[Episode 87]
I didn’t want to lose anyone, even though it was a family that came to this distant world.
More than anything, watching Crunno Etam reminded me of the past me. The way I blamed everything on myself.
“It is.”
“Nonsense.”
Crunno etham pulled me away and got up.
Separate me…
“…Won’t it fall off?”
“huh.”
Hanging from his neck, I was holding on to his neck better than I thought.
And Crunno Etam had more strength than I thought. When I didn’t fall, he finally lifted his arm and supported my butt.
“I’m sorry, high priest.”
“No, it’s fine. You have a pretty cute nephew. I will be happy.”
“…not like that.”
“okay? Don’t forget that sin is always by your side. You are living today by stepping on others.”
The high priest laughed meanly and said.
“…I know.”
“Today’s penance was not properly completed, so let’s do it again in a few days.”
“yes.”
The high priest turned his gaze to me and smiled.
“Isn’t the cardinal’s nephew willing to go to the temple regularly? You cannot change your birth, but you can make a dirty body and mind clean.”
At that rude remark, Adam took a step forward. The high priest looked at me with a leisurely smile.
“No, no.”
“Then it would be better not to get close to the cardinal, for it will be difficult if he corrupts.”
“Yeah, I don’t like it.”
“…”
I answered like a child, and the high priest’s eyes were slightly annoyed.
“The Etam family should raise their level of education.”
“No.”
“Because you don’t even know the basics of etiquette…”
“Isn’t that? I’m not being polite because you’re not being polite.”
I replied lightly.
The title of a duke would be similar to or higher than that of a high priest, but never lower. Even so, the high priest was clearly ignoring me.
Of course, since I don’t know that I’m the head of household, there might be such things.
“A nefarious and filthy being is trying to bewitch us. Come to your senses, Cardinal Cruneau.”
“…yes.”
He was trying to get me off somehow. But every time I was stuck like a cicada on an old tree.
“…get away.”
“no, I do not want.”
“a little…!”
Chrono Etam grabbed me and groaned. Still, it seemed that I couldn’t get rid of what I was desperately clinging to.
“Don’t be sick, Uncle.”
“…”
“The world becomes miserable the moment you blame something that is not your fault on me. Even breathing makes me feel guilty… Actually, it’s not, but it really seems to be.”
I did.
It seemed to me that being born was a great sin.
There was a time when I couldn’t stand it if I didn’t repeat it even though I knew it wasn’t so.
But Erno Etham, no, Dad said he loved me even if I was nothing. I asked if I needed a reason.
That’s what I wanted from my real parents, but I never heard it until the very end.
“…You are making a lot of noise. Go back immediately.”
“I guarantee you, if my uncle says he is having a hard time with the family, everyone will come over and listen to what he has to say.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. I know who he was thinking of.
Except for one person.
“Except Dad.”
As he added, his expression softened. He seemed to have a rough idea of what his father was being treated by his family.
“So don’t hurt yourself.”
I closed my eyes as I hung from his neck.
‘I hope Uncle’s body gets better.’
When I wished for it, it came true like a miracle with a pure white halo.
The scars all over her body disappeared, and even the old scars completely disappeared.
Chunoetam’s eyes widened. He looked at me with an expression of disbelief, then raised his head and looked at the high priest.
“I’ll go today and come back tomorrow because my uncle hates it.”
“You…”
“Ah, if you get hurt again, I’ll treat you again.”
When I said that and smiled broadly, Cruneau Etam’s face contorted with the face of a bad boy.
“Mr.
“…what?”
“If I hit my uncle again…”
I smirked.
The fact that the Etam family is giving a rather large donation to the temple because of Kruno Etam is also mentioned in the novel.
“I will not donate in the future.”
“The cardinal’s nephew is arrogant! If you think that just one child will make the Etham family reap the donation, you are very mistaken!”
“I will.”
The Etam family was responsible for about half of the temple’s donations.
In fact, why are you donating a large amount of money to the temple, which is of no help other than fame to the Etam family?
Chuck Bonnie, the reason was simple.
Mirel Etham gave it to me for my son. For the sake of a child who would trample himself to death alone in a temple.
“What the hell are you…”
“Me? She is the daughter of a wonderful father.”
When I said with a grin, the high priest’s face hardened.
Satisfied with the look on his face, I took Adam and Iona back to the gun shop.
Of course, from that day on, my terrible visit to the temple began.
* * *
“Goodbye, Prime Minister!”
Ironically, when I greeted him refreshingly and entered, the high priest’s face openly frowned.
“uh? Are you frowning now? Aren’t you happy with me?”
“…haha me? I hope so. Welcome, Lady Etam.”
“Did you prepare s’mores cookies and hot chocolate from Parach?”
There was a sound of grinding teeth somewhere.
When I opened my eyes and raised my head, the high priest sat across from me with a stern smile as if he had never done that.
“of course.”
‘It’s a constrictor.’
Well, that’s why the money-mad guy is doing the high priest.
He must be very worn out now. Because the Etam family really notified me that they would cut off their support.
To be precise, my dad, who had heard everything I said, said he would quit, so he said yes.
Even in [Input. Yang. Gak], the High Priestess did not come out as a very good existence.
A human who was originally crazy about money somehow came to have powerful divine power and rose to the position of high priest.
The high priest offered the temple to the nobles as a place to leave illegitimate or uncomfortable children.
It is to raise them to be priests. And in return, they received donations.
After Crono Etam’s death, he came out with what he considered Crono Etam to be.
To him, Etam was a huge source of money.
The high priest was a human who realized why Duke Mirel was sponsoring an astronomical amount of money for the temple.
Duke Mirelle was concerned about Crunno Etam, who left home early.
It means that he doesn’t have the personality to always grumble and worry behind his back.
Using that mind of worrying about his children, the present High Priestess plunged Cruno Etam further into the pit of the temple.
They piqued his guilt, gaslighted him, and manipulated him into never leaving the temple.
In fact, when Cruno Etam met his death at the hands of Lucillion, he said:
[How big is Chrono Etam, and he kills him like that! That was the biggest line of money! I should have kept it attached somehow…!]
The High Priestess was killed by Lucillion after that. It wasn’t long before the sparks of rebellion ignited throughout the empire.
“Does it suit your taste…?”
“Um no. It’s tasteless. too sweet.”
I said, roughly throwing out the cookies he had prepared. A precious cookie fell to the floor.
“…”
The high priest clenched his fists.
“Cardinal Chroneau is too faithful to say that he will not leave the temple himself. As a High Priestess, how dare I ask you to leave the temple, giving up that absolute loyalty to God?”
The High Priestess spoke with a force almost like crying. I just laughed at the sight of him holding his hands together and speaking in a pretentious voice.
“Yes, the high priest is right. Certainly. So I think Uncle can stay here.”
After all, sooner or later Lucillion will take the place of the High Priestess and everything will be fine.
“then…!”
A blush flashed across his face.
“I’d like to ask for something else instead.”
“What if…?”
“Can you free all the prisoners here? Ah, a family of beastmen and, to a lesser extent, elves.”
I added while remembering the contents of [mouth.yang.gak].
He extorted their labor without pay, adding various reasons, such as the need to purify the prisoners and their families who had been in liaison with the dirty prisoners.
Prisoners were forced to belong to the temple, and their families were held hostage in the temple, so there would be no separation.
In the end, the High Priestess was able to get a few free labor for one person.
“what…? What is that…”
“Yeah, that’s all you need to do. By the way, the contract will be signed, so please know that.”
It’s enough to appease Crunno Etam little by little, but the beastman didn’t have time.
Going to the southern continent would be the happiest thing for them.
I told my dad about it yesterday.
[…so I want to free the prisoners and send them to the Southern Continent, but is that possible? Money… or support…]
[Daughter, do you want to do that?]
[Yes.]
[Then you can do it.]
[…but.]
[The family is yours. you have the authority You can do it if you thought it was right.]
Dad told me to do whatever I wanted.
If so, I wanted to see a future where Crunno Etham didn’t die and the prisoners weren’t unhappy.
“If you don’t like it…”
I slowly lowered my eyes.
“Dad said he could cut off 80% of the temple’s funding line…”
It was a lie.
