The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 172
However, it wasn’t as though there were no other candidates who could rival this High Priest, even if they weren’t as strong as him.
In fact, the former High Priest and the senior priests surely must have been aware of the current High Priest’s flaws.
Yet, despite this, he became the High Priest without any opposition.
The reason for that was… because of another Abyss that this man possessed.
There are Abysses that bloom naturally, and there are those that can be acquired under certain conditions.
The reason he could ascend to the position of High Priest so decisively was because he possessed two Abysses.
One was an Abyss he acquired later in life.
The other was the one he was born with.
He had an extraordinary defensive Abyss.
The reason he could carry large sums of money around in such a shabby state without a single scratch on his body was because of that.
And the reason the empire remained relatively intact during the war with Kaluta was largely due to the High Priest’s contributions.
‘Come to think of it, around this time, there was a major horse race held.’
The first-place prize was significant, but no one won it.
“Did something happen that required a large amount of money? Like a horse race with a big prize pool?”
“…Our Lady seems to know quite a lot.”
The High Priest’s mood seemed slightly disturbed as he subtly opened his mouth.
“Shall I help you make a lot of money?”
“…Hmm?”
“I’ll even lend you the money. If you win the race, you can pay me back, and if not, you don’t have to.”
This was a method Roxelyn had thought of to make a lot of money, but she didn’t think it would be a bad idea to make this man owe her a debt.
“Hmm, are you saying you want to make a deal with me? What do you want in return?”
He adjusted his glasses as he asked.
“First, I want you to cooperate with my father’s experiments. He’s developing a new product, so please keep quiet and assist him.”
“And the second?”
“Yes, the second is…”
Roxelyn smiled.
“You, become my subordinate.”
“…Ha, you are telling me to become your subordinate?”
“Yes. I need someone reliable to act as my bodyguard and right-hand man, and you’re a master of disguise.”
At Roxelyn’s arrogant words, the High Priest’s eyes grew sharper.
“You’re crossing a line, especially for a first meeting.”
Roxelyn climbed out of bed, opened her wardrobe, and began taking something out, dropping it onto the floor. They were shiny gold bars.
By the time the hefty pile of gold bars reached over thirty, the High Priest was frozen in place, his mouth agape.
“Phew, it’s heavy. Take all the gold bars inside this wardrobe.”
Roxelyn nodded indifferently.
“…Ahem.”
Suppressing the corners of his mouth from twitching, he approached and surveyed the gold bars on the floor and in the wardrobe, then broke into a wide smile.
“Ahem, if I invest this wisely, I could become filthy rich.”
“Bet it all on the horse named ‘Visan’ with the beige coat, number 7 in the race next week.”
“…’Visan’? Isn’t that the horse that’s supposed to be retired? I heard it’s being entered for the last time because it’s had poor performance and will be discarded afterward…”
The High Priest frowned as he questioned her.
Roxelyn thought back to the information she knew and nodded.
Once a year, a large-scale legal horse race was held in the empire.
It was one of the festivals organized by the state, where everyone from nobles to commoners could participate casually.
So, during this time, information about the participating horses often circulated secretly.
“Yes. Pour all bets on it.”
“But not even a diversified investment? At least if you diversify…”
“Then leave.”
Since the festival was legal and open to the entire empire, the stakes were substantial.
There were even rare cases where people had bet on a good horse and turned their lives around, so newly initiated adults often participated with small sums during this season.
“What if you lose everything…?”
“My dad and grandpa are rich.”
The High Priest was taken aback by Roxelyn’s seemingly naive, privileged remark.
“There’s no loss for you, right? If you don’t win, you don’t have to pay it back. If you want, you can place your own bet separately.”
“…Well, that’s true… Alright, I got it.”
Since Roxelyn’s words weren’t entirely wrong, the High Priest reluctantly gathered the gold bars and left the mansion.
And a short time later…
“Master~! What can this humble servant do for you?”
The High Priest, now looking well-fed and healthy instead of haggard, brightly approached Roxelyn.
