Demon King of Phantom Thief – a Betrayed Thief Stole the Stats and Skills of the Hero Party Then Reigned Over the World

Marie was standing up in the Grand Cleric's private room.

The Grand Cleric sat deeply on the couch and the Deputy stood quietly beside him.

In a quiet voice, the high priest said.

"The Kingdom of Tristram and the Republic of Astran are now trying to hold hands. Who is at the heart of it? Everyone knows it. I'm the Demon King, Virgin. He is your enemy, the Demon King, who has stolen all the power of his people."

………………

The Great Cleric knows nothing about Keith.

Marie was disgusted by that attitude of rejecting someone she knew nothing about, simply because of her position with the enemy.

As a priest at the Brave Party, I'm no longer like Marie then on her way to the Demon King Crusade.

"The Church of the Stars has an astrologer who elects a brave party. The Brave Party is chosen from all over the continent. You're one of them, aren't you, Virgin? In other words, the Church is one of the great powers that people have for the Crusade of the Demon King. The Virgin was from the Kingdom of Tristram, wasn't she?

"Yes... but what's the connection to the current story..."

"There's a strong connection."

The Great Cleric continued his words.

"The country that spawned the Brave Party benefits greatly from the dawn of the Demon King's Crusade. Because mine mining rights and so on will be distributed depending on which country the Brave Party belonged to each. A brave party, so to speak, is a golden egg. And the countries of the continent are the hens that gave birth to it. They scream at each other. He said he was the one who laid the golden egg."

With that said, the high priest showed his palms small and wide.

It's perfectly good for the depth of human desire, so to speak.

"So the hens don't choose the means to make their gold eggs their own. It would even cause strife for that. Our Church of the Stars is responsible for stopping it. So how do you do it? Do you understand?

"It's... we're only by prayer..."

Marie's words were blocked by the high priest.

"Our prayers should be gratitude after we have done everything that needs to be done. Before we do that, we need to hear the prayers of others."

The high priest smiled.

"In the form of donations."

But the wrinkles that shaped the grin cast a deep shadow.

"A country that has paid more to the Church will gain ownership of each and every brave party (...)"

Ownership - Marie opened her black-eyed eyes.

"The brave Germ and the warrior Zotto were inherently Astran...... you were an empire at the time, you were from it. But as a result of the enthusiastic arrival of the Kingdom of Tristrum in the Church, we have decided to treat them as natives of the Kingdom of Tristrum. Before we announced who the Brave Party was, we moved them to the kingdom of Tristram and gave them citizenship."

"You guys...... you mean the church was buying and selling brave parties like stuff!? Oh no...!

The Great Cleric does not break only the serene expression.

"First there is faith, and with it there is salvation… what difference does it make from that relationship?

"I don't call faith seeking salvation alone faith! Isn't faith in God about piercing selflessness!

When Marie screamed, the high priest looked into his eyes and said:

"You think you don't want to go to heaven?

"That's for God to decide. It's not what I wish for myself......!

Hearing that, the Grand Cleric laughed with a wrinkle in his eye.

"As the Virgin, that's a fitting word. As I said, faith is supposed to be..."

I shook my head quietly, I said.

"Neither the nation nor the people can be as pure as you. I want results… even after death."

The Great Cleric continued his words.

"Meralda, the sorcerer, had a comeback from the Duchy of Laden, so he did it as he was born. Virgin, as you have continued to be King Tristrum's people. Well, it was the bandit Keith who got the most hands on it, wasn't it? He's a bandit, so there's no citizenship anywhere"

"What can't you do about it? There are many people who do not have citizenship."

It is also the role of the Church to save such people.

But the high priest shook his head slowly.

"But judging from the donation, it was most fitting to be King Tristram's people..."

The look on the face of the high priest, as if there was nothing dark behind him, was as calm as ever.

"So I guided you through the whole thing. We sent a spy under a merchant who deals in stolen goods and had him examine the identity of the bandit Keith. And they sent the Knights of Tristram to the Bandits, and they deliberately missed one of the bandits, Keith."

The Great Cleric speaks in a gentle voice, as if to make it heard in a story as well.

"Their place of residence was on the border of the Kingdom of Tristrum, so the bandit Keith had to surrender to the Adventurer's Guild of the Kingdom of Tristrum… and this is how he gained citizenship of the Kingdom of Tristrum. We must be having a lot of trouble, too, right?

Marie grabbed her fist.

I didn't know that the house of God I believed in - the Church of the Stars - had dyed its hands so much so far.

And I didn't even know that so much, and I had goosebumps myself when I traveled with my people.

Marie was also treated by Keith, who was robbed of his company for conspiracy, as a member of the Church of the Stars.

I don't know anything - I don't even want to know.

That was more regrettable than anything.

"I can't believe you're trying to set people free with money... it's not something the church can do!

During the journey, a slight smile that Keith showed floated behind Marie's brain.

Behind him was tremendous gold and black thoughts.

"… and the arrival of the country is paid for by taxes paid by people, right? A donation that does not involve your will can no longer be called a donation...... it is an exploitation!

"The Church cannot control how money moves within nations."

"That would be deception!?

Marie was desperate to catch a tear.

"How can we not be satisfied with people's heartfelt contributions..."

My voice trembles.

"Because you don't have enough of that heart. The eyes of the people are too cloudy to feel God's glory from the heart. Sad thing...... let's keep talking"

The Grand Cleric sat back shallow on the couch.

"In this way, the presence of the Party of the Brave brings much donation to the Church, which means it can be utilized for God's sake. But what happens when the purpose of defeating the Demon King is lost from the nations?

The Great Cleric made his neck tilt, as when a gentle teacher threw questions at his students.

"The mechanism will collapse. If the Church is poor, people lose faith. The Church needs to imitate God and continue to shine even slightly."

"... how can the brilliance of money ever line God's brilliance!?

To Marie's words, the high priest shakes his head quietly.

"A thing called gold is one of the powers of a person. People give their strength to the Church. And it is cleansed by faith...... local churches are repaired by donations, poverty homes are built, and meals are given to the poor. Don't you think that the radiance a person can make, even if it can't be said to be sufficient, is the best you can do"

To that word, Marie can't say it back.

Before she was chosen for the Brave Party, Marie worked at the Sanctuary.

"Now you know that there is a deep connection between donations and the Demon King crusade that can't be cut off. The Demon King must remain God's, man's, and uncluttered enemy. There must be no such thing as the kingdom of Tristram and the Republic of Astran joining hands with the Demon King."

Everything is - betrayed.

"Does the Church... deny peace...?

When Marie said so in a trembling voice, the high priest put his fingers together again on the table.

And I said with a distant eye, like I would see beyond the wall.

"It means that there is also good and evil in peace. We have to figure it out..."

"Are you saying that the Church will decide that good and evil...... that is arrogant!

The Great Cleric stares again into Marie's eyes with tears.

"Apparently, with words, it's hard to manipulate you..."

Marie felt signs of a deputy behind her back...