I Will Buy Divine Power With Money! - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Oh, and if possible, please seal off the entire temple right now.”

“…The temple?”

Airik, who had been sighing for some reason, questioned my sudden request.

“Chef Kento isn’t the only spy, you know.”

“What?”

“There are more spies?”

Both Airik and Seth looked greatly flustered.

I feel a bit sorry for constantly surprising these two, but unfortunately, it’s the truth.

“Yes, but I don’t know who they are or how many there are either.”

This is real. If I had known this for certain, I would have properly earned their trust!

Unfortunately, this part was vaguely described in the original work. How disappointing.

So I have no choice but to search for them one by one through legwork.

“Please handle the spy hunt, High Priest and Order Commander. I’m sorry to ask this of you right after your return, Order Commander.”

I briefly considered whether I, who had become skilled at interrogation, should conduct the questioning, but Airik and Seth are male lead candidates after all.

They’ll thoroughly catch them without me having to get involved, so I decided to trust and leave it to them.

“Not at all. This is something I should naturally do as Order Commander. I’ll search thoroughly, so don’t worry and get some rest. You don’t look well.”

Honestly, I’d love to stay up all night with Seth and interrogate Chef Kento with great enthusiasm, but…

“Then I’ll leave it to you. Let’s talk about the rest tomorrow.”

My mind was clear, but my body was truly on the verge of going on strike.

Ordel’s body had absolutely terrible stamina – had she never exercised even once?

This won’t do. I need to start basic fitness training soon.

“You look like you can barely walk… Let me escort you to your room.”

Seth, who had been restless as if I might collapse with just one step, carefully took my arm and supported me.

“Oh my, then I’ll ask for your help.”

Is there any reason to refuse?

After saying goodbye to Airik until tomorrow, I leaned on Seth’s reliable shoulder and slowly headed to my bedroom.

* * *

As soon as Ordel and Seth left and he was alone in the kitchen, Airik pressed his forehead.

The headache that had become his companion from the moment he accepted Ordel as the saint of the Grand Temple had worsened over the past few days.

More precisely, since Ordel began showing her suddenly changed behavior. He still couldn’t tell if this was truly a good thing.

‘…She said she didn’t tell me because I don’t fully trust her.’

Ordel had said this nonchalantly, that she had willingly put herself in danger because of that.

But did she know?

That those words also meant she didn’t trust him either.

Why was Ordel’s tone, as if she didn’t expect his trust at all, so irritating?

It had been two years since Ordel entered the Grand Temple.

During that time, there hadn’t been a single occasion for them to trust each other.

So there was no way trust could suddenly form, yet he didn’t understand why this was so shocking now.

Airik let out a bitter laugh.

“Ah, you’re still here.”

Just then, Seth, who had escorted Ordel, returned to the kitchen.

Airik happened to ask something he’d been curious about.

“Why didn’t you recognize the Saint, Order Commander? It’s not like you’ve only seen her once or twice.”

Seth was a Sword Master with excellent perception.

It was far too strange that he hadn’t recognized Ordel.

“Well, somehow the Saint’s impression seemed so different from before. As if she had become a different person.”

“Different?”

“Yes. When I last saw her before leaving the Grand Temple, she definitely had a fierce impression… Now she’s so gentle that I couldn’t think of her as the same person.”

Seth recalled Ordel.

She always had her eyes sharply raised at the corners, wearing a stubborn expression.

Her strongly yellow-tinted eyes were venomously sharp, preventing anyone from treating her carelessly.

But what was her impression like when he saw her again after half a year?

Seth had never once seen Ordel with such a soft and gentle expression.

Her eyes, even holding a smile, appeared not yellow but golden like honey.

With such complete opposites, how could he think of her as the same person?

Rather, this happened because his perception was too good.

“…It seems the Saint has had a major change of heart recently. Perhaps because of that, her personality has changed somewhat too.”

Airik briefly explained what Ordel had done at the Grand Temple over the past few days.

From demanding improved meals for the children to eating together in the restaurant, and that she was also the one who caught Chef Kento’s embezzlement that afternoon.

Seth was greatly surprised.

“The Saint has truly done something remarkable. I should have caught the embezzler… I’m sorry. I must have been away too long.”

“How could that be only the Order Commander’s fault? It’s my fault for not knowing that mice were eating away at the granary until now.”

Airik smiled bitterly.

With Seth absent, he should have watched over the temple more carefully, but this was entirely his mistake.

“And now is not the time to discuss fault. We must catch all the remaining spies before it’s too late.”

At Airik’s words, Seth’s bright blue eyes glinted darkly.

“The High Priest is right. As the Saint said, I’ll issue a lockdown order immediately and summon everyone residing in the Grand Temple.”

“We must investigate everyone without exception – priests, holy knights, and attendants. Please be careful not to frighten the children, but examine them thoroughly so no suspicion remains.”

Investigating even the children might be excessive, but this was a matter directly connected to the Grand Temple’s safety.

They couldn’t repeat the same mistake twice.

Seth nodded with a determined expression.

“I’ll be thorough.”

“I’ll interrogate Chef Kento in the meantime. I’ll get him to confess who his accomplices are.”

“Will you be alright doing it alone? I could handle that instead.”

At Seth’s concern, Airik shook his head firmly.

“The Grand Temple’s honor is at stake. I won’t be careless, so don’t worry.”

Seth didn’t insist twice and immediately agreed.

The two men began moving right away.

Seth assembled the holy knights, and Airik headed alone to the deepest prison where Chef Kento was confined.

A damp, dirty, humid smell stung his nose.

Guarding the prison where Chef Kento was confined alone were two holy knights that Seth particularly trusted.

Since these two, whom Seth had practically raised, had absolutely no chance of being spies, Airik entered Chef Kento’s prison cell with peace of mind.

Chef Kento was bound hand and foot by chains and shackles attached to the wall.

“Chef Kento. From now on, you’ll need to answer my questions properly.”

Airik picked up the whip prepared in one corner of the prison for interrogation.

Chef Kento, who had been snorting dismissively at him, began to waver when he saw the sharp thorns at the end of the whip.

Did he think they wouldn’t torture in a temple that serves God? Not at all. Because it’s a temple, they can.

It’s only natural to bring down divine punishment on evil that has defiled God’s name.

“I’m in a very bad mood right now, so this will hurt considerably. So scream for a long time until you can’t bear it anymore, then confess. That might improve my mood a little.”

Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Chef Kento hesitantly backed away.

But there was nowhere for him to escape in the enclosed space.

“Don’t worry. You won’t die. Fortunately for you, the god I serve is the Sun God, who specializes in healing.”

Torture, heal, interrogate, heal.

At the implication that he would repeat this process, Chef Kento’s face turned deathly pale.

However, no emotion whatsoever appeared on Airik’s face as he looked down at him.

Soon, terrible screams echoed through the prison.

* * *

The next morning.

Having excellently performed their respective duties through the night, Airik and Seth met again in front of the Sanctuary’s Receiving Room.

Seth wore a troubled expression at the faint smell of blood emanating from Airik.

“High Priest, there’s a smell of blood…”

“Oh no. I washed it off as much as possible, but is it still there?”

“Mm. It’s faint enough that the Saint wouldn’t notice, but in a closed room, she might catch it.”

At Seth’s advice, Airic nodded.

As soon as he entered, he’d need to open the windows first. Anyway, Ordel takes a long time to get ready.

‘Oh wait, no. She doesn’t dress up anymore.’

Previously, Ordel had spent much time wearing luxurious dresses and adorning herself lavishly.

But suddenly transformed, she had ordered all her dresses to be disposed of.

And she began wearing saint’s robes or plain clothes that she had never even glanced at before.

It was a sight that clearly showed she had truly changed.

Thinking of Ordel asking him to trust her, Airic felt inexplicably complicated and sighed.

“Um, High Priest. Order of the Holy.”

Just then, the maid who had gone to Ordel’s bedroom to announce their visit returned with a bewildered expression.

“Th-the Saint is not in her bedroom. The room is completely empty.”

At the unexpected news she brought, both men’s eyes widened.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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