They all call me an Outer God.

Chapter 14 Bread and Wine
James turned around and flipped the "Open for Business" sign on the door to "Do Not Enter, Consequences at Your Own Risk." When he saw Lia looking at him, he explained, "With this thing here, what need is there for a lock?"

“If any brave warrior dares to break into my bookstore despite my threats, I will let him know how Litwal III died.”

"How did you die?"

Lia asked casually.

James excitedly provided the answer.

That person was the emperor of a certain empire. He was publicly tried by the Keeper of the Secrets for saying some disrespectful things. His head was cut off and hung high on the top of the palace, replacing the pearl at the very top.

Although the head and body are separated, the keeper of the secret has many ways to keep the person alive for a month, allowing them to witness the decay and rot of their own flesh.

On the bones pecked by crows, flies rubbed their tiny claws to lay their offspring. These tiny creatures crawled and, together with the green mold, devoured the emperor whom the previous generation had revered.

"You probably don't know, but the stench was so strong you could smell it from dozens of meters away. His people had such great expressions on their faces. And, I was the one who did it."

James was afraid that Ria wouldn't understand, so he emphasized the word "I".

"You killed the emperor?"

"of course."

"And then I was assigned to some remote, impoverished place to deal with my messy affairs?"

"Yes!"

"It's hard to say. You're a doctor and I'm a patient. We're completely different. I wish you success."

Ria didn't believe him completely, but James didn't care. He would occasionally blurt out things, true or false, to elevate his status. Normal people would just listen for amusement, and having someone to talk to on the journey would keep things from getting too boring.

He followed Ria back to Mrs. Ster's house, then stood outside watching Ria go inside.

"Hey! Brother Kelcha!"

Lia had only taken a few steps when a small figure came running down the stairs, almost losing control and tumbling down.

“You’re back.” These were Angela’s first words.

Her second question was: "Has my brother's book been bought yet?"

"Of course, but most of it is fake. Tell your brother not to take it too seriously."

"Ah..." Angela took the book and put it in her pocket, seemingly a little disappointed. "Thank you for running the errand for me. If I return the book, can I get it back from Schwarz?"

"Maybe we can beat up that guy outside."

Ria pointed to James, who was standing outside wearing a bird-beak mask. James had a small hat that didn't fit his head. When he realized that a little girl was watching him, he politely lifted the brim of his mini hat and gave Angela a gentlemanly bow.

"I wish you well, Miss."

"……Hello."

Angela glanced at James a few times and thought he was a strange man. Startled, she trembled and quickly ran upstairs with her books in her arms. Before going upstairs, she specifically told Ria to stay away from that man because he looked like a human trafficker.

"Be careful, he might drag you to the mountains to dig coal briquettes!"

"It's alright, I've been digging for a long time, I'm experienced. Remember, the places marked with ink in the book are the real ones, ignore the fake ones." "I understand."

Angela hurriedly retreated to her room, while James awkwardly put his hat back on his head, indicating that he hadn't done anything.

"Young girls these days have no manners at all."

"Perhaps it's because you look scary."

"My God, it's rare to hear you say something like that. I don't know how someone covered in eyes can have the nerve to say I'm scary."

Ria stood beside him, and the two of them then started walking back towards the church.

Winstown is much livelier during the day than at night, although it is also lively at night for Ria, but the two descriptions are different.

It wasn't exactly bustling; there weren't many pedestrians on the street, and most of them seemed to be rushing around as if they were eager to pick up money on the street. James said that those people were people who had smashed the machines and fled here in a fit of anger because the new machines had taken their place.

They desperately need a job, but where can they find so many jobs? If they can't find a job, they will starve and even die on the streets.

Those wild children and dead children in the alleys who are barely clothed are the best outcome.

But today, the people's faces were filled with joy. When Lia asked, she learned that the church planned to provide them with relief by distributing the Holy Communion and the Blood of God on a fixed day each month.

To put it simply, it was just some noodles and some alcohol, but for the unemployed, it was the best gift. They flocked to it, young and old alike, all heading in one direction, like on a pilgrimage.

Ria and James were also hidden among them, and they followed these people, soon arriving at the church entrance.

The clergy warmly welcomed them and led them inside. At that moment, Ria looked up thoughtfully and saw the expensively carved murals on the walls of the building.

The stained glass windows, divided into millions of pieces, sliced ​​the sunlight into a dazzling array of colors. The spherical dome at the top was entirely in relief, with openwork gold patterns and edges inlaid with magnificent gemstones, making the dome seem as if it did not belong to this world.

The first thought everyone had upon seeing it was—this is a god, noble and majestic, who can only be admired by all and is incompatible with the secular world.

Meanwhile, Ria silently considered how much money she could make if she removed all the gems from that thing.

He watched with utmost concentration; among everyone, his gaze was the most focused.

When the people in the church saw him like this, they thought that his heart had resonated with the idol and that he wanted to devoutly worship the great sun, so they smiled and said, "Child, may light forever fill your eyes."

Which eye?

"what?"

"Sorry for daydreaming." Ria had just subconsciously answered the question that had immediately popped into his head. He looked away from the gemstone relief and couldn't help but admire how much money the believers were willing to spend.

“I was so hungry that I hadn’t eaten all day, but the moment I saw Him, I completely forgot about my hunger. I think this is the ideal kingdom that the Lord has created for us.”

Praise Him from the bottom of your heart.

Ria skillfully drew a sun symbol on her chest, and the clergyman did the same. Then they led them to a table made up of a dozen long tables joined together, which was covered with white bread and red wine.

The soft white bread was still steaming hot from the oven, and the red wine was rich and fragrant, like a tempting enchantment.

Those who were starving could not resist such temptation. They rushed to the food and wine, grabbed white bread with their hands and stuffed it into their mouths, overeating and drinking.

(End of this chapter)