For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 109

The fact that he even invoked the name of God showed that he was sincere, and I was honestly surprised. It really seemed he hadn’t sold my information.

All the better for me. To prove his innocence, he would work even harder at what I asked of him.

“Of course I can prove it…! Oh, but it seems I can’t prove it with just my own feelings.”

Ariel fell silent, as if thinking of how to prove it.

I seized the opportunity and continued.

“To be honest, there’s nothing actually wrong with the lake, is there? The water level is just low because there was less rain than usual, right?”

“No. There’s definitely something inside the lake. I haven’t figured out what it is yet, but the water is turning black starting from where that thing is.”

“From where I’m standing, it just seems like someone’s spreading talk of bad omens to scare people and get them to pray more. That way, people like Taolti can rake in more money.”

“……”

“I trust you, Ariel… I want to trust you. But I can’t trust the temple.”

Ariel let out a heavy sigh.

“You may say you’re different, but to me, Taolti and the temple don’t seem any different. Isn’t the temple just using the excuse of a lake problem to make more money?”

When I pressed him, Ariel’s voice grew a bit firmer.

“Priest Taolti acts entirely on his own beliefs, which are at odds with the temple’s doctrine. The temple would never act for profit.”

“That’s what you believe, huh?”

“Yes. God’s will is the temple’s doctrine, and that is my faith.”

What should I do, Ariel? The temple you trust so much is actually a rotten institution where all the villains of this world have gathered.

I turned my head away.

“Ariel. People have a tendency to believe only what they want to believe.”

“……”

Even as he spoke so firmly, I made it clear I still didn’t believe him. He looked like he wanted to protest but just closed his mouth.

“Ariel. See for yourself with your own eyes. Whether the temple really follows God’s will. Whether Taolti truly acts against the temple’s will.”

Ariel nodded with firm conviction.

How great would the shock be when he realizes the temple he’s believed in his whole life is actually corrupt to the core? I glanced at him with a moment of sympathy.

He clenched his fist tightly.

***

Three days later—

In the end, the lake turned pitch black, as if ink had been poured into it, and the village was plunged into chaos and fear.

Rumors quickly spread among the villagers that God had abandoned the lake, and abandoned them as well. The more fear spread, the bigger it grew, taking over people’s minds.

「 The… The Holy Kingdom! Why haven’t we heard anything from the Holy Kingdom? It’s been weeks since we sent someone! 」

「 Could it be that the Holy Kingdom has abandoned us, too…?」

「 Don’t be ridiculous! Our village has Seonui Lake, doesn’t it? Everyone knows—heaven knows—how much the Holy Kingdom cherishes that lake! 」

「 Calm down. I’m sure help is on the way. 」

「 Help? What help? Maybe they’ll come after we’ve all died of thirst! 」

With no drinking water, the villagers grew more and more violent.

And their anger was directed at Taolti and Ariel.

People were clamoring outside the gate. The wooden gate shook as they pulled at it, and it seemed it would break at any moment.

They wanted the water I’d drawn and stored in the backyard of our house.

Anticipating this, I had used my own money over the past three days to buy large crocks and fill them with water in Okhee’s backyard. Everyone had mocked me, unable to understand what I was doing, but when people who’d drunk from the lake and well began complaining of headaches and saw the water turning black, they came running to me for help.

Human nature was really so fickle.

“How did you know this would happen?”

Ariel, clutching his chest, asked. He looked truly pained at being unable to help the others.

“Ariel, you said so yourself—there was something in the center of the lake, and the water was turning black. The village relies entirely on Seonui Lake, so it’s easy to figure out that if the lake gets contaminated, the village is finished.”

His face seemed to ask why I didn’t warn the village if I knew in advance and why I let things get this bad, so I answered him.

“Who would believe a young outsider who knows nothing? Besides, Taolti kept harassing me. Maybe you would have, Ariel. But even you wouldn’t have believed me, right?”