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Chapter 240 Joining
"So your name is Yagami-kyo, right? The Deacon, Daimon, has already told me about your situation. I heard you used to be a mercenary?" The Head Deacon Mexias, looked at him and asked.
"Yes, that's correct." Yagami-kyo felt as if he was sitting before a god far beyond ordinary humans. For a moment, even having lived abroad for over a decade and experiencing life and death on the battlefield, the fearless Yagami-kyo felt his palms sweating and his body trembling uncontrollably.
Everyone in the room noticed his extreme nervousness. Daimon Eitai then spoke up, "Your Eminence, I would like to have Mr. Yagami replace Mr. Sato's position and contribute to the prosperity of our religion. What do you think?"
Mexias nodded, then asked Yagami-kyo, "What do you think? Are you willing to work for us?"
Yagami-kyo hurriedly replied, "I am willing. I also have a small request, and I hope Your Eminence will agree."
"Oh, what is your request?" Mexias asked.
"I hope to join the Andis Church and become a member of the congregation," Yagami-kyo said, his face flushed.
Mexias smiled and said, "Becoming a follower of the Andis is not a simple matter. We need to ensure that every believer is truly faithful to the true god, so we must assess each person who wishes to join our church for a long time. Only those who meet our requirements can become believers. However, since you will be working for our church, we will make an exception and relax the requirements for you. Also, each believer will have a guide. Since the Deacon Daimon brought you, it is only natural that he is your guide. As long as you wholeheartedly serve our church, when Daimon believes you have enough qualifications, we will approve your becoming a believer."
Yagami-kyo said excitedly, "I will definitely work wholeheartedly for the church."
Mexias and Daimon Eitai nodded in satisfaction.
After leaving Mexias' private lounge, Yagami-kyo was still in an excited state, taking especially large strides as he walked. Daimon Eitai just smiled and watched him.
—---
"Kazumi, can we not have beef tonight? We had it the day before yesterday and yesterday. How about curry rice tonight?" The kendo girl asked as she saw Kazumi put a packaged box of beef tenderloin into the shopping cart from the supermarket shelf.
Kazumi picked up a can of tomato sauce from a nearby shelf and checked the expiration date while saying, "We can cook anything, but we need to have enough meat. You're a student now, and you need to consume more protein. Oh, it seems like we're running out of fruits at home. Remind me to buy some later."
"Okay. Kazumi, did you buy beer? Our senior likes to drink it after taking a shower every day. Uncle Maeda also likes it a lot," Rumiko reminded.
"The beer is on the shelves by the entrance. We'll buy it on our way out. Do you want anything else? How about making some shrimp tempura tonight?"
"Alright," the kendo girl who loved shrimp immediately agreed happily.
Kazumi smiled and continued pushing the shopping cart forward, thinking about what else they needed to buy. After a while, she realized that Rumiko hadn't caught up with her, so she quickly looked back. That's when she saw Rumiko standing still in the farthest corner.
Kazumi walked over curiously, only to find her looking at herself in the mirror on the pillar. Seeing Kazumi's reflection in the mirror, the kendo girl asked, "Kazumi, have I gained a lot of weight recently?"
"Not at all, I don't see it," Kazumi replied.
"But I've been eating so much lately. Sometimes I feel like I'm a pregnant woman about to give birth," the kendo girl said with a pained expression.
Kazumi couldn't help but laugh, walking over and comforting her, "Silly, where did you gain weight? In my eyes, Rumiko will always be the cutest. And it's not just me who thinks so, my brother feels the same way."
The kendo girl blushed and stammered, "Is that true? Does our senior really think that way?"
"Of course it's true. I'm his sister, so I know his thoughts best. Now, stop worrying. Your main priority now is preparing for the academic exams and entrance exams, so nutrition is important."
"Yes, I will do my best," Rumiko nodded firmly, then affectionately took Kazumi's hand.
Kazumi sighed softly in her heart. This little fool used to never care about such trivial things, but because of her brother, this innocent girl began to care more and more about his thoughts and feelings.
As the two of them each carried a bag and chatted while leaving the supermarket, a bright red sports car stopped in front of them. Then, a man with a very attractive appearance got out of the driver's seat.
"Hey, Kazumi, long time no see. I didn't expect to meet you here. I thought I had mistaken you for someone else," Ashikaga Hideyuki said, approaching Kazumi with his usual smile.
Kazumi glanced at him coldly and said, "Really? I have things to do, so I must excuse myself." She then continued walking with Rumiko.
"Why don't I give you both a ride home? You're carrying so much," Ashikaga Hideyuki said, glancing at Rumiko intentionally.
"No need. The subway entrance is right ahead. We don't need your help," Kazumi replied.
"Kazumi, you're always so distant. That's not a good habit," Ashikaga Hideyuki said, narrowing his eyes.
"Maybe you're misunderstanding. I'm only like this with certain self-righteous, boring men. Excuse me." Kazumi walked away with Rumiko, leaving Ashikaga Hideyuki with a flash of anger in his eyes.
"Kazumi, who was that guy just now?" Rumiko asked curiously while sitting on the subway train.
"Forget about him. He's just a boring guy," Kazumi said.
Rumiko nodded, not fully understanding, and then asked, "Kazumi, can I help cook something tonight?"
Kazumi laughed, "Sure, your cooking skills have improved a lot. Did you learn from my mom?"
The kendo girl said proudly, "Yes, I often help my aunt when she's cooking, and she has taught me a lot. Only our senior doesn't trust me, which is annoying."
Kazumi smiled, "That's because you used to make things that even I was afraid to eat."
"Come on, stop bringing up my embarrassing past," the kendo girl blushed.
The next afternoon, as the two girls finished shopping at the supermarket like usual, Ashikaga Hideyuki was waiting outside and approached them again.
Seeing the man blocking her way, Kazumi sneered, "We bumped into each other yesterday. What's the reason for today's encounter, Mr. Ashida?"
Ashikaga Hideyuki cut to the chase, "I came specifically to find you. I don't know your address, so I had to wait here. Can we talk somewhere?"
Kazumi was about to refuse but thought that if he continued to bother them tomorrow, it would be troublesome. So she decided to clarify things, "Alright, but I hope you'll be brief."
Ashikaga Hideyuki had initially wanted to take them to a fancy restaurant, but Kazumi declined as she didn't want to waste time. He had no choice but to find a nearby coffee shop.
Upon entering the coffee shop, Kazumi suddenly said to the kendo girl, "Rumiko, can you wait here? I have something to discuss with him."
"Okay," Rumiko agreed, taking the bags from Kazumi and sitting at a table near the entrance.
Kazumi patted her hand gently and walked with Ashikaga Hideyuki to a table inside.
After sitting down, Ashikaga Hideyuki asked her what she would like to drink. Kazumi didn't answer but asked the waiter to bring a glass of water.
When the waiter left, Kazumi looked at the man across from her and asked, "What do you want?"
Ashikaga Hideyuki looked at her and took out a velvet jewelry box from his pocket, pushing it in front of her, "This is for you."
Kazumi glanced at the box and asked, "Why are you giving me a gift?"
Ashikaga Hideyuki smiled, "Isn't it normal to give a gift to a girl you like? Open it, maybe you'll like it."
Kazumi didn't respond, just quietly looked at him.
After a while, she suddenly said, "Go back and tell that woman that I find her tricks extremely boring, just like her unreasonable personality."
Hearing these words, a look of surprise appeared in Ashikaga Hideyuki's eyes.
As he was about to speak, Kazumi interrupted, "There's no point in pretending anymore. Tell me, what does that woman want so she'll stop bothering me? You should be able to see that I have no interest in you. If I can get her to stop bothering me, maybe I can cooperate with you."
Ashikaga Hideyuki looked at her with a complex expression and finally asked, "How did you know?"
Kazumi raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Just now, when you said that."
Ashikaga Hideyuki's face changed as he realized he had fallen for her trick and revealed the truth.
Kazumi said indifferently, "Actually, ever since you suddenly appeared before me a while ago, I suspected that woman was behind it. A proud and arrogant woman like her would never give up easily. For a playboy like you, who I've never met before, to suddenly show interest in an ordinary woman like me is a mistake. Don't talk to me about love at first sight because I don't believe in such things. Since you couldn't genuinely be interested in me, the only possibility left is Akiko Miyu, the stubborn woman. However, I don't always understand the thoughts of you rich people, so my suspicions were only that, without full confidence. But looking at your reaction now, it seems I guessed right."
Seeing her calm expression, Ashikaga Hideyuki realized at that moment that he had underestimated her.
He had indeed accepted Akiko Miyu's request to play this game, aiming to make Kazumi fall head over heels in love with him so that Ogata Yasuda would completely give up on her.
Akiko Miyu's offer was very attractive, and he had long disliked Ogata Yasuda, so he agreed to her request.
Among the women he had dealt with, most wanted something, such as expensive jewelry, designer clothes or bags, or frequent access to fancy restaurants. As long as their vanity was satisfied, winning them over was easy.
But after getting to know Kazumi, he found her a challenging opponent. She seemed to have no interest in those things and was incredibly rational, unlike most women. He began to understand why Ogata Yasuda hadn't won her over despite his favorable circumstances.
At that moment, Kazumi said, "Please don't bother me again. After all, it would be unsightly if you were too persistent." With that, she stood up and walked outside.
As she and Rumiko slowly left the coffee shop, a frustrated look appeared in Ashikaga Hideyuki's eyes.
—---
Around midnight, a man wearing a baseball cap with the brim pulled low stepped out of a taxi.
Under the dim streetlights, the man walked quietly.
When he arrived at an upscale residential area, he looked up at the tall church and silently entered a nearby green space.
This church was built half a year ago, but it wasn't a Christian or Catholic church; it belonged to a newly emerging sect called Andis.
Andis was founded five years ago in France by a group of entrepreneurs with astonishing wealth. The sect grew rapidly, and in just a few short years, it had amassed tens of thousands of followers from various countries and ethnicities. Although the number of followers paled in comparison to large religions like Christianity or Buddhism, a significant portion of Andis' followers were well-known entrepreneurs or political figures from different countries. With the support of these wealthy and influential followers, the sect had established churches and extensive connections in many countries, enabling it to grow even faster in recent years.
Moreover, the followers of Andis believed that their leader was the incarnation of a true god. Many claimed to have witnessed astonishing miracles performed by the leader and other high-ranking members of the sect. These firsthand accounts of miracles convinced more and more people to believe in Andis, as opposed to other religions with more abstract theories and ancient histories.
However, becoming a follower of Andis was not easy. They conducted a lengthy assessment of each prospective follower and required an introduction from a guide. The strict requirements only made more people believe in the sect's powerful abilities.
At that moment, a figure appeared behind the church and slowly climbed to the second-floor balcony. Although the door to the balcony was locked, the figure easily picked the lock with a piece of wire and quickly entered.
Once inside, the figure swiftly moved down the hallway without lingering. The church was mostly empty, with only a few lit rooms. It was quiet. The figure seemed to know the layout well, and instead of taking the stairs to the third floor, they climbed up the railing of the second-floor staircase.
The second floor was a resting area for church staff, while the third floor housed senior members. In addition to the rooms of two deacons, there was a large room at the end of the hall that served as the private quarters of Head Deacon Mexias. At this time, the room was lit, indicating that the occupant was still awake.
After reaching the third floor, the figure put on glove-like and boot-like gear with small hooks and grabbed onto the wall. With the assurance that the hooks would hold, the figure climbed up the wall like a gecko, quickly reaching the ceiling of Head Deacon Mexias' room.
Slowly crawling towards the crack of the door, the figure pressed their ear against it, carefully listening to the sounds inside.
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