. Sudden blow to the back of the head, nothing certain.

Unforeseen incident, ongoing ignorance...... his most hated situation.

"Monitor closely anyway."

"Yes."

"And...... Sigh."

The Emperor's sigh made subordinates flinch.

Benevolent yet merciless lord. This anger meant unimaginable punishment.

"Bring the saintess. Faster than anyone, quietly without drawing eyes."

"Pardon?"

Papers already spreading Empire-wide.

Theodor's priority: secure the saintess.

Uncover Temple ties, teach how insolent her 'Saintess Game' is.

"Get the saintess before me, somehow."

"......Yes."

If saintess grows famous, Temples rise.

Theodor couldn't watch that with eyes open.