Chapter 36: A Ghoul’s Misery
Badum!
Ronan’s heart accelerated as he approached the bathroom.
By the time he entered and closed the door behind him, his scarf had fallen away, revealing his pale, male face.
At least he wasn’t female.
Nor was he particularly beautiful.
In fact, he was only a step away from being considered ugly.
But his eyes...
Those crimson eyes were still the feature that stole the show.
Ronan reached up and touched his own face, starting from his bald head, then moving to his ears, nose, and eyelids.
Finally, his hands slowly moved beneath his dress.
This was the moment of truth.
Ronan closed his eyes.
Then he opened them and looked down.
His expression immediately changed.
---
A few minutes later, Ronan walked out of the bathroom with a stiff smile on his face.
"Sorry about that."
He gave a nervous chuckle.
"I hope everything is okay?" Yen asked, slightly worried.
After all, her life was tied to Ronan’s.
One of the reasons she couldn’t simply kill Ronan or even attempt to was because the moment Ronan died, she would die as well.
The only way for her to escape was to break the slave collar.
But that wasn’t easy.
At the very least, Yen would have to reach the Peak Sovereign Realm before she could hope to break it.
The material used to create the collar was one of the strongest in this world.
Ronan finally took a deep breath before looking at Yen.
"Like I said earlier, you’ll be responsible for eating the food."
"Make sure you finish everything and recover as quickly as possible."
Yen frowned slightly.
Why?
If today’s food had simply been given to her, Yen might have assumed the Maiden was merely being kind.
But Ronan was making it clear that today wouldn’t be the only day.
From now on, all the food would be given to her.
Why?
"Maiden, I—"
Just as Yen was about to speak, Ronan’s cold voice interrupted her.
"If you let anyone outside know, I will—"
Ronan didn’t finish the sentence but he believed Yen understood the message.
But instead of looking frightened, Yen merely smiled.
"Everyone has their secrets."
"I won’t be stupid enough to reveal yours when my life and death are in your hands."
Ronan nodded.
That was good enough.
Besides i still have to kill you and Bama.
Yen’s thoughts remained cold.
The room fell silent again.
The two simply stared at each other for a while.
Eventually, Ronan was the one who turned away and lay down on the bed.
His mind was filled with thoughts.
Things were becoming increasingly difficult for him.
If he couldn’t at least become a Ghoul Lord soon, he might eventually die without even realizing it.
His Transcendent Realm strength wasn’t even worth mentioning in the capital.
And now, the Duke’s family he had become involved with was actually under pressure from a God’s Temple with the Royal Family supporting them.
What Ronan was most curious about, however, was the church...
And the god behind it.
He knew that gods existed in this world, but he had never interacted with one before.
Today might be the first time he finally came into contact with their influence.
And Ronan wanted to know exactly how they operated.
---
While Ronan was lost in his thoughts...
The Royal Castle.
At this moment, a festive atmosphere filled the air.
Beautiful young women danced gracefully for the people seated around a long table covered with various dishes.
Among those seated at the table were two particularly important figures.
The King of the Destal Kingdom...
And the Pope of the Church.
The King wore long robes made from the most luxurious materials, while a golden-alloy crown rested upon his head.
Around him sat his sons, daughters, and several important ministers.
On the opposite side sat the Pope of the Church with some of his members.
He was dressed entirely in gold, with numerous rings covering his fingers.
If the King radiated royalty, nobility, and authority...
The Pope radiated wealth.
His long beard was neatly trimmed, and his eyes shone brightly as he watched the intricate dance performed before him.
"Is the Pope enjoying the show?"
The King couldn’t help but ask with a smile.
Hearing this, the Pope finally turned toward him with a smile of his own.
"I am deeply touched by this."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am honored."
The Pope raised his cup.
The two men drank their wine with smiles on their faces.
One was the King of the Destal Kingdom, ruler of one of the strongest kingdoms on the continent.
The other was the Pope of the God of Wealth.
He had traveled from far away, essentially from another continent to establish a temple dedicated to the God of Wealth within the Destal Kingdom.
And he had arrived bearing a prophecy.
As long as he was allowed to build the Temple of the God of Wealth within the Destal Kingdom...
The kingdom would prosper.
Trade would flourish.
And its treasury would at least double in the coming years.
When the King first heard the prophecy, he hadn’t shown much reaction.
The Destal Kingdom controlled more than ten vassal kingdoms.
The amount of wealth under its control was immense.
Even if their wealth doubled or tripled, it wouldn’t necessarily bring about a massive change for them.
But everything changed when the Pope revealed the location where he intended to build the temple.
The Duke’s Mansion.
At first, the Pope had assumed the King would refuse.
After all, the Duke’s family was one of the most powerful forces within the kingdom.
But who would have expected...
The King simply opened his arms and accepted the proposal.
It was shocking, but it also showed that the Destal Kingdom wasn’t as calm as it appeared on the surface.
It seemed the two strongest forces within the kingdom were already beginning to clash.
But this was to the Pope’s advantage.
With the King’s support, he could proceed with his plans and build the church in place of the Duke’s Mansion.
This would not only bring him closer to the Duke’s family, but it would also aid him in his search for the undead.
"So, Your Majesty, what about what we discussed?" the Pope asked with a smile.
Hearing this, the King’s eyes lit up.
"Be rest assured. I have already sent my messenger to the Duke’s Mansion. In a few days, we should receive their reply."
The King smiled.
"And I’m sure they will be more than happy to cooperate. They may even assist us and bear the burden of constructing the temple themselves."
The Pope’s face twitched slightly.
Does the King think I’m blind?
Anyone could see what was happening.
The King was using the Church as a means of suppressing the Duke’s family.
After all, who would willingly allow their mansion to be destroyed so that a temple could be built in its place and then happily provide the materials needed to construct the said temple?
No one.
Although the Pope understood exactly what the King was doing, he could only maintain his smile.
Whatever happens to the Destal Kingdom isn’t my concern.
He had come here for a single purpose, and that was the only thing he intended to accomplish.
Everything else, including the Royal Family’s schemes was irrelevant to him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," the Pope replied.
The King nodded.
"Let’s enjoy the show."