I’Ll Protect My Tyrant Dad! [EN]: Chapter 96

Tyrant Dad, I’ll Protect You! Episode 96. A New Religious Group? (96/140)

96. A New Religious Group?

2023.10.31.

A very small and subtle spark was ignited in the streets where the gypsies lived.

Gypsies were originally free spirits and didn’t typically settle in one place.

However, there was a type of place where they inevitably gathered: the villages where the dirty, poor, and powerless people congregated.

It was there that the gypsies lived a meager existence, begging or building small huts, often forgetting their sorrows by singing.

Then, a boy suddenly appeared in their monotonous daily life, calling himself the ‘Boss’.

The boy suddenly started playing songs with instruments familiar to the gypsies, such as ukuleles or small drums.

If he had just sung a song and passed by, they wouldn’t have thought much of it, but the lyrics of the song were quite strange.

“Those who believe have money, have money!”

“……?”

Everyone stared at the Boss with the expression of looking at a crazy person. The Boss lightly ignored their curious gazes and began to sing.

“Our friend gives money to those who believe!”

“……What are you talking about?”

“Our friend gives a beautiful future to the good. Gold and silver treasures will fall from the sky.”

“Ugh, shut up! What are you talking about?!”

The boy kept squealing and singing, avoiding people who protested about noise pollution. Surprisingly, the boy’s voice had a devilish charm, so even people who had no interest at first were drawn to the lyrics.

And…….

“What do you mean those who believe have money?”

Stop.

The lyrics that seemed like they would never stop, stopped.

And the Boss smiled and held out the gold coin in his hand.

“It’s exactly as I said. Those who believe have money!”

“I, isn’t this a gold coin?”

“I, it’s a real gold coin? What, who are you!”

People were flustered and hesitated, even taking a step back.

That’s because no one in this gypsy street had a gold coin. People with gold coins were usually nobles.

At that, the Boss said in a seemingly low voice.

“I didn’t have a gold coin at first either. But you know what? As I did good deeds based on ‘humanity’, money suddenly appeared!”

“Humanity?”

“Yes, humanity! Literally, helping people!”

At those words, people shook their heads as if they were cooling down [becoming skeptical].

“Ah, what does that even mean!”

“Believe in people. Do good deeds. If you do good deeds, you will get money.”

At first, people dismissed his words as the sound of a dog barking.

But…….

“What, what!”

One day, rumors swept through the gypsy street that a person who gave a penny to a beggar was struck by a shower of money.

***

The next day, early in the morning.

Leonhardt, with his face covered by a mask, and Acid, the healer, walked quickly.

They had come to check the statues installed in Saint Marco Square under the name of ‘Sien Merchant Group’.

“The statue is installed quite properly.”

“Indeed.”

Saint Delia Square, Saint Deira Square, Saint Margarita Square, and Saint Marco Square!

In the most central locations of the empire’s squares, it was an unspoken rule that the statue of the main god should be placed.

It was a way to instill the reverent image of God in people’s subconsciousness. That way, the more people passed through the squares of the capital, the more they came to believe in the empire’s god.

But now it will be different.

Because the sculpture installed by the Sien Merchant Group was clearly in contrast to the existing sculptures.

“Shall we see people’s reactions soon?”

“Let’s do that.”

Leonhardt and Acid stood a step away and watched the faces of the merchants who were heading to work through the dawn.

They crossed the square without thinking and were surprised to see an unexpected ‘sculpture’ blocking their way.

“This is something I haven’t seen before?”

“……Is it a person?”

Originally, there was a statue of the main god in Saint Marco Square.

Since a mere human could not dare to sculpt the appearance of the main god, there was no face and only the shape of a ‘hand’ was revealed.

Above the clouds sculpted with lime, a few humans were sculpted playing on the huge hand of the main god…….

“Aren’t these children going on a picnic?”

Instead of sculpting the sacred image of God, a sculpture depicting the beautiful moments of humans was unveiled.

Leonhardt and Acid began to listen to people’s voices.

“Why did this sculpture suddenly appear here?”

Not only that, but everyone who was going to work stopped and wondered.

Most people were curious about the identity of the suddenly created sculpture, but they were busy going to work and moved quickly. But some stopped and watched carefully.

Polly, a market merchant who was known as the rumor speaker in the capital because she was so interested in gossip, was a prime example.

“What’s going on? What kind of sculpture is this?”

“Looking down here, it says it’s an idol?”

Including Polly, people who were going to work behind her with zombie-like expressions looked at each other as if they were puzzled and added a word each.

“Idol? Isn’t idol worship bad?”

“Ah, the name of this sculpture is just ‘Idol’. Heok, there’s something like a jewel embedded here…….”

People’s eyes widened. At that time, a faint light began to flow from the jewel.

“What is this light……?”

Someone frowned slightly as they looked at the sign.

“It’s called a refined magic stone? It says, ‘I will light up the dark path’. It looks very expensive……. Why did it suddenly pop out?”

Polly looked around and shook her head.

“Doesn’t everyone know yet? Look at the name under that sculpture.”

“Uh……. It says ‘Donated by Sien Merchant Group’?”

“Yes. If the person who donated that sculpture is Sien Mirmod, well, that level is pocket change for the Mirmod family.”

But the sculpture they saw was not everything.

Near the fountain in Marco Square, there was a sculpture of ‘a human doing good deeds’, and next to the grassy field, there were ‘a mother with a kind smile’ and ‘a father taking a walk with his daughter’.

The sculptures depicting the peaceful moments of humans were all very beautiful and had a corner that stimulated people’s nostalgia.

Unlike the old and reverent statue of the main god, which had already permeated people’s subconsciousness, the sculptures of humans, which shone subtly as they received sunlight, were quite a fresh stimulus.

Of course, there were also people who questioned the suddenly appearing sculptures.

“Why on earth are they putting that sculpture here?”

“I don’t understand either!”

“If it’s the Sien Merchant Group, isn’t it a place that does business? Are they selling sculptures? What does donation mean?”

Leonhardt and Acid exchanged glances as they listened to their questioning voices.

The sculptures confused everyone as intended and made them curious.

This was a success.

***

People began to pay attention to the sudden rise of the Sien Merchant Group’s eccentric behavior.

Surprisingly, the Sien Merchant Group’s eccentric behavior wasn’t the only one.

The Sien Merchant Group also designated ‘Saint Capital’s Day’, which gives sweet chocolate to people who do good deeds.

‘Saint Capital’s Day’ encouraged small acts of kindness, promoting the catchphrase that people should trust each other, that is, everyone should love their neighbors.

In fact, at first, people didn’t pay much attention to ‘Saint Capital’s Day’.

However, a small miracle began from the eve of ‘Saint Capital’s Day’.

To be exact, it was from the time when the Sien Mirmod Merchant Group started dropping tower-shaped chocolates from the sky.

Everyone, from people who were hit in the head by small chocolates to commoners who found chocolates on the floor, wondered.

The wrapper said, ‘Commemorating Saint Capital’s Day’.

“Who on earth is ‘Saint Capital’ that they’re doing this?”

People’s curiosity was focused on the Sien Merchant Group. It was a far more unconventional move than the temple, which was quietly doing volunteer work to win people’s hearts.

“What is this again?”

“It’s a chocolate in the shape of the Tower of Babel?”

At that time, one of the merchants next to him opened his mouth slightly.

“It says ‘If you do good deeds, you will be happy’ on the wrapper?”

“Happiness? I wish I had a lot of money.”

Next to the complaining merchant, another merchant said slyly.

“That’s……. Last time, Beira helped an old man with his cart? That day, there was suddenly a bag in front of her house, and when she looked at it, it said it was a gift! The Sien Merchant Group randomly selects and gives gifts to those who do good deeds.”

The eyes of the people in the room widened.

“There’s such a thing?”

“Yes. The Sien Merchant Group planned this event to have a positive impact on the empire.”

The beginning was that the beggars started to believe it one by one for fun. They had a de facto state religion, so it was just for fun.

But…….

“Good morning.”

“Have a happy day today.”

Gradually, people were changing.

People who used to go to work with frowning faces every day were now anxious to have a good influence on each other. They thought that if they did ‘good deeds’, they would receive ‘gifts’.

But…….

“Why do I feel so good these days?”

“I know. We just……. just laughed.”

Some people started running every morning and waving at each other.

“Do good deeds. Do good deeds and get joy!”

They began to do good deeds voluntarily one by one.

Because doing good deeds and gaining a sense of accomplishment was quite addictive.

Of course, not all of this was without brakes. There were also protests from temple people who were quietly doing good deeds without the Pope and the Saint.

“Are you now believing in a religion other than the state religion?”

“God? We are not a religion! It’s just a place that believes in the goodness of people.”

In a word, ‘Capitalism’ [a system based on capital] was a place based on humanity. It emphasized faith like a religion, but in fact, it could not be seen as a religion.

‘Capitalism’, which properly dug into the loopholes of the state religion, constantly began to gather greater firepower as people who testified that ‘I felt good because I did good deeds’ appeared explosively.

People laughing and talking began to be seen every day in the large square.

Happiness, faith in people, was slowly being transmitted.

***

From the top of the Tower of Babel, the highest place in the central square of the imperial capital, I, who planned all of this, yawned.

“Doing good is addictive.”

I knew this would happen. I knew that people would be doing good deeds with their eyes wide open!

In fact, I was quite skeptical about whether this Capitalism could go on in the long term.

No matter how I think about it, the saying ‘If I do good, I will be happy too’ may be a beautiful deception.

It meant that there might not be unexpected poetic justice in the world.

So I didn’t believe in Capitalism’s catchphrase, ‘If you love people, it will help me too’.

But why did I plan this?