Episode 120

Clink!

The crisp sound of gold coins clashing against each other filled the room, drawing the Pope’s curious gaze toward me.

“…Hmm? Weren’t you short on funds?”

“Yes! But I borrowed some in a hurry!”

Truthfully, this gold belonged to Edwin.

 

“Where are you going?”

“Edwin! I’m really sorry, but can you lend me some money?!”

 

I recalled Edwin’s bewildered expression when I had suddenly asked him for a loan.

If he found out it was to save Ismail, he might sulk.

I’ll have to soothe him when I get back and promise to repay him double.

Of course, the repayment would only start after I got my business up and running.

For now… I was flat broke.

Well, not entirely—I still had the checkbook the Duke had given me.

But the thought of draining the money I had earned as a Saint Candidate in one go made my hands tremble slightly as I handed over the pouch of gold.

Just then—

“…It’s fine.”

To my shock, the Pope didn’t take the remaining sponsorship fee!

“I acknowledge the value of the items you sent. Let’s consider that as payment instead.”

I blinked in astonishment.

Technically speaking, the All-Purpose Cure and Hair Mist were worth three gold more than what I owed.

“Thank you so much! Your Holiness, you’re the best! The absolute best!”

But I wasn’t about to argue.

After all, this wasn’t my money—it was Edwin’s precious fortune.

As expected, the Pope isn’t like Dunkeski or Logan.

I sneaked a side glance at him as I hurriedly tied the pouch back to my waist, just in case he changed his mind.

It was a simple logic, but if he had truly been in league with those heretics, he wouldn’t have been so generous.

Dunkeski and Logan had always been stingy, begrudging even a single coin spent on me.

And most importantly—

Even now, the only energy surrounding the Pope was the pure white aura of old age.

No traces of dark magic, no ominous colors.

“…You know, Your Holiness.”

Since things had turned out this way, I hoped he would live longer than he had in my past life.

At least until Ismail was grown.

That way, when the Pope passed away, there wouldn’t be a power vacuum for the heretics to exploit.

“The All-Purpose Cure and the Hair Mist… they’re really amazing! You should definitely use them!”

“……”

“And! If you ever need more, just let me know! I’ll give them to you for free, just for you! Hehe.”

With those hidden intentions, I enthusiastically reassured him.

He gazed at me in silence for a moment before giving a slight nod.

“…Alright. I shall do so.”

After shifting his attention away from me, he turned to Ismail.

“So, will you be going with Belze now?”

“Uh….”

Ismail blinked, clearly caught off guard.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke.

“Can I talk to Belze alone first?”

“Of course. You don’t have to leave, so take your time deciding.”

Just because someone had a sponsor didn’t mean they had to leave the orphanage immediately.

Some children stayed due to unavoidable circumstances.

Even noble-sponsored children like Diana and me could be sent back if the sponsorship was revoked.

“I’ve already taken too much of your time. I should be going now.”

“Ah!”

The Pope suddenly rose to his feet, preparing to leave without further ceremony.

Panicked, I quickly reached out to stop him.

“Your Holiness, wait! There’s something I wanted to ask…!”

“Hmm?”

“Do you happen to know anything about someone named Ursis?”

“Ursis…? Hmm. That name does sound familiar, but….”

The Pope furrowed his deeply wrinkled brow, lost in thought.

I anxiously waited for several long moments.

But finally, he shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.”

“Ah….”

I swallowed down the mild disappointment.

…So they haven’t risen to power just yet?

Perhaps this Ursis sect was still a relatively new cult.

That thought raised another question.

If this group was still so unknown that neither the Pope nor the Duke had heard of them, then how had they managed to infiltrate the temple so deeply?

“If I remember anything, I’ll send you a letter.”

While I was lost in confusion, the Pope turned away.

“Ah! Y-Your Holiness!”

Once again, I hastily called out to his retreating back.

“And also! Thank you so, so much for replying so quickly today! If it weren’t for you, things could have gone terribly wrong! Whew.”

Honestly, I had never been particularly fond of the Pope.

In both my past and present lives, he had turned a blind eye to the abuse and corruption within the temple.

But this time, I couldn’t deny that his help had been invaluable.

Without his approval, I wouldn’t have been able to become Ismail’s sponsor and protect him.

Just the thought of Ismail nearly losing his ability because of me made my vision blur for a moment.

So, with sincere gratitude, I bowed deeply.

“Belze.”

Just as he was about to open the door, he paused and looked back at me.

“…Every time I see you, you always thank me.”

“Well, yeah. Because I really am grateful.”

“I know. I’m not criticizing you, just….”

He trailed off, then muttered something that sounded almost like a sigh.

“I wonder if, when I die, I’ll be able to lift my head before the Goddess.”

“……”

“I wonder if I’ll be able to atone for all my sins before my life ends. O Goddess, lead us not into temptation….”

Leaving behind those cryptic words of prayer, the Pope stepped out of the office.

I didn’t fully grasp the meaning behind them, but it was clear he was feeling regret and guilt over what had happened to the orphans.

Honestly, if he had been younger and sharper, maybe he could have prevented all this in the first place.

But now, he seemed too old and weary to fight against the corruption surrounding him.

His words struck me deeply—because he really was nearing the end of his life.

…O Goddess, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

As I stared at the empty space where he had stood, I found myself finishing the prayer he had left incomplete.

And then—

“So… you’re really my sponsor?”

A cautious voice came from beside me.

I turned to see Ismail gazing at me with wide, bewildered eyes.

I nodded firmly.

“Yep!”

“But you need to pay a sponsorship fee to the temple. Where did you… get the money?”

“I have a lot of money! I won first place in the volunteer event, remember?”

At my confident reply, Ismail’s dark amber eyes wavered slightly.

“Y-You spent all that money… on the sponsorship fee?”

“Yep! I was actually a little short, but His Holiness gave me a discount!”

“Why would you do that without even telling me?!”

Ismail suddenly raised his voice, his face twisting in frustration.

But then, as if trying to suppress his emotions, he took a deep breath.

“…You shouldn’t just spend money recklessly like that. You worked hard to earn it.”

I was caught off guard by how calmly and rationally he was scolding me—far beyond what was expected for his age.

I thought he’d just be happy that he could leave the orphanage…

Then again, it wasn’t so strange.

A five-year-old commoner becoming his sponsor must have felt absurd—maybe even disappointing.

“Then what else was I supposed to do?”

I pouted, mumbling gloomily.

“This was the only way to get you away from that bastard Magnus right away….”

As long as Ismail remained in the orphanage, it was only a temporary measure, but still, a sponsored child couldn’t be treated carelessly.

If anything happened to a sponsored child—whether it was harm to their abilities or their well-being—nobles could demand compensation from the temple.

Just like how Dunkeski had been forced to return the donation to Kallios when Diana failed to heal Joshua.

At my reasoning, Ismail fell silent, unable to argue.

Then, after a long pause, he spoke.

“…How much was the sponsorship fee?”

The question caught me off guard.

“Huh?”

“I’ll pay you back. As soon as I’m old enough to work.”

“……”

“By thirteen, I should at least be able to find work as a servant somewhere….”

His voice trailed off, as if even he knew how ridiculous his plan sounded.

I stared at him in disbelief before opening my mouth.

“How are you supposed to pay back a thousand gold a year?”

The words nearly slipped out, but I held them in.

Instead, I asked a different question.

“…Is it because I’m not a noble? Are you embarrassed?”

“What? That’s not what I meant! I just… don’t want to be a burden to you…!”

“Tsk! That’s not something you say to your sponsor! That’s wrong!”

I cut him off with a loud exclamation.

“I’m rich! I even have a blank check! Taking care of you is nothing!”

Ismail froze, his face blank in disbelief.

Not caring, I placed my hands on my hips and repeated the words the Duke had once told me.

“When you get a sponsor, you just say thank you and act like a proper kid! That means whining and being spoiled cutely!”

“……”

“Would you act like this if someone else was your sponsor, huh? Huh?!”

For some reason—

As I stepped closer, pressing him for an answer—

Ismail’s face suddenly turned bright red.

TL/N: AHHH they are soo cute and precious

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