Chapter 304 - 302 : Unwanted Responsibility

Chapter 304: Chapter 302 : Unwanted Responsibility

Max’s expression hardened.

"What do you want inside our Goddess’s temple?"

The question came quietly, but the easy humor had disappeared from his voice.

Arthur remained where he stood.

Around them, the slum continued its uneasy rhythm. Somewhere beyond the narrow passage, a woman called for her child. From the courtyard came the rustling of food wrappers and a brief argument that ended almost as quickly as it had begun.

The unseen people watching Arthur remained motionless.

Max glanced toward the children before turning his attention back to Arthur.

"If you think there’s treasure waiting to be stolen, turn around now."

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"There’s nothing valuable there. Nothing that I know of, anyway."

Max’s fingers closed around the broken crescent hanging against his chest.

"What you’ll find is something horrifying enough that, if you understood what was inside, you might never want to go near that place again."

Arthur studied him.

"And what would that be?"

Max didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he nodded toward the courtyard.

"Why do you think the Church doesn’t help those children?"

Arthur followed his gaze.

A little boy sat on a step, carefully breaking a piece of bread in half so he could share it with a younger girl.

"Why do they have to survive on scraps while people leave offerings at shrines every day?" Max asked.

Arthur looked back at him.

"They don’t come from wealthy families."

Max waited for him to continue.

"Or they’re ordinary humans. Unawakened, with no useful talents."

"Both answers are correct," Max replied.

There was no satisfaction in his voice.

"The Church funds orphanages. It makes certain everyone knows that."

He glanced toward the distant towers rising above the district’s rooftops.

"Priests speak about compassion. They thank the faithful for their generous donations. They parade well-fed children in clean clothes before anyone important enough to impress."

His jaw tightened.

"But they only take the children they believe they can benefit from."

"Awakened children," Arthur said. "Preferably those with valuable talents."

"Exactly."

Max let go of his pendant.

"The rest stay here."

His gaze swept over the patched roofs, narrow doorways, and children eating in the courtyard.

"Out of sight."

Arthur said nothing.

"If one of them wanders too close to a church and begs where respectable worshippers can see them, they’re punished."

Max’s voice had become flat.

"Not because they stole anything. Not because they hurt anyone."

He turned toward Arthur.

"Because their presence makes the wrong people uncomfortable."

A breeze moved through the lane, lifting the corner of a cloth hanging across a doorway.

Arthur could smell old cooking smoke beneath the dampness of the buildings.

"You grew up here," he observed.

Max nodded.

"In a district much like this one."

"And the Church tried to recruit you."

"After my talent awakened."

For a moment, Max’s mouth twisted into something resembling a smile.

"They suddenly became very interested in my future."

"But you refused."

"I’d seen enough of their kindness by then."

Max glanced toward the courtyard again.

"So I stayed. I did what I could."

A little girl noticed him watching and lifted the piece of fruit in her hand.

Max raised two fingers in acknowledgment.

Then his gaze dropped to the broken pendant around his neck.

"Kindness is one of the virtues our Goddess values. If I ever receive Astrea’s blessing, I’d rather earn it by helping someone than by kneeling before people who’ve forgotten what mercy means."

For a moment, his gaze rested on the damaged crescent.

Then he looked back at Max.

"Can you get me inside the temple or not?"

Max’s eyes narrowed.

Arthur didn’t soften his tone.

"I understand why you hate the Church, but I didn’t come here to discuss its hypocrisy."

A brief silence followed.

Then Max exhaled.

"My companions and I can get you inside."

Arthur glanced toward the rooftop to his left.

One of the hidden presences shifted.

Max noticed the movement of Arthur’s eyes but chose not to comment on it.

"In fact," he continued, "we were already planning to infiltrate the place."

Arthur turned his attention back to him.

"Why?"

Max’s expression changed.

Whatever caution had kept him from speaking openly gave way to something more personal.

"Church workers have been coming here every week."

Arthur waited for him to continue.

"They take ten people each time."

"To do what?"

"That depends on the story they’re telling that day. Work. Shelter. Service to the Church."

Max swallowed.

"The people they take never come back."

The sounds from the courtyard seemed louder in the silence that followed.

"No messages. No wages sent home. No word about where they’ve been assigned."

His hands slowly curled into fists.

"And whenever we ask, nobody knows anything."

Arthur watched him carefully.

"Children too?"

Max nodded once.

"Several from my orphanage."

His voice remained steady only through effort.

"One of them thought he was going somewhere he would be taught to read."

Arthur’s gaze flicked toward the courtyard before returning to Max.

"You think they’re being held in the temple?"

"I don’t think it."

Max stepped closer.

"We followed one of the groups."

For the first time, anger broke through the restraint in his voice.

"We saw where they were taken."

Arthur’s expression grew more attentive.

"The ruined temple?"

"Yes."

Max lowered his voice.

"And there’s something else."

"What?"

"The baptism ceremonies."

Arthur remembered the wanted poster.

The promise printed beneath his portrait.

Money.

Power.

A sacred baptism administered by the Church.

"What about them?" Arthur asked.

"They’re held there too," Max replied.

Arthur went still.

Max continued.

"The same place the Church destroyed. The same place we’re forbidden to enter on pain of death."

For several seconds, neither man spoke.

Then Arthur glanced toward the distant skyline.

’That’s a remarkably convenient place to hide something.’

He still didn’t know whether the missing people and the baptism ceremonies were connected.

But he disliked how easily the pieces seemed to fit together.

At last, he looked back at Max.

"Then this arrangement works for both of us."

"It does."

Max hesitated before continuing.

"But I need a promise before we do this."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"What promise?"

Max glanced toward the children.

This time, he took longer to look away.

"You have money."

Arthur said nothing.

"And power. Enough to stand beneath your own wanted poster and bargain with the first man who recognizes you."

A faint, humorless smile crossed Max’s face.

"If something happens to me..."

He stopped.

Then forced himself to finish.

"If I don’t come back, make sure those children survive."

Arthur watched him without speaking.

"They don’t need luxury. They don’t need to become important."

Max’s voice dropped.

"They just need a chance to live decently."

The request hung between them.

"In exchange," Max added, "I’ll put my life on the line to get you inside."

Arthur stepped closer.

"Your first responsibility is to come back alive and take care of them yourself."

Max looked at him.

"And if you want somewhere safer afterward, bring them to Elvania."

Surprise flickered across Max’s face.

Arthur continued.

"I can help you settle there."

"The elven kingdom?"

"Yes."

"The one currently being attacked by the Holy Empire?"

Arthur’s mouth curved faintly.

"I’m working on that."

Max stared at him.

Then a short laugh escaped his chest.

It carried little amusement, but some of the tension left his shoulders.

"That’s an ambitious reassurance."

"It’s the one you’re getting."

Max glanced toward the courtyard.

Then he nodded.

"Thank you."

The words were quiet but sincere.

"That gives me something to work toward."

He drew a deeper breath.

"All right. Here’s the plan."