465. Remarks (5)
Priest Gustav listened to me! Instead of cruelly abandoning the orphans, you tried to take appropriate action! All the efforts I have made so far have not been in vain!
“You met the priest, right? Since when… … !”
As I approached the boy with a bright smile, he lifted his finger and lightly touched it to his mouth.
Thanks to this, Dasha came to her senses and hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.
“… town!”
“There is no sign of anything around yet, but it is still a good idea to be careful about making loud noises.”
Dasha nodded quickly, cupping her mouth.
“The client is, as you guessed, Priest Gustav. “It is said that since he had absolutely no time to spare during his shift, he came to the mercenary guild as soon as his shift ended.”
As if he had guessed Dasha’s questions, the boy kindly explained the details.
“So, before the guild takes over the case, I came here to conduct a preliminary investigation.”
“Preliminary investigation?”
“okay.”
In fact, it is said that Father Gustav continued to doubt Dasha’s accusation.
It must have been very embarrassing for him as well. I’m worried about the safety of the orphans if I just ignore it, but I can’t report it to the central church based on my suspicions without solid evidence.
In the end, after thinking about it, he felt angry and asked the guild to investigate. However, he also did not know the exact charges of the abbot or the scope of the investigation, and the deposit that a low-ranking priest could pay was not that much.
That’s why the boy, a new mercenary, came forward for a preliminary investigation. If it is a request that the guild has room to rush into, then reorganize the staff so that a formal contract can be made.
“no… … .”
Dasha looked in disbelief at the boy who gave off a mysterious aura.
‘That person is a new mercenary?’
okay. If you think about it, it was natural. He was still a slim boy, and he looked somewhat sickly for someone who worked as a mercenary.
But it’s really strange. Why did I feel a sense of relief the moment I first saw him that all my problems would now be solved?
“In any case, the faster and more accurate the preliminary investigation, the faster the guild’s intervention will be. So now we need the help of an internal facilitator.”
The boy who said that smiled softly at Dasha.
“So would you please help me save some time?”
“yes?”
Dasha was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected request.
“Um, that’s… Actually, I don’t know much about it either… … .”
But as I looked at the gray eyes that were calmly staring at her, the thoughts that had been stuck inside came out easily and came out.
When she came to her senses, she found herself confiding in detail what had happened to the boy.
Children disappearing every day. A suspicious guest who came to visit the abbot. And he sneaked into the director’s office every night and tried to find evidence of corruption, etc.
“You showed that material to Priest Gustav?”
“Yes, it wasn’t very useful data.”
Dasha led him to the bookshelf with a slightly uncertain expression.
“This is the area of the monastery’s fields that the lord surveyed and reported. When I first saw this, I thought it was definitely evidence that the abbot had sold the land. But when I asked Father Gustav, he said it was simply because the surveying method had changed.”
“… … .”
“This is all I found.”
The boy looked at the documents Dasha held out with a serious expression. Then he nodded and said this.
“No, you found it well. Of course, what the priest said is not wrong, but if you think about Dunstan’s motivation for investigating the answer, you can easily find the answer.”
“… Motive?”
“okay. Hiring professional surveyors costs more than you think. But why does Dunstan go to the trouble of spending his own money to produce these documents every time?”
It was truly amazing. Even though the young boy is spouting the lord’s name carelessly, he doesn’t look arrogant at all.
“hmm… . I do not know.”
“This is because this territory imposes taxes on farmers every year in proportion to the land area. So whenever Dunstan gets the chance, he comes up with a trick to increase the measurement value.”
… Increase the area?
Dasha widened her eyes.
“So what you’re saying is that the land actually needs to be increased according to the changed survey method… … !”
“okay. If you check, you will probably find that the overall area of the territory has increased every year. Nevertheless, the monastery’s land has noticeably decreased. Wouldn’t this be evidence that the abbot sold more fields than expected?”
Dasha’s face became serious after hearing that.
“But, but how can the abbot do that? “If what you say is true, it means that Lord Dunstan has known about this for a long time, right?”
“That’s because Dunstan is one of them.”
The boy who answered calmly added his explanation with a somewhat self-deprecating smile.
“you know that? The lord cannot dare to tax the land dedicated to the Lord, that is, the property of the church. So, if the abbot sold the fields to someone, there would be no harm from Dunstan’s perspective as the amount of land to be taxed would increase. “Priest Gustav probably guessed that too.”
“Then why did Father Gustav… then?” … !”
“Perhaps he decided that it was dangerous for you to delve any further into the abbot’s corruption. So, after cracking down on them to prevent them from acting recklessly, they took advantage of the opportunity and sent a request to the guild so that a proper investigation could be conducted.”
“… … !”
Suddenly, the face of Father Gustav, who was warning her in a stern voice, appeared in Dasha’s mind.
-But you are still too young to get involved in adult matters.
-If you say something like that again in the future, you will no longer be forgiven just because you are young, do you understand?
At the time, Dasha thought that Father Gustav was blaming her. But actually he just wanted to protect himself from danger?
“I am… … .”
Dasha pursed her lips with a complicated expression.
Ah, maybe Father Gustav is right. The true intentions of adults were too unclear and complicated for young Dasha to follow.
“But-”
It was right then. The boy suddenly stared into space and let out an inexplicable sound.
“It was sad. “It seems the priest’s decision was a little late.”
“yes?”
“The collapse… I will wake up. And there… Numerous screams and shadows of death… … .”
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“… … ?”
“But we have already come too far to stop them.”
… What does all that mean?
Dasha looked closely at the direction his eyes were looking, but she couldn’t find anything there. It was just the pale moonlight peeking through the window, shining quietly on the office.
“… … .”
But it was a strange thing. That person’s random words didn’t sound like nonsense at all. Besides, how are his eyes shining so brightly in this dark room?
Dasha is looking up at him as if possessed by something-
Blink.
With a small movement of the eyelids, that magical moment was suddenly gone.
The boy, whose eyes had suddenly returned to his previous state, looked back at Dasha and asked curiously.
“I think we probably need to prepare a little bit. “If you don’t mind, could you lead me to the abbot’s bedroom?”
* * *
While guiding the boy to the priests’ quarters, Dasha could not properly understand his actions.
‘… ‘What’s all this about?’
Normally, I would have declined his request. To sneak into a place where priests are gathered in the middle of the night. Is there such a thing as crazy?
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before we were caught. Not to mention Priest Ellison, who reads scriptures until late at night, and there are many other priests who are sensitive to sleep.
If you happen to get caught, you’ll probably be kicked out of the orphanage without even being able to come up with an excuse.
‘but… … .’
This air surrounding them.
The flow of abnormally purified air, like a stream flowing in one direction, soothed Dasha’s anxiety and gave her courage of unknown origin.
What can I say?
Is this something worth doing?
“Keep in mind. “You should never go on an adventure like this alone.”
The boy, who sensed Dasha’s thoughts like a ghost, quietly warned her.
After walking for so long, they finally arrived at the abbot’s bedroom at the end of the hallway.
“The door is probably locked… … .”
Sweet!
Before Dasha had even finished speaking, the boy unlocked the key with a small gesture.
Even though Dasha was looking at him with her own two eyes, she couldn’t figure out what trick he was doing right now.
“… … ?!”
Creak-
The door opened with a small friction sound, and they were finally able to face Director Mathieu, who was snoring loudly.
“… What are you going to do? Are you really trying to kill the director like this?”
When Dasha whispered in fear, the boy shook his head slightly.
“I would like to do that, but… … .”
Would you like to?
“It is not yet time for his life to end. “I wouldn’t dare touch it.”
“Then why did you come here?”
“I just thought the abbot needed a little warning-”
warning? how? That guy is sleeping without knowing the world?
When Dasha gave him a questioning look, the boy lightly shook his head.
“Okay. Even though he is not awake, his spirit is listening to everything we say.”
The boy walked up to the bed with great strides and gently placed his lips near Abbot Mathieu’s ear.
And then-
[Listen. Sooner or later, the worst consequences of your sins will come to you.]
Strange sounds spread out in all directions, as if hitting directly into the head.
The voice was so clear that even Dasha, who was a little away from the bed, could clearly recognize it.
“Off… … .”
Is the soul really listening to those words? The abbot groaned and let out a small moan, as if he was in pain even in his sleep.
[So hurry and run away. Hide alone in a place where no one can find you. Please pray earnestly to God to forgive your sins.]
The corner of the boy’s mouth that had said that far twisted cruelly for a moment.
[And when that day finally comes, bear the consequences alone in a place where no one knows.]
Ah, is that a blessing or a curse?
If the voice is extremely sweet, why does it give such an eerie feeling?
Grrrr… … .
While Dasha was shivering from an unknown cold, the boy slowly got up and looked back at Dasha. He had a very detached expression that was not appropriate for his age.
“Now that’s enough. “He’ll probably be self-reliant for a while.”
“you… excuse me… … .”
“Bart.”
“Yes, Bart.”
Dasha, who intuitively realized that he had completed all his business here, quickly confessed what he had wanted to say earlier.
“My name is Dasha. And I was actually born in the Empire. “It’s not Warsaw.”
“Yeah, I see.”
He nodded without much change in expression and gently stroked Dasha’s tangled hair.
Although it was only a very light gesture, it felt kind and comforting, making Dasha feel a little strange.
“… … .”
“Now, let’s go back to your room. “I’ll take you back so you don’t get caught.”
From then on, the two moved to the bedroom where the orphans were sleeping without much conversation.
Just before entering the room, Dasha turned to the boy and asked.
“Hey, are you going back now?”
“okay. I’ll be back soon with some people. So, from now on, you won’t have to sneak out at night anymore.”
The boy, Bart, left those words and suddenly disappeared before our eyes.
“… … !”
Dasha stared at the empty hallway for a moment, then returned to her bed and closed her eyes, as if possessed by something.
I wondered if I had ever dreamed with my eyes open. That’s because the events of that day were strange and unrealistic.
But soon thereafter, Dasha became convinced that the meeting that night had not been a dream. From that day on, just like her lies, her orphans no longer disappeared without a word.
And at some point, there was a rumor that Abbot Mathieu was so anxious that he retreated deep into his prayer room.
fantasy,
