Chapter 197 : Chapter 197

Chapter 197: Slowly, but

“Wise ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍travelers, may your rest in Hyre aid your journey.”

At ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the praise of the priest, who had wrapped his entire body in neat but expensive-looking fabric, Ratel’s and Ria’s faces stiffened.

“We ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍are simply grateful, Priest.”

Jing, ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍who had just a little more skill at managing his expression, forced up the corners of his mouth and answered.

The ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍shiny-faced priest also did not seem to want a deep conversation with them, and immediately turned around and left.

In ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the hands of the knights following behind him were fairly heavy pouches.

It was the money Jing had offered in order to receive permission to pray at the Temple for a while.

The amount needed for a mere traveler, not someone living in the city, to set foot inside the Temple was beyond imagination, so not many people actually paid it.

That was why the priest had given such generous praise and left.

Two knights blocked Ria’s view as she kept looking at it.

“You can follow us now. We will take you to the prayer room.”

The men spoke arrogantly and took the lead to guide Ratel, Jing, and Ria.

Even as Ria quietly followed behind them, she kept turning back to check the priest moving away.

“How much was all that?”

Ria whispered, still unable to take her eyes off the pouches.

“Just know that it is about five years’ worth of living expenses.”

At Jing’s answer, Ria’s mouth fell open.

“It’s better to think of it as expensive lodging. Prices tend to be high in Hyre.”

“Even if it’s expensive, that’s too expensive. Our village isn’t exactly cheap either, but this place is a different world. I’d only heard stories about it. I didn’t know it would be this expensive. Is everyone who lives here rich?”

At the sight of Ria looking around in disbelief, Jing gave a bitter smile.

“Most are. But it cannot be helped. This is a territory guarded by the Imperial Family. The other villages nearby must live while accepting the risk of monster attacks.”

“Shut your mouth.”

The knight walking ahead cut off Jing’s explanation.

Jing quietly nodded while gauging their reactions.

Until they reached their destination, Jing was willing to listen to them.

However, the one who watched their reactions a little less stopped following behind the knights and approached the wall of the Temple corridor.

“Hey! Follow quietly! This isn’t a place where a bastard like you can wander around as he pleases!”

One knight, angered by Ratel suddenly leaving the line and stopping by the window, shouted, but Ratel ignored him and quietly looked out the Temple window.

“That must mean the rest aren’t leisurely enough to endure this place.”

Jing sighed at the start of yet another one of his independent actions and looked toward where his gaze was directed.

“And it seems the rest have arrived just in time.”

Three people were sprawled on the ground, facing three people standing upright.

Two knights and one priest. Opposite them were two adults and a child in shabby clothes.

“Please, please help us! We spent all our assets to live in Hyre. If we’re driven out of here, we have nowhere to go!”

Jing and Ria understood the situation.

It was the daily life of the rest.

Ratel watched the family crawling on the floor with a fairly indifferent feeling.

Ratel knew that he was not sentimental enough to pity strangers he was seeing for the first time.

As always, he took them into his eyes from a step away, as if appreciating a painting.

“Please, please spare us. Our child’s leg is bad. If we leave Hyre, he won’t last long until we settle somewhere else. Please show mercy just this once.”

The woman who seemed to be the child’s mother begged, bringing her face close as if pressing it to the ground.

The money needed to enter the city was one silver coin.

How much was needed to settle here? The money paid to the Temple each season?

It was natural to pay a price for a safer life.

A natural matter, if one called it natural.

“Those kinds of things have been increasing lately.”

One knight, who had approached to forcefully drag over Ratel after he had suddenly stopped, muttered in dissatisfaction.

“What does that mean?”

Ria asked cautiously.

“You don’t need to know. Don’t eavesdrop on other people’s words and just follow quietly.”

Ria secretly glared at the knight, who had muttered loudly enough for them to hear and then answered irritably.

“You’re the same. If you disobey our instructions one more time, we can throw you out right away, forget prayer.”

“......”

This time he had spoken to Ratel, but Ratel lightly ignored him.

The knight’s face turned red and blue.

“P-please calm down. He came from the countryside, so this is his first time seeing such a large Temple in person.”

Jing hurriedly calmed the man, who was about to draw his sword at once.

Whether he felt killing intent toward Ratel or not, the lives of the rest of Hyre continued on.

The priest, who had been standing quietly before the family repeatedly begging for mercy, finally opened his mouth.

“What is mercy? Do you mean to ask me to pretend the tribute you must pay never existed, or are you asking for time?”

Perhaps thinking his question was a small hope, the man who seemed to be the child’s father hurriedly opened his mouth.

“To ask you to m-make it as if it never existed...... We are not making such a shameless demand, Priest. Please, just give us a few more days. We will certainly......”

“What do you think tribute is?”

“P-pardon?”

The priest’s languid voice cut off the man’s words, and the man blankly asked back, unable to follow the suddenly changed topic of conversation.

The priest turned his gaze to the large, magnificent castle visible in the distance.

The Imperial Family’s castle, enormous beyond comparison with the Temple, displayed its majesty while receiving the drifting snow.

“I say this because it seems more and more people are forgetting important facts lately. Facts such as where everything you offer goes, and why it must be that way.”

He took his eyes off the castle and slowly approached those lying on the cold ground.

The knight standing beside the priest could be seen growing flustered.

“All of this is a test. Every moment of life is a test.”

Only then did the child’s parents seem to realize that the priest before their eyes had no intention of showing their family pity at all.

“Think of it as climbing a cliff. If you make the wrong choice even for a single moment, you roll down. Once you fall, is everything not over? What you are pleading with me for is that. You are throwing a tantrum, asking me to somehow stitch back together a body that rolled down and shattered to pieces.”

“......We apologize.”

The parents’ heads fell to the ground again.

Sensing that the atmosphere was unusual, the child began to sniffle.

A smile drew itself again over the priest’s glossy face as he watched that sight.

“But this too may be another test.”

At his voice, mixed with laughter as if teasing them, the child’s parents looked up at him in surprise.

“Is this child your only child?”

The priest’s eyes openly swept over one of the child’s legs.

It was shorter and thinner than the other leg.

At the priest’s incomprehensible behavior starting again, the child’s parents held their tongues.

When the priest frowned while watching them unable to answer rashly, the woman hurriedly opened her mouth.

“N-no, we have one more child below him. Right now, that child is earning money on the street.”

Jing guessed that the word changed after that brief hesitation was probably begging.

The smile on the priest’s face deepened.

“That is good. No, perfect.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“God does not close every door. Entrust this child to the Temple.”

“Pardon?”

The child’s father asked back in confusion.

“I mean the Temple will take the child in. Until you can offer all your tribute. It does not seem bad for the child or for you.”

“W-we apologize. We simply cannot understand what you mean by taking the child in......”

The priest, who had been looking down at the man trailing off, raised the child who had been lying on the ground.

The child, who had been pressing his body against the cold ground, staggered because he could not withstand the sudden force, but the priest forcibly held him and prevented him from falling.

“I mean we will have him work at the Temple. It appears he cannot use his leg properly, and surely he cannot crawl around on the cold ground and beg like your other child.”

The parents’ faces reddened with shame, but soon they looked at each other as if unable to believe the immense privilege given to them.

“Such...... is it truly all right for you to show us such mercy?”

“Of course. This is the final chance given to you. If you make the wrong choice again this time, there will be no turning back.”

“Of course. Thank you. Truly, thank you!”

The child’s parents pressed their heads to the ground again and expressed their gratitude to the priest.

“However, I cannot allow you to enjoy such a benefit without any price. If you cannot offer the delayed tribute within a week, you will be expelled from Hyre. Forever.”

“......Pardon?”

“You will never see the child again.”

“What does that......”

Ratel, looking at the faces of the parents asking stupidly, unknowingly clenched his fist.

In Rimis, the disappearance of people would have been a fairly large matter, but in this large city, where people entering and disappearing every day was part of daily life, finding food for the holy object probably would not have been difficult at all.

When the minimum conditions necessary for a human being were not met, people lost their humanity and made foolish choices.

“What will you do?”

It was a question, but the priest seemed to know the answer had already been decided.

Even if they never saw the child again for the rest of their lives, remaining in the Temple would be the path for the child, rather than going with parents who had nothing left but hardship.

The priest waited for the child’s parents to nod.

The child’s parents looked at each other again.

Then they turned their gaze to their terrified son.

The child trembled with fear and met his parents’ eyes.

The mother slowly opened her mouth.

“......We will leave.”

“You have thought well.”

The priest’s smile, spreading in satisfaction, did not last long.

Because of the answer the child’s father standing beside her gave.

“We will leave with our child.”

The child’s parents backed away, seemingly frightened by the priest’s face growing cold.

“Do you understand what you are saying right now?”

“I believe we were too arrogant. We should have realized long ago that there was no way for us, already fallen, to climb back up.”

The woman carefully pulled the child’s arm free from his hand and answered even more carefully.

“That is the first time I’ve seen something like that.”

Ratel heard the knight who had been barking beside him mutter.

That meant this was not the first time the priest had made such an offer.

And he had probably made it mostly to people who could not refuse.

Even so, Ratel looked at those who had made a different choice.

Ridiculously, only then did he vaguely realize why he had watched that pathetic conversation until now.

Perhaps he had wanted to see their choice with his own eyes.

“There is no need to feel sorry. In truth, whichever side you choose, it does not matter much. I respect anything.”

The priest could be seen nodding as if he understood.

“Seize them.”

Though the answer he gave was far from understanding.

“Wh-why are you doing this?”

The startled child’s parents looked around anxiously.

“It would be troublesome if others learned there is a method like this.”

At the priest’s answer, the knights’ hands began growing rough.

“You wait here.”

Perhaps thinking the situation would grow larger, the man guiding Ratel’s group tried to step outside.

WHACK!

Because he tripped over Ratel’s foot and fell, he could not even take two proper steps, let alone go outside.

“What are you doing?!”

The remaining knight quickly drew his sword.

As if he was not surprised at all that this had happened, Jing struck the remaining man’s head.

“Even I would have done that this time.”

Jing said to Ratel, who kicked the man’s head as he tried to stand and knocked him unconscious.

“I wasn’t planning to make excuses, so you don’t need to forgive me on your own.”

“Yes, I suppose not.”

Jing nodded again.

The two jumped through the window.

Then they ran toward the people who were still trying to bind the parents and child.

It was not something that required more people than the two of them, so Ria looked at the backs of the two moving away.

Then she repeated to herself that this had not changed that much from the original plan.

Originally, they were supposed to slip in among the people moving goods into the Imperial Castle, but well, in the process, they might end up knocking down four or five people.

Even if one priest was included among them, as long as they did not kill him...... it would probably be fine.

“It’ll be fine.”

“Squeak......”

El, who had climbed onto Ria’s shoulder, agreed with her self-hypnosis-like mutter.

Stroking El’s head, she repeated Ran’s warning inwardly.

-Ria, there is only one thing you need to be careful of. Absolutely do not kill anyone. Keep that in mind.