Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 465



Only Noblemtl

465. Congratulatory remarks (5)

Father Gustav listened to me! He tried to take appropriate measures instead of cruelly abandoning the orphans! My efforts up to now have not been in vain!

“You, you met the priest, right? Since when… …!”

She approached the boy with a bright smile, and he lifted his finger and lightly placed it on his lips.

Thanks to that, Dasha suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.

“…town!”

“There’s no particular noise around yet, but it would be better to be careful about making loud noises.”

Dasha nodded quickly, covering her mouth.

“The client is, as you guessed, Priest Gustav. He said that he didn’t have any time to spare during his shift, so he came to the Mercenary Guild right after his rotation ended.”

As if he had guessed Dasha’s questions, the boy kindly explained the details.

“So, before the guild takes over the case, I came here to conduct a preliminary investigation.”

“Preliminary investigation?”

“okay.”

In fact, it is said that Father Gustav continued to be skeptical of Dasha’s accusations.

It must have been a very difficult situation for him as well. If he just ignored it, he would be worried about the safety of the orphans, but he couldn’t report it to the central church based on his own experience without any proper evidence.

In the end, he was worried and so he put in a request for an investigation to the guild. However, he did not know the exact charges against the abbot or the scope of the investigation, and the advance payment that a low-ranking priest could offer was not that much.

So, the boy, who was a new mercenary, came out to do a preliminary investigation. If it was a request that the guild might take on, then he would organize the personnel and make a formal contract.

“no…….”

Dasha looked at the boy with a mysterious air about him with incredulous eyes.

‘That guy is a new mercenary?’

Yes. When I think about it, it was only natural. He was still a thin boy, and for someone who worked as a mercenary, he looked a bit sickly.

But it’s really strange. Why is it that when I first saw him, I felt relieved that all my problems would be solved now?

“Anyway, the faster and more accurate the preliminary investigation, the faster the guild’s intervention will be. That’s why we need the help of an internal assistant right now.”

The boy who said that smiled gently at Dasha.

“So, would you mind helping me save some time?”

“yes?”

Dasha was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected request.

“Well, that’s… Actually, I don’t really know much about it… … .”

But as she looked at the gray eyes calmly staring back at her, the thoughts that had been pent up inside her began to pour out easily as stories.

When she came to, she was already telling the boy everything that had happened.

Children disappearing every day. A suspicious guest visiting the abbot. And the story of him sneaking into the abbot’s office every night to try to find evidence of corruption.

“You showed that material to Father Gustav?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t very useful information.”

Dasha led him to the bookshelf with a slightly uncertain expression.

“This is the area of ​​the monastery’s farmland that the lord investigated and reported. When I first saw this, I thought it was clearly evidence that the abbot had sold the land. But when I asked Father Gustav, he said it was simply because the measurement method had changed.”

“… … .”

“This is all I found.”

The boy looked over the documents Dasha had handed him with a serious expression. Then he nodded and said this.

“No, you found it well. Of course, the priest’s words are not wrong, but if you think about Dunstan’s motive for investigating the fields, the answer becomes simple.”

“… Motive?”

“Yes. It costs more to hire professional surveyors than you might think. But why does Dunstan bother to spend his own money to produce these documents every time?”

It was truly a curious thing. The young boy was carelessly spouting the lord’s name, yet he did not seem arrogant at all.

“Um… I don’t know.”

“Because this estate taxes the farmers every year in proportion to the area of ​​their land. So Dunstan is always trying to figure out a way to increase the measurement whenever he gets the chance.”

…increase the area?

Dasha’s eyes widened.

“Then what you are saying is that the land should actually be increased according to the changed surveying method… …!”

“Yes. If you check, the total area of ​​the estate has probably increased every year. However, the land of the monastery has decreased noticeably, so isn’t this evidence that the abbot sold off more fields than expected?”

Dasha’s face became serious after hearing that.

“But, but how could the abbot do that? If what you say is true, doesn’t that mean that Lord Dunstan knew about this all along?”

“That’s because Dunstan is also in the same group.”

The boy, who had responded in a feminine manner, added an explanation with a somewhat self-deprecating smile.

“Did you know? The land dedicated to the Lord, that is, the property of the church, cannot be taxed by the lord. So if the abbot sold the field to someone, it would be better for Dunstan, since it would increase the land to be taxed. Father Gustav probably figured that out too.”

“Then why did Father Gustav… …!”

“He probably thought it was dangerous for you to dig into the abbot’s corruption any further. So he first stopped you from acting rashly, and then asked the guild to conduct a proper investigation when the opportunity arose.”

“… … !”

Suddenly, the face of Priest Gustav, who had been giving warnings in a stern voice, appeared in Dasha’s mind.

-But you’re still too young to interfere in adults’ business.

-If you ever say something like that again, you will never be forgiven just because you are young. Do you understand?

At the time, Dasha thought that Father Gustav was blaming her. But in reality, he was just trying to protect her from danger?

“I am…….”

Dasha opened her mouth with a complicated expression.

Ah, perhaps what Father Gustav said was true. The minds of adults were too unclear and complicated for young Dasha to follow.

“But-”

It was at that very moment that the boy suddenly stared into space and let out an incomprehensible sound.

“It’s unfortunate. It seems that the priest’s decision was a little late.”

“yes?”

“A collapse… will occur. And there… will be countless screams and shadows of death… .”

“… … ?”

“But we’ve already come too far to stop them.”

…what does that all mean?

Dasha looked carefully in the direction his gaze was directed, but she couldn’t find anything there. Only pale moonlight streaming in through the cracks in the window quietly illuminated the office.

“… … .”

But something strange happened. The man’s random words didn’t sound like nonsense at all. And how could his eyes shine so brightly in this dark room?

Dasha was looking up at him as if possessed by something-

Blink.

With a small movement of the eyelids, that magical moment was suddenly gone.

The boy, whose gaze had returned to his previous one, looked back at Dasha and asked her in a curious manner.

“I think I might need to prepare a little. If you don’t mind, could you please guide me to the abbot’s bedroom?”

* * *

Even as he guided the boy to the priests’ quarters, Dasha could not quite understand his own actions.

‘…What is all this?’

If it were normal, I would have refused his request. To sneak into a place where priests are gathered in the middle of the night. What kind of crazy thing is that?

If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before they were caught. Not only did Father Ellison read the scriptures late into the night, but there were also quite a few other priests who were sensitive to sleep.

If I get caught, I’ll probably be kicked out of the orphanage without even being able to make an excuse.

‘but…….’

This air that surrounds them.

The flow of air, unusually refined, like a stream flowing in one direction, soothed Dasha’s anxiety and inspired courage from an unknown source.

What should I say?

Is this something I can do?

“Remember, you should never take on an adventure like this alone.”

The boy, who had read Dasha’s thoughts like a ghost, gave her a soft warning.

After walking for some time, they finally arrived at the abbot’s bedroom at the end of the hallway.

“The door might be locked… … .”

Click!

Before Dasha could finish speaking, the boy unlocked the key with a small gesture.

Dasha stared at him with both eyes, but she had no idea what trick he was performing.

“… … ?!”

Squeak-

The door opened with a small friction sound, and they were finally able to face Director Mathieu, who was snoring loudly.

“… What are you doing? Are you planning to kill the director like this?”

As Dasha whispered in fear, the boy shook his head slightly.

“I would like to do that, but… … .”

Would you like to?

“His life is not over yet. I dare not touch him.”

“Then why did you come here?”

“I just thought the abbot might need a little warning-”

Warning? How? That author is sleeping without knowing anything about the world?

When Dasha gave him a questioning look, the boy nodded his head slightly.

“It’s okay. Even though he’s not awake, his spirit hears everything we say.”

The boy strode over to the bed and quietly brought his lips to Abbot Mathieu’s ear.

And then-

[Listen. Sooner or later, the worst consequences of your sins will come to you.]

A strange sound spread out in all directions, as if it was hitting me directly in the head.

It was a voice so clear that even Dasha, who was a little further away from the bed, could clearly recognize it.

“Ugh… … .”

Was the spirit really listening to those words? The abbot groaned softly, as if in pain even in his sleep.

[So run away. Hide alone where no one can find you. Pray earnestly to God to forgive your sins.]

The corner of the boy’s mouth twisted cruelly for a moment after he had said that.

[And when that day finally comes, you will suffer the consequences alone, in a place no one knows about.]

Ah, is that a blessing or a curse?

Why does this voice, which is so damn sweet, sound so eerie?

Brrrrrr… … .

As Dasha shivered from an inexplicable chill, the boy slowly got up and looked back at Dasha. His expression was extremely aloof, not befitting his age.

“It’s okay now. I guess he’ll hold back for a while.”

“You… over there… … .”

“Bart.”

“Yes, Bart.”

Dasha, who intuitively realized that he had finished all his business here, quickly said what she had been wanting to say all along.

“My name is Dasha. And I was actually born in the Empire. I’m not a Barsha.”

“Yeah, I see.”

He nodded without any change in expression and stroked Dasha’s disheveled hair.

It was just a very light gesture, but somehow it felt comforting and affectionate, and Dasha ended up feeling a little strange.

“… … .”

“Okay, now let’s go back to your room. I’ll escort you there without letting you get caught.”

From then on, the two moved to the bedroom where the orphans slept together without much conversation.

Just before entering the room, Dasha looked back at the boy and asked.

“Hey, are you going back now?”

“Okay. I’ll be back soon with some people. So you won’t have to sneak out at night anymore.”

Boy, Bart left those words behind and then suddenly disappeared from sight.

“… … !”

Dasha stared at the empty hallway for a moment, then returned to her bed as if possessed by something and closed her eyes.

I even wondered if I had been dreaming with my eyes open until now. That was how strange and unrealistic the events of that day were.

But soon after, Dasha became convinced that the meeting that night was not a dream at all, because from that day on, as if it were a lie, the orphans never disappeared without a sound.

And at some point, rumors began to spread that Abbot Mathieu was trembling with anxiety and withdrawing deeply into his prayer room.