I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 129

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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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#129

 

The ring I wore had paralysis poison applied to the inside.

 

Like the fan, it was a self-defense item I had made myself to protect my body.

 

Using it to take down the priest who was chasing us was good, but another problem arose.

 

The priests who noticed I was missing had set out to find me.

 

In the midst of this, the paralyzed and collapsed priest was discovered, making the situation even more serious.

 

“She couldn’t have escaped far!”

 

“Find her!”

 

I hid with the child in the secret room she had shown me and listened carefully to the situation outside.

 

I could hear the priests moving about busily.

 

How much time had passed like that? The outside became quiet.

 

I peered through the crack in the door to check the situation outside. Whether they had all left, no one was visible outside.

 

Now would be the time to escape.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

When I extended my hand, the child, unlike before, obediently took my hand.

 

The eyes looking straight at me didn’t waver in the slightest.

 

It seems I’ve gained her trust. That was fortunate.

 

I came out of the secret room with the child.

 

As confirmed, the hallway was quiet. Just a little further and we’d reach the Open Hall.

 

‘I need to meet Baron Delrond.’

 

After that, I’d have to immediately escape the temple. It wouldn’t be easy, but it had to be done.

 

It was when I had carefully taken a few steps toward the Open Hall.

 

“…!”

 

Someone suddenly popped out from around the corner.

 

Short, swaying red hair.

 

It was Adrina Priest. I was surprised to see her, but she was also startled to see me and hesitated.

 

Adrina Priest, who had been staring blankly at my face, looked down at the child tightly holding my hand.

 

Her deep reddish-brown eyes wavered.

 

I prepared to use the ring coated with paralysis poison at any moment.

 

Even though it wouldn’t be life-threatening, since it was poison, I didn’t want to use it if possible, but I had no choice.

 

After looking at me and the child for a moment, Adrina Priest soon squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.

 

“There’s no one here!”

 

And she quickly passed by us.

 

Did she just pretend not to see us even though she saw us?

 

Why? Could it be a return favor for giving her the handkerchief earlier?

 

It was puzzling, but it was fortunate for me.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

I headed toward the Open Hall again with the child.

 

After that, it was smooth sailing. There were no priests we encountered until we reached the Open Hall.

 

“There she is!”

 

Just as I was about to feel relieved, priests appeared from behind.

 

However, where I was now was the Open Hall.

 

With so many watching eyes, they wouldn’t be able to easily approach me.

 

As expected, they only hesitated and couldn’t readily approach me.

 

They stood at a distance, watching and whispering. They were probably discussing what to do.

 

“Baron Aster?”

 

At the familiar voice, I turned around to see Baron Delrond looking at me with a bewildered face.

 

Next to him was Milron Priest.

 

Milron Priest was glaring at the child in my arms with blazing eyes.

 

The child flinched and burrowed into my embrace. I wrapped my arms around the child and glared at Milron Priest.

 

“Why are you looking at the child like that?”

 

“I’m the one who wants to ask. Why is Baron Aster carrying that child?”

 

“I got lost and was wandering around when I happened to meet her.”

 

“You got lost?”

 

Milron Priest frowned deeply and asked back as if it was nonsense.

 

“Yes. I got lost.”

 

I answered shamelessly without batting an eye.

 

“Ha, so you got lost and entered all the way to the Secret Hall.”

 

“That was the Secret Hall? I had no idea.”

 

When I replied calmly again, Milron Priest pressed his lips together and trembled with anger.

 

While doing so, he glanced around. People who had gathered were whispering while looking at us.

 

Milron Priest took a deep breath and spoke with a smiling face.

 

“I see. I understand that child is also lost, so it’s a combination of two lost people. How strange.”

 

Unlike the corners of his mouth forming a bright smile, his gaze toward me was cold and sharp.

 

“Then we’ll take that child back.”

 

Not that they would take her, but that they would take her back.

 

I let out a hollow laugh at how boldly he treated the child like an object.

 

“Sister….”

 

The child called me as if terrified and gripped my collar tightly. Her small shoulders trembled.

 

“Don’t worry.”

 

I firmly grasped the trembling child’s shoulders and spoke in a resolute voice.

 

“I will never hand you over to them.”

 

Even if I had to reveal all my cards here and clash with them, I had no intention of letting the child go.

 

“I’m sorry, but I cannot let you take the child.”

 

At my answer, Milron Priest asked back as if it was absurd.

 

“Have you forgotten that the temple is that child’s guardian?”

 

“According to the Empire’s law, when a guardian abuses a child they should protect, their guardian status is immediately revoked and they are held accountable for that crime.”

 

The severity of punishment varied according to the degree of abuse, but losing guardian status was certain.

 

“So from now on, the temple is no longer the child’s guardian.”

 

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Baron.”

 

Milron Priest said with a frown.

 

“So you’re claiming that the church authorities abused the child?”

 

“You understood correctly.”

 

“Ha!”

 

Milron Priest let out an exasperated breath as if dumbfounded.

 

“What evidence do you have to make such claims?”

 

“The evidence is this child. Can’t you see the child’s physical condition, Milron Priest?”

 

I pointed with my hand to the child’s emaciated body and the countless wounds on her arms and legs.

 

Seeing them, Milron Priest shook his head.

 

“Oh my. It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”

 

A misunderstanding?

 

“That child has anorexia and can’t eat well. That’s why she’s thin.”

 

It was a ridiculous excuse, but I stayed quiet, thinking I’d hear him out.

 

“The wounds on her body are from self-harm.”

 

“…Self-harm?”

 

“Yes. Perhaps because she was suffering from anorexia, she kept harming herself.”

 

Milron Priest held his head with his hand and shook it.

 

“We were troubled by it too. We can heal physical wounds with divine power, but mental wounds are hard to treat.”

 

Everything he said was plausible. When I nodded as if agreeing, Milron Priest smiled brightly.

 

“Now that you understand our position….”

 

“Then why didn’t you treat her?”

 

I shouted at Priest Milron while showing him the countless wounds on the outside of the child’s arm.

 

“If you can heal bodily wounds with divine power, then why didn’t you heal the wounds on this child’s arm! Why did you leave the wounds on her legs untreated?”

 

My voice echoed throughout the Open Hall like a reverberation.

 

Priest Milron hesitated for a moment, then made another excuse.

 

“Those are wounds that haven’t been there long….”

 

“Does Priest Milron think I’m foolish enough not to distinguish between recent wounds and old ones?”

 

If he said no, he would be contradicting his own words, and if he said yes, he would be insulting me, so Priest Milron couldn’t continue and closed his mouth.

 

Baron Delrond, who had been watching the situation, approached me.

 

At Baron Delrond’s approach, the child burrowed into my embrace.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

I gently patted the child’s back.

 

“That person is on our side. He will never hurt you.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Baron Delrond knelt on one knee to match the child’s eye level and smiled warmly.

 

“I’m on your side. I came to rescue you.”

 

And he stroked the child’s head. The child flinched but didn’t avoid Baron Delrond’s hand.

 

She just stared intently at Baron Delrond’s face with transparently clear eyes.

 

Baron Delrond, who had examined the child’s overall condition, stood up.

 

“I can certainly see some fresh wounds, but there are also many old wounds. Some have festered before they could heal.”

 

Baron Delrond glared at Priest Milron.

 

“What’s going on here, Priest Milron.”

 

Priest Milron thought for a moment, then opened his mouth with a long sigh.

 

“The truth is… that child was indeed abused.”

 

What? Has he finally decided to tell the truth?

 

If so, what Priest Milron said from now on would be important evidence, so I listened carefully to his story.

 

“It was done by a junior priest who was in charge of that child. When the Archbishop found out about it later, he excommunicated that priest.”

 

But there was no need for such a story.

 

Now that the situation was turning unfavorable for them, Priest Milron was trying to cut off the tail.

 

‘I won’t let that happen.’

 

After coming this far, I couldn’t let them cut off their tail like a lizard and escape.

 

“I can’t trust Priest Milron’s words, so I need to see the other children the temple is protecting. If those children show no signs of abuse, then I’ll believe Priest Milron’s words.”

 

“I also agree with Baron Aster’s words.”

 

Baron Delrond cast his vote for my opinion.

 

“Absolutely not. The Secret Hall is a restricted area that no one except priests can enter.”

 

But Priest Milron was not one to back down quietly.

 

“It’s a space that even His Majesty the Emperor cannot enter carelessly. And you want to go in there. That’s absurd.”

 

“Who said anything about going in?”

 

“Then…?”

 

“You can bring the children out from there.”

 

“…!”

 

Priest Milron’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected this. The other priests also began murmuring in confusion.

 

Priest Milron spoke with visible panic.

 

“Bringing all those children here would be too much….”

 

“I understand this temple houses fewer than 50 children. I don’t think the Open Hall is too small to accommodate those children.”

 

Go ahead and say something if you have anything to say. Whatever you say, I’ll refute it.

 

I glared at Priest Milron with wide eyes.

 

Having nothing to say, Priest Milron kept his mouth shut.

 

“Did the temple really abuse children?”

 

“Look at that child. How pitiful she is….”

 

The onlookers murmured while looking at Priest Milron. Sympathetic public opinion poured out toward the child.

 

“Show us the children right now!”

 

“If you’re innocent, there’s no reason you can’t show them!”

 

People of all ages and genders shouted, demanding that the priests show them the children.

 

Their shouting voices became a massive echo that filled the Open Hall.

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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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