Chapter 120

Clink!dc0fbf3a115a374f

The crisp sound of f78b79ea92 gold coins clashing against 0012ac8315 each other filled the 18c4d24edd room, drawing the Pope’s 41ad958fe7 curious gaze toward me.586ae4abe0bd3551

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“…Hmm? Weren’t you short on funds?”3ae602192d71aa8a

“Yes! But I borrowed some in a hurry!”3eaaba64d4e7df73

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Truthfully, this gold belonged 8f41d66c1c to Edwin.d2599bf920d7c4a1

“Where are you going?”7073eb7a79253b4c

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“Edwin! I’m really sorry, but can you lend me some money?!”233604d82d196ea6

I recalled Edwin’s f253c18f31 bewildered expression when 7d482a2e0d I had suddenly e21992acb8 asked him for a4f273b4bc a loan.931be8421bddfa6f

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If he found f01a69068d out it was 6c16706fd6 to save Ismail, 50dd310ca4 he might sulk.4302657fdd541dee

I’ll have to fb3b0501e4 soothe him when 947d17a558 I get back b8e5697e82 and promise to aac7787ff7 repay him double.8a09733f8244a3f0

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Of course, the cea5c23f23 repayment would only 1c49049f68 start after I 0e4a9252ca got my business bba6e45ef9 up and running.3cb919524aa48d61

For now… I a9c55a8598 was flat broke.bde2290589f65769

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Well, not entirely—I still 4b79546d38 had the checkbook the 4adb231d69 Duke had given me.c29b1a4cd9feb69a

But the thought of draining 7f9012562c the money I had earned 9bb7d388dd as a Saint Candidate in 8ba44878e9 one go made my hands 8d41e9d1f6 tremble slightly as I handed 4524d182f4 over the pouch of gold.3674dadaa8002f6f

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Just then—c0c5cd7261443061

“…It’s fine.”c52779c818fb780d

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To my shock, 779c8962e1 the Pope didn’t 3004761523 take the remaining ad751d53fb sponsorship fee!3f7698d1584a55ad

“I acknowledge the value of the items you sent. Let’s consider that as payment instead.”430fbcbb2861cb39

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I blinked in astonishment.ff9287205e8782db

Technically speaking, the All-Purpose 6c57e72c7f Cure and Hair Mist f0f8545c9f were worth three gold cbf38d1d47 more than what I 93e4c01209 owed.31e1e171ab4944be

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“Thank you so much! Your Holiness, you’re the best! The absolute best!”16ce283930633d80

But I wasn’t 4a24b6d098 about to argue.244e9142632c02b3

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After all, this wasn’t 311e796c3b my money—it was Edwin’s 440b484030 precious fortune.aefb46dd7bad4655

As expected, the a936554fa5 Pope isn’t like d54c81274c Dunkeski or Logan.ad8c0cd1cec5ed7a

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I sneaked a side ed7e7ff8c3 glance at him as 4249cf09f2 I hurriedly tied the 38c40f7616 pouch back to my 8c652f044e waist, just in case 727f1b3c3a he changed his mind.5eccf92b2c32a202

It was a simple logic, 19fe26aff7 but if he had truly 3728b3ffb3 been in league with those 45e41a8bb6 heretics, he wouldn’t have been 2cbb9deedb so generous.453c318ac72b4d81

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Dunkeski and Logan 7d25fb221f had always been ca7c5449bb stingy, begrudging even 24ba19feec a single coin 158868443d spent on me.4097e5d23792f420

And most importantly—8bd62c5384d44ab4

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Even now, the only energy 114a9b0a74 surrounding the Pope was the 1dc63ffe36 pure white aura of old a393b1ac76 age.c0f1666d8788d9d7

No traces of 1a933f23bd dark magic, no 5c93818f7a ominous colors.2da56d9436c1f502

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“…You know, Your Holiness.”c64ebda83aa28fec

Since things had turned 46826222c7 out this way, I 427d02e72c hoped he would live 19cd050ce0 longer than he had bf1ac82722 in my past life.2609f351a40c4c50

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At least until Ismail d912822b04 was grown.96dffc235c510a1b

That way, when the Pope b4fd7d0fe7 passed away, there wouldn’t be 06b3e4ec12 a power vacuum for the d4da5894db heretics to exploit.1c4e8a775b756493

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“The All-Purpose Cure and the Hair Mist… they’re really amazing! You should definitely use them!”7d46b4bac257927a

“……”f6141dcb70d6a443

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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.”ecd222630fc1b8df

With those hidden c2e6f1efd9 intentions, I enthusiastically 63b38c793e reassured him.afc1a94e1e01ef21

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He gazed at me 373c3ecadf in silence for a 381490fe9c moment before giving a 595e4cfbc0 slight nod.b15fa0d5cdd13f1b

“…Alright. I shall do so.”46828f001e06a9da

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After shifting his attention 0679f324b8 away from me, he ab30b95158 turned to Ismail.0e9073dc2c383f4a

“So, will you be going with Belze now?”dee5b5e945e50845

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“Uh….”2e6a8a557e0b0942

Ismail blinked, clearly caught 578b07dbcc off guard.a2a1b4688a24a2f8

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After hesitating for 49cd0e3a4f a moment, he c41627217c finally spoke.058dd9cc8ceb8a21

“Can I talk to Belze alone first?”ad7dba4f1d21daf8

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“Of course. You don’t have to leave, so take your time deciding.”3a14ba3133a1d909

Just because someone had 9ae2f29798 a sponsor didn’t mean 85cd395b71 they had to leave a5e7d6a464 the orphanage immediately.a1bfebab61ec8f03

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Some children stayed due to 95c2824b16 unavoidable circumstances.8801ef9aea6626b2

Even noble-sponsored children like 3b2dbd924c Diana and me could 73211a7f7f be sent back if 0b4c854ac4 the sponsorship was revoked.e2a0c9a751133383

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“I’ve already taken too much of your time. I should be going now.”8cf3fb2dc42ddb88

“Ah!”2f47cbdf5782dda1

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The Pope suddenly rose to 19ecbd937b his feet, preparing to leave 16ee13a1e6 without further ceremony.827b5b1408772523

Panicked, I quickly 570b8f70ff reached out to f7f74c86a5 stop him.fd923cc0f8289f8c

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“Your Holiness, wait! There’s something I wanted to ask…!”ff9ab54468b2f45f

“Hmm?”56c6106b8ba34cce

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“Do you happen to know anything about someone named Ursis?”a27a76f70e47583d

“Ursis…? Hmm. That name does sound familiar, but….”13304cabfc0739bb

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The Pope furrowed f7cceb5f6b his deeply wrinkled d89f558549 brow, lost in 6298e9a913 thought.ba5933bc407337d0

I anxiously waited for several fd0fcf6538 long moments.c91fb7788f9e01c2

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But finally, he 23ea46c70b shook his head.def3c815d4fd9518

“I’m sorry, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.”a65eb4736fd544f1

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“Ah….”89140fd1716ee9d2

I swallowed down the 77a9fb3f46 mild disappointment.f83dfca2d5df61d5

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…So they haven’t risen to power just yet?2200e0abb93f782e

Perhaps this Ursis sect was c11112d956 still a relatively new cult.d741ace4f40ddd09

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That thought raised another question.702d31c54345551b

If this group was 186a2da465 still so unknown that 705a61b5a2 neither the Pope nor e76d0d32ca the Duke had heard 9321b83ed9 of them, then how 9bf4355134 had they managed to 9add31960f infiltrate the temple so 3a5dc210dc deeply?19f6134c22a4460f

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“If I remember anything, I’ll send you a letter.”24091c20f6da231d

While I was lost in 4b6602fa9f confusion, the Pope turned away.4e89f61549573915

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“Ah! Y-Your Holiness!”b63bd6f500e6d32b

Once again, I 964aa595cb hastily called out 85dbccec27 to his retreating e52ef15d3c back.2337489dbac30bc8

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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.”5852b3adaab346d5

Honestly, I had never been 43bf1c56cf particularly fond of the Pope.033a1b372f327464

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In both my past and c05b179e50 present lives, he had turned fb17fbb119 a blind eye to the 50984864f4 abuse and corruption within the 1e42c7cdee temple.722a2ecffcf42edc

But this time, I d5adc0cd1f couldn’t deny that his 3710a45fa1 help had been invaluable.bab6f16758fff3cd

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Without his approval, I ada5d926a5 wouldn’t have been able cd5e009b92 to become Ismail’s sponsor b3141ee8e9 and protect him.833eea6ac2a72fc1

Just the thought of Ismail 83d58a7323 nearly losing his ability because e965b255ca of me made my vision 789f46e47b blur for a moment.6b1fb14f9c900a39

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So, with sincere gratitude, I cde05428c4 bowed deeply.abdc16ac67d8f797

“Belze.”543585f53eeeba1d

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Just as he e7328b8ed7 was about to 8f074663eb open the door, 604f141305 he paused and c9ec66ecb8 looked back at aed10d70de me.21458d16a4812202

“…Every time I see you, you always thank me.”e9fb5e6e78625f40

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“Well, yeah. Because I really am grateful.”fb4bc1f589e44da4

“I know. I’m not criticizing you, just….”ca3ac2d33851ae63

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He trailed off, then muttered ee7e48e476 something that sounded almost like 53b0e25d5a a sigh.f2884423e3863879

“I wonder if, when I die, I’ll be able to lift my head before the Goddess.”87650ccc651c419a

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“……”26aedc850a9d206c

“I wonder if I’ll be able to atone for all my sins before my life ends. O Goddess, lead us not into temptation….”7a7b40583bd70ac3

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Leaving behind those cryptic words b7498c2b4a of prayer, the Pope stepped 081222e36b out of the office.db9c598be4a9718c

I didn’t fully grasp the 0d1a3592f9 meaning behind them, but it 4fb1daf541 was clear he was feeling a98ea686a4 regret and guilt over what bd3515da04 had happened to the orphans.6e0b0d2233d6fae2

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Honestly, if he had been 6b9e4d6077 younger and sharper, maybe he f158a46787 could have prevented all this bb37ed9c91 in the first place.e147fc1d7495d41d

But now, he seemed f116db0720 too old and weary 1b8d66ac61 to fight against the 9077438e90 corruption surrounding him.49098c0eaca641e3

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His words struck me deeply—because 0d2fd002f7 he really was nearing the 1cca72c4db end of his life.aecb0cea3e4020c3

…O Goddess, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.f1af2247411a453c

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As I stared at the 68f0713c16 empty space where he had b045a2eda3 stood, I found myself finishing 219825dda7 the prayer he had left 8e8aa5a93b incomplete.e97c30d7591a4099

And then—6576dc36d240da76

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“So… you’re really my sponsor?”2a354d622e59c52d

A cautious voice came 6b1ad36cd3 from beside me.d163c299ba80ad1c

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I turned to 0f18579a18 see Ismail gazing 6f653f6a29 at me with 93b9dbb5e0 wide, bewildered eyes.968b111c0fa82d3d

I nodded firmly.08f3019410b38b8c

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“Yep!”65d9f19592287da4

“But you need to pay a sponsorship fee to the temple. Where did you… get the money?”a1839c6bfffc866b

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“I have a lot of money! I won first place in the volunteer event, remember?”0c54d03e8bb3eb73

At my confident reply, 02e11d9370 Ismail’s dark amber eyes 58db746900 wavered slightly.fe098b6eb265847c

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“Y-You spent all that money… on the sponsorship fee?”24a0fc1d3ab27283

“Yep! I was actually a little short, but His Holiness gave me a discount!”8626d6c7cdeb3bd5

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“Why would you do that without even telling me?!”19d30d88a3787851

Ismail suddenly raised his voice, 6e44f8a5c2 his face twisting in frustration.641269036e176d51

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But then, as if trying 117c7de7b8 to suppress his emotions, he 0298a663ae took a deep breath.049b5cb05d290bff

“…You shouldn’t just spend money recklessly like that. You worked hard to earn it.”5aac72dce05639a8

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I was caught off guard f5717b263d by how calmly and rationally c5ef8d4bbe he was scolding me—far beyond 653b47872b what was expected for his 92bcaaf9f5 age.2f6409f091b73133

I thought he’d 5006842bd1 just be happy 15f3d123eb that he could cab8afce28 leave the orphanage…61959ad00b4a9d4c

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Then again, it wasn’t so f950909a13 strange.e6bfdd767674b8a2

A five-year-old commoner becoming fbc9aaa39c his sponsor must have 2a1aa281c0 felt absurd—maybe even disappointing.635325f770f3af16

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“Then what else was I supposed to do?”eff26ecf2e40b13d

I pouted, mumbling gloomily.1bc4415c6eb35412

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“This was the only way to get you away from that bastard Magnus right away….”e7ae478ea6aa901c

As long as Ismail remained 4b94e5b89e in the orphanage, it was 214b7c0138 only a temporary measure, but 05b62aa95f still, a sponsored child couldn’t 1a7daea4eb be treated carelessly.117ac967fe21b966

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If anything happened 407df56904 to a sponsored 38e90cbf01 child—whether it was 9f9499251a harm to their 7130436eca abilities or their f10a2fa0de well-being—nobles could demand b846919706 compensation from the ea52a6f295 temple.0b99bb62f7e2f0cc

Just like how Dunkeski 5f40117724 had been forced to cfcc03827a return the donation to c8e3f49116 Kallios when Diana failed 935e97abb6 to heal Joshua.c68d4972ed8ce460

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At my reasoning, Ismail fell 2784cf0e14 silent, unable to argue.4433c074603e45b0

Then, after a long 13eac4d4ba pause, he spoke.6ef31842b0625894

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“…How much was the sponsorship fee?”b3f29a02c2fc295a

The question caught me ca5bfaa201 off guard.1da71a7746664ef2

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“Huh?”7796b78a91bf8842

“I’ll pay you back. As soon as I’m old enough to work.”f95d9db7af476c43

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“……”bf7a8458f7a49467

“By thirteen, I should at least be able to find work as a servant somewhere….”13b18556968c17fb

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His voice trailed off, 63f5e9b7cd as if even he 11c64cbf59 knew how ridiculous his f12fd7b897 plan sounded.ebf564b30e226ce9

I stared at 37f580d4ce him in disbelief 117d20778c before opening my 86d1ee880f mouth.34101080e273dce5

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“How are you supposed to pay back a thousand gold a year?”bd2c1681030bd3be

The words nearly slipped out, 8ad207111e but I held them in.97fa92085c387549

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Instead, I asked a different d6813ac9b9 question.bb20b4fbbdf412b3

“…Is it because I’m not a noble? Are you embarrassed?”8f8e2a5095076a08

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“What? That’s not what I meant! I just… don’t want to be a burden to you…!”f7e2054cb9c55b6c

“Tsk! That’s not something you say to your sponsor! That’s wrong!”1b58e90929ec6eb4

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I cut him 71c2bb4d86 off with a 2c40dbe4f2 loud exclamation.f02bd65686bc72fc

“I’m rich! I even have a blank check! Taking care of you is nothing!”3facc0a0f7040dfc

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Ismail froze, his face a7314d3a67 blank in disbelief.1c59be17f18018b6

Not caring, I 41e0e4418d placed my hands 52b9720bf7 on my hips 789414089f and repeated the 356cc9c0db words the Duke 76f8ed5d0a had once told 35e6cb2cdc me.6ba0609d21b0c115

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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!”dd8292f142c1315d

“……”4980c4ee7ca31203

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“Would you act like this if someone else was your sponsor, huh? Huh?!”0577ffc7ae40ca7f

For some reason—118f1c80d697d2f7

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As I stepped closer, pressing eaa772df46 him for an answer—2f54952d22ffdc07

Ismail’s face suddenly turned ef6c87f3bf bright red.461f4009dfb465d9

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TL/N: AHHH they dd90574fd8 are soo cute 4c718d4647 and precious8ba5a6ee976f0fc9