The Saint’s Manual for Redemption - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 34
I stopped before a painting that captured birds dipping their beaks in a forest pond before taking flight.
A hawk occupied the center of the composition, as befitted the symbol of Caritas.
But the hawk was a decoy. Of course, being in the Caritas Order, one would naturally search for hidden mechanisms—and naturally test the hawk first.
So I’d rigged it so that pressing the hawk would disable the mechanism for an hour.
“Hmm, my memory’s a bit fuzzy on this.”
With uncertain fingers, I tapped both the bluebird and canary simultaneously with each hand, then pressed the peacock, oriole, white dove, and eagle in sequence.
The painting slid open smoothly, confirming my recollection—a passageway large enough for two people to traverse at once.
This was designed as an emergency escape route, so the tunnel’s far end opened outside the Main Temple. In other words, it was an exit.
I could only hope never to need it.
Seeing that the most critical mechanism in this painting still functioned properly, I felt reassured that the other devices hadn’t fallen into disrepair.
Behind another frame depicting butterflies and flowers lay documents containing the secrets of those noble families I’d obtained through indulgences, along with maps of the empire’s four cardinal directions.
Five hundred years ago, what lay here had been invaluable, but now it had become utterly useless.
“I suppose no one would be curious about a noble house’s secrets from five centuries past……?”
Five hundred years removed, there was no one to hold accountable now, so blackmail or negotiation was impossible. How frustrating.
And with so much time elapsed, I had no way of knowing how many of those noble families even survived, or whether their status remained unchanged, declined, or ascended.
The maps were the same. After five hundred years, the terrain, villages, and territories could never remain identical to what they once were.
Since the Order had begun its scheming of incorporating purified lands into the Temple Territory, I couldn’t even estimate how much it had expanded.
‘This is what they mean by hoarding until it rots.’
I sighed at the sight of all the misdeeds of those nobles documented in the files. How much profit could I have wrung from this?
I should have taught someone the method to open this place before my final moments came.
Still, I kept the documents carefully stored, in case they might prove useful after all.
Knock-knock—
A sound at the door sent me hastily closing the frame again and turning toward the visitor.
[Rilette Carillon (Vice-Abbess)]
When I opened the door, Rilette entered carrying a tray laden with food.
Her face bore its usual blunt, expressionless mask, but her hands moved with remarkable swiftness as she set the dishes on the table—clearly someone who didn’t want to spend even a single minute in this room.
“There’s no such curse, I’m telling you. I’ve been here for days and I’m perfectly fine.”
Gesturing toward myself as I spoke to Rilette, she replied tersely.
“It’s only been a few days, so naturally you’d appear fine.”
“Well then, to prove it, I suppose I’d have to tell you again a month from now.”
I chuckled and pressed a heavy money purse into Rilette’s hands.
Rilette accepted it cleanly and thrust it into the sleeve of her habit, her face marked with a question as she glanced at me, clearly puzzled as to why I’d given it.
“The fruit they’ve been bringing is terribly poor quality. Could you see about getting better produce instead?”
Feeling the weight in her sleeve, Rilette nodded with unusual enthusiasm.
“And I trust you understand this will be an ongoing arrangement.”
The hint that such compensation would be regular made Rilette’s lips twitch with barely suppressed delight.
To win over the mercenary Rilette, bribery was the way to go.
Of course, since the Order had assigned Rilette to watch me, she’d likely betray me without hesitation if the Order paid more—but still, it was better to make her weigh me against her loyalty to the Order.
At least then she’d hesitate once before passing information, giving me room to maneuver, and easier leverage for later persuasion.
Watching Rilette hurry away with the tray, I smirked to myself.
***
The next day brought a visitor I was genuinely glad to see.
“Vivian!”
When I called out to Vivian, who had entered carrying cleaning supplies, she stared at me in astonishment, clearly never expecting to find me here.
“My goodness, sister! You made it. I always envied this room whenever I cleaned the Main Temple, and now look—you’re actually living here.”
As Vivian spun around to take in the chamber, her expression brightened as she spoke to me.
“Still, it seems your treatment hasn’t been all bad. I expected them to openly despise you for coming from the Affiliated Orphanage.”
Ha—if only you knew. Those Main Temple people gave me this room so they could pray for my death.
When I told Vivian about the Three Generations Saint Curse Legend surrounding this room, she jumped up and shrieked.
“Those lunatics! They locked you in here hoping you’d die, and they even made us clean it! Sister, shouldn’t you find a different room right away?”
“If it seemed like I was actually dying, I’d get out before then, obviously.”
“That’s your problem—you’re too calm about everything! Once you realize the danger, it’s too late!”
Vivian pounded my back repeatedly.
Since the room’s soundproofing was excellent, I saw no need to stop her. Vivian was saying everything I wanted to say on my behalf—why would I silence her?
I guided Vivian to the sofa, telling her to sit and rest while I handled the cleaning myself.
A Sacred Barrier declared in the room made quick work of dust and debris—the whole thing took thirty seconds.
“Vivian, are they mobilizing the entire orphanage for Enthronement Ceremony preparations again this time?”
I asked as Vivian reached for a cherry, which she popped into her mouth and answered while chewing.
“Of course. When has there ever been a major Temple event where they didn’t drag us in?”
Ptooey. Vivian spat out the cherry pit and shrugged.
“Anyway, Dino and Sheril stopped by the orphanage earlier, and they’re both going to see your Enthronement Ceremony? They were bragging about how they can mix in with the regular spectators now. You should have heard them going on about it.”
I couldn’t help but smile at Vivian’s exaggerated grimace—she made it sound unbearably smug.
Dino and Sheril had been my cohort at the orphanage; we were all the same age. I’d heard they were planning to settle in other regions after leaving the Temple Territory, and it seemed they’d managed it successfully.
“Dino and Sheril?”
“Yeah. They asked if you’d sent them an invitation. They want to watch from the front row.”
Of course, the Main Temple would never hand me Enthronement Ceremony invitations to distribute to acquaintances. My face fell, and Vivian patted my back.
“Don’t worry, sister. Even if you mess up later, all these little slights will pile up and prove the Main Temple neglected you. You’ll get credit for mitigating circumstances.”
“Well, that’s certainly comforting.”
I chuckled at the grim forecast, then grabbed Vivian’s hands.
“But I do need one favor.”
When I looked at her with shining eyes, Vivian met my gaze with steady blue eyes, as if to say she’d do anything.
“If you notice anything suspicious during the preparations—anything at all—promise you’ll tell me. Your instincts are sharp.”
“That’s easy enough.”
Vivian nodded without a moment’s hesitation.
“And here—this is spending money. Share it with the younger ones and your cohort. Don’t let the Abbess know.”
I pressed a fat Money Purse into Vivian’s hands.
The real problem was that dignity-maintenance funds went toward bribing nobles, but if they tried to make an issue out of me giving a few coins to my cohort from the orphanage, that wasn’t criticism—that was picking a fight. And if I exposed the Temple’s corruption, let’s see whose side the public took.
Yes, that’s right. I could always flip the table too. I was curious which hand the people would raise.
Vivian took the Money Purse and opened her mouth several times as if trying to decide whether to say something, then closed it again. Finally, as if she’d made up her mind, she spoke with sudden determination.
“Sister, actually… there’s something I should tell you.”

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