Faith Life of a Former Scammer

002. How scammers make a first impression.

Rumbling.

The wagon wheel rattled violently as if it had caught on a rock.

‘haha. That’s amazing.’

Priest Ruth burst into admiration as he looked at Leone.

‘Prayer must be the first. how… … .’

After the adoption was decided, I moved to the church and taught ‘prayer’ as a pastime.

‘I thought he was smart and kind, but his faith was strong… … Oh God.’

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Meeting this child felt like guidance from God.

It was unusual from the start.

This child rejected the invitations of nobles and upper lords and chose himself.

‘I am a child sent by God.’

It would have been something that Leon would have laughed at if he had heard it, but Priest Ruth was firm in his thoughts.

‘This child might breathe new energy into the church.’

When I saw Leon praying, I felt like my blunted faith was wriggling.

Soon after, Priest Ruth also closed his eyes and began to pray. to his god.

As Priest Ruth prayed and the inside of the carriage became quiet, Leon quietly opened his eyes.

‘great. The medicine seems to have worked well.’

It wasn’t that I prayed for a few days because I had faith that I didn’t have after returning.

It was all for now.

I had failed in the dark, so this time I wanted to live a good life.

‘This is all the basic work to live a good life.’

Of course, Rion’s idea of ‘living kindly’ was a little different.

The ‘good guy’ from the point of view of the con man.

‘Are there any other good people? If everyone else is nice, that’s good.’

Besides, while praying, I organized my complicated mind and made a plan.

‘I don’t have to worry because the church’s information is quick.’

Before returning, Rion had the experience of making a saint. Everyone knew the process of becoming a priest.

As I was organizing my thoughts, I heard a voice from the driver’s seat.

“Priest, we have arrived.”

It was good news that it had arrived.

“Let’s get off.”

“Yes, priest.”

Leon got off the carriage with the priest.

‘It will collapse, it will collapse.’

The appearance of the church was more serious than expected.

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Most denominations are wealthy.

He treats nobles and even exempts them from taxes. Rather, being poor was a strange thing.

But something strange was happening here.

A shabby building about to collapse.

A frugal and needy appearance.

Even those in old priestly clothes.

‘I’d believe it if it was a beggar’s den.’

This was good news for Leon.

‘great. This is how it should be!’

A smile appeared on Leon’s face as he looked at the church.

Upon seeing this, Priest Ruth burst into exclamation.

“her. I was worried that I would be disappointed, but that must have been my mistake. I was ashamed.”

His expression as he looked at Leon was full of affection.

“yes?”

Let’s ask Leon pretending not to hear.

“haha. not. It just means you gave me a big realization.”

Priest Ruth just laughed.

‘Enlightenment is a piece of shit.’

Of course, it wasn’t for that reason that Leon liked it.

‘You have to start from where you are going to ruin to gain power. I can’t break the power structure of other denominations no matter what I do.’

Before returning, the reason for creating a saintess without intervening in the church was simple.

There was no room for Leon to penetrate the existing church.

The enormous wealth of the church and the power structure surrounding it. Compared to the church, the politicians’ trickery was child’s play.

‘That said, there was no denomination that could be raised from the beginning.’

By the time the saintess was created, the lesser churches naturally perished and only the giant churches remained.

But now it was different.

‘There’s a cult left that I can raise and wield freely!’

The power of being called a saint.

Even the power of the church itself.

The goal was to occupy them all.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes.”

Rion moved inward with the priest.

“There will be a simple ceremony before meeting the high priest.”

“Consciousness?”

Lyon pretended not to know.

“No need to be surprised. It’s just a process of saying hello to God.”

“All right.”

He said it was no big deal, but it wasn’t at all.

‘An aptitude test can’t just be a greeting.’

This ceremony is a process of checking ‘talent’ to see if there is potential for growth as a priest.

‘Everything is decided here.’

There were people who overcame talent through hard work, but that was only a small minority.

If there was no outstanding ‘talent’, it was until this point that Leone was getting attention.

‘No need to worry. The plan is perfect.’

Leon was aware of this ritual. Naturally, plans were made for the ceremony.

Leone entered the building and stood in front of a weathered, now unrecognizable ‘stone statue’.

‘No matter how poor I was, I would have thought that even the holy relics were not managed.’

Leone looked at the stone statue strangely.

“I wonder what this is.”

Priest Ruth said as if to explain.

“Yes. He said it was a ritual, so I thought he was being baptized.”

“haha. that’s for later The first thing is to say hello to God.”

“God?”

Priest Ruth nodded.

“It’s a stone statue of the god of dawn.”

A church that worships the god of dawn.

Church of the Dawn.

Unlike the Church of Earth and the Church of Light, it was a church she had never heard of.

It was the best church for Leon.

“He is a noble person who brings hope to everyone, just as the morning comes after the night has passed.”

Leone looked at the stone statue and replied brightly.

“I think you are a wonderful person.”

Priest Ruth nodded as if moved.

“haha. right, right Leon is very clever.”

It was difficult to think of the coolness of a stone statue with only its shape remaining.

‘A service like this is possible.’

Praise makes even a whale dance. Even Priest Ruth’s mouth was dancing.

“Hmmm. Now, kneel here.”

“Yes, priest.”

In a friendly atmosphere, Leone knelt down in front of the stone statue.

“You can offer the prayer you prayed on the way to the ‘God of Dawn’.”

“Yes!”

“haha. okay. Try it.”

Check the aptitude using the new object.

This is the same for all denominations.

‘Start.’

From now on, it was his turn to commit fraud under the guise of persuasion.

to whom?

to yourself!

‘I believe in the god of dawn! Totally believe! Believed all my life! I believe in you now and forever!’

Leon shouted loudly in his heart. while suggesting yourself.

‘hey! Do you believe in the God of Dawn?’

question yourself

‘Of course! completely believe I can’t live without the god of dawn! just light! Oxygen for me!’

‘How much do you believe?’

‘Like Land and Sky! As much as the whole world!’

answered himself.

It was like a comedy, though.

[The persuasion target is convinced.]

[The persuasion target agrees.]

[The subject has been persuaded.]

It worked.

It didn’t end here.

[Persuasion grants strength.]

while persuasion succeeds.

[Near-perfect self-suggestion]

[The persuasion sub-skill ‘Self Suggestion’ has been created.]

[The self-suggestion has been successful.]

A skill called self-suggestion was created.

An unfamiliar feeling of faith in my heart spread throughout my body.

‘I entrust myself to this emotion.’

Leone focused on the emotion of faith. I was ‘immersed’ as if I had these feelings from the beginning.

Let the power of self-suggestion be added.

I fell in love in an instant.

When you’re cheating that you have faith that Leon doesn’t have.

There was a commotion outside.

“This, this!”

He looked at Leon and Sinmul with a blank expression.

“Was it really God’s will… … .”

Originally, talents were only told according to the color of light, but a completely different situation was taking place.

A soft light flowed from the divine object and wrapped around Leon’s body.

This was not a normal situation.

at that time.

Sigh.

The door to the prayer room opened.

“Your holy power fluctuates like this. What the hell is going on?”

“Wait, Grand Priest.”

The old man, called the high priest, was surprised to see Leon.

“Is this the child you brought this time?”

“That’s right.”

The High Priest also looked at Leon with the same trembling eyes as Priest Ruth.

“High Priestess, this announces the appearance of a saint… … .”

“Say no more.”

“But I felt God’s will in bringing that child. All of these were created by God… … .”

“stop.”

The High Priest cut off Ruth’s words as if to say no more.

“Has anyone other than you seen this?”

“There is not.”

“Good thing. thank god.”

It would be welcome to have someone with great talent join the church, but it was a problem even if the talent was too great.

“I will keep quiet about this.”

“Yes?!”

“If this happened to our church in the current situation, they wouldn’t stay still.”

“… … All right.”

Ruth had no choice but to agree to the resolute high priest’s words.

“I should bless this child, but I can’t even do that. I’m sorry, kid. Sorry.”

Leon was listening to the high priest’s heartfelt words.

‘under. Thank you for keeping it a secret, but you should support us instead of just talking.’

It was good to keep it a secret since the tricks of the other churches were troublesome, but at least I needed support.

“One, it must all be God’s guidance. Please actively do whatever support you can give to this child.”

The High Priest said in a determined voice.

“Yes, high priest. There must be arrangements made by God. I will support you according to your word.”

Hearing this, Leon laughed inwardly.

‘K-Nice, High Priestess! that’s it, that’s it Even if it is not God’s arrangement, there is my arrangement. If you push me, I will repay you!’

Leon waited for that word.

I finally heard what I wanted.

‘But when will this end?’

Holy power was endlessly entering the body. Instead of blood, it felt like my whole body was filled with holy power.

‘So much holy power. After all, it’s useless to learn swordsmanship or magic because it’s hard work. People should do what suits their aptitude.’

It seems that Leon got this holy power easily, but it required very difficult conditions here.

– Endless faith in God.

In the case of the saintess, she intentionally created a state of belief with ‘medicine’, but Leon reproduced that belief with ‘persuasiveness’ and ‘self-suggestion’.

work that suits your aptitude.

It was literally.

‘Didn’t the saintess say that she couldn’t use all of her holy power right now?’

The holy power absorbed into the body was enormous, but dealing with it required effort.

While Leon was organizing his thoughts, the holy power that flowed endlessly also ended.

“Rion, open your eyes slowly.”

Priest Ruth’s voice spoke carefully. Leon slowly opened his eyes.

“Priest, it was a very happy time.”

As if he had a happy dream, Leon put on a happy expression.

“okay. It seems you have said good-bye to God.”

“Yes. He was a person that cannot be expressed in words.”

A strange silence fell upon Leon’s words, as if he had met a god.

‘If you want to leave a strong first impression, show proof of being a saint and meet God, these are the basics!’

Although it was all covered in fraud.

This is how scammers make a first impression.

* * *

“I… … Who is this?”

It was Leon who broke the silence.

“It’s true, maybe it’s because of the trip, I’m out of my mind. He is the ambassador. You came to see if you were curious.”

“Hello, my name is Leon.”

A smile appeared on the face of the High Priest at Leon’s polite appearance.

“haha. okay. I am called Miller, who holds the office of high priest.”

“It’s a lacking body, but please take care of me.”

“The future belongs to your children, so I’ll have to ask.”

Unlike Priest Rousseau, the high priest treated Leone without showing embarrassment.

“Did you hear the explanation about this ceremony?”

“Yes. I heard that it is a ceremony to greet God.”

“Yeah, you know that. If you bow to God, God will give a gift to the priest-to-be.”

“A gift?”

The gift was simple.

“He decides what kind of priest I will become.”

The high priest continued his explanation.

“Priests are largely divided into three types.”

It was a story close to common sense on the continent.

“A combat priest responsible for the safety of the church.”

A combat class like a paladin or a monk.

“A healer who studies and uses healing and sexual methods.”

A magic class that uses church magic called healing and holy law.

“Lastly, there is a volunteer priest who serves the church and the people.”

It was packaged with nice words, but in the end, it was a chore type chosen by those who had no talent in combat or magic.

“It is divided into three like this.”

Originally, I would have checked which of the three talents I had through the holy relic.

“But you have talents in all three.”

Leon was a special case.

“I hope you choose what you want.”

The choice passed to Leon.

“I… … .”