Chapter 111
After the regular service ended, only a few worshippers remained in the Great Temple courtyard, quietly enjoying the evening.
Lady Pine, who had been volunteering, saw me and shrieked, then ran off. Ah—overall, peaceful.
The Count and Countess looked awkward in the temple, shoulders hunched.
Why so solemn, like people who’ve committed sins? My father would be more confident than you two.
“This way.”
“Huh? The main hall is that way.”
“There’s no way the things that were left untouched for generations are in the main hall.”
“…….”
It’s basically a storeroom where people dump things thinking “We’ll use it someday,” and then never once clean it up.
After Benen finished auditing the usual donated items, they had time left — how on earth did they have time? — so they tried to check the unregistered donation storage, then gave up.
Well, I plan to make use of it.
We stopped by a guard post on the way. Eugene greeted me with a friendly smile.
“Oh, you brought two people! They’re going to help?”
“They said they’ll decide after they see the storeroom.”
“If you think you’ll be buried under stuff, blow the whistle.”
He handed over a key and a whistle, and the three of us finally opened the door to the corner storeroom in the Great Temple. The damp basement smell hit us immediately.
When I shone the lamp inside—
“…Is this supposed to be the storeroom for donated goods?”
The Count gaped in disbelief. I understood his reaction. What we saw didn’t look like a storeroom so much as…
A space as wide as a large apartment complex parking lot, filled as if someone had thrown out that entire complex’s household goods.
In two words: a mess.
There were traces someone had tried to set up cabinets and organize things. But those efforts became meaningless once items were stacked three or four layers deep in a single cabinet and cabinets were piled on top of one another.
Some slightly valuable ceramics were coated in pale dust. Leather-bound books had mold. Beautifully crafted glass pieces lay shattered in places, turned into weapons and scattered.
The Countess immediately shook her head.
“If the temple can’t even watch over these, why take donations like this?”
“Not everything is trash. …For example, there’s something like this.”
I picked up a crystal paperweight and shook it. Once I brushed off some dust, a fine eagle carving caught the light. The Countess swallowed.
“Oh, well. If you find even something like that, consider yourself lucky.”
“Right?”
“Wait—why are you putting that in your pocket! You said if we found something it would be ours!”
“You haven’t promised to take the job yet. Then it’s temple property.”
“Ugh……”
Of course that crystal paperweight was something I’d taken with me from the ducal manor earlier. I mean to return it home.
The Count and Countess, unaware of that, looked around with wide eyes.
This is the point where I should show them something interesting.
“I’ll show you how to find the mana-pearl detector.”
“Oh, um, okay.”
“The mana-pearl detector we’re looking for was made from the energy of a silver dragon. You know dragons and holy power don’t get along well, right?”
“……Of course!”
Nope—they don’t really. Ordinary people wouldn’t know that, though.
“If holy power is felt nearby, the silver dragon’s force will briefly glow silver in opposition. But there’s only one way for you two—who are not priests—to produce holy power.”
“What’s that?”
“Praying.”
“……Huh?”
“Walk around reciting prayers you know.”
“We don’t know any prayers!”
“Oh my, you—parents of that Seraphina—don’t know that? Well, then at least memorize what I say now.”
“…….”
“Therefore, since the shameless couple abandoned their child and fled, lightning struck at the end of their thousand-li journey and the road split.”
“Is that even a prayer?”
“There is one. If you know any, recite those instead.”
Grumbling, they repeated after me.
“Therefore, since the shameless couple abandoned their child and fled, lightning struck at the end of their thousand-li journey and the road split.”
“Next. Finally, the couple vowed to follow God’s word; the daughter’s face brightened, and they worked with both hands and feet to repay their debts.”
“Finally, they vowed to follow God’s word… and—worked with both hands and feet to repay their debts.”
Their voices grew weaker as they continued. Do scammers who ditch their children even have consciences? I don’t expect much.
You two can go run laps.
“Ah—look inside, you two! Did you see something silver shining?”
“Huh? …Oh, w-wait, something just flashed!”
“That. That’s the silver dragon’s reaction to holy power. Keep reciting the prayer as you go in!”
“There? That way? Dear, hurry and recite it!”
The Count stumbled through the fake prayer.
The silver glow flickered. The Countess gathered up her skirts and stepped forward, but the light only receded farther in.
“Why are you going deeper in?”
“Maybe a mouse is carrying it.”
“Eek!”
“Ah, the light’s gone again.”
The light moved far inside and then faded. In front of it was a huge heap of junk.
“You won’t get in until you clear this out.”
“Damn… do we have to hire workers?”
“You can hire workers if you want, though there’s no guarantee they won’t damage valuable items while working.”
“…….”
“Isn’t it better the fewer people who know the secret? If the two of you do it, it’ll end sooner or later.”
The Count and Countess raised their lamps high. But the vast storeroom seemed endless.
The Count recited the prayer again, but this time there was no light.
“Damn, it might have gone further back.”
Well, obviously it wouldn’t glow now.
I wiped the glowing coral powder I’d pre-applied from the forehead of Domado, who had returned to my coat pocket.
Domado isn’t visible to others, but his energy body exists, so I can put things on him to make them visible to others. Thanks to that, he makes a handy cold pack for my forehead.
After Domado hid beneath my hair, I smiled at the Count couple.
“So. Will you take this job?”
“Yes!”
They both nodded immediately. They must be really eager to wander around in the dark.
“Then let’s leave.”
“Huh? Already?”
“If you go too far in and your lamp runs out of oil, you’ll be trapped in the dark. The windows are small, so it’s dark here even by day. At night—”
“Ah, I see.”
The Count and Countess hurried after me, continually turning back like people who think they’ve hidden a pot of honey somewhere. Ha—already obsessed with treasures that don’t exist?
But I wasn’t going to let them go treasure-hunting alone.
“If you only search for the mana-pearl detector and neglect tidying the items, Mr. Ignatz will cancel your contract. You must do the work you’re assigned, always. Understood?”
“……Of course.”
“You’re dependable, as expected.”
The lamp oil was getting low and we left the huge storeroom.
Eugene handed the Count and Countess a contract. Of course there was no mention of a mana-pearl detector.
“You checked the storeroom, yes? This is basically volunteer work, so if you want to give up now—”
“We’re fine. We’ll sign now.”
“How refreshing. Oh, if you bring workers, you must notify us and get passes each time—”
“No need. The two of us will do it.”
“Eh? The two of you…? You’re nobles; won’t it be hard?”
“Our daughter doesn’t mind hard labor in the temple; parents mustn’t be worse than their child.”
“As expected, admirable.”
The Count’s name was written on the contract.
He leaned close and pretended to whisper a “thank you” in my ear.
“I’ll find it fast, so don’t complain later.”
“You two mustn’t run away either. Since you made a deal with the Schlaeger family… if you run off, it won’t end well.”
“I will never run away!”
“Ahaha, I’ll be sure to believe you. After all, you are the parents of my dear friend Seraphina.”
Eugene hurried off to make their access passes. They waved at me absentmindedly and followed him.
I stretched leisurely and sat nearby. All that walking had made me hungry, but I couldn’t move—there was an evening appointment already scheduled.
I nibbled the chocolate cookies I’d brought as a snack, brushed dust off my clothes, and played with Domado for a bit—time flew by.
Then—
“You waited long, Sol?”
“I was playing with Domado.”
Benen, who’d finished another contract with the Count couple, came over.
I’d wanted Eugene to join too, but I decided to wait for another chance; I didn’t want the Tillen couple to suspect any collusion.
We went to the same restaurant where we’d met the Tillen couple earlier. The staff immediately recognized Benen and began serving splendid dishes that didn’t fit the shabby atmosphere.
There were no other customers.
Benen said it had been a place he used often when he lived in the capital for business.
…What kind of dealings he’d been doing, I’d spared my mental health and didn’t ask.
“Did your deal go well this afternoon? The staff didn’t look down on you?”
“They served as soon as I raised a hand. It felt strange, like being a boss of the underworld.”
“If you want, you could be one anytime. Want me to build you a small organization?”
“No thanks. Anyway, thanks to you preparing the seats, I think we succeeded in sending those two to a ‘respectable’ workplace.”
I couldn’t reform such trash. They’d even abandon their own child.
So rather than threaten them, I made them throw themselves into the mess. I made them chase the dream of a big score by rummaging through rubbish.
“May they recite prayers forever and only sort trash. Those two will never hire someone for rough work because they’ll be afraid of having their ‘treasure’ stolen.”
Sometimes I’d send Domado down into the basement to show them a glimmer of hope about the mana-pearl detector.
So they’d never be able to quit the gamble called hope.
Not a bad plan, if I say so myself. I wonder what Benen thinks?
“Nice work.”
“Gah, did you read my mind?”
“You had that ‘please praise me’ look. Well, you’re still young so I had to guarantee the contract for you. That’ll resolve as you grow older.”
“You sound like an old man. …Was nothing unusual today?”
“Maybe.”
Benen smiled mischievously.
I felt uneasy! I’d been worried that something had happened to him, and from that look it seemed like he’d already done something!
“Brother, what else did you do to the Tillen couple?”
“I gave them trust and faith.”
“That’s worse! Tell me now!”
