Chapter 120

Clink!aa0aaefa2886dd0e

The crisp sound 3cddcb49ee of gold coins 4263d6ff62 clashing against each a1129f1a6e other filled the b3fbd9cc25 room, drawing the 9eaa0f0f3a Pope’s curious gaze ea8691854b toward me.8de4a3c01478f0de

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“…Hmm? Weren’t you short on funds?”bdc3bab26d452a74

“Yes! But I borrowed some in a hurry!”e8911e79933263b0

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Truthfully, this gold belonged 31a55b5fc9 to Edwin.746d04d078d7ff9e

“Where are you going?”e5335b10e43734af

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“Edwin! I’m really sorry, but can you lend me some money?!”2cf33b4e5d052c3c

I recalled Edwin’s 7a02c76a3e bewildered expression when 27f452c410 I had suddenly d378a742e2 asked him for 4ce4039187 a loan.f3fae4535ca3f728

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If he found 95498ada3a out it was 9769280829 to save Ismail, de021a1a4a he might sulk.445678d6f81f9517

I’ll have to soothe him ab5bd42bd0 when I get back and 9e59f85fee promise to repay him double.180bb27c1ce6f595

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Of course, the 24f23bdf6f repayment would only 94c655fb72 start after I 0027a97271 got my business b7170069be up and running.2960684e10310cc5

For now… I 58f1523c43 was flat broke.db0a9fe7a44e9462

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Well, not entirely—I 15bd88a0e5 still had the cdcd5b6a86 checkbook the Duke 8b1b3e1136 had given me.a8d5bccb65240dc2

But the thought of draining 65c36a8ffb the money I had earned b0ccdce756 as a Saint Candidate in 140411e181 one go made my hands 5eea3896be tremble slightly as I handed 570ea0c233 over the pouch of gold.97d2f438e3d2c166

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Just then—945b2eb874a8489e

“…It’s fine.”53122c522be76c1c

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To my shock, 7fc53b0f94 the Pope didn’t 1cd3ccf346 take the remaining 59f7f430f3 sponsorship fee!bdf08eac7562ad1c

“I acknowledge the value of the items you sent. Let’s consider that as payment instead.”f5da782ca672caa1

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I blinked in astonishment.0d54572acbe5e0e8

Technically speaking, the 60a1208493 All-Purpose Cure and 0d88db35ff Hair Mist were 2cd4c1b1df worth three gold 305397940d more than what a8135438e4 I owed.fde2774b85ea7c06

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“Thank you so much! Your Holiness, you’re the best! The absolute best!”03b4f213b48a4f78

But I wasn’t about to f0cb45e75f argue.e4de6c1ba68e71dc

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After all, this f43e9f743b wasn’t my money—it 36d4ca7174 was Edwin’s precious b48e357ab3 fortune.cc708c88868c248b

As expected, the 07330436cf Pope isn’t like 7a1c3dd008 Dunkeski or Logan.376201bcd86c8576

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I sneaked a side 23c3f69f61 glance at him as 75cc81395b I hurriedly tied the 7e81c18f68 pouch back to my 5359a96ba5 waist, just in case 59089779c0 he changed his mind.2c2020a8c05c0621

It was a bc7740e34d simple logic, but 7cbdfd818f if he had 8241368328 truly been in 22ada7d9b5 league with those 052f733e54 heretics, he wouldn’t 4b2d2296d7 have been so ca1f892eaf generous.e11b45c55924f84b

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Dunkeski and Logan 435163c238 had always been 21067a984f stingy, begrudging even 95d2382b75 a single coin 562d4ef493 spent on me.d57f69acacbb2bf4

And most importantly—e1608a38f4111df6

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Even now, the df161e6819 only energy surrounding 9c72239bb7 the Pope was 0e9c6aed1f the pure white c211fc24ca aura of old 1d55c40573 age.4fab8c47dccc285c

No traces of dark 6a87903b81 magic, no ominous colors.3b02f600bbfe060d

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“…You know, Your Holiness.”8829bcbf2f83324b

Since things had 51e1306af1 turned out this 3734fb969d way, I hoped 9dd685f144 he would live cc73d8de7d longer than he ac09a3030c had in my d607396a3e past life.b54184a76f9e1a9a

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At least until 35f9d4cf08 Ismail was grown.48a72b982f91078e

That way, when the Pope 87c5975dc5 passed away, there wouldn’t be cd76a03288 a power vacuum for the 99ad0cd96d heretics to exploit.76931c366aa383db

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“The All-Purpose Cure and the Hair Mist… they’re really amazing! You should definitely use them!”ad60c1e7faa90dff

“……”c07578f3462c717d

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“And! If you ever need more, just let me know! I’ll give them to you for free, just for you! Hehe.”63fc92146d142a86

With those hidden intentions, e96386cc0c I enthusiastically reassured him.c28d1eb7fb05acd7

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He gazed at me in 1b7dbcca28 silence for a moment before 7d4f5bb786 giving a slight nod.cdb1833c8f3c8ca4

“…Alright. I shall do so.”8004cdcf545229d1

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After shifting his attention 2e9af1d68c away from me, he ab33cff5f4 turned to Ismail.e458be8d997e4216

“So, will you be going with Belze now?”c768784ac32d6798

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“Uh….”90e38e1864a3b9d6

Ismail blinked, clearly da9910faea caught off guard.63a7ea3439b32a9d

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After hesitating for d0785cab49 a moment, he fdc2b799c0 finally spoke.021eae5abf711362

“Can I talk to Belze alone first?”fb6bcb47f3fe7707

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“Of course. You don’t have to leave, so take your time deciding.”3c0d2a9aa9795159

Just because someone had 324df9e95c a sponsor didn’t mean c02b00d45b they had to leave 6af1b181f0 the orphanage immediately.e2b298ae7b2ad9b9

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Some children stayed due to c28c65ecd0 unavoidable circumstances.7c2a883ba582f1c9

Even noble-sponsored children like 405d9386cf Diana and me could a878090de0 be sent back if 5ce6cbd121 the sponsorship was revoked.bec68b5cbb4c3e02

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“I’ve already taken too much of your time. I should be going now.”448a7449be7e41a5

“Ah!”761cdb019aabba08

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The Pope suddenly rose 7ba1ed95f8 to his feet, preparing 11c3739eba to leave without further add5de93da ceremony.80b28bf1c92e2919

Panicked, I quickly f74e5a0845 reached out to cae1fbad7e stop him.042874a97f006a41

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“Your Holiness, wait! There’s something I wanted to ask…!”7b8bea533ebe8521

“Hmm?”732439f5fbe151ea

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“Do you happen to know anything about someone named Ursis?”f628165ba5efb591

“Ursis…? Hmm. That name does sound familiar, but….”29db232d8e28f278

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The Pope furrowed his 9d8403ee0a deeply wrinkled brow, lost 6020ee32fa in thought.36933f542414bcbf

I anxiously waited for several 9f71d7c593 long moments.287d3b975b3ba83e

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But finally, he shook 29a838facd his head.4c5f082421fec6aa

“I’m sorry, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.”4043d3f54e5bf785

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“Ah….”f990f395cee1cadd

I swallowed down the mild 6ad73c5eb1 disappointment.dba21dec554a228b

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…So they haven’t risen to power just yet?5e3ec9342062c581

Perhaps this Ursis sect 95a4b83ea4 was still a relatively b85a481b7f new cult.2310686259893fea

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That thought raised another question.dbf85ea67b6e8644

If this group was still 5713e08192 so unknown that neither the dd5520cfa9 Pope nor the Duke had 9183a95f99 heard of them, then how 736ed0278e had they managed to infiltrate ba64f0afb7 the temple so deeply?3b412c0749139219

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“If I remember anything, I’ll send you a letter.”9629c8dec89bd293

While I was 4e44f3f599 lost in confusion, 50de95ce81 the Pope turned 9990dab36b away.59681509a2b63958

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“Ah! Y-Your Holiness!”a44ec01166fe0912

Once again, I hastily called 2b96768602 out to his retreating back.78aed2f310974e50

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“And also! Thank you so, so much for replying so quickly today! If it weren’t for you, things could have gone terribly wrong! Whew.”7f058defd9c519d2

Honestly, I had never 80d97e4131 been particularly fond of 6a021b02ec the Pope.278402aed1ac860b

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In both my past 752bf07fe9 and present lives, he 7399bea9ee had turned a blind fecea41592 eye to the abuse 9b1437e476 and corruption within the 0f21805a8d temple.186960d6b3c4f106

But this time, I couldn’t bfa400025d deny that his help had d6c1811e26 been invaluable.5a64d302b09236a9

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Without his approval, I wouldn’t b8c3230e5f have been able to become a8a8f9d1c0 Ismail’s sponsor and protect him.0f4c9dbae8d3a144

Just the thought of 39d8b3be19 Ismail nearly losing his 945cfff554 ability because of me d1d43a2db4 made my vision blur 20b6b68081 for a moment.f9851b33ba851346

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So, with sincere gratitude, I 20082f30a1 bowed deeply.1279f34011b3df63

“Belze.”93efea7e8a578ef8

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Just as he was about f72f81521d to open the door, he 2cd2f550ed paused and looked back at 85a984b3cc me.4f55d26a21db8d72

“…Every time I see you, you always thank me.”a37ca7f892309e53

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“Well, yeah. Because I really am grateful.”7c8d3d2090600262

“I know. I’m not criticizing you, just….”a184bb6ac683175b

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He trailed off, bf31fd2f20 then muttered something b15ef10563 that sounded almost 9b004c763a like a sigh.3b1a944310793fa6

“I wonder if, when I die, I’ll be able to lift my head before the Goddess.”50314330690fad4c

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“……”8ac0bb9c891fc89c

“I wonder if I’ll be able to atone for all my sins before my life ends. O Goddess, lead us not into temptation….”be9dcced96e16b0f

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Leaving behind those cryptic words d120ca9507 of prayer, the Pope stepped 2104a85876 out of the office.e9baf33be694c8f0

I didn’t fully grasp b430ae1782 the meaning behind them, 32c3a7a07a but it was clear 428e1d1f96 he was feeling regret e36e7d1803 and guilt over what 0d6b52463d had happened to the cedb0b822e orphans.84f975b0f6cd98d5

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Honestly, if he 4982e5fd11 had been younger 70912d0cf1 and sharper, maybe b3059db5d6 he could have ec68c94cc4 prevented all this bff108cc83 in the first c8b99f07ba place.f010e4b1eb589ed1

But now, he seemed 0eb86714fe too old and weary 51adb099f3 to fight against the 48bcf38e70 corruption surrounding him.dc2dafcfb7f3da18

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His words struck me deeply—because bbf502f4d8 he really was nearing the 0d9925d170 end of his life.dafe108d2a839b8b

…O Goddess, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.5744850b223f5126

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As I stared at a6a4b5cff9 the empty space where b664306496 he had stood, I bbcbbdc423 found myself finishing the 8b85168c51 prayer he had left 493b650570 incomplete.fa365ea43e6b518b

And then—ab20d047a904fea5

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“So… you’re really my sponsor?”9168b1d938fa6b1f

A cautious voice 6bb9bbd134 came from beside 08c0160996 me.525f79fa639fed37

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I turned to eef44c6248 see Ismail gazing 3f7cf65f4a at me with e61771b407 wide, bewildered eyes.ad239680ddac6f86

I nodded firmly.7eee28b475664b51

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“Yep!”5730a9ea67003d57

“But you need to pay a sponsorship fee to the temple. Where did you… get the money?”4655a63443cc2025

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“I have a lot of money! I won first place in the volunteer event, remember?”b5fbf483c705e23d

At my confident reply, Ismail’s 47c00cf94a dark amber eyes wavered slightly.e6871f86a056132e

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“Y-You spent all that money… on the sponsorship fee?”991f2bbf295f256c

“Yep! I was actually a little short, but His Holiness gave me a discount!”f68028ab8c2cf860

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“Why would you do that without even telling me?!”61f88f19aafdc9f1

Ismail suddenly raised his e37693714f voice, his face twisting 3df1318e16 in frustration.aa9894c47fbadd40

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But then, as 38710c68c1 if trying to e5a0857ef4 suppress his emotions, eb25b352e8 he took a ec31e8b832 deep breath.ecac2b63d24b0487

“…You shouldn’t just spend money recklessly like that. You worked hard to earn it.”af8718605a910c53

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I was caught off guard 2e29d71809 by how calmly and rationally 59e27dacab he was scolding me—far beyond 0effa7350a what was expected for his 305032b406 age.fe0de7fa578ec2c3

I thought he’d just 3d1fe71e6c be happy that he d64d09e774 could leave the orphanage…dc388cc9d7a2df87

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Then again, it wasn’t so 44d48f48f6 strange.9d1eea68a0cec159

A five-year-old commoner becoming 9c8d630ec3 his sponsor must have 41c8b5baef felt absurd—maybe even disappointing.0be1ecb09b6b6b94

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“Then what else was I supposed to do?”ef7c1ba4f83f34a2

I pouted, mumbling gloomily.85a50841ea157c94

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“This was the only way to get you away from that bastard Magnus right away….”7dca607a6851fb5f

As long as Ismail remained 3764f5b42d in the orphanage, it was c923b302c5 only a temporary measure, but a0b8efba4a still, a sponsored child couldn’t 30c29fff4c be treated carelessly.4b26a32434f3cc13

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If anything happened dbc71b7a48 to a sponsored cb2410416b child—whether it was 9dba446006 harm to their 24987d4a02 abilities or their bcc245b9cd well-being—nobles could demand c53779d748 compensation from the a4e16e02db temple.8e3e2761759e151c

Just like how Dunkeski c10c9d7399 had been forced to 5b793caedc return the donation to ac44ac1126 Kallios when Diana failed ceda9b9bd4 to heal Joshua.0feac3c5422936d7

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At my reasoning, Ismail 11a6800c70 fell silent, unable to b8ba1849e6 argue.8238ceaa53f9f1e1

Then, after a long e3e7c3658e pause, he spoke.103be90488607076

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“…How much was the sponsorship fee?”ef1ae67c2fc5e0a7

The question caught me 68190eae16 off guard.bd490ea07fd1bcd9

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“Huh?”49ec90afb8821819

“I’ll pay you back. As soon as I’m old enough to work.”cd8cedff97eb6773

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“……”5273d5898605cc08

“By thirteen, I should at least be able to find work as a servant somewhere….”663eb1b6e439e4be

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His voice trailed off, as 5f7b3cfb19 if even he knew how b102fdbcc6 ridiculous his plan sounded.8c3debbd9456d86f

I stared at him 76ad5771d6 in disbelief before opening eaa42049f1 my mouth.34b24b8590ee43c4

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“How are you supposed to pay back a thousand gold a year?”24f5c1f6a5f3cbb9

The words nearly slipped 12d013018e out, but I held fbeba8fd54 them in.b71bd0bb2bb4ac62

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Instead, I asked e6baa1fd15 a different question.9c12bdf735f32bae

“…Is it because I’m not a noble? Are you embarrassed?”cbdae5be8b77f8cf

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“What? That’s not what I meant! I just… don’t want to be a burden to you…!”17ab41b5ba5feaf8

“Tsk! That’s not something you say to your sponsor! That’s wrong!”2a8a305470e9cfcc

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I cut him off a630da3e95 with a loud exclamation.79b24ffb1dde200d

“I’m rich! I even have a blank check! Taking care of you is nothing!”a7ff609036207f97

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Ismail froze, his face dc3340d378 blank in disbelief.2575ae2762688a7f

Not caring, I placed my f002352c99 hands on my hips and 0f1bfe34e8 repeated the words the Duke 208dfdd32e had once told me.7ed5d396ddc14c7c

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“When you get a sponsor, you just say thank you and act like a proper kid! That means whining and being spoiled cutely!”a30080e62aca4fa1

“……”b12b1f38b5d21dcf

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“Would you act like this if someone else was your sponsor, huh? Huh?!”71e267d671b7ab26

For some reason—de25b6ce5556adc3

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As I stepped 96eca1b1d9 closer, pressing him e2779bcf28 for an answer—75c3053623c39f8a

Ismail’s face suddenly f86ce3eed7 turned bright red.25152d206f7ebcea

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TL/N: AHHH they are df4151f27b soo cute and preciousa1e0a7fa02cb2879