Show Me Your Stats!-Chapter 184

This midnight chaos spread like wildfire among the estate residents by the next day. The lingering discontent that had been building since the war with Sobletz exploded all at once. Thanks to Hera’s manipulation of public opinion, Teon had now become a traitor who sold out Solar to Sobletz, and a conman who intentionally lured the Karkal swarm just to profit.

And so the furious residents surrounded the temple. Never once had such a thing happened before, and the priests—caught completely off guard—had no choice but to lock the doors and panic. The people’s rage even extended to the other priests who had overlooked Teon’s fraud—and to the current High Priest, Act.

Each time the enraged residents shook the front doors, the wood groaned louder. It wouldn’t be long before the doors were torn from their hinges. Ayra’s goal was to extract only Act from this firestorm. As for Teon—he’d burn to ash.

He leaned leisurely against a nearby building, chatting with Hera while waiting for the situation to fully ripen. Before them, furious citizens waved torches and pounded on the temple door. The priests clung to it, screaming.

"Commander Hera, how’s Wolf doing these days?"

"Oh, he’s doing great, thanks to your attention, my lord. Actually, we’re brainstorming new menu items for when we open a branch near Bloom Road. Since it’s Bloom’s Road, he wants to launch a ‘Grand Steamed Bun’—but he’s still debating how thick the dough should be."

As the front doors finally groaned with a shrill creak and began to give way, Ayra asked seriously.

"Make sure I get the first taste when it’s out. But wait... what does a road have to do with bun size?"

"Hm? Oh, that—well, y’know, it’s... that."

"What’s ‘that’?"

"Oh, right. I forgot that our lord didn’t grow up around here."

Hera grinned mischievously, then explained.

"In the local dialect, the word ‘road’—‘rod’—is slang for... something big. Impressive. You know... that."

"Big, impressive, and... oh. Ohh. Uh..."

Pebble, who’d been cheering with a tiny glow stick, suddenly popped up a [!] above Ayra’s hand in his place. Sure, Ayra had known the name was meant to sound like a grand labyrinthian title—like ‘Bloom Road’ as in a maze. But he had never realized that the pronunciation “rod” had other... regional meanings.

Just then, the temple doors burst fully open. Hera straightened up, feigning solemnity.

"Well, maybe a bit vulgar, but still a compliment. It sounds ambitious, doesn’t it?"

"I mean... uh..."

"Sir Bloom still doesn’t know what it means, even after living here so long. Maybe don’t tell him yet?"

"......Should I change the name now?"

"Hahaha! Too late for that. It’s already stuck with the people."

Sorry, Sir Bloom... But on the bright side, now you’ll definitely go down in Solar’s history. Ayra apologized internally. Pebble patted his hand and, inexplicably, wiped away a tear before showing a system window:

[Rumors of the lord’s brilliant naming sense spread across the estate!]

...This is definitely sarcasm, isn’t it?

As Ayra grumbled and squeezed Pebble like a stress ball, the angry residents finally tore down the temple doors and stormed inside. Several priests fled in panic, while others tripped and stumbled about in confusion. Red torchlight flickered inside the temple. Though the townsfolk were deeply religious, and their fury was directed at the high priest—not the faith itself—they refrained from destroying the temple itself. Only the priests associated with the scandal were dragged out.

"Should we call for Sir Bloom?"

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"Best not to. Soldiers or knights showing up might provoke the crowd even more."

"Right. We’ll wait a little longer before stepping in."

"Still... you really plan to bring that High Priest to our side? I thought you two didn’t get along."

At last, the crowd located Teon and Act and shoved them to the front with harsh glares. It seemed they hadn’t dragged them out—at least sparing a shred of respect for the former and current high priests. Teon resisted violently, but Act, expressionless and pale, showed no reaction.

Watching this, Ayra spoke quietly.

"Of course I do. I separate public and private matters clearly."

"Maybe you do, my lord, but do you think he can?"

Hera clicked her tongue softly. Even in this situation, Act remained stiff and composed—like nothing could touch him. Ayra’s lips curled faintly.

"A true lord persuades even those like him. That’s our job."

"Haha! I love it. Our lord’s confidence is refreshing!"

Hera laughed heartily and clapped Ayra on the shoulder. Since she had high physical strength, it hurt, and Ayra subtly leaned away.

Surrounded by furious followers, Teon looked thoroughly panicked. He sweated profusely, shouting about unbelievers, trying to pacify the crowd—but their trust had already shattered. Especially those who’d suffered losses due to the Karkal. Finally, Teon gave up and lashed out in rage, unable to accept the situation.

Act, on the other hand, responded in the complete opposite way. He said nothing, simply surveying the crowd slowly—no resentment in his eyes, back straight, head lifted. Then he quietly began to murmur. Pebble translated the gist:

“O divine one, please forgive them and watch over them.”

It was the bearing of a martyr—calm, as though he’d always known this day would come. Ayra felt the depth of his faith and the strength of his will.

Teon’s behavior enraged the crowd further, and soon they demanded accountability. The people of Solar had never knelt a priest before—but now, they forced both men to their knees. Their eyes burned with wrath. As Teon screamed, a heavy silence fell.

If even one person said “Kill them,” or threw a stone—it would’ve been over.

Ayra had been waiting for this dramatic moment. He stepped forward. As he moved through the furious crowd, someone turned, ready to yell—but then saw his face and shouted.

"L-Lord Ayra!"

"What?! The lord is here?!"

Gasps echoed through the crowd. Unlike the disgraced Teon, Ayra currently held a nearly 70% approval rating—the highest in Solar’s history. The furious mood cooled just slightly. Everyone turned to the young lord. Ayra continued walking calmly, stopping before the person who seemed most agitated.

"Would you step aside?"

The resident hesitated—then met Hera’s eyes standing behind Ayra. Recognizing the familiar face of the captain of the watch, he murmured an awkward sound and stepped aside. The others naturally ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) followed suit, clearing a path for Ayra.

"Y-You... YOU BASTARD!"

Teon gasped, eyes bloodshot, glaring at Ayra with pure hatred.

"You dare... do this to me? Have you no fear of the divine?! This is your doing! You DEMON! You heretic—blasphe—!"

Thud. Teon suddenly rolled sideways with a sharp cry. Someone had kicked him in the ribs. Staring in disbelief, Teon looked up at the resident who had just struck him. The man scowled and pointed a finger.

"Watch your mouth, bastard! Do you even KNOW what the lord has done for Solar?!"

Among the crowd were those who now had steady work thanks to the quarry, people who could afford better food and clothing thanks to the commerce along Bloom Road, those who admired Ayra as the official priest of Morunka’s main temple, and families of young men nearly conscripted for the war with Sobletz.

Faced with their burning stares, Teon instinctively shrank.

His wrinkled face twisted. He looked between Ayra and the crowd. Ayra didn’t even need to read his emotions through Pebble—he could see exactly what Teon was thinking. That everything Ayra had now was stolen from him.

While Teon sat trembling, too humiliated to speak, Act showed no reaction whatsoever—even when Ayra approached. He simply knelt calmly, eyes closed, offering a silent prayer.

"I understand your anger. Teon... he has committed an unforgivable sin, one no servant of the divine should ever commit."

"Yes! That’s right!"

"You must know what he’s done to my family, my lord!"

"He used the gods to line his pockets!"

Ayra gave them exactly what they wanted: acknowledgment. The people’s spirit surged.

Technically, causing unrest in the estate—regardless of reason—was a crime. That’s why many had frozen up when Ayra first appeared. But when they saw that only Hera stood beside him, not soldiers or knights, their fear eased. Hera, after all, was the captain of the citizen patrol—a more relatable, trusted figure than the formal army.